Prototype Gustloff MKb-42(G) aka Model 206

[@jubb1984]

Ian, not only you take this seriously enough to remake one of your older videos to correct errors in information. Not only syncing your new voice over to the hand motions in the old video), but you also make it still as interesting as ever. My hat off to you sir, all my hats are off really. I knew investing in your channels future through Patreon was the right choice =)

[@therugburnz]

Just noticed. Thanx

[@fnorgen]

So efficient they developed a rifle they knew would fail, just to prove a point. Amazing!

[@ohredhk]

There are plenty of a-holes that simply "wouldn't take no for an answer".

[@Sockem1223]

It was a point that had to be made though

[@ajeje1996]

@@ohredhk Luckily

[@ryanlukens9280]

With efficiency like that, we are lucky the man at the top was so delusional and demanding he was destined to fail. If 1940’s Germany had a better leader, we might all be speaking German now.

[@CavalierHorseman91]

@Purgatory "Germany wouldn't take over the world" tf are smoking mate? Nearly the entirety of Europe was under their heel combined with 17 million dead because they wanted living space. Youd think theyd stop there once they won? Jesus, you're naive.

[@CrniWuk]

"8mm Mauser controllable full auto fire was not going to happen" Louis Stange : "Hold my FG42!"

[@IIIVI]

That gun is beautiful and no one can change my mind

[@Sniper5875]

@@IIIVI it really is some gun magic, the teutonic gods gave him the power to design the fg42 to almost every single constraint whilst making it a lovely battle rifle

[@_ArsNova]

*Not going to happen in an assault rifle. FG 42, while a great gun, weighs a bunch and isn't the most wieldy rifle. You simply need that weight + a bipod to control full auto 8mm.

[@CrniWuk]

@@_ArsNova Why you ruin my joke D:!

[@bbcmotd]

@@Armored_Muskrat or 4kg vs 5kg in world speak

[@friedchicken297]

Ian, my man, again comin at ya with the updated and revised editions. Praise be.

[@lohdhshs]

"Shut up Hitler, you're not my dad" -some ordnance dept. guy in the 40's

[@colinmasterson666]

Josh The Remover he’d been a Madlad by today’s standers if that was true… same also applies if he was allowed to live to old age if he did say that to Hitler’s face.

[@britishgamer666]

In defense of Hitler's decision, if they decided to make a prototype and it gets accepted to be developed for military use, then it would be using a new cartridge which would be a bigger strain on the logistics, plus the spare gun parts, extra guns, and such.

[@floo1465]

@@britishgamer666 don’t let anyone take those first four words out of context lol

[@coaxill4059]

@@britishgamer666 Hitler's concept of the military was clearly very deeply colored by his experience in WW1. As far as he was concerned, the SMG was a truly revolutionary device. He loved the MP40 and liked to go plinking with submachineguns. Likewise I think for his reverence for the MG42 and it's full size rifle round. To him, the 8mm kurtz round must have seemed like a needless middle ground between two perfectly functional calibers for no obvious benefit. It doesn't have the range of the full size round, and it doesn't have the controllability of the pistol round. I doubt he'd ever considered that it might be a perfect combination of features, allowing a soldier to operate flexibly within normal engagement range. His WW1 sensibilities would damage basically every part of German armament, from tanks to artillery. As far as he was concerned, everything invented during WW1 had the right idea. His concepts for tanks were mobile bunkers that would've been annihilated quite quickly due to their lack of mobility. He was totally out of tune with the era he was in, but I suppose that makes sense for someone so dedicated to tradition over reason.

[@CrniWuk]

@@britishgamer666 Which has also been true. Sturmgewehr production never managed to meet the intended numbers and it was always an issue to provide amunition, next to the other weapons.

[@gregbilotta2472]

Listening to Ian's new intro and watching the old hand signals in the video made my head spin a bit, but that's some interesting history

[@KCDarkRanger]

Gotta love that German engineering. The actual mechanism is incredibly fascinating with its moving body cams, and I wonder how it could be improved upon.

