Questions 21: Shotguns Vs. Drones, Why The Russian Army is so bad, The IDF and Looting + more!

[@RyanMcBethProgramming]

Go to www.piavpn.com/McBeth to get 83% off Private Internet Access with 4 months free. This week's Inbox Roundup: Drones & Shotguns - 2:00 Why Russia is consistently bad - 4:27 The IDF and looting - 6:59 Exporting the AC-130 Gunship - 9:33 Hospital ships to Gaza - 11:29 Reshoring manufacturing - 14:23 Light Vs. Heavy Weapon - 16:26 For uncensored video, check out my substack at: ryanmcbeth.substack.com Like my shirts? Get your own at: www.bunkerbranding.com/pages/ryan-mcbeth Want a personalized greeting: www.cameo.com/ryanmcbeth Watch all of my long form videos: kzbin.info/aero/PLt670_P7pOGmLWZG78JlM-rG2ZrpPziOy Twitter: @ryanmcbeth Instagram: @therealryanmcbeth BlueSky @ryanmcbeth Reddit: /r/ryanmcbeth Join the conversation: discord.gg/pKuGDHZHrz Want to send me something? Ryan McBeth Productions LLC 8705 Colesville Rd. Suite 249 Silver Spring, MD 20910 USA

[@Dom-De]

Ryan - have you thought about doing a video on the risks of "free" WiFi without a VPN ? Especially regarding interception & theft of credentials , again, especially KZbin session cookies? Piavpn would love you 😍

[@randomguy-z2l]

most drones that drop munitions have to be directly above the target, and in many videos you can hear the drone 100 yards away if not more if the surroundings are quiet. And considering some troops are being issued shotguns, they probably work better than a centerfire rifle for hit ratios. And ammo is cheap and they have it locally kinda thing. its there, if they hear a drone blast it if not it sits in a dugout

[@efafe4972]

ryan the genesis arms gen 12 and benneli m4 would disagree with your shotgun opinion. also, the kinetic energy from a 12 gauge either up close or delivered through a slug is lethal or incapacitating through even heavy rifle armor. you are badly misinformed i think you need to watch the gun channels talk about it. A semi-automatic magfed sbs like the gen 12 is a devastating CQB weapon and a great breaching tool. just an all around good secondary weapon. you're right on the logistics and the shotgun's overall obsolescence but you are dead wrong on its lethality and combat effectiveness. What your basically doing is if I were to say "the rifle is an obsolete and useless farm tool. it's slow to reload and clunky and uses a bolt you have to cycle yourself" some shotguns and some rifles are hunting and recreation tools and some are combat weapons.

[@hyrdocomputing]

Oh come on mate you work in intelligence you know exactly who set up and owns PIA VPN!

[@mitchellbailey7030]

Love the PLATOON TV show clip in the video👍🏻🫡🇺🇸 I grew up watching that show! Thanks for mentioning MPs use shotguns. Actually all the time, the Iraqis did not like them🤫🇺🇸🫡👍🏻🤷🏻‍♂️😂

[@FireBeardBets]

In Baghdad there were plenty of the locals we made friends with. There was a boy named Omar who warned us more than once about roads we may not want to take that day. Wherever you are - thanks kid! Miss the convos. Love the channel Ryan.

[@wombatsgalore]

I'd like to think, "Omar" was NOT his real name :(

[@FireBeardBets]

@@wombatsgalore im not sure what you mean by that but when Ryan mentioned a kid named Omar in the video it reminded me of a kid I knew who's name was/is Omar during my time over there

[@wombatsgalore]

@@FireBeardBets, what I mean is the Internet is global. And Iraqis read this too. And, if they've ever SUSPECTED an Omar -- a young boy then, a grown man now -- of collaborating with the "evil occupiers", you've just given them proof... Ryan didn't mention a particular person -- but you did. And then confirmed it in a follow-up post...

[@GasPipeJimmy]

@@wombatsgalore Do you think Omar is an uncommon name over there?

[@wombatsgalore]

@@GasPipeJimmy, of course, it is common. But they may be suspecting a guy based on some other evidence. This careless post will provide further corraboration.

[@J.Schofield]

Shotguns have been issued and are used frequently now in Ukraine. This is coming from two veterans of the Ukrainian conflict. There's a garand thumb video where the two ukraine vets I am referring to, one is American and the other is British, and they go through a variety of topics relating to the Ukraine conflict, including shotguns vs drones. Now I believe they use them on the cheaper fpv drones that are coming near a trench or something. They certainly aren't going to reach out and touch one of the big DJI "overwatch" drones. Edited to fix an error.

[@mikeboldtphoto]

Came here to reference that same video.

[@Mr.Funnyman273]

By "veterans" you mean you were capable to survive 4 hours before "tactically retreating" like a beaten dog, leaving all your fancy western gear behind?

[@ElegantMessTechPC]

Same, and I think they were referencing using shotguns for fpv drones as their job is to try and hit you directly. So ya makes sense, doesn't make it any less scary but better off than a full auto ak I'd think

[@greenwave819]

@@Mr.Funnyman273 wrong arena, and wrong CIC

[@shaider1982]

Yup, it's skeet shooting but with drones.

[@robenglish7475]

Interesting note, shotgun round specifically for UAS engagements have existed for at least five or six years, they have not seen widespread use, because they are not very good solutions to the problem. OF note is that sometimes a unit will carry a weapon that is not particularly effective, because the psychological difference between having a very poor countermeasure, and no countermeasure at all is very large.

[@Doh1962]

It spreads out net using weights

[@RobinTheBot]

Yup. It's just not very likely to actually down a drone, and it's a lot better to just get better at taking cover.

[@Ray_Cism]

wouldn’t those radar jammers guns work better than a shotgun?

