We Tested American Weapons of WW2

History Hit presenter Luke Tomes returns to the Royal Armouries in Leeds to fire some of the most iconic weapons of the Second World War belonging to the United States Army.
As always he is joined by Keeper of Firearms & Artillery, Jonathan Ferguson who talks him through the history of all the pistols, rifles and machine guns employed in the conflict.
First up is the Colt M1911, designed by John Browning, an iconic semi-automatic firearm renowned for its durability, reliability, and powerful .45 ACP cartridge. Widely used in military, law enforcement, and civilian contexts since 1911, its robust design and historical significance cement its legendary status.
Second is the M1903 Springfield Bolt-Action Rifle, the U.S. military's primary infantry rifle from 1903 to the late 1930s. Chambered in .30-06, it excelled in accuracy and reliability, and saw extensive use in both World Wars and beyond, becoming a symbol of American marksmanship.
Third up, the M1 Garand - a legendary semi-automatic rifle designed by John Garand. The rifle was the standard U.S. military service rifle during World War II and the Korean War. Known for its reliability, accuracy, and eight-round en-bloc clip, it was the first semi-automatic rifle to be mass-issued, earning praise from General Patton as "the greatest battle implement ever devised."
Last but not least is the M1 Thompson sub-machine gun, also known as the "Tommy Gun," a weapon renowned for its use by U.S. forces in World War II. Chambered in .45 ACP, it features a high rate of fire and rugged reliability. Its association with both soldiers and gangsters cemented its legendary status.
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#historyhit #jonathanferguson #worldwartwo
00:00 Introduction
02:19 Colt M1911
10:36 Firing Colt M1911
13:06 M1903 Springfield Sniper Rifle
17:13 Firing M1903 Springfield Rifle
19:33 M1 Garand
25:38 Firing M1 Garand
28:05 M1 Thompson
37:37 Firing M1 Thompson
42:25 Best Weapon?

[@HistoryHit]

It's always a pleasure coming to the Royal Armouries to fire weapons from historical periods! If you enjoyed this video, hit the like button and stay tuned for part two, where Luke and Jonathan will be shooting the weapons of the Wehrmacht. 🔥🔥🔥

[@BigIron-mz4qp]

W Wehrmacht.

[@mathiasemmens3451]

@BigIron-mz4qp interesting thing to say 🤨📸

[@kamelionify]

No "grease gun"? The M3 gets the short end of the stick, not as glamourous as the Thompson but far more useful.

[@John2r1]

You missing the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle in the list here. It served from WW1- early in Vietnam.

[@keithmoore5306]

no M1 carbine or M3 grease gun or BAR?

[@krimzon7622]

They got his name wrong! It's *Jonathan Ferguson, keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK* .

[@HistoryHit]

We're slow on the memes... sorry guys!

[@samzala]

Which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history.

[@emreyurtseven23]

@@samzala yup don't forget his surname

[@BigIron-mz4qp]

77th like.

[@samuelgarrod8327]

🥱

[@bennewnham4497]

"A bullet anywhere on the body is going to be...a problem" The classic British understatement right there.

[@PlunkofHAY]

The concept of how serious a wound is and how triage is approached in relation to the time you were shot through out history is interesting though. Maybe even worth its own video.

[@140289EP]

Well, we wouldn’t want to make a scene over it would we!

[@31terikennedy]

Yep and some problems are worse than others. :D

[@BryonLetterman]

I love how the British are famous for their dry humor and their humorous understatements lol

[@dungeonsanddobbers2683]

British people talking about others getting shot: "A bullet anywhere on the body is going to be a problem" British people talking about the time they were shot: "What? This big hole in me chest? Nah, it's fine, no need to bother the doctor over it."

[@RoyalArmouries]

Always a pleasure to have you filming on-site, great vid!

[@F4M3Resistance]

I see History Hit and 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 from throughout history I watch.

[@GyattRizzler69]

Lmao is that a game theory reference

[@T-Bone_SSteak]

​@@GyattRizzler69 Gamespot. It's part of the intro to the firearms expert react series

[@parallel-knight]

You have to use his full title every time ahaha

[@T-Bone_SSteak]

@@parallel-knight yes

[@Bobbymaccys]

“A bullet anywhere in the body is going to be a problem” Wise words to live by.

[@MeanBeanComedy]

Classic British observation. I love it.