[@bdmartinjr.1715]

I’ve never seen a firearm designed specifically to abuse the operator.

[@ComradePirate552]

Germany: "Poland can I copy your homework?" Poland: "Yes but make sure they don't notice"

[@mikoajpietrych6168]

you mean the one pin gun?

[@thewiezman]

You dedication to bringing any new information you find to this channel is really admirable most creators don't care enough

[@Angelum_Band]

Thank you for entertaining and providing us with pieces of history and the explanation of the mechanics seldom attempted properly. You are of the few I can watch and pay attention to.

[@zackzittel7683]

Those wood veneer over a sheet metal stock is very strange. You’d think the wood would be pretty delicate due to its thinness even though backed by sheet metal. Also a heck of a moisture trap.

[@grzesiak1991able]

Love the fact your logical and factual. Presented with new evidence and changes your more than willing to update your videos to provide a complete to the best of your knowledge a clear representation of what the weapon was in that time. Been a viewer for a while in the uk. For me this is gold footage for a subject that's not so common in the UK. Really do appreciate your videos for someone in country that doesn't have the laws you guys have your channel is a welth of info for someone who is eager to learn. Thank you.

[@gerardwarren6012]

Thank you for making these videos, I appreciate the effort and care you put into them, Your personality makes theses little history lessons very entertaining.

[@Rinzler0001]

Appreciate the update Ian. Most people wouldn't do that. Keep up the good work, I really enjoy you and Karl's content for both channels.

[@brianmulligan6239]

You are a good instructor Ian! Thanks for your time and effort in making great videos.

[@jimh6763]

"Complicated and weird and interesting" kinda sums up most of your videos!!! Love watching them. Good job !!

[@peterfranzen3538]

Nice to see a you tuber that admits to and updates mistakes and omissions.

[@rnrailproductions5049]

Looks like a bulky Gewehr 43 mixed with an M14.

[@jeremylindsey202]

Is see more of a B.A.R. and gewehr 43

[@hauptmannjoachimtotenkopf6081]

nope, looks more like a wz.38M... which i assume it was copied from, & then "germanized"

[@hauptmannjoachimtotenkopf6081]

@@jeremylindsey202 search up "polish wz.38M"

[@omartorres5688]

@@jeremylindsey202 that is what is what I thought though more B.A.R

[@amanassi7346]

With a mix of a B.A.R. and karabin

[@Daki400]

Even though you said so, I didn't recognize this video was a reupload until you disassembled the stock. The construction of the stock is pretty memorable.

[@Bodul22]

I am not generally all that interested into firearms but Ian expertise in explaining history behind them is captivating.

[@legionitalia309]

The threads on the end of barrel lead me to believe that the hole in the rear of the receiver might be for cleaning the barrel, and the metal strip is there simply to cover the hole from the elements. Maybe if you run into another at RIA you can try passing a cleaning rod through it and see if it aligns with the barrel. Great redux.

[@jeffreyabelson7171]

Hi Ian - updating videos keeps your content relevant and fresh - keep them coming!!!

[@wilsonj4705]

8:28 Find it odd the metal part of the buttstock would be in two pieces like that. Duffel cut perhaps?

[@vitkriklan2633]

That's a very good point. Even the weld on the inside seems to be cut in half.

[@tardybard3573]

Really cool, Ian, never heard of it before. Thanks!

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

Look at that picture of beauty! The curves, the shine, all of those precise and delicate contours. Delicate, yet majestic and rugged. Like something from another place in time. The rifle is pretty cool, too.

[@djdonkeyface5451]

🤨📸

[@pol703]

An unimaginable technical thought

[@zachlagrange4999]

As an amateur war history buff I find your videos very interesting and informative.

[@SKCCP]

This could have evolved to a semi-auto sniper rifle if finished with a longer barrel. Amazing, I did not know a trigger assembly could be built with a stamped body.

[@tommasomorandini1982]

21:30 To notice that the trigger, when is in the "unsqueezed" position has a hook that prevents the sear from rising

[@matthewspencer5086]

I think that if you hadn't unscrewed the wooden handguard from the "op-rod cover", they would have slid off forwards together when you removed the forward disassembly pin, which would have made for a slightly less arduous field-strip.