[@robenglish7475]

@@Ray_Cism They work much better. But those jammer units only work against specific types of UAS platforms using specific radios and specific electronic control systems.

[@Ray_Cism]

@@robenglish7475 they’re probably a lot more expensive than shotgun too, so that makes sense

[@craigtheng]

There are at least two videos I've seen from Ukraine of soldiers in trenches shooting down enemy drones with shotguns. I don't recall which side of the conflict each one came from.

[@cruise_missile8387]

Both sides do it.

[@WiscoMTB37]

A Russian one literally just came out on Reddit like a hour ago. Smoked the fpv as it came in from like 15ft away

[@fbksfrank4]

A couple of videos I’ve seen, them boys on top of the BMP-2 would have made it if they had a couple shotguns.

[@stangbanger903]

In fact, on the latest Garandthumb video, 2 volunteers that came back from Ukraine recently said they routinely would have people with shotguns in their ranks to shoot down drones. They also discussed how they can hear them with different pitches for different types of drones.

[@olivere5497]

​@WiscoMTB37 which subeddit?

[@Oligodendrocyte139]

World record clay pigeon: 130 yards.

[@blueberrywilbur315]

So I could stay at 500 feet watch you with 20x zoom and just wait until you’re not ready……later. I’ve challenged several people to try my drone and you can use my Benelli M4 I bet you miss every single shot.

[@Oligodendrocyte139]

​@blueberrywilbur315 I was commenting on his statement around 3:40 that the max effective range is about 45m. Sure, a drone can stay out of range and spot targets. They can also sneak up. Can a shotgun bring down a grenade-carrying drone as it approaches? Yes, I'd back myself. 😀

[@blueberrywilbur315]

@@Oligodendrocyte139 I served 7 years and 2 overseas tours, I definitely think you might get one. That’s a BIG might you know they hunt in packs as well? Have you watched any videos ? It’s hard as hell to take a shot when something is coming at you 75 plus miles per hr. You’ll hit it alright Rambo just not the way you think. I think you have about 20 percent chance of hitting a drone at 40 mph. I see more videos of FPV drones taking people out than the other way around Ukraine is building 1.3 million this year.

[@Oligodendrocyte139]

You keep stirring the pot 😊. Yes, anyone would struggle with multiple incoming. However, a competent grouse shooter with the right cartridges would be in with a good chance against one, possibly two. My original point was simply that to say shotguns would be ineffective is incorrect.

[@blueberrywilbur315]

@@Oligodendrocyte139 I told you I”ll use a dji mini and you can use my Benelli M4 you can’t do it promise.

[@khalidmohak6708]

Former British Army here. Really appreciate your work. Consistent, fair and entertaining too

[@LemurInBlack]

Nobody cares

[@khalidmohak6708]

@@LemurInBlack Ryan McBeth clearly did. Funny that

[@Crabslammer]

Shoutout to Paul Harrell!

[@MadrasArsenal]

"A Shotgun is not a weapon of war" *World War I US Army*---"Hold My Beer, lets put a bayonet on it too."

[@shawnmiller4781]

I know the Bosch definitely whined like they are

[@FeedLips]

Ever heard of a Benelli M4? Designed as a weapon of war.

[@mrbaab5932]

How come the USA used shotguns in WWI then? The Germans complained about the USA using shotguns in WWI.

[@andrewwashere9151]

​@mrbaab5932 not nearly as much as they complained about Canadian triangular bayonets and knives... the were eventually banned, not the shotgun..

[@mateuszzimon8216]

@@FeedLips Benelli M4 is breaching weapon, yes i hear stories when door have sandals and beard.....

[@deckmanager]

Ryan: “Shotguns are farm tools.” Me to my BP-12: “Shhhhh it’s okay he didn’t mean it.”

[@nestor1208]

FPV drones do have a reason to get closer -- it has to hit the target. So against FPVs, it's okay, imo

[@nevisstkitts8264]

With the proper ammo, barrel, and at least two shotguns, teams could defend vs FPV attack, plus door breaching and collecting extra food , as warranted. With the proper different ammo, shotgunners would take down assaulting enemy wearing body armor that is otherwise protective vs rifle ammo. Also, fire illum flares IR or otherwise. Finally, useful for general security functions. Shotguns are part of many units equipment list (e.g. M500, M590, M590A1, Saiga-12, M870, M1014, M26, etc.).

[@nvelsen1975]

Look at combat footage though like the recent International Legion assault. By the time you see an FPV it's ussually a second away from crashing down. Not a good idea to put down your rifle, whip out a shotgun and have a go.

[@nevisstkitts8264]

@@nvelsen1975 ATP 3-01.81 "identify Soldiers to act as observers (air guards) throughout all phases of the operation" ... "If detection has occurred, position security has been compromised." Air guards need to respond to imminent threat of FPV, so there is no weapons switching for the task, shotgun is primary and all other weapons are secondary. This is equivalent to BD1 immediate actions on incoming direct fire contact.

[@dm1g]

@@nvelsen1975 often people manage to shoot in drone direction. Having a shotgun here would save lifes.

[@Isaac_132]

At 45m with a drone flying at you you've got mere seconds to grab the shotgun, take aim and fire. By that time you were likely already hit and dealing with other problems.

[@MrAndrewAllen]

Shotshells can be loaded with larger pellets and for tighter loads. Shotguns can use tighter chokes. The result can be anything from #6 shot to BBs that almost all pattern in a 24" circle at 40 yards.

