The foldable British Barrett: Steel Core Cyclone HSR with firearms expert Jonathan Ferguson

50.cal is a calibre that often packs a punch, especially when it belongs to a precision rifle.
This week Jonathan breaks down the latest offerings of a modern high-powered firearm for long range applications.
0:00 Intro
0:10 Steel Core HSR Cyclone
1:05 Sniper Rifle?
2:50 Steel Core History
3:50 Firearm Features
15:42 Trigger Pull
17:30 Bone-afide Markings
19:00 Features Continued
19:35 Why this Weapon?
20:25 Real-World Use
21:38 Outro
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[@parasite159]

"It's got a Skull on it... are we the baddies?"

[@Papallazarou]

🤣A british company that put that emblem there... are they rolling us?

[@RazerWolf]

Skull and Crossbones design seems to be across the range - their website shows it on the SC 76 Thunderbolt, as well as all calibers of Cyclone. Can't help being reminded of the classic Mitchell and Webb "are we the baddies?" sketch, to be honest :D

[@Theduckwebcomics]

They were pretty facile with that to be honest 😅 the history of that symbol is old and super complex.

[@clothar23]

​@@Theduckwebcomics What the Death head. Ain't anything complex about it. Just proof edgelords have been a thing for a very long time.

[@DawidKov]

@@clothar23 In Christianity it is often depicted during Christ's crucifixion, because Golgotha, the hill where he was crucified, is believed to be the same place where Adam was buried. In Orthodox Christianity there is a belief that the blood of Christ seeped into the soil and cleansed the first man of the first sin, which is why the symbol is called "Adam's head" in some Orthodox cultures. So it's not all doom and gloom. But, to be fair, it also just looks cool.

[@daminox]

@@Theduckwebcomics No one is putting a skull and crossbones on their weapon because of its historical signficance. They're putting it on there because it looks cool and baddass and is a symbol of death. Likewise, no one is going to look at that symbol on this rifle and say "I really like how the manufacturer of this rifle pays homage to the historical significance of the skull and crossbone. It shows they really know their history."

[@yowie0889]

I mean, what do skulls make you think of? Death... cannibals... beheading... pirates... Hans: "Pirates are fun!" I didn't say we weren't fun, but fun or not pirates are still the baddies.

[@satratic127]

its brave of Jonathan Ferguson the keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal armories museum in the UK home to thousands of iconic weapons throughout history to be presenting a rifle down a live and active range.

[@WanderlustZero]

It's okay, he's been exposing himself to small quantities of firearms every day for years, he's built up an effective immunity to bullets

[@DinoNucci]

1) wtb commas 2) What!?

[@satratic127]

@@DinoNucci i dont know what wtb means but its an el funny comment not an essay

[@DinoNucci]

@@satratic127 it was neither

[@The-6666]

Best sound proof room for film

[@galaxy-ph7wq]

I wonder what his reaction to Brandon Herrera's Ak-50 would be like

[@NnH_Kairyu]

He'd probably say, "After looking through everything, disregarding the rough bits from a pre-production model, it looks like a really beefy AK drawing inspiration from a few different types - of course, scaled up to safely handle the power of .50 BMG." Would probably be a fairly short video. 😅

[@beelzeeeee]

i know nothing about firearms, but that thing is beautiful

[@connormatthews522]

Stick around, heck of a lot to learn from Jonathan haha

[@mattmarzula]

Eye of the beholder. McMillan TAC-50C is a better rifle on the whole.

[@happyhaunter_5546]

hey buddy I don't know a lot about cars (know way too much about firearms) but pretty thing is pretty! Cheers!

[@bghoody5665]

Agreed. From an aesthetic standpoint, it's very pleasing to look at.

[@Stormraven96]

16:15 Another reason a sniper team may favor a bolt action rifle over a semi-automatic: concealment. When you fire a self-loading rifle, it's going to kick out the casing in immediate succession--not really ideal to have a shiny piece of brass spinning in the air if the hunter is being hunted, so to speak. Manual actions allow you to extract the round more slowly, or reposition first should the need arise. I believe Kevin Owens made a similar comment on Garand Thumb's channel when he was interviewed about the MRAD. A fantastic presentation as always, Mr. Ferguson. Much love from the US!

[@sugoruyo]

It's a good point but I don't know how concealed one could remain after firing a .50 🤔I'm guessing a big factor in making these bolt action is the robustness of the simpler mechanism (given the massive amount of force it takes) and the fact that you're not very likely to be taking follow ups in rapid succession with these as they're generally going to be used against targets at very long range or which are very large and probably not very agile.

[@Stormraven96]

@@sugoruyo I do concede that the case ejection is more relevant with rifles built for anti-personnel, but it's still relevant enough that our SF considered it. You're right on the money about bolt actions being far less likely to malfunction.