[@williamprince1114]

Thanks for the update.

[@alpolo007]

This might be one of the coolest looking German guns I’ve ever seen.

[@dj1NM3]

It *almost* looks like the strangely thin design of the wooden stock and front hand-guard started off in prototype as plain stamped sheet metal. Then later to make it a bit nicer to handle, the wood stock shells were added. Developmental prototypes are always interesting.

[@kenhelmers2603]

Sweet - thanks Ian!

[@higgsbosonman610]

Hey Ian is that cut in the sheet metal underneath the pseudo-wood stock a duffel cut? This was probably taken back by a GI as loot, which is how it ended up in america, and it seems wrong to think that the cut in that metal stock was original considering it has to take the recoil of 8mm mauser. That slice just goes straight through the reinforcing ridges in that stock and the welds, and seems really out of place.

[@visionist7]

It does look out of place doesn't it. "Look ma, I brought you a Nazi gun!" "Why's it in pieces?" "Errrr..."

[@johnfrancis7765]

Be nice to seen a live fire demonstration of this interesting transitional rifle

[@user-ot5dl4bt8f]

This is very interesting. This gun is a gun made as a scapegoat to conceal the development of MP43. I did not think that it still existed. Is it possible to shoot?

[@thisghy8126]

This operating system is actually quite simple. I can see this being picked up and used for a modern design. What I like is that the gas piston goes underneath the barrel, if you want a quick changeable barrel then that makes it easy to design with the top of the barrel being clear. Also that locking system is quite simple. I wonder if it would compare in accuracy to a rotating bolt design. And if so it might be more reliable due to no locking lugs that can sometimes break off on an ar-15

[@Pyke64]

What a rare gun :O

[@AdrenalineJunkieXL]

Hey ian I was wondering. Since there's all this myth around rounds like the 50 bmg for sniping and 338 being the standard go to for good long range ballistics. Adding to that the 408 intermediate cartridge. Would it be possible to have a follow up cartridge video similar to your early pistol cartridge development video except for rifles maybe a video in the same years as the original video and one on these new modern researched cartridges like the 408 and 338 lapua maybe even 33 nosler this is in fact history in the making after all

[@stephenlees3228]

Another great video

[@THE_YIGLER]

I can't help but wonder if the reason the sheet metal interior of the stock is sliced in 2 because it is a duffel cut of some sort... I find it strange that they would go through all of that trouble of making this weird internal structure and then weaken it by having it in 2 parts.

[@SKALS-ICY-TOM]

Very interesting gun. And what a odd stock, cant imagine that would be economical or optinal in regards to manufacturing times / cost

[@aus71383]

Did it have a fluted chamber? I'm wondering what the delay was like between firing and the operating rod unlocking the bolt - and whether the lack or "primary extraction" caused any issues.

[@SiaarZH]

I "like" these videos before I watch them.

[@Isaaclichtenstein]

I like all videos before I watch them, and sometimes change it to dislike after watching the video for a bit. Just to mark that I watched that video in case I click on it again later.

[@prestonhenson263]

In outline it reminds me quite a but of the saiga sporters.... Now I need a wood stocked saiga in a full power cartridge XD

[@garynew9637]

The construction of the stock does my head in.

[@EchosTackyTiki]

I have to say, it looks to me like the semi auto version of this, after some additional development to make it a little bit more simple to field strip, probably could've been a very good rifle.

[@rosaluxembourg2673]

This gun is very interesting, but frankly it's a mess. I understand that it is a prototype model made essentially for trials it never made it to, but the construction and take-down is so messy that you can really tell the R&D was either not sufficiently interested in seeing this through, or were not sufficiently supported in terms of time and hands in the process of its development. Something your introduction really seems to imply as well. Very interesting piece, but definitely a dead-end.

[@AdrenalineJunkieXL]

Thank you for the additional information. It really makes you think how many Germans in the 40s thought Hitler was an idiot and just ignored him half the time anyway. I mean it seems everywhere you go there's people doing things over hitlers head lol

[@Ethan-nk8cf]

How do you figure out/find out how these firearms work? Are there records that include the mechanical actions that happen with each shot or what?