[@haroldramirezmedina9153]

Yes, this guy seems to know little about shotguns. Farm tool?...yea, he needs to do some reading. Flight control wad and push those little pebbles father than what some might think. We've seen videos already of drone taken down by shotgun

[@berneymangone6272]

Last week’s Garandthumb video interviews 2 soldiers fighting in Ukraine and they describe using shotguns to shoot down drones on the battlefield

[@warbrain1053]

i think with experience, you hear the drones better too

[@cedhome7945]

I watched that too and and they came across with some lessons that I hope we take onboard

[@Bblackout1]

Its a difference of philosophy and theatre. Ryan brings this up during the video. No military would issue shotguns for patrols or marches. But, when you are living in a trench, sure why not. Heres a dozen shotguns and a box of ammo, go nuts.

[@John-mf6ky]

That's the first thing I thought of, whole reason I clicked tbh lol

[@blingbling574]

I use a set off "Wolf Ears" for hunting. Those things give you stereo hearing better than a cat. A semi-auto shotgun would keep those pesky drones at a distance. Some of those drones are as fast as a duck though. Some training would be required.

[@petersanderson8307]

Thanks!

[@RyanMcBethProgramming]

Thank you

[@nvennard]

I have seen articles that say that trade between the US and China has significantly dropped recently and that for the first time is 20 years there is more trade between the US and Mexico that between the US and China. While not bringing the manufacturing back to the US it is moving it away from China.

[@Maxaldojo]

Great QnA, Ryan. Keep driving these home... You're changing hearts and minds!

[@lukearts2954]

On the hospital ship topic: France already has a hospital ship parked off the coast of Gaza. Their goal was to let UNRWA do a triage and have a shuttle ship. That operation went very silent in the media ever since the true nature of UNRWA in Gaza became mainstream knowledge... I suppose it's still there, but I don't know to what extent it's accepting patients from Gaza directly. As for Hezbollah attacking: if a US ship is parked 3 miles off the coast of Gaza, it's still about 180 miles from the nearest Hezbollah rocket launch installation. Their sea skimming rockets have a range of 75 miles only, their most common rockets barely make 10 miles. They might possess 12 Yakhont anti-ship missiles that may reach a target that far, but according to US intelligence, they don't have the launching infrastructure themselves. They would need to use Syrian installations, which are further away from Gaza than their 190 mile range.

[@Joe60459]

I think he meant Hamas not Hezbollah

[@lukearts2954]

@@Joe60459 I don't think so, because it would be so easy for Hamas to sneak in their wounded fighters to get better medical care than they could give them themselves. The other thing that Ryan overlooked, is that a US hospital ship would not be unguarded, because there already is a US presence in the area. Not all ships were move to the other side of the Arabian peninsula, and the carrier group that went back home is about to be replaced by another. The events in the region are of too much importance for the USA to just let them happen without the ability to intervene or steer them. The main reason for the US to not deploy a hospital ship, is simply because there is no need for it at the moment. It's better to keep them at optimal readiness in their home ports for when the shit hits the global fan after the US elections. (possibly during)

[@coffelt683]

@@lukearts2954 Also Hezbollah knows that a direct missile attack against a US naval ship which may result in thousands of American deaths is literal political suicide and would result in direct military retaliation which would have no long term benefit to their political goals. Hezbollah is a seasoned political entity with a substantial military, not some random, unorganized and suicidal jihadist group. This is why most of their direct attacks against Israel are designed to be annoying, but not destructive enough to result in an immediate declaration of war, despite them having the capability of causing substantial damage to Israeli targets.

[@undertow2142]

Tactical earbuds with sound amplification? Seems like it would be a massive advantage. Plus I bet the electronics could selectively amplify frequencies associated with drone motors. 10 gauge shotgun with 4 barrels that can be simultaneously fired? 4 big shells of birdshot could be quite useful. The combination of both, I think, could be very effective at combating FPV drones at least.

[@Gegengrupenfuhrur]

Can we take a moment to appreciate the 2 cessna aircraft in US inventory?

[@hendrickziegler8487]

whoop whoop. But my first thought is that they are probably just trainers in some military flight school.

[@joekellyou]

My appreciation is reserved for the Sky Warden, aka the armored crop duster. 😂

[@lightravenn]

I appreciated the fact he had the list of Uruguayan air assets.. lol Considering its just a few bunch of lines only. And we still use the old Dragonflys Yeah we have 2 C-130 (bought from Spain 2 years ago, mainly used for traveling to the antartida)

[@walsterdoomit]

😂

[@garythecyclingnerd6219]

@@hendrickziegler8487IIRC they’re used to moving important people. USCG has Bombardier or Gulfstream for similar use

[@thesprinklerguy2598]

my question I've been saying for a year+ is why haven't they got jammers for the drones yet? they been out for 10+ years and used at many prisons.. they've even gotten so small you can hold them in one hand.

[@MMuraseofSandvich]

Re: Shotguns Shotguns are legal with the proper permits and licenses in Japan (primarily game hunting; the varmints there tend to be trapped, not shot). The weapon used in a recent assassination, however, was built using bits and pieces that can be found in hardware stores (for the firing chamber and barrel, anyway), and since he reportedly dried his own gunpowder, he probably loaded buckshot like a musket. The perpetrator was a former JMSDF service member with experience in assembling firearms, but even then it was a costly endeavor because he's a sailor, not a gunsmith, there was a lot of trial and error involved. And the main reason he succeeded is because security was quite lax, he was able to get to near point-blank range with his weapon where even a terrible shotgun probably would not miss. Could the Ukrainians shoot down Russian drones with shotguns? Possibly. Depends on how bad the onboard electronics (cameras, mainly) are, the Russian or Iranian drones may have to fly closer to the ground than the DJI drones used by the Ukrainians. They could also be noisier, or give off distinctive EM signatures. If there's a one in 25 chance of damaging a drone with bird shot, and you're running out of better means to deal with drones, well, I'd probably take that chance. Re: C-130 to AC-130 The C-130 is designed to haul heavy stuff, but it's not designed to handle the shakes and recoils of guns being fired from one side of the aircraft. It doesn't strike me as wise to take one of your few logistics aircraft out of commission for several months or even a couple of years, modify the airframe to accept cannons and prevent it from coming apart from the vibration and recoil, and then have it sit idle because a lot of nations with C-130s probably don't need a fire-and-brimstone attack from a big target doing NASCAR loops in the air very often. Re: Decoupling manufacturing from China The question presumes that corporations care about authoritarian regimes and human rights. If it doesn't affect their PR in a significant way where their business is severely impacted, or if it isn't explicitly made illegal through legislation, policy, or sanctions, all corporations under the sun are perfectly happy doing business in China. Put another way, until Germany declared war on us in 1941, American corporations like Ford and IBM were very happy to do business with that horrible regime, and a lot of their abuses were well-documented at that point.

