'Murican 2-Gun: M1918A3 BAR and M1911A1

All the best firearms history channels streaming to all major devices:
weaponsandwar.tv
Today I'm taking a brand new Ohio Ordnance M1918A3 semiauto BAR to the 2-gun match, along with a Tisas M1911A1 clone. The BAR is the WW2 configuration, but I followed the footsteps of many a US GI and took off the bipod (and it didn't come with a carry handle). That reduces the weight a bit from the very beefy 19 pounds the WW2 BAR tipped the scales at. Even so, it's still like running a shoulder rifle with a second rifle strapped to it...
It was a fun match, even if I did place very near the bottom of the scores!
All the best firearms history channels streaming to all major devices:
weaponsandwar.tv
utreon.com/c/forgottenweapons/
/ forgottenweapons
www.floatplane.com/channel/For...
Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! shop.forgottenweapons.com

[@kylew7930]

I like how you “normalize” not being the most high speed competitor guy.. just using cool guns and having a good time is a win by itself.

[@jeffpraterJSF]

Wish that was me but I have a ranking to worry about in certain comps

[@-Zevin-]

@@jeffpraterJSF There's room for both, one thing I really appreciate about Ethan is just getting more people into the sport, it's cool to lose too as long as you are having fun, it's still good training and practice. This is great for people like you too, because more losers means you get to win more too lol. Biggest thing is just trying, because I know many people who just won't even try because they are afraid of the social pressure and embarrassment. However I have more respect for the guy who comes in last place and at least tries compared to the ones who don't, and even when you do lose, you learn something every time and improve.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

The people who shoot 2-Gun are a really great group, friendly and very supportive.

[@macheesmo3]

​@@ForgottenWeapons I imagine them discussing "what wacky stuff is Ian bringing today??" every match.

[@-Zevin-]

@@macheesmo3 "Today I will be doing 2 gun with a G11 and a gyrojet pistol"

[@riu.1180]

"ahhhh that's hot. Thas hot" -Ian in the KZbin Rewind

[@brockgundich]

Finally a rewind I'd give a shit about

[@edwinalexis593]

I gonna get that as ringtone

[@roundtomuch9296]

Ian quotes Paris Hilton?

[@keksimus__maximus]

Yaaaa

[@kowell]

Found the 2025 april fool shirt

[@akbuilder7626]

My Grandfather carried a BAR during his 4 years of serving in WW2 until he was shot by a Japanese sniper on Luzon Island. Fortunately for me he survived.

[@bullast2046]

Lots of love to him..

[@drrocketman7794]

My great uncle Cliff carried one on Enewetak Atoll

[@arvintyree1109]

My grandfather carried a BAR in the pacific theater though he rarely used it since his job mostly was to man the anti aircraft guns protecting the airfields from kamikaze pilots

[@jackbrown3689]

good on you grampa

[@ragnarragnarsson6636]

My son also carried one in 1943 in the Pacific theatre. I'm so proud of him.

[@tuzu1758]

A very rare moment in shooting competition thinking, "gee, maybe I should have went with the M14."

[@TheCrusher72]

M1

[@allangibson8494]

@@TheCrusher72The BAR is probably the only military issue shoulder gun that makes an M14 look like a good upgrade…

[@Ishan9726gaming]

Why does everyone hate the M14? What's wrong with the M14?

[@TheCrusher72]

@@Ishan9726gaming it’s heavy, slow firing, inaccurate, unreliable, parts break off even the new ones …

[@allangibson8494]

@@Ishan9726gaming It is a combination of heavy weight, heavy recoil in what was supposed to be a “battle rifle”. You need hours of training to hit a target with it in automatic mode (if at all).

[@eduardohermoso150]

Decades ago, a Sargeant in the local constabulary left his BAR in our custody. He did not have extra ammo for range practice so I sought the help of a friend who sent to me a WWII cartridge belt filled with M1 Garand clips containing the 30 -06 ammo. We shot the ammo downrange. The BAR was heavy, almost no recoil, had a slow rate of fire and it was quite accurate on full auto. By the way, the bipod was indeed missing.