[@CAZEDUPLESSIS]

intresting locking system i wonder how this would fair far as accuracy compared to a roller and rotating bolt i dont know what you would call this is it delayed blow-back just a different system its almost reminds me of a tilting barrel system like the 1911 except the barrel locks into the extra part that sliding block deal attached to the breach and nothing tilts of coarse.

[@Purpmaster]

What did this thing sell for? My god this is definitely one of my dream guns

[@tomasza.groszek337]

Are there any similarities to Polish wz.38M rifle? (other than shape of whole rifle?)

[@jamiesuvo7420]

I would love to have a play with them they are awesome you have the best job

[@billware6721]

Would anyone else pay more for a gun that comes with its own personal video by the one and only Ian?

[@cthulhu6697]

It looks kinda like a Gewher 43, an M14, and BAR had a love child in Germany. I actually heard the story of how the STG44 came to be a bit differently. I saw a documentary in which Ian Hogg said that Hitler asked some of his commanders on the Eastern Front "what do you need?" and they said "more of these rifles" and Hitler, being of the opinion the Mauser K98 was fine to carry Germany to victory, said "what rifles"? He was told it was an SMG and, when he saw a demonstration of the STG44 he was impressed, liked it, and approved continued production of the STG 44 and the 7.92 x 33mm round.

[@spencerfeeley8933]

How was the Model 208 versions' selector switch work? Did it have a third fire selection, safe, semi, and auto, or was it just safe and auto?

[@maximthemagnificent]

I wonder if they could've reduced the power of the 8mm Mauser cartridge by venting some of the propellant gasses (and perhaps also employing a short barrel). Wasteful, but it might've made the weapon controllable with that round. A more refined version could have vented only during automatic fire (and perhaps also added a high and low power semiautomatic mode).

[@codymoncrief8478]

Holy welded sheetmetal, batman!

[@BRfootball1]

I love how we have to blur out historically accurate flags...

[@MrJeepmarine]

Think of the children!!!! /s

[@trentslvis4332]

Blame Google/You Tube!!!.

[@williamdevlin5439]

I hate it! Total snowflake fragility working in big tech.

[@whitequasar4686]

I know I'm years late on this but I think it's partially so international audiences can watch it so it isn't banned for having nazi iconography

[@williamdevlin5439]

Total BS

[@jcodym13]

The gun by itself isn't too interesting, but holy hell the story behind it kept me involved the whole video. You're a great story teller Ian!

[@joranvandersluis]

whoah!!! the rear tab to release the magazine comes with a jingle! hows that for german engineering!

[@jackeyxm8401]

I want it the full auto dont care if its a beast its so beautiful

[@therealoptimist453]

As the shown gun is -as told- an early prototype. Would the expesively hollowed out butstock be a possible preparance for a Bakelite shell instead of the wood out if a pressure mold in a later state here . Otherwise removal of wood for steel does totally make no sense to me . I heared Mauser did also trials of the 98k with Bakelite shafts

[@FOX1MX]

the moment you realise this is basically a worse knock of of the glorius Kbsp Wz38M (Which is a polish gun, also Ian did a vid on that one too)

[@MacDorsai]

Just a question about the handguard. Are you sure you needed to remove the wood from the metal shell? It looks as though the handguard could have been slid forward for removal without first removing the wood. I have to say, the sheet metal parts of the rifle look really crude, as if they were hammered into shape by hand vs. a machine pressing.

[@weirdscience8341]

How much does that look like an sks

[@leonardomafrareina7634]

Did anyone notice it looks like the polish Kbsp wz.38M?

[@BM-gk6fb]

can someone please tell me why Hans-Dieter Handrich's book is averaging at £200?

[@zacht9447]

Kinda funny those tails would likely be all it take to safely lock the gun the tails would likely be enough to keep the gun locked up safely they could also be slightly redesigned to ensure that. I think you've reviewed some guns that use that system for locking

[@ashleysmith3106]

Belt AND braces attitude - locking lugs front AND rear !