[@bigmekboy175]

On the plus side Mexico is becoming the new source for cheap labor and we already have a free trade agreement with them. If we help them build the infrastructure and find a way to deal with the cartels they could stomp China.

[@Riceball01]

To add to what you said about the C-130 to AC-130, in addition to reinforcing the airframe, you have to add all the various targeting systems that allow you to aim the guns on an AC-130. Without those, you aren't hitting anything with any degree of accuracy.

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

Re the decoupling thing; even if businesses withdraw from China, they'll still be happy to sell to or buy from someone that does, on condition that they pinky swear the goods aren't going to or coming from China, and weren't sold to/bought from a company that trades an awful lot with "Totally Not Qatari Middlemen Import/Export Industries of Doha".

[@Pilotmario]

Regarding shotguns, their use would probably be more to deal with something like bomber drones and FPVs. There’s probably nothing a shotgun could really do to a drone if it’s just observing even several hundred meters away, but the drone must get much closer to actually attack, either by grenade bombing or FPV attack. And at those ranges a shotgun can damage or destroy parts such as rotors and sensors. It would be possible to armor some of the drone against this as well as add redundant features such as extra rotors, but that of course makes them more expensive and thus less available. Although if it is observing several hundred meters away, machine guns with a high angle of fire and either a red dot or good old AA ring sights could be a credible deterrent. Machine guns with old style AA ring sights aren’t exactly rare in Ukraine.

[@PxThucydides]

To a significant degree foreign firms do have to care about human rights in China when their staff will no longer go there for fear of being arrested as a spy. I know of a Canadian who taught English in China for fifteen years, speaks fluent Mandarin; just last month booked a hotel in an interior tourist city. When he got there the hotel would not let him in because he was a foreigner. He is leaving China now.

[@janmlody2001]

I have no idea why you used footage from the Operation Flashpoint, but I honestly love it

[@RyanMcBethProgramming]

Because my draft video used footage from hostomel airport and was demonetized

[@beepboop204]

gave me some hard flashbacks and im getting a torrent right now for some nostalgia

[@CheekyMenace]

​@@RyanMcBethProgramming Between deleting people's comments and video demonetization, YT is getting ridiculous.

[@pootyting3311]

*robo Russian voice "All... mount BMP... 50 meters."

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

Those were some good simplified answers to some complex questions.

[@NemoBlank]

What is needed for drones is a small unguided rocket with a proximity fuse. A shoulder fired version of the Gyrojet rocket pistol comes to mind as something to build on.

[@AlexanderHL1919]

I dont know about this one, Ryan. 3:00 ish, two International Legion guys who served in Ukraine for the last two years were just on Garand Thumb's channel and they said every section they know sport their own shotgun and that they've become ubiquitous where they are. They also said they're using birdshot which makes a lot of sense. Funily enough, they did say that the one they had was an old piece of farm junk, but it worked a threat still. They're not trying to take down Oraln10s. I think we'll start getting more information on this as the war goes on and drones become an even bigger threat for both sides.

[@AlexanderHL1919]

They also said they can hear the drones quite clearly at 100+ metres and can tell the difference between DJIs and FPVs because of how much faster FPV props spin. Most of the drones either side faces up close are civilian drones. They are loud.

[@harvyt257]

Nice to see Paul harrells work as a source. He really has endless amounts of information on his channel

[@SB-nt9fp]

This was great. Please do these more often.

[@jmarriottc]

Shout out the Paul Harrell, the man knows his shit

[@dougerrohmer]

I'm a pocket guy, and his pockets are just ace!

[@shawnr771]

Paul has the best firearms channel on YT. No BS just the facts.

[@Khronogi]

@@shawnr771 His channel is what actually got me into firearms. Very educational. It shreds me to know what he is going through though.

[@shawnr771]

@@Khronogi I have owned firearms for many years and am a long time viewer of Paul Harrell. Paul Harrell dispenses knowledge and dispels myths in a straight up way. I use the dry humor of 22 rifle for home defense for introducing others to Paul. Him kicking the soda bottle and saying that was moderately effective hooks most people everytime. It is sad about his medical condition. One of my favorite singers and storytellers, Rusty Wier, died in 2009 of the same disease. Not a nice way to go. Paul Harrell and his jacket of infinite firearms and ammo is a legend.

[@BoschhammerActual]

Kicking ass as always sir. Love the graphics, and the info is phenomenal

[@teeanahera8949]

Phenomenal but not correct. He is wrong about Australia and shotguns.

[@BoschhammerActual]

@@teeanahera8949 i don’t know dick about Australia full disclosure. But what did he get wrong about shotguns?