[@This-K9]

It's quite nice 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 do these videos. he is an icon.

[@flashcar60]

I'm a former US Marine. In our initial instruction on the M1911, we were told that the heavy, slow.- moving round was an answer to the thick bamboo-and-tree-bark armor which Philippine insurgents wore during and after the Spanish-American War. Even in the World wars, against modern armies, the heavy slug would inflict more damage than did a high-velocity .38 or 9mm one.

[@gavieljohnbocalbos5244]

Those were Moro rebels. And other Filipinos had to fight them as well. It was during that campaign that the first Asian and Filipino to earn a Medal of Honor happened (Jose Nisperos)

[@454FatJack]

Drill Sergant know’s the 🌎

[@ewanrollo5562]

I did hear that the AK47 had something of an advantage in Vietnam because it had heavier slower rounds than the M16's high velocity rounds. So it had more of a chance of shooting through vegetation like bamboo and branches if they were in the way

[@ivancorey7389]

Tested the pistol rounds in trials on live cows. 45 was the most effective on cows.

[@ewanrollo5562]

@@ivancorey7389 Cows with bamboo and bark on them?

[@will2777]

Unfortunate the BAR wasnt included in the list, but still a great video!

[@lavrentivs9891]

Or the M1 Carbine

[@robcreel4257]

I noticed.

[@FenrisSkoll]

@@lavrentivs9891 Or the M3 Grease gun.

[@BIGchocolate7]

Hopefully, we will see the BAR in a WWI video

[@edm240b9]

For those asking where the BAR and M1 Carbine are, it entirely possible Jonathan doesn’t have any examples he is willing to fire. Carbines are notorious for having their extractors break after a period of time, so it’s possible he didn’t want to damage an original gun. The BAR, I assume it’s possible due to the range limitations and safety. Having fired a BAR from the bipod and shoulder, the gun is fairly controllable, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, it can push you back. Don’t want to shoot an area of the wall not reinforced and have a stray .30-06 round flying through. Keep in mind this is all speculation.

[@Vladpryde]

It could also be cost? I saw a BAR for sale here in the States, probably the only one, and they wanted $100,000 for it.

[@Far1988]

​@@VladprydeI guess it's less about "cost" and more about value. It's more about replaceability, which is very limited when something is so expensive.

[@edm240b9]

@@Vladpryde BARs are pretty widely available on the collector’s machine gun market in the USA. There’s over 100,000 machine guns on the transferable list, and there’s a decent amount of BARs. A lot of them were surplused to police forces and they ended up on the transferable machine gun market. Now, if it’s transferable, meaning anyone willing to go through the NFA process can buy it, then it’s definitely worth somewhere around that amount given it’s (presumably) a direct sale. When it comes to the BAR in the UK however, we have a bit of a different problem. BARs were issued out to the Home Guard under Lend Lease, but a lot of those also made it back to the States. I believe it was around 20,000 BARs were leased out. Compared that to the 87,000 Garands given to the Home Guard, and the fact that the British purchased the Thompson and 1911 directly, the BAR was a much more rare sight in the UK. Lack of available parts and not wanting to wear out/risk damaging original parts can be a very real reason not to shoot the gun.

[@edm240b9]

@@ianbeedles1329 wow, even when part of the military, the gov’t cucks you in limiting your ammunition supply when firing cool guns. That being said, it is a very fun gun to shoot and one of my favorites. There’s a range in my state that rents one out to people. It’s pricey, but not nearly as pricey as owning the thing.

[@ianbeedles1329]

Sorry, accidentally deleted my comment (blame fat fingers on a small screen 😀).

[@dhamon45]

I question the necessity of editing in fake tinnitus to the video.

[@Karras353]

The dramatic music was a bit much at times as well.

[@Ash_Hudson]

The 1911 is absolutely without a doubt the most beautiful handgun ever made.

[@alexanderhowarth6460]

Rubbish. Just about any flintlock looks miles better. The 1911 has an unmistakable utilitarian charm, but it's just a tool, whereas certain handguns are unique, bona fide works of art.

[@Ash_Hudson]

@@alexanderhowarth6460 Can we agree that both are works of art? I also enjoy the craftsmanship put into flintlock pistols, but I should have specified modern handguns.

[@alexlee4708]

It is the handgun to which almost all modern handguns are modeled after.