[@hoilst265]

"Mr. Browning! How can you expect soldiers to fire 30-06 on full automatic from the shoulder and not be beaten to death by the recoil?" "It is simple. The gun weighs approximately seven tons."

[@robviousobviously5757]

friend had a 1918BAR.. fullauto.. left a few smoldering fingerprints on that thing... great to shoot.. terrible to lug around.. lol

[@dariuswilliams7509]

Glad you brought 30-06 to the firefight though😂😂

[@50caliber29]

Great video. You do realise in that uniform you bear a disturbing resemblance to private Lee Lemon from Futurama 😶

[@ForgottenWeapons]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppjWnH-hgbqbgq8

[@50caliber29]

@@ForgottenWeapons Haha, awesome. I missed that 👍

[@jg8263]

War were declared. 😂 And Zap Brannigan is very confused.

[@brandonobaza8610]

​@@jg8263"Your hand, though firm, is as soft as a velvet child" 😂

[@roryoconnor4989]

🤣

[@rogerjohnson8707]

Those rocks look very comfortable to lay and roll around on.

[@charlessalmond7076]

Crossfit, but, for men....

[@petrimakela5978]

They are nice and round, not the Varusteleka extra sharp rocks

[@hamzaboudagga9160]

Bro you need some physical training

[@MikoFiticus]

2004 Paris Hilton: That's hot. 2024 Ian McCollum: That's hot.

[@user-uw8bm1jv8k]

My uncle was a BAR gunner in the Korean War, serving with the 2nd ID. He is still kickin', as is my dad, who was on a quad .50 crew.

[@KingoftheWelsh]

Respect to them both 🫡🇺🇲

[@frederickking1660]

Reminded me of steve McQueen weilding the BAR in the movies Th Sand Peebles.

[@fatcat3211]

Would've been epic if Ian had navy whites and dixie cup ala Steve McQueen for this. 😁

[@ForgottenWeapons]

One of our regular competitors has a transferrable M1918 BAR and did that once. :)

[@jazzandbluesculturalherita2547]

Sand Pebbles!

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

Oh God , you had the same thought I did. "Holman come down! Holman come down!"

[@jazzandbluesculturalherita2547]

@@WALTERBROADDUS "HOL-MANG, HOL-MANG, HOL-MANG!

[@patrickmcglynn5383]

Ian is all about authenticity, even including Dad sounds getting into prone position.

[@rob1129]

You gotta give Ian credit for rarely making it easy on himself !

[@G.I.BRO69]

This is better than Saturday morning cartoons

[@Perry2186]

I don't know about that Xmen the animated series is hard to beat

[@cheesebuger13]

Are there Saturday morning cartoons anymore?

[@Perry2186]

@@cheesebuger13 no cuz the dam government educational stadards

[@G.I.BRO69]

@@cheesebuger13 probably went the way of the rotary phone

[@paleoph6168]

​@@G.I.BRO69thank you for not mentioning the Dodo.

[@ShonRT]

You should bring an M1919 to your next match.

[@Jo-un6es]

With the Basilone Bail? Now that'd be a sight to see.

[@popupheadlights]

Next two gun match for Ian, a Sherman

[@LMixir]

@@popupheadlightsBut what's his second gun? ;-P

[@popupheadlights]

@@LMixir primary is the 75mm cannon with secondary being the mounted .30 cal browning

[@StarkRaven59]

@@popupheadlights Hear me out, M3 Lee. Primary is the 75mm, secondary is the 37mm in the turret.

[@jacksondunn900]

I'm surprised Ian hadn't done this set up yet.

[@TheArchersTungsten]

This is probably to much of a normal set up for GJ

[@MandoWookie]

Years ago he ran a FG42 vs Karl with a OOW BAR. But he's never ran one himself in a mtch.