[@MercutioUK2006]

HSR - Humungous sniper rifle. They're claiming .5 moa with match grade ammo, which is fantastic. Edit: Just as I typed that, Mr. Ferguson mentioned it. FML.

[@FokkerBoombass]

All comments from people who haven't actually watched the entire video should go straight to the bin.

[@JohnHughesChampigny]

So are we going to see Johnathon (... fill in the rest) taking up the 1 MOA challenge after the Bloke and Iain? (of course using this one would be breaking the rules)

[@Thicc_Boyo]

I sure hope that's not a cherry-picked 3 round group they're basing that .5 MOA claim on.

[@tiestofalljays]

Nothing gets past Jonathan Ferguson, the keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons throughout history.

[@jamesallred460]

​@@FokkerBoombassnormally I'd agree, but when said commenter calls themselves out I give them a pass because it's funny.

[@scottdeacon5977]

My Dad's best friend owns the company and I've been to where they design and prototype the rifles a few years back, they're awesome rifles.

[@ytsm]

Very cool! Do you know how much this would cost?

[@aaronleverton4221]

@@ytsm The company? Definitely more than I can afford.

[@pierrechristen7221]

@@ytsm I found a shop in the US that sells that gun for 10k USD.

[@mattmarzula]

So you have that level of intimacy and you can only tell the world something that anyone can figure out watching the video for 4 minutes? You couldn't even name drop the "owner". Considering that the company is made up of A secretary and Directors, I somehow don't believe you.

[@scottdeacon5977]

@mattmarzula Hey man it's okay if you don't believe me, got no reason to lie though. When I visited, it was back when they had a smaller workshop in Kent where they designed and made prototypes, got to handle an early Thunderbolt and a early 50.cal design that was finished in metallic blue which was badass, weighed a ton 😂 got plenty of fond memories as a kid of Ian (the director) visiting my dad and them and my brother smashing some Goldeneye 64.

[@samholdsworth420]

It's only op when you put the quick scope mod on

[@RoyalArmouries]

Don't let Jonathan hear you say that...

[@samholdsworth420]

@@RoyalArmouries 😂

[@andyastrand]

Akimbo mod with incendiaries, ideal for taking out teams point blank (whilst jumping)

[@Guranga93]

@@andyastrand Don't forget the Charlton automatic mod

[@barbarossarotbart]

You can use the bolt as a (short) tonfa. ;)

[@nandospm]

The bolt is a wellrod

[@aaronleverton4221]

@@nandospm But, only in .22 and it takes a moment to pull the end-caps off.

[@pluemas]

Regarding the handle, i heard it is designed like that for anti piracy use. The Victrix designers state that they have it so you can loop it through the cables on the side of the ship to brace it whilst being able to adjust for seas. Also helps prevent the rifle sliding off the boat. Better than using a pintle mount as you can move it wherever you need and shift it to whatever angle you want, and it attaches to anything with a cable (so most ships). They also mentioned a similar use in helicopters, by bracing off cables in a heli with it being stuck in a pintle

[@danpatterson8009]

That was my impression- for a strap or rope to help support the beast, or tie it to something even heavier so recoil doesn't knock you over.

[@jonathanferguson1211]

Interesting, but it's a feature of their entire range, not just the fifty. And the Victrix equivalent *does* function as a carry handle i.e. it's straight, not steeply angled.

[@pluemas]

@@jonathanferguson1211 to be fair, I think firing a .308 or a .338 on a ship would also be unpleasant without a brace, often they're not able to go prone and have to shoot kneeling or even crouched. Being able to loop it into a railing really takes the weight off and means you're less likely to get fully knocked over by the recoil. Same with Helis, as they'll be in a seat or kneeling by the open door. I can ask one of my contractor mates who's in industry about it, if you'd like.

[@Manco65]

​@@pluemasI've zero experience with the .338 in any cartridge type but .308win)7.62NATO I do ...in about any firearm type. Well not a Derringer but a single shot pistol(T/C Encore). Anyways from any precision rifle, if decently designed and the operator is of reasonable fitness it shouldn't be an issue. I'm also very fond of the Smith Enterprises muzzle brakes and flash suppressors in 7.62diameter. Also much depends upon the Indian and not the arrow anymore.

[@pluemas]

@@Manco65 .338 and .50 are completely different beasts in recoil in comparison, especially on an unsteady surface like a moving ship / Heli. .308 has about 3500J of force. .338 has 7000 J. It's double the energy. .50 has 18000-20000 J, over 5 times the energy. A .50 is the same order of magnitude more powerful than a .308, as the main gun of a Bradley (25mm) is to a M2 machine gun.

[@gulkash1188]

Faster follow-up shots for multiple explody holes in things, absolutely brilliant, 10 points!