[@Metroshica]

I’d love if you made a playlist of these round up questions. I really like them

[@chrisharrison5880]

appreciate the operation flashpoint footage

[@MongooseTacticool]

Classic game

[@richdobbs6595]

Seems like shotguns on drones as an anti-drone weapon might have a niche role to play. Wouldn't have to be much more than a very short barrel and firing pin around a shell, but would allow attacking a drone without the drone having to suicide. Heck, maybe the barrel could be disposable, just enough so the launching drone doesn't get damaged by its own fire.

[@SeanPat1001]

I was an E-6 in the Navy and my father was an E-8 in the Army. I got a lot more training in the military than I’ve gotten in any other job I’ve held. Experienced NCOs also help 2nd Lieutenants stay alive.

[@TheJon2442]

So the same as a SSgt.

[@SeanPat1001]

@@TheJon2442 I’m not sure, but I was in charge of a maintenance section at Pearl and the ET shop on my ship.

[@TheJon2442]

@@SeanPat1001 I had the privilege and honour to serve with the UK and US navy.... Both were very professional... I served 1976/2019 OR 1 to OR10 then offr 2 captain...

[@SeanPat1001]

@@TheJon2442 Congratulations on making Captain! That takes a lot of effort, experience, and guts. 👍

[@TheJon2442]

@@SeanPat1001 sadly the UK army is not what it was and is now down the woke diversity hole.... Very few are now joining up and too many are leaving....

[@byakka]

Love this format! Keep it up!

[@TheTeddyGuy28]

I've got to disagree on the drone assessment because I think what people are having in mind when using shotguns against drones, is the FPV suicide drones that soldiers are frequently seen throwing shovels and tree branches at. Those do their best to slam directly into you, and often loiter around at relatively close distances long enough that I have seen one soldier intercept one with a shovel. So a semi-auto shotgun seems more than ideal for that.

[@dustyak79]

Also Russia has an odd gauge they developed a few years ago from unusable 23 mm auto cannon barrels. Think I seen something about those getting used . Equivalent to a 4 gauge so heavier and more shot can be used . Also should be noted there’s 12 gauge shells 3 or 3 1/2 inch that out performs 10 gauge nowadays.

[@termitreter6545]

So whats the goal tho, you gonna carry around an extra, heavy automatic shotgun 24/7 just for the small chance that you see a drone and can react to it quickly enough?

[@TheTeddyGuy28]

@@termitreter6545 A semi-auto 12 gauge Benelli M4 weighs 7.8 pounds. AK-100 weighs 8.8 pounds. Modern combat shotguns are not dramatically heavier than modern standard issue rifles. And if your unit is in a trench near the front lines where FPV drones are a regular and common threat, then yes absolutely you should have at least one guy lugging around a shotgun that can effectively defend against that rather common threat.

[@dustyak79]

@@termitreter6545 The lines are pretty much static so having one propped up against the wall of your dugout probably not a bad idea. Before long if it’s not in limited use already electronic counter measures could give advanced warning a drone is in operation in the area. There’s a 12 gauge explosive round that’s mildly effective against personnel imagine what Russian 4 gauge shotgun made with 23 mm auto cannon barrels can cram inside a shell.

[@rangerrick2246]

ya but who decides how many shotguns are going to be in each group? While the concept can work in close in combat, How many drones actually come in danger close? Maybe a random example

[@Stefan_Dahn]

One disagree: The shotgun could be a coilless rifle on a hunter drone with a thermal and laser scanner.

[@jamesmarshall8681]

Shotguns are increasingly common down to section/squad level now as their effectiveness at shooting down drones is being learned. Heavy shot in a 3” magnum cartridge has good hitting power (for a drone) out to 100 m

[@TacoSallust]

UA international vets say they are starting to carry a shotgun at the section level with birdshot for drones. Garand Thumb recently interviewed a couple international boys about such things.

[@gorkyd7912]

@@TacoSallust Seems like switching to buck shot might work better. Fewer pellets but longer range.

[@arthurmiller-vl6sw]

Agreed, 45m range is probably #8 pellets where for ducks you use #4 and going to 75m. Geese you use #2 or buckshot (also which has a range). The term “birdshot” is very misleading. That said. I still agree that the height drones are flying is still out of range for a shotgun and probably isn’t worth the weight to carry.

[@SCH292]

It seems that if you want "a bit more longer range" you might have to carry some 28 inch barrel and now you have to decided what type of choke will be best suited for the role too. Now it comes to the following questions. 1. Will that 28 inch barrel shotty extra range be worth it? 2. Do you want to carry and move that 28 inch barrel shotty in close quarters? 3. What is the best..in this case.."birdshot load" will be for the job? Steel? Lead? Copper? Nickel plated? 2 3/4 inch? 3 inch or 3 1/2 inch? 4. How common is the shotgun load? 5. How fast can the ammo manufacturer produce the shotgun load you need?

[@trollmcclure1884]

@@gorkyd7912 Russians have 4 gauge BFG-1. It wouldnt surprise me to see a mounted 4 gauge minigun in the future. Or belt-fed machine shotgun

[@stvnbryan5542]

I like the round up question sessions. Keep up the good work. Semper Fi.

[@Anamericanhomestead]

Russian MILITARY strategy consist of a long ago quote from Peter the Great. "Fight your enemy long enough and he will show you how to defeat him."

[@BingoPaletot]

Well, Peter the Great lost access to the Black Sea and the entire Black Sea fleet to the Ottomans. I wouldn't take military advice from him.

[@CultureCrossed64]

Remember, Peter the Great only survived because the new Russian czar idolized him and pulled russia out of the war (and maybe even attacked his former allies? Not sure about that part). Otherwise he would have been crushed by, ironically, the russians.

[@ws6619]

Great questions! and even better answers! Thanks for your willingness to share your experience and knowledge.