[@AcidGambit419]

My dad used to have a 1939 BAR that was NOS. When he got it it was still wrapped in cellophane. I got a chance to shoot it once when I was 12. 20 rounds of 30-06 on full auto made me start puberty.

[@itsconnorstime]

No better way to start.

[@DB-yj3qc]

Nice

[@FIREBRAND38]

11:00 That's the thing that always mystified me about the genius of John Browning. His M1918A2 used a bazillion parts to launch a .30 cal bullet downrange but it always seemed to fire. Anyone who ever had to detail strip just the trigger group was not going to think kindly of Mr. Browning.

[@geodkyt]

The trigger group of the M1918A2 wasn't designed by JMB - it was designed by Springfield Armory in place of using the far better FN trigger group (which, unfortunately, wasn't easily backfired into existing M1918s).

[@FIREBRAND38]

@@geodkyt Thank you.

[@shaunoneill6633]

.​@@geodkyt

[@TacticalPickle111]

Gun Jesus showing off the lords work

[@christofincognito4530]

7 of the 48 shooters did the match with Mosin Nagants from Somalia and Ethopia

[@LordTytusMandarynka]

I absolutely love how you completely disregard and scores and standings. You want to have fun and it seems that you have it, from the experience itself, not the result.

[@moparnut6933]

Why would he bother trying to be competitive with outdated stuff.

[@TimPimentel3006]

A note of thanks Ian! I encountered my first spinner target at Kalashbash last weekend, and after watching and learning from your encounters with spinners for years, I was able to spin it with 5 rounds of 7.62X39. Many thanks and keep up the good work!

[@user-ej4eq5im4r]

Never realized how different it looks without the bipod

[@keithbuck99]

Cant wait to finish my degree and start working directly towards emigrating to the US so I can try entering comp's like this!!!!

[@mrmicro22]

Anyone who embraces American values is welcome in America.

[@casinferneycf45]

I like how he's just out here having fun.

[@somniferousSirenSocial]

Larpers and Airsofters got nothing on Ian's costume habits. Proper kit, actual weapons, and a can do attitude.

[@Gunluver1]

I had my tisas 1911a1 do the exact same thing with chip mags but not the ones it shipped with. After 400 rounds it never did it again with those same chip 8 and 10 round mags. I now am at 1000 rounds deep and shes great.

[@yankeeastronomer1927]

I've had zero problems with the same Tisas model Ian is using. I've had it over a year now. I'm very impressed with this version of the Tisas line

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

Yeah ... about where you put your hands on a weapon ... It's funny. In the house - I picked up my unfired M1A by the barrel and had this negative reaction ... *_"Don't Do That!!!!"_* Some things ... just never go away ... .

[@2011Kestrel]

The BAR isn’t the firearm for me, but there is something about it I find very appealing. It’s such a thick and chunky weapon. I love it.

[@doug4974]

Alternate title: Ian takes a crew served weapon to a 2 gun challenge.

[@Boldswords11]

That BAR... $7k with a $350 tisas 1911 lol. Not knocking either one just funny you got two completely different sides of the spectrum

[@tedcollins4684]

I like that, using a gun that I could afford.

[@arnox4554]

That said, it is REALLY weird that the M1911 was giving him so many problems. TISAS usually makes some incredibly reliable firearms. Not sure what was going on there.

[@Dylan_H_]

​@@arnox4554probably the mags, or it's not broken in yet.

[@Joe5561000]

​@@arnox4554I actually had the same issue with my Tisas and some other people on KZbin did too. They recommended replacing the safety plunger detent and spring. That fixed it right up and also helped fix the safety over travel issue.

[@LongPeter]

Running around with a BARbell.

[@pithicus52]

Nice to see the plain green Marine Corps utility cover (that is not a hat, it is a cover). Now if only I could find where mine got pack away to.