[@thekaxmax]

Esp with multi-purpose ammo

[@tommeakin1732]

Your little summary of "bolt action vs self-loading accuracy" felt pretty nice. There's a lot of things in the world that hang around because, while you can make something "bigger and better" in everyway, it'll end up being more costly, and often heavier and bulkier. At the end of the day, no matter how good you get at making self-loaders, it's going to be that bit heavier, bulkier; and all other things being the same, more costly.

[@irrelevantfish1978]

That's not necessarily true. It really depends on the self-loading mechanism, internal ballistics, and production volume. For example, a lever-delayed blowback system with a fixed firing pin could very well be lighter, more compact, and cheaper than a bolt-action if it were firing 9x19mm and being made in the millions. Additionally, there's been a distinct historical trend for the size/weight/cost penalty for self-loading mechanisms to grow ever smaller, and there's every reason to believe that will continue for quite some time, even if firearm design stays stuck in the 1950's.

[@allangibson8494]

@@irrelevantfish1978A self loading rifle is inherently more complex than a bolt action rifle - because a self loading rifle has all the exact same parts as an equivalent bolt action rifle with automatic activation bolted on top.

[@irrelevantfish1978]

@@allangibson8494 Again, not necessarily. There's a lot of variation in firearms mechanisms, even if you do as most do and assume that innovation ended with Eugene Stoner. In particular, look at the fixed firing pin, something exclusive to self-loaders. It eliminates one spring and one moving part, at the least, allowing a blowback- or DI-operated mechanism to be _simpler_ than bolt-action, with one less moving part.

[@allangibson8494]

@@irrelevantfish1978 Fixed firing pins are exclusive to open bolt automatic weapons (and illegal under US law as a result). They are not a feature of locked breach system either and thus are inherently heavier than an equivalent bolt action system.

[@MansMan42069]

​@@irrelevantfish1978"if it were firing 9×19mm" But this is .50 BMG. There's a reason fixed pin open-bolt automatics aren't mechanically feasible beyond pistol cartridges. So I don't get why you're bringing this up.

[@wolfram2299]

hello Jonathan Ferguson the keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal armories museum in the UK home to thousands of iconic weapons throughout history

[@kenricnarbrough8191]

Heh, careful. Some weirdos don't get the joke.

[@Sigma-0007_Septem]

Truly a Gorgeous .50 rifle. Someone should make sure Scott NEVER gets his hands on one!

[@MostlyPennyCat]

Scott? Wtf is Scott?

[@Brent-jj6qi]

@@MostlyPennyCatScott from Kentucky ballistics, he blew up a single shot 50 cal accidentally with old and suspiciously sourced 50 cal rounds (can’t remember the types name, but it was a discarding sabot kind of thing), and almost died

[@theronraam23]

​@@MostlyPennyCatKentucky Ballistics. His Serbu RN-50 detonated on him and almost ended him, he now sports a 9 inch neck scar for his trouble.

[@Sigma-0007_Septem]

@@MostlyPennyCat "His name is Scott and you are watching Kentucky Ballistics" (If you actually did not know about Scott from Kentucky Ballistics then here is the run down. He is an amazing Gun Tuber who had an explosive accident with a Serbu .50. He had to literally put a thumb in his neck in order to stay alive. Ever since his recovery he has been doing videos where he intentionally loads hot rounds to weapons and explodes them, testing whether if that happened while you are holding the weapon it would result in death/serious bodily harm. It would be a crime if such a Gorgeous rifle were to fall on his hands and get ... exploded. Though it would make for an awesome video)

[@TheFirstCurse1]

​@@MostlyPennyCatA big issue with the "firearms community" online is that they throw names around and assume that you know who they're talking about. Scott is a guy who runs the KZbin channel Kentucky Ballistics. He can be funny and entertaining but most of his stuff is just dumb fun and experiments. The only "guntubers" I watch are Forgotten Weapons, Jonathan Ferguson, Ballistic High Speed, and sometimes Kentucky Ballistics. The rest are really trashy people.

[@dwayneelizondomountaindewh6073]

pretty cool looking rifle. something tells me their website just got a ton of traffic.

[@Odin029]

I like the choice of putting England on the side instead of UK or Great Britain. Gun makers have moved around a lot recently, but if you have a Smith & Wesson it says Springfield, Massachusetts on the side. Remmingtons used to say Ilion, New York and so on.

[@lukeskywalker7566]

Another excellent video, many thanks ❤

[@jjforcebreaker]

Now that's a chonker. Looks great! I can only imagine how big is the can designed for this thing.

[@johnnydiamondsmusic1673]

When I was in the army I had a familiarisation shoot of the accuracy international when it first came out with the shmit and bender 6 x 42 scope. Only at 200m but 2-3 second exposures on the sniper head target. I couldn’t miss every shot. Not even a trained sniper. Nice

[@derekp2674]

Thanks Jonathan and team. It was interesting to hear that this design is descended from the Swing target rifles. Back when I was Treasurer of the AERE Harwell Rifle and Pistol Club, one of or two of our ,members bought Swing files as their view of the best available kit for their sport. Our club full bore rifles were far less grand - we had one converted No.4 (for long range) and several converted P14s for the shorter ranges.

