WorldOfWeapons

1.Introduction 00:00 2.Technical details 02:49 The story of a "Thumper" or "Blooper" (both were unofficial nick-names for M79) began in 1951, when the US Army recognized the need to fill the gap between the maximum range of a had-thrown grenades (about 50 meters) and the minimum range of 60mm mortars (about 400 meters). In 1952 Picatinny Arsenal developed a short, stubby, rimmed cartridge case about 46mm long, with so-called "high/low pressure" system, to launch the 40mm shells. The high/low pressure" system consists of a small, thick-walled compartment at the base of the cartridge case, where propellant (smokeless gunpowder) is stored. This compartment is connected to the empty cartridge interior by several vents. The small compartment formed the "high pressure" area, necessary to achieve proper burning characteristics of a propellant, while the empty interior of the case formed the "low pressure" area, resulting in mild barrel pressures, and low projectile velocities. This system allowed for lighter and less expensive cartridge cases and barrels, while maintaining necessary ballistic properties. the resulting cartridge has been type-classified as M406 HE-FRAG. Springfield Armory (the former Government arsenal) began to develop several launchers for 40mm M406 ammunition, and by the 1960 the first hand-held, single shot 40mm grenade launcher has been officially type classified as M79. First production M79 units were issued to US troops in 1961, and before production in USA ceased in 1971, more than 300 000 of M79 launchers were manufactured in USA by several contractors. First widely used in Vietnam, the M79 turned to be a complete success. Reliable and quite accurate in the hands of a trained operators, it provided extremely mobile firepower to smallest of the infantry units. Following the successful development of the M406 HE-FRAG round, several other types of 40mm ammunition were rapidly developed, including smoke and illumination rounds, HE-DP (dual purpose, fragmentation/antitank), incendiary, buckshot canister (for close-combat and self-defense). The key downside to the M79 was that it required the grenadier to carry an additional personal defense weapon, such as pistol or a submachine gun. This inconvenience was the key reason for development of the M203 underbarrel grenade launcher, which superceded the M79 in the service since early 1970s. Technical details: The M79 is a single shot, break-open weapon with rifled barrel. The barrel is hinged to the receiver and is locked closed by the rotating the lever at the tang of the receiver. 40mm cartridges of various types are loaded from the breech, then barrel is closed. Internal hammer is cocked automatically upon reloading. There is a manual safety, which automatically switches on when gun is reloaded. The trigger guard can be hinged sideways, so the gun can be fired in the winter gloves. The stock is made from wood, and the butt is fitted with the rubber recoil pad. Open sights consist of a hooded front sight and a n adjustable ladder-type rear (with windage adjustment) and is graduated from 75 to 375 meters in 25 m increments. It must be noted that trained operators often left the rear sight in its folding down position, and aimed down the barrel, still achieving good accuracy.