[@karuchokikete7722]

*I am NOT convinced about your explanation about the shotgun not being suitable to destroy drones.* *Plus, soldiers can detect dji drones' noise from a much larger distance than what you stated. Mainly, when the wind direction is right*

[@VectorGaming4080]

Yeah as someone who has shot many clay pigeons and who's flown these little drones, they can be easily heard from further than 50 yards, and with heavy turkey loads or even #4 buckshot, getting a hit on a drone at 75 yards wouldn't be inconceivable. So much of the drone footage we see when drones are dropping IEDs and grenades is from closer than 50 yards, so a shotgun isn't only a viable option but maybe the best option for a squad to deal with drones. Also, his explanation of shotguns being obsolete because of body armor isn't so black and white when you consider how inconsistent the quality of body armor is for soldiers in Ukraine, and the fact that getting hit with a full load of 00 buck or a slug even with body armor on would be incapacitating. Yes, at ranges past 50 yards or so, buckshot would lose enough steam where it would feel like getting hit with a few handgun rounds and proper armor would protect from that. But, my point is, a dedicated shotgunner in a squad wouldn't only be used for drones, but for breaching and obviously trench fighting. History has proven this.

[@lesliehart]

8 gauge with solid shot or with a 21/2 to 3 1/2 shell can punch out over 100 yards

[@proudtitanicdenier4300]

Birdshot range can be extended with a full choke

[@kamlee4010]

Why use bird shot when you can use buck shots or number 2 shot in a 10 gage shotgun for hunting geese. You will be amazed how far the 10 gage shot will travel than a 12 gage that the military uses with a short barrel

[@davidgoodnow269]

Yeah, no kidding! I was taught that the distance a shotgun patterns a fourty-inch circle is that _choke's_ effective range; that's been the standard for God knows how many centuries -- at least three?

[@jakeaurod]

And barrel extensions.

[@proudtitanicdenier4300]

@@kamlee4010 don't need buckshot for a plastic drone

[@danpanderson]

Great session, questions, and answers, Ryan!

[@hedgeearthridge6807]

I work in manufacturing, the answer to reshoring is Mexico, they are the new China. Mexico is cool with everyone, the larger industrial sector will bring jobs and reduce dependency on the Cartel, everyone wins. As for reshoring in the US, it's almost impossible and it's not even desirable. Export-oriented economies suck, and domestically producing everything doesn't make a country richer. But it's almost impossible because of us; nobody wants to work in manufacturing despite the great pay and opportunities for paid training and even paid technical college. We don't have enough people to do that, so we have to import them from Mexico and India, but legal immigration in the US is made nearly impossible. Also especially in the Midwest we still have an obsession with unions and adversarialism between employees and employers, which makes everything completely dysfunctional. Lastly we still haven't learned the lessons from Dr. W. Edwards Deming about quality control and how to serve customers instead of trying to screw them over. Basically we are too greedy, whiny, lazy, prideful, etc. China is immensely worse in all those areas, but you have absolutely no choice there, so they artificially make it work. But before we can genuinely make it work, we must have a big change of heart.

[@ThisPartIsAndrew]

Simple! All you have to ask people to do is willingly reverse the democratization of information. Just refer to the work of Joseph Schumpeter. He believed that capitalism would be destroyed by its successes, that it would spawn a large intellectual class that made its living by attacking the very bourgeois system of private property and freedom so necessary for the intellectual class's existence.

[@theforsakeen177]

no man, say what you want about china but lazy ain't it, their workour is longer than just about any dveloppe country and mexico is a good alternative but no way can they be the new china, we are talking about a country that produce more steel than the entire planet combined here, not to mention they are also the only one being able to have their own independent space station, mexico is nowhere close to that.

[@ThisPartIsAndrew]

I agree, if we could shore up the sinking (metaphorically and literally) government in Mexico City. China is loose but down south, they're a coin flip too. Mexico has always been unstable not just politically, but also geologically, and Mexico City's infrastructure is crumbling. If it's not a volcano, it's the collapsing water table.

[@ThisPartIsAndrew]

Specifically it comes down to where all the water for manufacturing is going to come from, because Mexico does not have it

[@danielheckel2755]

Mexican here. Our new socialist regime is not exactly friendly, but swallows its pride. Also it is false manufacturing jobs will drive people away from the cartel. There isn't a manufacturing job, heck even a hedge fund manager job, that pays as much as the top jobs in the cartels.

[@Burningid99]

yet every squad over there has a shotgun now for exactly that purpose---on both sides btw.

[@AJ_Jones198XAD]

I've noticed it get a mention in quite a few videos recently. Specifically when they are talking about kamikaze fpv drones.

[@DenianWriter]

if its the best they can do they're gonna try it

[@Nefelibatacomingthrough]

Garand Thumb's latest video is very good shallow dive into Ukraine, drones, etc. One hour video of informative stuff and some anecdotal stuff from two dudes who were there. At least they say so and as far as I can tell they sound legit, or at least believable. I recommend.

[@MrDadGuy]

Your best bet is a hunting shotgun vs a combat one. The barrels are completely different. Don't know if there is a semi-auto out there that has a hunting barrel but it would be advantageous to create one.

[@steveosborne2297]

@@MrDadGuyWell I’m a Brit but I used to hunt with a Remington five shot auto

[@78cobra]

Every interview from an a soldier who fought in Ukraine (English speaking) that I've seen. They talk about implementing shot guns in units. Amd that they can hear and tell the types of drones from their noise. That's even at what they say is in the 100 to 300 meters high they fly at.

[@PhilipEvang]

Great program, thanks!

[@bobjohnson7453]

Love this series! Definitely keep it up :)

[@manonthemoon237]

Really Enjoy the question and answer series!!