[@SeanSMST]

I visited a military museum just last week, and even seeing flintlocks and muskets up close, the m1911 gives me a childish excitement by just looking and watching it. I love the design so much, it's so bloody good.

[@alexanderhowarth6460]

@@Ash_Hudson no, art is by definition design for design's sake. I could grant you that 1911s are beautiful without granting that they are art. When I talk about a gun as a work of art, I'm really talking about the engravings and decorations you see on pistols made for royalty and that sort of thing. Gold etching and so on. I can see this comment becoming a pretentious essay on art and style and what makes the 1911 so iconic, so it's probably best I stop here, I regret replying in the first place. I'm glad you like the 1911, so do I.

[@singleshot6643]

Wow, the Garand they feature here is an early gas trap version, ever-so-rare today as almost all were converted to gas port configuration before & early on in the US involvement in WWII. There are less than 200 gas traps in existence today. I own 3 M1 Garands myself, including 2 early Springfield Garands (September 1941 & June 1942 manufactured rifles) witn one in original and one restored to original configuration, but I've never even seen a gas trap in person. I'd love hearing the back story on how that early weapon wound up in Great Britain. Keep up the good work gents!

[@jimmyrustler8983]

It was probably a lend-lease gun given to Britain for the Home Guard.

[@JJW3]

That gas trap Garand was a neat surprise. Definitely a rare bird. I have a few M1 Garands and my favorite one is my early May 1941 example I got by chance from the CMP.

[@MythicFool]

One of the uses for the Thompson was as a tank crew weapon when they had to dismount. It gave them something more substantial than a simple sidearm, but not so big as to be awkward to keep inside the tank. It was later replaced in that role by the cheaper M3.

[@loudelk99]

My father served in both ww2 and Korea. He had the highest regard for the 1911 .45 and the M-1

[@robertwoodroffe123]

So M1 Garand !? or M1 carbine , M1 ( 1942’) Thompson,

[@loudelk99]

@@robertwoodroffe123 the garand

[@robertwoodroffe123]

@@loudelk99 had one ☝️ Springfield mfg from Italian campaign

[@loudelk99]

@@robertwoodroffe123 My dad liked the Springfield as well. When he went to Vietnam they gave him an M-16. He was not happy, he preferred the stopping power of the older weapons.

[@robertwoodroffe123]

@@loudelk99 M14 would have worked

[@lligcmnitsuj]

That is Jonathan Ferguson, KOFAAATRAMITUKWHACOTOIWFTH.

[@darrenjosephgregory]

Great to see Jonathan Ferguson, keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK on History Hit.

[@davidsullivan7743]

If anyone is thinking of visiting The Royal Armouries in Leeds, I can thoroughly recommend it. It's probably the best museum I've visited. Let's be honest, any museum that has a Vickers machine gun set up in the lobby for visitors to fire ( electronically at a screen) has got to have a lot going for it. The whole place is a fantastic fantastic study in the history of weaponry, from the medieval to the present day

[@maxlumens9085]

Wouldn't that break the screen, electronically?

[@Yamato-tp2kf]

😂😂😂😂​@@maxlumens9085

[@richardjames9091]

Really enjoying this series of you guys and Jonathon firing historic firearms.

[@TRIIGGAVELLI]

You actually don't realize how iconic American WWII firearms are until they're next to each other. And there's plenty missing, the BAR, M1 carbine, the 1897 trench gun, M1 grease gun etc etc

[@MrDdaland]

One thing worth mentioning - one man played a part in either the development of each weapon, or the cartridge they fired- John T Thompson

[@GhostRider247]

Jonathan Ferguson is an absolute diamond fella !!! would love to have a bit crack with him !!!

[@mickeydee9069]

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 from throughout history*

[@maxlumens9085]

Crack kills.

[@fourtyfivefudd]

Will we also be getting similar, yet separate episodes on shooting British, German, Japanese, and Russian weapons? As well as some of the few other weapons used by countries like Canada and Australia etc in addition to their standard issue British weaponry?

[@SampoPaalanen]

Also if possible I'd love to see weapons from smaller countries actively involved in the war who had their own designs and not just the commonwealth ones.