[@k_the_v]

Soooooo bring it to the range! Lets see you firing it!

[@neilwilson5296]

Ooooooo 😮 that's definitely my new favourite long-range rifle

[@benjaminblakemore9704]

I JUST LOVE THIS CHANNEL 😀 ❤

[@cypherian2]

That is a gorgeous piece of kit! I'd love to see a live demo on a range with one of these and handful of other rifles like it making multiple explody holes in things!

[@samcoupland]

It has struck me, it would be interesting to see Jonathans description of some modern Sec 1 firearms commonly found in the UK, for example the 10/22, S&W 15-22, a LBP, etc..

[@combatpriest5878]

0:48 in the train world it mean High Speed Rail (like Avanti West Coast for example). I'm sure that's what they meant.

[@TsiolkovskySportingLocks]

I think with Avanti West Coast thats more of an aspriation rather than a genuine event....

[@F1ghteR41]

@@TsiolkovskySportingLocks Well, with what Rishi & the gang did to HS2, it is to remain that way for a while, so you can thank them.

[@Cats-TM]

Clearly the picatinny rail also doubles as a model train track.

[@TsiolkovskySportingLocks]

@@Cats-TM H0 or 00-Nitro Express Guage?

[@pluemas]

I hang my head in shame, as I confidently incorrectly guessed this as a Victrix Corvo / Tormento. I will hand in my firearms enthusiast licence card post haste.

[@F1ghteR41]

Still better than my first guess, which was CheyTac Intervention.

[@PaddyFromPaddistan]

​@@F1ghteR41OOF! 😅

[@peterclarke7240]

It's OK. You can now refer to parts of guns incorrectly in order to irritate your former club-mates. When I lost my licence, owing to a trivial debacle involving a g41 that I'm still appealing, I used to cycle past my local branch and shout "IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU CALL A MAGAZINE A CLIP!!!! EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT YOU MEAN!!!!!" It's surprisingly therapeutic.

[@F1ghteR41]

@@PaddyFromPaddistan I saw the stock and decided that my guess was stupid, so I didn't publish it.

[@Manco65]

​@@peterclarke7240Roflmao

[@mrkeogh]

That is a *very* nicely made rifle.

[@iggysfriend4431]

This is a thing of beauty.

[@mrkeogh]

Jonathan, you need to get a SIG G150. If the Swiss will let you have one, obviously. Very interesting anti-materiel* rifle 👍🏻 Mike from BotR has a great video on it (the only one in English I've ever seen, Ian McCollum hasn't gotten one on camera yet!) *it's been suggested the G150 was actually intended for covert assassinations of collaborators and occupation officers, etc. but the very heavy bullet, arcing trajectory, short-range seem to belie this assertion...

[@TheOldMan-75]

What a beauty

[@ThePopeSong]

That is a damn good looking rifle!

[@FishRepair]

Can’t wait for the vector

[@simonnorburn3518]

The "bayonnet" fitting of the bipod is structurally similar to the BNC (British Naval Cap?) linkage that was used in joining early computer comms cables together. I'm bloody sure that it was not intended to allow flexibility as in the bipod shown, but the similarities are fascinating.

[@stevehowes]

BNC in BNC connector is Bayonet Neill-Concelman (the two electrical engineers who made it). Individually they also made the C and N types :)

[@Cats-TM]

I just noticed something because of the end promotion: this gun has been in the background since the AR-15 video (presumibly because these are filmed in batches). Bit of a sneak peek if anyone noticied, doubt they would have thought much of it though.

[@squoblat]

You have the best job in the world.

[@hairychris444]

Oooh, Fort Nelson? I grew up in the area & didn't know that you had a site down there!

[@jamescoe6466]

Great looking rifle!

[@austenpowers]

Like. Cheers Jonathan 👍🍻

[@JZsBFF]

I'll take it. No need to wrap it.

[@squidundertheinfluence]

“If you know me, you know I like skulls on things.”

[@SpaceGhost1701]

Is Jonathan a baddie?

[@squidundertheinfluence]

@@SpaceGhost1701 And where does he go on a D&D alignment grid?

[@alanjackson1015]

Gorgeous! Makes the Barret look like a kids crayon drawing turned into a real firearm

[@jakegore8265]

Do you genuinely believe this or do you just like it because you’re British lol? It looks exactly like dozens of other precision rifles in chassis systems besides the dumb carry handle and weird bolt handle design

[@mikeycraig8970]

​@@jakegore8265Yeah, and your opinion is clearly shaped by being from some vanquished nation!!