[@geodkyt]

LOL. It's actually a "cap". Look at the official tag in the hat. And that's (as near as I can tell) a Cold War US Army "Cap, Utility", since its made from sateen cotton,and is definately a post-1944 pattern (when the Marines got their original 8 point utility hats - which were first officially called "Hat, Herringbone Twill" in 1942 - the points were set so there was a point front dead center; when the Marines wrote their *first* contract for 8 pointed utility caps, they specified the pattern of points be rotated sp there was a flat spot at the front to make applying the EGA iron on easier... and the Marines called it a "Cap"... when the Army kept the pattern after 1951 -interestingly enough, just for mechanics, as everyone else got the 1951 design we now call the patrol cap, they justvused the same specs as the Marines only without the EGA.) "Cover" is just Jarhead for "hat" (any hat). Unless it has an EGA on it, it's just a hat still. 😂

[@ComicGladiator]

We know, it's to cover your blouse.

[@InstallMyWizard]

Would love to see you run the modern versions of these guns in a match for comparison. The ohio ordinance HCAR and a 2011

[@TheInfidel_SlavaUA]

should be a match category for itself pre 1945 firearms only

[@tobingallawa3322]

That is a beauty, BAR is my favorite military arm

[@alancranford3398]

Like the prototype Browning Machine Rifle, Ian's M1918A3 fires from a closed bolt and has greater single shot accuracy than the Model 1918 Automatic Rifle of World War One. The BAR was designed and intended to be optional issue to a few members of a US Army rifle company, giving them a few self-loading rifles that could pretend to be machine guns in a pinch. What the US Army wanted in the First World War was a light machine gun. The best thing available was the BAR.

[@Pigness7]

Tisas 1911s are fantastic for the money, loving mine, the mags they send with it are subpar tho, replace with some good wilson combat mags and it works superb.

[@shanenonwolfe4109]

The tisas 1911a1 copy is really great, you can weather it and make it look like a vintage ww2 1911a1

[@cardboardcapeii4286]

Technically the BAR was in two world wars but only the last few weeks of the Great War

[@Rustebadge]

The bi-pods usually were stored in packs for use in defensive positions. Bi-pods were very useful but we have confused the BAR bi-pod with those on belt-feds. They are not the same nor utilized the same. Browning Automatic RIFLE not belt fed. My full auto NESA is a dream. It was heavy to carry but light as a feather once the shooting started.

[@johnmoore8359]

Thanks again Ian. As always, you taught some great history, discussed some great tech and shared great gun play action 😉.

[@kartaltoth684]

Just like the Founding Fathers intended

[@tnreprasentog7769]

My grandfather was SF in Vietnam and said he preferred to use a BAR "cuz it gots that nice chunk, chunk, chunk" lmao

[@dabda8510]

A little fun story I read years ago. SO ROKMC was officially formed 15 April 1949, armed with mostly secondhand weapons from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) used during World War II. Meaning bolt action rifles. Supposedly when initially deployed in the Korean War, ROKMC had issues due to weak firepower. They had some the 7.7 mm Type 99 Light Machine Guns but just not enough fire power. They were not winning battles or had a hard time holding their ground due to lack of enough firepower. So the story I read on a S Korean forum years ago is that early on in the war, a group of ROKMC noncoms went to a neighboring US Army unit, specifically a division quartermaster sergeant. With alcohol. They plied him with the alcohol and begged/dealed for BARs and ammo. The ROKMC noncoms were able to drive away a quarter ton truck filled with BARs, magazines, and ammo. With these in possession, the ROKMC units were finally able to win battles decisively. The account I read mentioned a specific battle that was the beginning of BARs playing a decisive role for ROKMC battles, but unfortunately I can't recall what it is. It's not big enough of a battle to be listed in the English Wiki, but it supposedly definitely played a big role. I thought that was a little fun story to share.

[@DiegoMartinezCoria]

You got a cackle out of me in the first 10 seconds Sir, and I think some kudos are in order. BRAVO.