1.Introduction 00:00 2.Development 00:30 3.Technical details 02:47 The Mosin-Nagant Rifle, known in the Russia as “Vintovka Mosina” (Mosin Rifle), was developed under government commission in the late 1880’s and early 1890’s. It was officially adopted for service by the Russian Tsar in 1891 as “Trechlineynaja Vintovka Obraztsa 1891 Goda” (three-line rifle system 1891). Development: The development of the M1891 rifle is somewhat shady and controversial. During official trials, two designs were selected for the final round – one by the Russian Army captain Mosin, and another, by the Belgian designer Nagant. The selected design, adopted by the Commission, utilized features from both. Leon Nagant was paid for his part of the design with a very serious amount of money. Mosin received a rank promotion and worked at the Sestroretsk arsenal, trying to get this rifle ready for production. The exact amount of influence of each designer is still unclear. Since the Russian arms industry was not ready to produce this rifle at the moment of its adoption, the first batches were purchased from the Chatelleraut Arms factory of France. Full-scale local production only began in 1894 – 1895 at two major Russian state arms factories, Izhevsk and Tula. Foreign contractors were used once again to manufacture this rifle in 1916 and 1917, during the First World War. Russia at that time was in desperate need for more rifles. Contracts were signed with two major American companies, Remington and Westinghouse, which manufactured large numbers of the improved pattern M1891/10 rifle. Because of the upheaval and revolutions in 1917 most of these rifles were not delivered to the Russian government. Later they were used in the USA for training purposes, as well as being sold to civilians. Russian production of this rifle continued until 1948 or so, when the machinery to produce was sold to Poland. The Mosin rifle in different variations was a standard military arm of the Russian and Red Army for some 60 years. It was also adopted and used by China, Finland, Hungary, Poland, North Korea among other countries. It is still a popular rifle in Russia and elsewhere as a civilian hunting rifle, due to relatively low prices and readily available ammunition. Technical details: The Mosin-Nagant rifle is a bolt operated, magazine fed rifle. It used an integral, single stack magazine, loaded from clip chargers, with the capacity for 5 rounds. The magazine protruded below the stock just ahead of the trigger guard. It had a hinged floorplate, used to unload the magazine all at once and to clean it. Due to the single stack design and the lack of feed lips, a special device – second-round cutoff, was built into the magazine to avoid double feeds. On early pattern rifles this device also worked as an ejector, but since the M1891/30 model, a separate ejector was introduced. The rotating bolt featured dual frontal locking lugs that were located horizontally when the bolt was locked. The Mosin-nagant rifle is striker-fired. The striker was cocked when the bolt was opened. A safety was incorporated into the bolt which locked the striker. It was applied by pulling out and rotating a knurled cap at the rear of the bolt. To disengage the safety, reverse operation was required. The bolt could be removed from the receiver without any tools, simply by pulling it open, then depressing the trigger and removing it. It could be further disassembled without any other tools and contained very few parts. Original spike shaped bayonets featured a rectangular cross-section and a point shaped as a flat screwdriver, so that it could also be used as a disassembly tool when removed from the gun. The bayonet was always carried in battle-ready position. Some late pattern bayonet mountings featured front sight protection hoods. All bayonets were attached directly to the barrel. Stocks were usually made from birch, except for American-made M1891/10 rifles, that featured walnut stocks and were thus slightly heavier. Sniper rifles, based on the M1891/30, hand-picked for accuracy, were issued with scope mounts on the left side of the receiver and had the bolt handles bent down.

Mauser 13mm Anti-tank rifle M1918 Mauser T-Gewehr (Tank abwehr Gewehr M1918 = anti-tank rifle, model 1918) weapon is the first of its kind ever to be adopted and see the combat. It was designed in Germany during the closing stages of World War 1, to provide German infantry with inexpensive and man-portable weapon, capable to defeat the armor of the newest British invention, the battle tank. It was adopted in 1918 and manufactured by Mauser Werke arms factory until the Armistice, with total production estimated at about 15 thousand rifles. The Mauser T-gewehr anti-tank rifle proved to be effective enough against earliest British tanks, as their armor was designed to withstand only rifle-caliber ammunition and shrapnel, and the T-Gewehr fired purpose-designed large caliber cartridge loaded with steel-core AP bullet (52 g at 770 m/s). The major drawbacks of the T-gewehr were heavy recoil, heavy weight and huge size – features, later inherited by most weapons of similar class and purpose. It is rumored that normally T-gewehr crew members fired only about 2 or 3 rounds before passing the gun to the team-mate, as they suffered heavily from excessive recoil – the rifle had no recoil mitigation means, such as buffered buttstocks, soft buttpads and muzzle brakes, which became the must for latter weapons of the same class. Mauser T-gewehr anti-tank rifle is a manually operated, single shot bolt action rifle. It uses more or less traditional Mauser-type rotary bolt with frontal locking lugs. Cartridges are loaded manually directly into the chamber. Rifle is fitted into the wooden stock with pistol grip, and an MG-08/15-type bipod is fitted to the front of the stock. The iron sights consisted of the blade front and tangent-type rear, with settings from 100 to 500 meters. The armor-piercing hardened steel cored 13.2×92mm (.525-inch) semi-rimmed cartridge, often simply called "13 mm", was originally planned for a new, heavy Maxim MG.18 water-cooled machine gun, the Tank und Flieger (TuF) meaning for use against "tank and aircraft", which was under development and to be fielded in 1919. The rounds weighed 51.5 g (795 gn) with an initial velocity of 785 m/s (2,580 ft/s)