[@jakegore8265]

@@mikeycraig8970 My opinion is actually shaped by being from a nation where I’ve been able to own and shoot pretty much any gun I want, including 8 precision rifle builds to date. Dual UK citizen though, grew up in Norfolk. You may wanna look up the meaning of “vanquished” in a dictionary? You’ve assumedly guessed I’m in the US, one of the many former colonies that successfully broke away from the “vanquished” British empire lmao. I am always surprised and delighted by how consistently bad the English are at their own language.

[@alanjackson1015]

@@jakegore8265 ?? How do you figure I am British? And absolutely, if you compare this to a Barrett, the Barrett looks half baked. It's still a cool gun, don't get me wrong, but this is one is so much better looking because it looks like a fully finished precision rifle, that happens to be chambered in .50BMG

[@jakegore8265]

@@alanjackson1015 Was genuinely asking for two reasons: 1. As a gun nut who doesn’t see what makes this rifle look so special, I genuinely can’t see a reason to laud it’s appearance besides nationalism, and the British are weirdly nationalistic when it comes to their military and defense industry. I constantly see British people arguing that the SA80 is a great rifle, the Royal marines are a better fighting force than any US SOF unit, British military aviation is better than US, etc., just objectively ridiculous stuff due to pride. This is not hyperbole, I commonly see these arguments made, verbatim, all across online defense discussions involving the British. 2. You compared the rifle to the appearance of a “Barret”, which is a manufacturer, not a rifle. Assumedly you meant the semiautomatic M82 because that’s the iconic design, but Barrett produces tons of high caliber rifles that look all sorts of ways including a few bolt action precision systems that look a lot like this. That made me think you probably don’t know tons about guns (not trying to be rude here), which most Brits definitely don’t, so I thought you may be British based on most of the comments here dickriding the rifle’s appearance being from British people. But hey man, congrats, genuinely glad for your sake you’re not British haha. I’m assuming you think the Barrett (again assumedly M82) looks “half-baked” because it doesn’t have all the obvious features of a modern precision rifle chassis, which does make sense given it was designed in the 1980s and isn’t a precision rifle. Look closely at other modern precision bolt guns in chassis systems from Barrett or any other manufacturer and you’ll see they appear a lot more similar. I guess maybe I’m just an old head now but it’s just crazy to me that people who like guns think a pretty normal modern precision rifle in a chassis is sexier than the most iconic antimaterial rifle ever lol.

[@parrotraiser6541]

How does a company survive on sales of rifles like that? The market must be miniscule.

[@williestyle35]

1:13 Well, so many had guessed Barrett! Learn something new everyday. ...

[@fortissears5388]

That bolt looks like a freaking tonfa, so I bet if someone caught you cleaning your HSR, you could defend yourself somewhat :D

[@SzymonNatanRajca]

This looks slick as hell :) Very sci-fi vibe :)

[@ProtocolAbyss]

guys not to alarm you but I think this may be Jonathan Ferguson the keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal armories museum in the UK home to thousands of iconic weapons throughout history

[@WasimWsM-it5eo]

It's really cool n fantastic rifle

[@ANTheWhizkid]

Looking at their lineup, they do the naming scheme: HSR, MSR, LSR. Pretty sure it just stands for heavy sniper rifle. 😅 2:34

[@LordyGrey]

So when are you flying out to texas to check out the AK .50 by Brandon Herrera?

[@toniodmonio]

Its the best looking sniper rifle i’ve ever seen

[@peterjackhandy]

This probably depends hugely on your PoV {:0)

[@hanham963]

As they say. "There is no overkill. Only "Fire" and "Reload".

[@jeffreyholdeman3042]

“Multiple explod-y holes in things”. This will live forever.

[@robertwilliams2623]

Is their a day that you work. You have a one in a lifetime job and you can see you love your job. Jest by the way you talk about this guns.

[@ChrisHipkiss]

Heavy man!

[@neilobusk]

If your dropping a bod at a mile.... 338 lapau... if the bod is behind a wall.... .50 scary you got one of these in Leeds though... Informative.... great to watch N x

[@jacklurcher5813]

That's not the scariest thing in Leeds, I used to go out with a girl from East End Park…

[@marc0523]

How does it compensate for the recoil? Is the barrel spring-loaded for recoil? Is the top rail free floating or welded (linked somehow) to the barrel?

[@cpuuk]

What's not to love about putting "explodey holes in things" 🙂

[@robinireland810]

Good video, as always. However, I’d argue that the rear monopod is not designed to be used when firing the rifle (see Accuracy International’s manual for L115-A3). The monopod is primarily designed to take the weight of the rifle whilst the shooter is using the rifle’s scope for observation. Firing any 50cal or Magnum calibre rifle with the monopod deployed and taking the rifle’s weight will ultimately damage the monopod.

[@skathewitch]

Can confirm this is not the case with this rifle. SC monopod is designed to be used during firing.