[@medul8039]

from interviews ive seen from some ua fighters, most fo's frontline trench holders carry shotguns for fpvs

[@stevendaugherty7590]

Ryan, I really like these question/answer vids! They're interesting & informative!

[@thecactusman17]

In the topic of China and reshoring manufacturing, there's also the issue of American companies not being willing to invest the resources necessary to train American workers. 30-50 years ago and further back still, it was common for companies to assume that part of the employment processes was to train an employee how to do their job from the start. Unions and similar trade groups would take responsibility to ensure that their members would learn and be a resource for future employees. But this was expensive. Companies stopped paying for complete floor to ceiling training of new employees and actively fought unions which resulted in elderly union workers retiring without passing their skills to non-union junior staff. Even without unions the problem is the same: modern companies don't value long term dedicated employment in a given field so they don't invest in the institutional knowledge necessary to create it at the start or the end of a given career. It used to be that a 65 year old veteran would receive a fine gold watch and a comfortable pension to commemorate his service. Now in 2024 he'll be watched like a hawk during his 60s to find any plausible reason to fire him and deny all benefits.

[@alysland4340]

How true. I worked (20 yrs) at a union backed company and in 1990 they sold out to china and the company threw us all away; some 3000 people lost every thing. After that the US lost out in the designing and manufacturing of modern-day Monumental buildings.

[@TorpedoEight]

I don't know where you're getting your information, but as I indicated earlier to Ryan - sophisticated chip manufacture comes from Taiwan, not the Mainland. CCP China makes chips, but not the high end 3-5 micron chips, they make the kind of chips that go in vacuum cleaners and refrigerators. The expertise is still American, the manufacturing is completed at TSMC (Taiwan), and the US hasn't forgotten anything, in fact, the designing of the chip still happens here. The key players like TSMC and ASML (Netherlands) are mostly allies (though we've caught ASML trying to end run some of our restrictions on the CCP), but the on-shoring is also bringing a lot of chip manufacture home, in Arizona (TSMC), Intel (Columbus, OH), and Micron (upstate NY). The Chinese worker isn't smarter than us. Maybe at one point, China was the world's leading manufacturer, but that's changing. Foreign investment there is collapsing since their real estate market went tango uniform. We were No. 2 but we can be No. 1 again. Stop bad mouthing the US. We're not doing this because it's cheaper, we're doing this because WE HAVE TO. www.tomshardware.com/news/new-us-fabs-everything-we-know

[@mafno9524]

Good stuff, keep it coming!

[@r.dunlap4139]

I work in manufacturing. The institutional knowledge to make things is still here in the US. It's capitalism that prevents goods from being made in the US.

[@CultureCrossed64]

More short sightedness than anything else. A company I know pretty well (international, but not well known) has replaced every single piece of every part/tool they've ever bought from Chinese companies. We've totalled it up- if they'd spent the money on American parts with the warranty, they'd have ended up spending (not a lot, but a little) less overall.

[@JonathanRossRogers]

Thanks for the laugh. How did the institutional knowledge develop? Was it under feudalism?

[@brettshannon4032]

Man, im a big fan of this Q&A idea, and couldnt think of a better person on the internet in my opinion. No politics, no agenda, just facts or a mostly unbias(we are all bias, in one way or another, but you do a good job) perception of what limited data we have to work with.

[@joek600]

is this sarcasm?

[@capnstewy55]

They are more expensive but there are flechette rounds that would be effective at much longer ranges than birdshot. Also, slugs would have no problems against up to lvl 4 body armor and even then you wouldn't want to be hit by one.

[@JonathanRossRogers]

Project SALVO FTW!

[@N.a.t.h.a.n]

Hey Ryan , well done today! Definitely one of ur best Q&A's.

[@wren2900]

The russian army is so bad that it took a city and 6 villages in a month. The ukranian nato trained army is so good that it took nothing in all the summer counteroffensive

[@UFO-Ark]

Ryan, Thank you -you are a real expert on these topics.

[@casparcoaster1936]

loved it, much obliged!

[@cwolf8841]

You assume a 12 gauge. There are ten gauge. And the less portable punt guns.

[@XJapa1n09]

Ryan, I love these Q&A videos, I hope you keep them up because they really are something I look forward to. Thanks for all your content!

[@AJ_Jones198XAD]

Really missed these! Edit: PIA - been using it for about 5 years and works great and has only gotten better.

[@CrossBorderTruckin]

Loved this rapid fire answer video

[@RichardAmmo1]

I like this Format Ryan! Thanks for doing this one!

[@davidshettlesworth1442]

Thanks for a great educational video. Very informative, I learned a lot. Carry On Sir!

[@shablat54364]

Been a minute since watching Tour of Duty, nice little cameo by the Sarge.

[@Mr4thahaters]

Love the answer to hospital ship question. I’m working towards being able to think of all these factors when analyzing military situations.

[@wildchameleon7]

What was different for the Dixmude (French ship) stationed next to Gaza that acted as a hospital?

[@davidty2006]

@@wildchameleon7 theres a difference between ships with hostpital level facilities and hostpital ships.

[@ravenof1985]

2:20, just a clarification on this point. In Australia shotguns are just as strictly regulated as rifles, which means no semiauto/auto some pumps and levers are banned as well or large magazines (the authorities had a fit about the adler lever action shotgun a decade ago) you need a license which is somewhat difficult to attain, and they must be stored in a regulation safe, separate to their ammunition (and possibly, like rifles the bolt, but i dont know how that would work with most shotguns). pistols and semiautos are even more difficult to be licensed for and own and are really only for security/police/military use. our overlords DO NOT have a UK/European attitude towards shotguns.