[@ExtremelyAverageMan]

Fun! Thanks for sharing Ian

[@causewaykayak]

That gravel looked hard energy sapping stuff to run on

[@frankpinelander6338]

Come up to Cowtown, for the Accurized AR match. Third Saturday of the month.

[@kdarrell17]

Love the historic photos at 1:00 mark. Great idea.

[@brandonwood3442]

Watching that heavy 18-pound rifle soak up almost all of that .30-06 recoil is crazy.

[@tomyorke3412]

That "ah ah ahhhh thats hot" is perfect meme format

[@user-ps8fz6yc2x]

My father was issued a BAR in 1944 …in France. Once he got ashore he told me he ditched the bipods… considered it unnecessary weight

[@Moon_Truth9000]

This is such a good idea. Love the idea of running 2-gun or any other competition with wacky and legendary weapons

[@stay_at_home_astronaut]

Good to see Ian using the weapons of a grown-assed-man.

[@conniggles]

I've been looking forward to another 2 gun video!

[@728Joe]

Nice period correct Marathon watch ;) Good shootin!

[@Midway_CV-41]

enjoying history one bit at a time.

[@m1994a3jagnew]

Hey he got a Korea belt! Me too! Saving up for my 1918

[@The_Atomic_Pigeon_101]

If you squint, the BAR looks almost, but not quite, entirely unlike the XM7

[@sharpe67]

Better weapon, too

[@dariuswilliams7509]

If only the FN Model D and AR10 were adopted back in the day instead of standard Bar and M14😂😂

[@shanenonwolfe4109]

They don't look anything like eachother lol

[@cessanterationelegiscessat4322]

You're right that combo is ' ooh that's hot'

[@mikelyon5595]

The Ohio Ordinance BAR is a very cool peice!

[@DB-yj3qc]

Years ago I wanted one until I contacted them for the price. 😢 It was only $4000-5000 then. 😳

[@kevinpaez2764]

I’m glad to see you with the OOW BAR. I was always a fan of the rifle and I decided to get one last summer. Yeah it hurt my wallet but man do I love it! It’s eye candy for many when it’s range day for me! Hope whoever gets this enjoys it as much as I do!

[@katelynneshouse2834]

My dad was a B.A.R. man during the Korean War......told me the first thing he did once they got under way was to take off the bipod and throw it into a gully! 😂

[@ricasteli]

I'm aware it's something of a pipe dream but i'd love to see you and the usual suspects do an armoured late war larp at one of the big matches. It's always interesting to see how well these old beauties stack up against more modern loadouts

[@russelsellick316]

I had a Winchester BAR...great fun. Was pinned but fired from an open bolt. Sorry I sold it...

[@SuperBob0086]

You need to get a WWII era military watch to run these with.

[@parrotraiser6541]

Did the pistol ammunition vary betwen the matches?

[@shawnmlynch]

Such creative, interesting and unique stage designs from match to match. 😐

[@bobchronister3429]

Jave always liked the BAR.

[@samadams9557]

For a sort of period correct 1911 that doesn’t break the bank (but runs great) I’d go with the Springfield 1911A1

[@herknorth8691]

I like how the muzzle blast was making rocks tumble down the berm that you were shooting next to.

[@SnoopReddogg]

The two gun match that was always going to happen at some stage

[@brokenstarforge4276]

I envy the person that will get that BAR

[@Joe5561000]

Change the safety plunger spring and detent on the Tisas 1911 to one that's more stuff. I just got a "Wilson Combat" branded one from Amazon if I remember correctly. It's a really easy fix. Mine started doing the same thing yours did, and I have seen some people on KZbin have a similar issue with the Tisas 1911's, and a better safety plunger spring and detent was their suggestion and solved the problem with mine. Bonus, it also helps with the safety over travel. I guess when you buy a sub $400 1911 you have to expect to do a little "upgrading"

[@claykalmar8131]

Imagine if you and Ziga took WW2 loadouts like this to the next Brutality match. That would be absolutely, well, brutal! It's always neat seeing you experiment with loadouts like this!