[@robinireland810]

@@skathewitch I don’t own one, so certainly won’t disagree. However, with my experience with other makes (Barrett, Voere and Accuracy International) I would never fire any of them with the monopod in full contact with the ground. Heavy recoiling rifles need to move/slide predictably upon firing. The monopod would need to be able to slide unimpeded; if it catches or is held in place, it’ll either bend the threaded bar (as with my Barrett 98B) or even worse, damage the housing in the butt from where the monopod extends and retracts. Granted, the SC’s monopod looks a lot more robust than other maker’s, but I still wouldn’t risk it.

[@moizv4771]

Knew it the second I saw the community post

[@peka2478]

TF how?

[@polaritypictures]

is there any MATCH ammo for the 50? I don't recall any maker selling any.

[@ss181292]

Nice cannon :-)

[@Ramonatho]

I'm suprised they dont have a little flap of sheet metal with a U notch cut into it as a dust cover for that open slot. Just needs to slide back and forth with the bolt.

[@evilgenius2221]

Superb piece of kit....It's just missing a dove of peace

[@sweetcorn1968]

Bayonet's good, like a bayonet light bulb fitting.

[@arghjayem]

11:37 the bolt and it’s charging handle look like a compact but deadly heavy Tonfa or T Baton! 😂

[@yansheredega2560]

Thank you for a great video. Jonathan, why does it need such a thick and heavy bolt? What advantages does it give?

[@generalilbis]

The heavy bolt is necessary due to how many PSI of pressure are generated by the controlled ignition of a .50 BMG's primer and propellant....think I've seen the value given at around 50K PSI? All that gas presure needs to be contained to push the bullet down the barrel and through the air for long distances or through objects with thick or armored surfaces that would normally absorb the kinetic energy to prevent penetration or minimize the round's efficacy once it's gone through.

[@yansheredega2560]

@@generalilbis Thanks for reply. Isn't all that pressure basically absorbed by these hinges on the very front part of the bolt, that lock with a barrel? Why, for instance a part closer to the handle has to be this thick? Or does the handle hinge also take a hit upon firing?

[@generalilbis]

@yansheredega2560 The lugs definitely seem to do a lot of the work, ensuring lock-up and maintaining chamber pressure when they're correctly seated with the bolt closed. But it seems, from my own amateur-level observations via various firearms channels' discussions on bolt-action weapons, that they still require that their bolts posses enough mass to at least partially counter Newtonian motion so the lugs aren't doing ALL the work. One example of my point (I hope) is the massive 4-bore/4-gauge large game rifle that the host of the Kentucky Ballistics YT channel owns and occasionally shoots in videos... that weapon is a modern variation of an old black powder rifle design that fires a cartridge significantly larger than a .50 BMG and isn't a bolt-action but a "falling block" (where a thick piece of metal that acts as the firing chamber end piece is moved in and out of position by a lever action). The block is hefty piece and needs to be to help contain the explosive forces of the huge round's propellant charge.

[@90lancaster]

I'm curious if one was to keep firing over and over "any old ammo" constantly (even by swapping operators out) how long before the gun gets upset and overheats, jams or breaks ? being bolt action does it have enough time to cool how man rounds before the heat retention is to much for it for a slower firing weapon like this is it minutes, hours or heck days or weeks before it will break if it was fired over and over in a test to destruction test ?

[@joemacleod-iredale2888]

With the stock and bipod folded it’s the world’s biggest pistol!

[@jl6569]

@Royal Armories maybe you could explain this in another video but why do larger caliber rifles like Barret and this gun only have 3-4 lugs on the bolt compared to AR-15 which has 6 (I think). Does this have something to do with pressures? Thanks!

[@TheVirtuoso883]

It's to do with lockup, lugs on a bolt are important to be made in a way so they don't explode due to pressure of course. but lugs also dictate bolt rotation and opening. More lugs on a bolt action for example would lessen the degrees needed the bolt handle is turned before the bolt is freed. Larger round, larger bolt, makes sense just to have 2, 3 or 4 massive chunks for lugs to withstand pressures. My guess it comes down to those factors, happy to be corrected as I am not a gunsmith

[@F1ghteR41]

My guess would be that with a bolt-action rifle one needs to see and feel whether the bolt is locked or not, and with great number of lugs the bolt only needs to be turned a small amount to be unlocked. This would work fine for a semi-auto rifle, if not for the fact that these Johnson style bolts aren't the strongest in the world when it comes to lugs breaking off. On the other hand a few shallow and wide lugs (like on the Japanese Type 38 and Type 99 rifles and their carbine derivatives) will be much stronger. There are, of course, exceptions, the German DSR-Precision DSR 50 has 6 lugs while being a bolt-action rifle, there are, I believe, AR-like rifles in .50 cal, but these aren't the most prolific designs around.