[@scottgibson6735]

I,have,a,Springfield,armory,stainles,steel,TRP,and,I,looge,it!I,feel,it,makes,me,a,beter,shot. I,don’t.let.many.trangers.shoot.it.but.when,they,frequently,say,the,same,thing.As,you probably,knowthe,the,TRP,inased,on,TheOpeerator,Springfield,created,for,the,F BbI,hostage,rescue,team,the,HRC.The,TRrP,has,much,less.hand,fitting,thann,the,Operator,to,make,it,more accessible,for,the,average,shooter Thank you for the video

[@Emsworth377]

This would be an amazing series.

[@tacfoley4443]

@@SampoPaalanen Yup, the Australian Owen gun and the AUSTen, too.

[@user-bi7xd8ry5p]

​@SampoPaalanen These weapons are often very rare, and their ammo is also very hard to find. As an example, the Mannlicher-Schönauer is basically extinct in it's original 6.5 chambering.

[@jamesgold3328]

As always, very entertaining and educational. Thank you!

[@VeraTR909]

Jonathan is always a class act, and your doc style of a concise overview is well presented and fun to watch even though I was familiar with the subject already.

[@DeimosPC]

As a Brit that lives in the US and is able to own firearms.. I have to say the M1 Garand is the greatest rifle of all time. It's truly genius. No wonder the Americans were such a powerful force in WW2.

[@hernanefrain6085]

Keep doing these, they're great.

[@AniwayasSong]

'Old' hardly means 'Inadequate'! 🙂 I have friends who use black powder pistols/rifles, and 'I' sure's Hell wouldn't want to catch anything they're throwing! One thing to note regarding the semi-auto vs revolver capacity? Reload time. You can swap magazines FAR faster than it takes to manually reload a revolver. 😀

[@krossen4]

Esp. if you have a wound to your arm, hand or shoulder. You put the pistol between your legs and reload (one working arm helps though) just one example.

[@AniwayasSong]

@@krossen4 Yes. We practice various ways to stay in the fight, should we receive injuries/wounds.

[@baanibarnes9711]

For someone who doesn't practice much, that's pretty impressive grouping with the Thompson on full auto! Great demo Jonathan, please do more!

[@Shatnerpossum]

Warms my American heart to see our cousins across the Atlantic enjoying our guns.

[@sloths-df3gf]

Thanks for sending us so many in WW2!

[@Dylan-M]

Jonathon has such a great understanding of firearms. He’s a bridge for Europeans who don’t have as much or any exposure to firearms on educating them on the mechanics and manual of arms of firearms. As a westerner it’s very refreshing and impressive to see how well he educates and handles all firearms.

[@Mag_Aoidh]

That’s an early gas trap M1, excellent piece to have in your collection! I have an M1 Garand, M1 carbine, a 1911 and had several 1903/A3s and I love them all. I’ve fired an M1A1 Thompson, she was heavy but controllable.

[@lw3918]

Awesome. I'm a historic firearms collector with 96 in my stable. Most are loaned out to museums. I have multiples of a few and I keep a few really special ones with me.

[@user-li4sz3jz1b]

This is brilliant Luke, very nice to see Johnathan again well done guys 😁😁😁

[@MeanBeanComedy]

I really like the editing in these two videos. Even better than the ones from last year! 😎👍🏻

[@darthyoda8867]

Dude I love the grouping with the 45 nice!

[@Tony.795]

He even used the period correct grip.

[@frankhernandez188]

You guys forgot the M1 Carbine, I live in the USA and I own M1 Garand, M1903, M1911, British 303, German Mauser and M1 carbine, the M1 carbine is my favorite, lots of fun to shoot.

[@AniwayasSong]

Lots of folks like to throw shade at the M1 (.30 carbine), for being ineffective, but no one that's ever 'Caught' one of those projectiles would be amongst them! For lighter weight/recoil (Which usually meant better accuracy from the shooter), the terrain they were meant to fight in was against them. Jungle warfare is hell on lighter cartridges/projectiles.

[@chrisvibz4753]

@@AniwayasSongtrue, and the m1 carbine was often carried by special ops and especially medica

[@blastulae]

Also missing in action is Browning’s BAR.

[@classicgunstoday1972]

The M1 Carbine is my favorite hiking, vehicle and home defense weapon. So easy to sling over your shoulder. Light and easy to handle. Powerful PDW with .30. Carbine compared to pistol ammo

[@CrossOfBayonne]

How could anyone forget that, Then again the M1 Garand gets all the attention in WWII media and so does the Thompson and BAR

[@archer8492]

I've been binge-watching all the History Hit vids in this oeuvre over the last few days. While the content is great (as so many others have said), I also want to mention that Luke is a great presenter, very clear and personable, and obviously with great passion and background knowledge for every single era, object and location he looks at.