[@VectorGaming4080]

With the footage of troops on both sides shooting down drones with shotguns coming out more, the utility of the shotgun beyond drone shooting, and the devastation of 12 gauge within 50 meters, I have to disagree with you dismissing the shotgun as a useful weapon in modern conflict. Body armor is inconsistent at best, especially among Russian troops, and getting hit by a full load of 00 buck even with body armor would be disorientating enough that follow up shots would finish the job. Shotguns are historically devastating at close range and in trenches, and I agree with Civ Div when he said he believes NATO militaries will begin deploying shotgunners more often after learning lessons from Ukraine. A shotgun is absolutely a weapon of war, but it also is a great farm tool or home defense weapon. It's probably one of the most versatile platforms that exist, with obvious limitations to range.

[@betl5982]

One of the smartest guy on military things! Thank you.

[@Raist474]

Fyi some other countries like Columbia do have gunships. They are just using cheaper airframes such as the BT-67 (basically a modernized DC-3) instead of thr more expensive C-130.

[@mikejackson7284]

Thanks, Great commentary.

[@petermelville5524]

great show...good questions

[@kenpeters9807]

Great site! He gives a index with time stamps so you can find what you want to look at.

[@juanemendoza9342]

Loved that StarCraft analogy. Thank you for the explanation.

[@arminhergl5388]

Love the operation flashpoint footage in between ❤

[@michaelrowave]

Nice Operation Flashpoint throwback! Weird topical fact: OpFlash had rideable bikes so you could ride away from village your BMP blew up in.

[@lbh002]

Love how you explain how NCOs are highly trained and professional, thus expensive. MSgt LBH, USAF, Ret.

[@machineman6498]

Thank you for making this

[@TrevorRicciTX]

Ryan’s been at my lounge for a few hours. I feel like such a fanboy trying to interact with him. Godspeed Ryan, Godspeed.

[@beesod6412]

Love you homie!

[@alanwatts5445]

I hesitated to watch another KZbin channel with a military "expert". But your subject interested me. I found you informed and well researched. You understood your limitations. And you were able to express things in understandable ways. I'm starting to reconsider whether I should subscribe.

[@skunked42]

Oh ME ME! The difference in a light and heavy weapon is how far into the ruck you are...

[@JacobDrJIsrael]

Thanks Ryan!

[@danielmackormack8524]

Thanks

[@NigelDeForrest-Pearce-cv6ek]

Excellent and Outstanding!!!!

[@Goulmy86]

Some nice questions 👌

[@tiredagain6722]

Always good info, thanks!

[@kadegreen5356]

Ryan I think you're wrong about shotguns and drones. Go watch Garand Thumb's video where he's interviewing two veterans from Ukraine. They both say they use shot guns, and do basic drone detection just by listening. The other thing too about shotguns shooting down drones, is it's very similar to duck or bird hunting. There is a reason there is a shotgun shell called "Bird Shot". There are probably better more effective electronic detection and neutralization methods for drones, but it's hard to beat a $200 shotgun with bird hunting rounds.

[@archersfriend5900]

True, but it's heavy to carry + ammo.

[@archersfriend5900]

Also they are worthless against body armor.

[@kadegreen5356]

@@archersfriend5900 drones don't have body armor...

[@archersfriend5900]

@@kadegreen5356 agreed, but Russians do.

[@kadegreen5356]

Ok guys, there are different tools for different jobs. The question was about effectiveness vs drones, not Russian solidiers. One guy carrying a shotgun with a few shells slung over his back while also carrying a 7lbs m4 isn't that big of a trade off. Another thing to consider, is the vast majority of casualties from this war have been artillery or drone deployed munitions, not direct rifle combat. A loitering drone is a much more common threat. You have 0 chance of hitting a drone with an m4, but have a much greater with a shot gun. Last I'll say on this matter, is that yes, birdshot is ineffective against most body armor, if they get hit in it or are even wearing it. Many Russian conscripts aren't even wearing any form of protection. Also, I challenge you to get shot in the chest with body armor on and stay standing. Think of this too - shotguns were utilized and effective during ww1 trench warfare. This was mentioned by the Ukrainian vets in the video and admitted to using shotguns to storm trenches. And guess what, you can load buckshot into a shotgun too, and that'll go through most armors. Disregard all that stuff about Russian soldiers though, the primary reason to have a shotgun is for drones, and given how big of a threat they are, it's worth carrying one.

[@victorquesada7530]

This is a great roundup! It really answered some questions that were already kicking around in the back of my head. This sheer logistical nightmare that has to be overcome for any large scale operation is mind blowing. It's like I've seen elsewhere, the first person who says" why don't we just" should get their mouth duct taped shut. The other big thing is just how difficult it is to take care of things when a space is contested. Boats have a bad enough time as it is dealing with weather and seafloor, never mind somebody else trying to poke holes in it

[@juanjvvuuren1110]

Clear, clean and honest. As usual. 🤟

[@MandoFettOG]

Excellent analysis of the hospital ship.

[@guardianstranscript]

Your a good man, keep up the good work!

[@kemarisite]

@6:16 thumbs up on the Tour of Duty clip with Lt. Goldman and Sgt. Anderson. 👍

[@Mandrasgandras]

Brilliant episode sir ❤

[@johnconner4695]

Ryan! The trench gun(WW2) and a situation of heads disappearing from a certain British unit using shot guns would counter your arrangement about them not being a weapon of war.

[@wigeonbrown]

Nice clip from Tour of Duty! My favorite TV show during its brief run on network TV

[@milobem4458]

at 14:00 when you're talking about Hezbollah potentially hitting USNS Comfort, you probably meant to say Hamas, not Hezbollah. Hamas is the Gaza government. Hezbollah is in Lebanon, over 180 km away.