[@jl6569]

To add to this… I believe Ian (Forgotten Weapons) in another video said that stoner style bolts have a more repeatable lock-up and therefore could lead to greater accuracy but here we have a precision rifle.

[@TheVirtuoso883]

@@jl6569 I remember him saying that. Ultimately the number of lugs on a bolt will be dictated by need. With a healthy dose of what the weapon designer believes is best. My guess the reason for that idea of repeatable lock up giving more accuracy is down to the fact that the bolt rotates far less with its numerous lugs. Less something rotates and moves out of its original position, better the chance for repeatable placement on its return. As I say Im no engineer or gunsmith so pinch of salt with all this

[@carbon4454]

Britain: Experts at taking something cool and improving it in every way possible

[@jakegore8265]

It’s honestly cute that you took the time to type this out. Have you really heard someone praise British design and engineering the way they do for the Germans, Japanese, Czechs, etc. lmao? Is this why the only functional small arms you’ve produced in the past ~4 decades have been pretty ordinary bolt action sniper rifles lol?

[@carbon4454]

@@jakegore8265 Well let's see, they improved the Apache, the F35, they co-designed the Eurofighter Typhoon, Panavia Tornado, they created the Foxhound, the Challenger 2, the Land Rover, Centurion and the various other vehicles. In terms of small arms there are the STEN, BREN, Sterling, EM2, SA80 platform (with the A1 being destroyed by politician interference and the A2 and A3 being incredibly well made), the L115 rifle, the AS50, HSR, etc. It's telling that the Lee Enfield rifles have lasted as long as they have, because they're simply better than the rest. But it's cute that you took the time to type that out.

[@jakegore8265]

@@carbon4454 Hey good try, you’re almost kinda informed for a Brit, but you need to learn how to make points based on what you’re responding to and then support them! So close! -you made a carrier variant of the Apache, which isn’t really a staggering improvement by any means unless you’re a tiny island nation, don’t really see how that’s “improving in every way possible” lmao? -you bought the exact same F35Bs as everyone else lol, you only have one variant, and let’s not pretend like your engineers did more than Lockheed Martin or any of the various other nations that contributed -yeah man the typhoon is really fantastic hence having to buy those F35s lmao, and how’s that tempest program going since your engineering prowess is unmatched? -you seem to have forgotten about your “takes something cool and makes it better in every way” claim, but yes good job naming par-for-the-course vehicles the UK currently operates? Wow, you produce your own MRAP and MBT, that’s crazy, just like most other NATO nations. And I’m sure since the UK has such exceptional engineers we have lots of data on their amazing vehicles outperforming competitors in Ukraine right? -getting to small arms is the closest you get to making some sense, good job! The Bren was mostly good, the EM2 was an interesting concept, and yes you were also able to produce some submachine guns. Then you hilariously bring up the SA80 hahaha, the gun British engineers couldn’t unfuck so HK had to be brought in to make it acceptable? It might just be considered functional now but remember it’s still a heavy piece of shit with an awful trigger compared to almost every other service rifle fielded by even the smallest and poorest nations. -You got me on the AS50, sure, that’s a pretty ordinary semi automatic anti material rifle you guys have made within the last four decades. Congrats, this is the one counterargument you were able to make to what I said! Unfortunately outside of video games it’s apparently mid as your military still primarily fields the American Barrett. -i really have no idea what you’re trying to say with your Lee Enfield “point”, yeah plenty of them are kicking around in civilian collections just like all the other major bolt action rifles from the same period? Do you think they somehow still have a military application or something because some mujahideen have used them in the last 50 years? I guess the No. 1 was “advanced” in the 1910s in that it held more rounds in the mag than a Mauser but hilariously the No. 4 is another example of the British using outdated equipment because they couldn’t afford or domestically produce anything better, even the soviets were able to give more of their troops semiautomatic or automatic weapons in WW2. Have you actually shot many rifles? do you really think a Lee Enfield is somehow “better” than a K98k, Swedish Mauser, K31, Finn Mosin, etc.?

[@carbon4454]

@@jakegore8265 1. I'm Irish fella, 2. You can be fucked if you think I'm sitting through reading that weaponised autism level response

[@TMFShooting]

Great Stuff Jonathan 💯Great Video 💯 Thanks for Another great overview 💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

[@user-rd6ii6mp1t]

"You could probably take somebody out just with the bolt." Love it. They used to rate Japanese swords with how many bodies it could cut through in a single stroke. Wonder how many you could go through with this thing?

[@keithmoore5306]

hey Jonathon how about comparing 50 cal the Vickers aircraft 50 used to the 50 Browning machine gun round?

[@CLipka2373]

"Then we have this catch here..." There's always a catch.

[@hans-joachimtenhoope1744]

9:45 Is the rifle secured against firing if the butt-stock is folded up?