[@calkig]

Love the group that Jonathan got with the M1911A1… especially one handed -very nicely done!

[@bannman99]

What a job u have Jonathan love these videos

[@colmhain]

Uh, y'all ain't gotta add the tinnitus sound between shots, I already have that...

[@robertbjork1989]

My grandfather served in the Pacific theater always cool watching stuff on WW2.

[@Seanpwoody]

We can do away with that ringing after firing next video guys lol

[@HistoryHit]

Thanks for the feedback. We'll bear this in mind for the next video.

[@ManDuderGuy]

Excellent presentation 👌

[@edm240b9]

I feel somewhat sad for Jonathan when he says shooting a Garand is a rare occurrence for him. Here in the USA, the government sells civilians M1 Garands through the CMP. You can buy one in any state.

[@tacfoley4443]

Semi-automatic centre-fire rifles and carbines have been prohibited for civilian use here in UK since 1986 - we have the Hungerford Massacre to thank for that.

[@sid2112]

@@tacfoley4443 I hate that for you.

[@Bagledog5000]

Sure you can, if you’re lucky enough and have enough money to get one. Effective October 1, 2023, the CMP’s new yearly limit on M1 Garands will be 6 per calendar year..” Prices are anywhere from 750~3 or 4K.

[@edm240b9]

@@Bagledog5000 yes, there’s hurdles to jump through, but Garands are still fairly abundant on the civvie market. They are going up in price. However, all of that can be eliminated if we bringback the 80,000 Garands from Korea that were supposed to come back but Obama blocked it and no one has done anything about them since. Hell, even if you don’t want to go through the CMP, I got mine for $1,500. The top quality CMP ones, last time I checked, go for around $1,750. Also, NO ONE should pay $3,000 for a barebones M1 Garand (unless it’s the sniper versions or the gas trap models, or it has specific provenance), just because some fudd lists his M1 on Gunbroker for $3,000 doesn’t mean the gun is actually worth that much. Also, the limit is six guns per individual, which isn’t a problem for anyone other than Garand collectors or paranoid boomers that still believe in “mUh sToPpIng pOwEr.”

[@kamikazemelon787]

@@Bagledog5000 We only have so much surplus.. CMP has been selling Garands forever so it only makes sense as time goes by that we run out of milsurp rifles and the price will go up. It's too bad.. I kinda missed my chance, but there are still plenty of Garands out there outside of CMP! At this point they're historic items and just like an SKS or Mosin, the price is gonna explode.

[@andy04041988]

LOVE this weapons episodes

[@TMFShooting]

Great Video guys , Wish I had half the Knowledge Jonathan as on Firearms , Must be great having a job were you can shoot Section 5 firearms , Thank you for Sharing guys 💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

[@MeanBeanComedy]

He keeps saying both "Gárand" and "Garánd." 😆 It's funny. I do that, too.

[@Ludwig_Cox]

Fantasic to see a collab with my favorite British youtuber, Jonathan Ferguson keeper of firearms and artillery at the royal armouries museum in the UK.

[@thomaseley8386]

An interesting video. I could see the Thompson being really effective in an enclosed environment like a trench as part of a team.

[@harambetidepod1451]

I watched this high and had a great time

[@Sunnfjordingen]

Thanks for the tinnitus sound effect you put in. I don't get enough on a daily basis so, really appreciated.

[@MerchantrRe4]

The 1911 has always been my favorite pistol ever since I played Call of Duty back in 2010. I thank video games for giving my love and fascination of guns.

[@thevictoryoverhimself7298]

Snipers don’t generally “sniper duel” like the movies. At least between two equally skilled snipers (vs some yokel or teenager with a scoped rifle, they’re toast) You’ll keep yourself safe, get as close as you reasonably can to the point where you’re pretty sure you know where they are, and call on artillery or air support to turn their entire surroundings into concrete confetti. Either the sniper dies or retreats, and the normal infantry can advance safely and secure the area. Rinse and repeat until you win the war

[@mathiasemmens3451]

Jonathan Ferguson, keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history, is looking rather dapper this episode.

[@PawFromTheBroons]

Came straight from your German guns video, and that 1911 grouping is sooooo much better than with the Luger.