[@wendigo1619]

My cousin made me a replica of this prototype after getting his hands on an original and i love it

[@GhostRider659]

you should make a video with it! does it shoot?

[@dimaswitanto2994]

@@GhostRider659 It a "Replica" dummy -_-

[@SigfredBarfod]

And this is what inspired the combat rifle in the newer fallout games.

[@mclaine33]

Wow that's a cool prototype. Resembles a Dragranov (spelling?) and AK-47 a bit. Pretty interesting.

[@terencepaul7475]

This looks like something I would see Imperials using in Valkyria Chronicles

[@EeekiE]

The only problem I have with this channel is there aren’t quite enough videos anymore :(

[@Brake_MagnetoMan175]

The operating system reminds me heavily of the Remington 740/7400 series of rifles in that it almost works like a gas operated pump action. It is very odd compared to more contemporary systems.

[@christianhoffmann8607]

So by this time the german military had relaxed its stance towards gas ports, i.e. the Gewehr 41 requirements ?

[@edi9892]

I'd live to go back in time and ask those guys why they designed their weapons and tanks in such weird ways.

[@scottredpath3091]

I am curious as to how you know whether a rifle's sites are calibrated for yards or meters

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Just a question of which unit the country in question used.

[@SilentRazor1uk]

The operating rod and the piston rod are very Garand a-like...

[@thomasbernecky2078]

Hi Ian: so how many of these prototype red herrings were made?

[@samuelchurchill6458]

Ian, not that I don't like your stuff; frankly I love it, I just want more of it and I know you can only pump out videos so fast. Are there any channels that do something similar to what you do? Either on KZbin or Full30?

[@ashleysmith3106]

C&Rsenal and Bloke on the Range

[@Thrawnmulus]

That safety is just like an AR safety, but it's missing the indicator nib!

[@greydonstautzenberger3901]

Keep it up

[@simonp347]

I have a feeling.... might that discontinuation inside the stock a duffle cut?

[@dj1NM3]

That makes a bit more sense than any other reason, it looks like the wood was an afterthought in the design anyway. The thinness of the wood shells around the stock and hand-guard almost look they were added for aesthetic reasons, rather than functional.

[@Modellbyggaren]

@@dj1NM3 Not aesthetic reasons. The gun would be A LOT more unpleasant to shoot in freezing conditions. Perhaps even attach to your face... that would suck.. :P

[@GunsGuy1990]

Looks suspiciously similar to Maroszek wzór 38 Rifle.

[@CzornyLisek]

Looks similar to dozens other weapons.

[@wisemankugelmemicus1701]

@@CzornyLisek It honestly reminds me of the AK in a few ways.

[@bami2]

Extended directors cut

[@ShootAUT]

Although knowing the rifle was a lost cause, they definitely put a lot of work into overcomplicating things.

[@TheWalterKurtz]

It is the German way.

[@stuka97]

So what was the auction price on this?

[@8076A]

"Developed in house" - Looking at the Wz.38M which you made a video of recently, this looks more like a copy of that design that they just made in to 8mm Mauser. They're pretty much identical in their over-all design but with a detachable box magazine instead of the fixed magazine.

[@dwightehowell8179]

Looks like this thing would have been and effective semi-automatic combat rifle but they already had one or more of those.

[@obviousgreyman]

Looks to be a pretty impressive rifle considering they admittedly weren’t fully invested on the concept.

[@scratchy996]

They did make it look good :)

[@ST-zm3lm]

Almost shares the same profile as the freshly imported Saiga rifles at a glance

that delicate looking stock cover doesn't look sturdy enough to survive a ding. why not just a fully metal stock?

[@babulapiderazi1924]

IT reminds me a little Bit of the SVD Dragunov

[@taksnigeln]

That trigger group looks quite similar to the AR15 trigger group

[@ryanconroy9163]

So are you telling me you could make that a full-auto rifle just by removing or cutting off one little piece?...

[@sethmoyer]

Oh boy!