[@loogue]

I don't see any reason why it should be. Locking lugs holds the bolt, not the stock

[@hans-joachimtenhoope1744]

@@loogue The rifle's internal mechanism of bolt and barrel travel backwards, that is why there is a long open space for the bolt handle to move in. So the whole inner recoil absorbing mechanism might fly out the back if the stock is folded up as nothing keeps it in place.

[@martintomasek6097]

@@hans-joachimtenhoope1744 this is a fixed barrel rifle so unlike in the M2 Browning, the only thing travelling back is the bolt AFTER you unlock it to manually reload. depending on how much energy the muzzle device redirects, the only accident can be from the open rear end hitting the shooter. the bolt will stay locked in place and as shown @11:29 it is still able to reload

[@loogue]

​@@hans-joachimtenhoope1744 To be fair, I haven't seen anyone to actually shoot this thing but looking at this design it seems that's not possible what you described. I think you might have mix this with Barrett.

[@hans-joachimtenhoope1744]

I wish my English would be a little better... Some very heavy sniper rifles like the south African Denel NTW-20 20MM sniper rifle have a breach that functions more like a cannon then the standard bolt of a rifle. As far as I can see the entire assembly inside the rifle moves backwards like a cannon, this tremendously helps in absorbing recoil. Never mind, it probably has something that prevents the rifle from firing if the butt-stock is folded. 😅

[@SlowrideSteve]

British version of the Chytac M200 Intervention? Without the .416 round?

[@VeraTR909]

Has anybody ever tried a design where the extractor gets momentarily moved away during the very last part of chambering as not to interfere with the lockup of the case against the boltface, but snapping back onto the groove/rim when extracting? Might this improve precision?

[@GregDittman]

Will the Royal Armouries get their hands on the new AK-50? A real piece of modern firearms history right there

[@Ploskkky]

That is a very sturdy design. I like it. Can I have it?

[@matthewirvine1361]

What may or may not be the legal steps to obtain such an object?

[@ColdestDay]

Nice try, ATF

[@mrmuttley]

In the UK those steps are roughly "LOL no"

[@neilmorrison7356]

In the UK just need to give your firearms officer a valid reason for owning one. I know there are guys who competition shoot 50 bmg rifles in the UK. The suppressor would not be an issue. Just another example how loopy firearms legislation is worldwide! Not saying it is easy to convince your firearms officer😉

[@neilmorrison7356]

@@mrmuttleyI would have real difficulty knowing which of my rifles I would give up to create a slot in my certificate for one on the risk I might not get approved.

[@User-gd5un]

@@neilmorrison7356 Yeah basically an impossible task. There’s no animal control that requires a 50 bmg

[@ryangsluke]

Man it’s always so humbling to be happily enjoying an expert talk about their passion and have it be brought back to the primary purpose of many of these weapons

[@sveinungchr]

You get to play with the coolest toys...

[@MrWizardjr9]

OK I'm sold lets see how much it is. Oh it's 10k...

[@KickyFut]

My friend's brother-in-law once stated back when I was a kid, if you're using a Barrett on hard targets, and a soft target makes itself available... it's not like you're going to switch guns. That visual really rocked me, not gonna lie!😅

[@thomasludwigs2532]

The bolt does indeed look like it can double as a nightstick.

[@shanemjn]

0.5 MOA?? I'd like to see that

[@massivepileup]

The lower part (does it count as the lower receiver?) looks like it's waaaay too heavy just for a thing that contains the trigger mechanism and a magazine well, I hope the weight is intended to make the recoil easier to handle and not just for aesthetics. If you were building a semi-auto mechanism you could probably replace that part with a thinner polymer one to make up for the additional weight of the mechanism.

[@TomSedgman]

oh wow the bolt looks even more like a nightstick than it needs to!

[@jaminstrat]

Looks like a giant up side down xm8

[@jackiechan8840]

Hard Target Van Damme's best movie fo sho

[@richardrumbelow2711]

1/2 MoA? So (considering it's a .50) they're saying it will reliably put it's group pretty much through the same hole at 100yds? ...that's pretty impressive

[@davidpalin1790]

Cool rifle 😅

[@MythicMagus]

I was not expecting to hear Jonathan speak the phrase "multiple explody holes".

[@alexithymia6288]

Holy moly $10k...well there goes my plan to acquire one lol

[@sosecherofsky7985]

I wonder if you could design it so that you fold the stock, remove the bolt and slot it into the stock, then unlock the barrel and slide it into where the bolt was. It would be tiny!

[@F1ghteR41]

There is an Uruguayan design that works somewhat like that, the FS50 Peregrino.

[@steelscooter]

Bolt becomes integrated Tonfa in case you need to go CQC 👍

[@-r-495]

Quite the rifle.

[@Manco65]

I don't belive ive fired any .50bmg rifles since maybe 2006. IIRC. My how time flies.