[@clamum9648]

Jonathan is the man! I have a lot of guns but I gotta say, my M1 Garand would be the one I keep if I had to only choose a single one. So glad I was able to get an M1 Carbine as well considering how their prices have skyrocketed (same with Garands really).

[@eclipsegst9419]

Props to Johnathan for one handing that 1911 properly instead of doing the modern/cop 2 hand thing. Its a HAND gun not a HANDS gun!

[@bryanmcdermott4204]

If Jonathan's a guest, I'm watching. This is an outstanding series. Excellent work educating in an entertaining fashion! Gotta get the cameraman eye pro to protect against extracted shell cases.

[@Rocketsong]

There is a secondary, often overlooked, reason the USMC held onto the Springfield rifle after the M1 was introduced. Availability was indeed a big reason, but the other issue was that USMC doctrine made considerable use of rifle grenades, and it took several years before a suitable rifle grenade adapter was designed for the M1.

[@CanadianPale]

The characteristic "hump" in front of the Springfield's rear sights is very aesthetic.

[@FuzzyMarineVet]

That was a beautiful group, Jonathan, with the 1911. When I fam-fired the Colt in 1976 in Boot Camp, I was issued a pistol whose slide was so loose it would visibly wobble side to side when in battery. I still was able to fire a group at 10 yards that was only twice the diameter of your own.

[@Firealone9]

Always love it when Brits upload videos on firearms. Something about the presentation I just love. Not to mention they are actually decent shots and value marksmanship over theatrical bs.

[@gregwilliams386]

I got my first 1911 Colt 45 when I was 8 years old. It taught patience.

[@hockey1freak]

Tom Hanks blew up a tank with it.

[@GeekGinger]

We marched, drilled and did PT with deactivated M1s in US Navy bootcamp in the 80s so I can say I carried an M1 in the military. Never did fire one. Also had training on the 1911, but didn't fire one of those either!

[@MrMightyZ]

I would hazard to guess that if you did fire it in anger, that by the time you’d emptied the gun and your enemy had fired his gun, no one is going to hear the “ting” of your empty clip because everyone’s ears will be deadened and probably ringing too😁

[@jeff-hopkins]

Thanks for your service.... It is because of persons like you that my family and I sleep well each night in suburbia..... Because we know that you've got our backs! 🙂 Thanks again.

[@jeff-hopkins]

@@MrMightyZ My father and his 2 brothers were First Lieutenants from ROTC. They served rather safe and "cushy" positions in the 1950's. My aunt's husband though, he worked his way up to Seargeant in the 1901 Bomb group in Korea. He was a photographer. He not only took tactical images for the service but he also other, public image /war confidence images for the war effort. Knowing he was closest to the heat, than my other uncles, I asked him about the use of his side arm. --He said only once. He explained that it was late one night, as he was working in the photo lab: This big, hairy rat kept scurrying past the door nearby. Every couple minutes and that dirty rat would come by again. Having had enough of this distraction,, my uncle said he pulled his side arm from his belt and set it upon the table. The next time that annoying rat came by..... "Boom!" uncle says he blasted that dirty stinker into the middle of next week! 😀 It did leave a bit of a mess there, in the hall, but uncle says he eventually signed out and went to his barracks. He was woken a few hours later though. His superior officer wanted to see him. At that office, with his superior officer and the next higher ranking officer on base, they questioned my uncle about the big hole in the wall of the office across the hall from the photo lab. My uncle says he explained it just as he /I did here and the young officers could barely keep a straight face! He was eventually advized, "Next time, Seargeant..... Request a trap!" He was then dismissed. My uncle told me that he could still hear their laughter all the way down the hall where he finally exited the building. 😀

[@LG-ro5le]

What kind of BS ‘training’ is that if they dont even teach you how to fire the weapon

[@jasonwillis7961]

​@@LG-ro5leYou just marched with that weapon. You were taught to shoot with the actual service weapon. When I was in Navy Boot in the 90s some units would march with M14s since they weren't used in service, like M1s had been retired for the other gentleman. When we went to the range we shot the M16A1.

[@DSS-jj2cw]

When I was serving as a Combat Engineer in 84-86 our C.O and 1SGT were carrying ancient 45s with very little bluing left on them most likely used in Vietmam.