[@somebrains5431]

Change the slide lock to one with a dimple or cut a dimple into it. Plunger spring coud be changed if it is weak. This was a common problem with Springfields and Kimbers.

[@xgford94]

5:45 Marathon GSAR WW194006-WD … I think ( sorry watch nerd) with An F91W as his daily kind of confirms Ian as an EDC GOAT not just THE Gun GOAT

[@TheArklyte]

The fun part is that it's not only "american" loadout, but "any country in 1920's-1930's looking to buy any modern weapons and having good budget for it" loadout. Poles also used BAR and 1911(clones) for example

[@gunnargundersen3787]

Not us mate. BREN and Webley / Hi Power. I'd be happier with our choice.

[@MediaNocte3000]

If there was a spinner in the match, that BAR would dominate.

[@Tekdruid]

Peak WWI Murica

[@bigfuzzy84]

If you wanted a 1911 that doesn't jam, but isn't crazy expensive, Springfield or rock Island offer great options

[@l33tnobody1337]

I'd love to see you try out the same with the HCAR and a modern 1911 equivalent, just to see how they fare in comparison. The sights alone would make a big difference but it'd be interesting how the HCAR compares to the BAR in terms of weight etc.

[@Mr.Atari2600]

*YOU GOT THE BAR1918! OH, YES.*

[@commandZee]

Pvt. Lee Lemon returns!

[@timothyedge6100]

That model Tisas was the only weapon I’ve ever had that broke. Less than 400rd in the firing pin retaining plate snapped, separated and bonked my forehead fairly quickly. Loved that gun until that though.

[@oolooo]

I would have prefered for it to be an M1 Garand .But any Ian content makes me happy .God bless this weird Francophile .

[@cpuwizard9225]

So, on your Tisas, you need to dimple out the slide release so that safety bar/spring/rod can hold it down against the force of your shooting hand. I had a Girsan 1911 that did the same thing with locking open the slide every other round. And I'm left handed like you. My brother did not have the same problem so I believe the problem is how I and possible you are gripping the gun. In any case, dimple the slide release and problem solved. Also doesn't interfere with the operation of the slide release.

[@johnemmert9012]

The 1918A2 uses the sights off the M1919, vs the original 1918 model used the M1917 rear sight. I hate them.

[@damagingthebrand7387]

I thought it was just me, but I could see nothing out of the A1.

[@SolidMikeP]

What a MAN

[@nicholasmaugeri759]

Very interesting

[@maddog46]

You did pretty fair,goddamn that thing is a dozer to move around!

[@Skuggan84]

Would love to see an early Korean War setup in one of these matches. And ofcourse a 80s specops setup ;)

[@thewaryears1939]

Great video. Love the competition prizes, although being based in the UK means exceptionally strict gun laws so no BAR for me sadly

[@reloader7sixtwo]

Not sure how many rds. you have put through the Tisas, but it takes a couple of hundred rds. to loosen it up a bit where it's reliable, the pistol's tolerances are very tight compared to a well broken in 1911.

[@kenjiurban]

So many moments I related to the groans

[@arnox4554]

It is REALLY weird that the TISAS M1911 was giving you so many problems. You wouldn't think it just looking at the price, but TISAS usually makes some incredibly reliable firearms. Not sure what was going on there. Perhaps you could do a follow-up on this later, Ian? Besides taking it down to a gunsmith, you could, of course, also talk to TISAS themselves. Very possible that you simply just got a bad one.

[@mwhyte1979]

I always wonder if the guys at the range take wagers on how Ian is going to be dressed for that day! 🤔

[@gearshiv]

Likely having the same problem I had with my RIA 1911 when I first got it that the internal bit of the slide release is oversized and coming into contact with the side of next round coming out of the magazine, hand cycle it and look for damage to the slug and contact marks on the slide release then file off the contact mark until you stop getting either