[@oldschoolm8]

When I went to Vegas to shoot some guns at a firing range, as a Brit who’d never shot a gun in his life, I shot an M1911 colt and Thompson and it was pretty bloody magical! The M1911 was fantastic, it’s so simple to fire and had a hefty wallop. I understood why so many forces used it as a reliable sidearm for so long. The Thompson made me feel like a commando, or gangster, in its rate of fire. I would love to fire a garand one day and hear the ‘ping’ when a clip is finished! I really admire this era of weaponry.

[@Jarlemoore1]

First gun I ever fired my grnadads M1 Garand that he carried through North Africa, Sicily and Italy then through France and Germany, he taught me how to shoot with it as well as strip it, clean it, reassemble it as well, by the time he was done I hitting targets at 300 yards with it iron site.

[@spektakelkd]

Yes, please

[@ShogunMongol]

Incredibly sad to not see the M1 Carbine, my favorite gun of all time, big part of that is a family story involving one, but also it's such a sweet shooter and so handy.

[@user-ru3re2nv1t]

Smoother than an enfield 😮😮😮😮

[@JutiMayranen]

Too bad you didn't have M3 Grease Gun on this video. Still it is always good to see Jonathan Ferguson, keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK doing excellent content.

[@DelaV3]

As an American it's always so cute watching the English get so dramatic about shooting a gun.

[@betaboy4916]

Not sure if anyone has pointed it out yet, but the picture and diagram at 7:38 are of a .45 Long Colt, not a .45 ACP.

[@HaroldTheSloth]

Let freedom ping! My favorite rifle is my M1. For a combat rifle, it's reasonably accurate, quick to reload, reliable, and semi auto. It's also got the best trigger and sights of any battle rifle. Probably the best thing we gave our infantry troops.

[@electoplater]

my father was in the ministry of supply during the war, regarding the thompson was to expensive colt made 300 percent profit on each one which put it out of the budget for general use in the british forces

[@lawrencemartin1113]

Great video. It would have been great to add in the M1 carbine and test and compare that with say, the 1911 which it was designed to augment/partially replace. Also, it was the single most produced allied small arm of WWIl, so surely it should have been included.....? Can I just say, Jonathan has such a cool job!!! 😊

[@Jarlemoore1]

The full auto mode for the Thompson is for cover fire or to sweep a human wave formation with a lot of the enemy coming at you in mass and you fire from the hip sweeping back and forth.

[@140289EP]

Please please please do this for the other nations in the war! I’d love to hear Mr Fergusons thoughts on the arisaka, nambu, webley/enfield, stem, Bren, mp44, emotional support stg, and bonus points if we can look at the liberator pistol and shotgun, welrod, the works! (I understand there’s no chance of half of those being fired but still!)

[@HistoryHit]

Jonathan might need some 'emotional support' in a couple weeks time...

[@140289EP]

You have just made my week!

[@Rocketsong]

"Ear Defenders" sounds so incredibly British compared to the standard American "Ear Protection".

[@RaccoonLex]

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 from throughout history❤

[@1-svanb910]

Look at the body language of Jonathan after giving the rifle to Luke. 17:28.

[@NigelThorpe]

Went to Vegas range a few years ago, fired all four of these plus a BAR and the M1 carbine. Fired a modern M249 SAW as a bonus. Every body who likes firearms should try it at least once...

[@thevictoryoverhimself7298]

The springfield is underrated as a rifle. Compared to most other service rifles its a work of art. Butter smooth and tight tolorances even after 70 years. I regret selling mine. (A 1903A3 model, probably used by the marines in the pacific)

[@Goofygooberston]

The irony of "what a sound" during the garand segment, while seconds before I turned it all the way down because of the war-movie tinnitus EEEEEE

[@jollyjohnzz]

I have actually been shot at by a Garand . In Ireland in the 70s . My two penny's with is it had an unmistakable sound , a huge boom ,very different from an m16 or ak47 . Quite intimidating ,sounds like a small cannon!

[@thomasohanlon1060]

They would also use the sling to help stabilize the weapon.

[@itatube7594]

M1 Thompson was way ahead of it's time. The Rate of fire, stability and accuracy is amazing.

[@BHuang92]

Heavy and expensive. But runs fine!

[@willh2690]

Not really. It was very much a first generation submachine even in its simplified state. As a mass production military weapon it was very much behind the M3 Grease Gun.

[@IvanPrintsGuns]

The M1 Thompson wasn't developed until 1942, placing it resoundingly behind the SMGs other countries were using. It was hilariously *behind* its time.

[@edm240b9]

No it was not. Having fired Thompsons on multiple occasions, including trying out an M1928A1 and M1A1, they are terrible guns.

[@YankeeRebel1348]

​​@@IvanPrintsGunsActually it was around in the 20s. Technically was a gun that started in 1918 before the end of ww1. The early Thompsons had a cumbersome weight which was the biggest complaint. In ww2, it would shoot within nice close patterns, but was still a bit chunky. The main point however was the reduced spray pattern and the ability to shoot tight groups. Certainly by the end of ww2, it was up there with the STG44

[@1rwjwith]

Including a B.A.R would have been interesting😁

[@ArnoSchmidt70]

Great shirt!

[@joshuarosen465]

Apropos of the Thompson. In basic my father had an idiot Sargent who said that the kick of the Thompson was so light you could put it against your chin and fire it. He then proceeded to demonstrate but instead of putting it in single shot mode he put it in full auto and pulled the trigger. The guy knocked out most of his teeth.

[@CarlosRodriguez-dd4sb]

Jonathan is a good shot, but I always appreciate his range safety

[@CHUBBYAMERICAN]

💪🏾😎🇺🇸🦅 thanks for showing love to our weapons.

[@syrhc87]

@7:28 kinda to piggyback off Jonathan’s point about an additional round, something to keep in mind that at the time with revolvers they often had the hammer resting on an empty cylinder to prevent accidental discharge, so really there could be as much as a 3 round difference (if there is one in the chamber) when considering the 1911 to a revolver.

[@kevingooley9628]

That was more of a problem pre WW1, pre 20th century really. All of the colt, S&W, and Enfield revolvers used in WW1 and WW2 had rebounding hammers and were safe to carry fully loaded. Might've been an issue in Italy or Russia, I suppose, with outdated revolvers being issued.

[@timbirch4999]

Did anybody else notice that Jonathan had to put his jacket on before going to fire the pistol? "Good lord no. A gentleman NEVER takes part in any variety of shooting event without his jacket on. Whatever next?!"

[@-scgg-gg7938]

Legend already

[@ROBERTNABORNEY]

1) US Maines held on to the M1903 so long because they initially rejected the M1. It wasn't until the front line troops demanded Garands after sampling ones "borrowed" from the Army on Guadalcanal that they revered position. 2) Every Army Rifle Squad had a designated grenadier. Problem was that the M1 grenade launcher ran into problems and wasn't adopted until late in WW2. Some grenadiers were carrying M19003s to launch grenades as late as the Okinawa campaign. 3) The M1903 IS a Mauser. The US had to pay Mauser a license fee and a royalty for each rifle manufactured after it lost in court. Even in WW1 the US continued paying royalties - into a special bank account that held the payments until after the war 4) The British had the opportunity to adopt the M1, but - after trials - rejected it. 5) Thompson - shown is either a M1 or M1A1 -simplified for production purposes - that did not accept the drum magazines (heavy, awkward and difficult and time consuming to reload). The original gun, the M1921 sold so poorly that only one batch was made and Auto-Ordnance was still selling M1921's updated to M1928's (forward pistol grip replaced by horizonal one and some simplification) until 1939, when the contracts rolled in (along with those lovely Pounds and Francs) from France and Britain (who took over the French contracts). 6) By mid-WW2 the US Army issued a submachine gun (M1 or M3) to Rifle Squad leaders.

[@MrBradSmith]

Great documentary. Would have been great to see the M1 Carbine.

[@csipawpaw7921]

As you said the Thompson and, when you think of it, all weapons are, to some degree or other, mission-specific. During WW2 my father, who initially was a B.A.R. gunner, preferred the M1 Garand for open country, and the Thompson for Urban or close-quarter combat. When he crawled through the thick hedgerows he preferred a pistol. He dragged his rifle behind him. When he cleared houses, he relied on HE grenades and his pistol if he didn't have a Thompson submachine gun. He survived. So he must have made the right choices.

[@tramapolean]

44:08 One of the two species of rifles for post WW2 development? Where did the M1 progress after? And presumably, you are talking about the StG 44 as being the benchmark for the other line? Thank you, very interesting video, this is a great series! I do think you may need to look at getting a longer range to test the capabilities more accurately for some of these though 🙂