Welcome aboard this Intercity service linking Paris-Gare-de-Lyon to Clermont-Ferrand. Pulled with ease by a valiant BB26000, the 14 cars of this express will cover the 419km linking the City of Lights to the Puy-de-Dôme prefecture in just over 3 hours. We will successively take the following lines or sections of lines: - the section from Paris-Gare-de-Lyon to Moret-Veneux-les-Sablons of the line from Paris-Lyon to Marseille-Saint-Charles, known as the “imperial artery” - the section from Moret to Saint-Germain-des-Fossés of the line from Moret - Veneux-les-Sablons to Lyon-Perrache - the section from Saint-Germain-des-Fossés to Vichy of the line from Saint-Germain-des- Fossés to Darsac - the line from Vichy to Riom and finally, the section from Riom - Châtel-Guyon to Clermont-Ferrand of the line from Saint-Germain-des-Fossés to Nîmes-Courbessac. Opened in 1858, its history has fluctuated over the years. It was only in 1990 that the entire route was fully electrified, followed by the opening of 200 km/h sections in 2008. Please note, the trains starts in the Gare-de-Lyon, the station is however incorrectly labelled as Bercy. The stations are however practically side by side. We wish you all a pleasant trip, don’t hesitate to leave a comment!I hope you enjoyed the video.

It is in the Pyrenees that we meet for this new video, more precisely on the Bayonne - Toulouse line. For those who don't know, the Pyrenees is a mountain range in south western France, separating the Iberian peninsula from the rest of Europe. It was in 1913 that the relatively early electrification for the time of this line began, at 12 kV - 16.66 Hz due in particular to the steep gradient of the line, and the large number of pilgrim trains heading to Lourdes. It was only from 1923 that the more typically French 1.5 kV - DC appeared. Astoundingly, many of the original catenary posts and yokes are still standing and in service today. Also note the way the catenary lines are mounted in the curves - an older slanted technique which requires much more skill to accomplish. There are only a few lines left in Switzerland and France that have maintained this older design. We will cover the 321 km today aboard a Régiolis Z51500 which will easily tackle the Capverne ramp and its 33‰ (3.3%) ramps. Still partly equipped with manual block signals, you will be able to observe some of the last mechanical signals still in service in France. As you will see, many stations and branch lines connecting to our main artery are unfortunately closed today, to our great regret. The beauty of the landscapes crossed by this atypical line in France and not yet available on Rumble strongly encouraged us to make this video, we hope that you will enjoy it and that you will tell us in the comments what you thought of it. We wish you a pleasant trip through the Pyrenees!

In this video we'll be heading up to the Niesen peak on one of the world's longest scenic funiculars, climbing over 1'600 metres (5'250 ft.) alongside the world's longest staircase. The Niesen is the first of a range of mountains stretching from Spiez through to Adelboden in the Bernese Highlands. From Spiez, it almost has the appearance of a pyramid, earning it he nickname "Swiss Pyramid". The top offers a breathtaking 360 degree panorama of the surrounding alps and lakes, especially on clear days like this one. The video also includes a walk around the top, with the views it has to offer. The Niesen has been a popular spot for visitors for hundreds of years, leading to the opening of a hotel at the top in 1856. Around the same time, the feasibility of building a railway to the top was examined, however the plans were for a cog wheel railway from Wimmis (in the adjacent valley, on the otherside of the mountain). This was not perused due to it's high cost, but in all, 3 main attempts were made to realise the railway. With the new Spiez - Frutigen railway opening in 1901, the potential for a Niesen railway from the Kander valley grew more appealing. It was this variation that came to fruition, with the funicular proving to be much more cost effective to build and maintain. The line was opened in the summer of 1910.

PPZR Piorun Grom-M man-portable air-defense system 1.Overview 00:00 2.Launcher Unit 00:27 3.Missile 02:23 Overview: The Piorun (Polish: "thunderbolt") is a Polish man-portable air-defense system, designed to destroy low-flying aircraft, airplanes, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. The set is a deep modernization of the PPZR Grom set, with an alternative designation of Grom-M. Launcher Unit: The Piorun MANPADS is designed to be operated by one soldier. It consists of a single-stage projectile, a single-use tubular launcher, a gripstock, and an on-ground power supply. The launch tube is used to house the Piorun missile and protect it from environmental factors. It is made of lightweight materials, such as fiberglass or composite materials, to minimize weight and enhance portability. The launch tube is also equipped with a carrying handle and sling attachment points for transportation. The gripstock is the control and aiming device that is attached to the launch tube. It features an ergonomic handle with various controls, such as trigger, safety, and arming switches. The operator holds the gripstock and aims the missile at the target. The sight is an optical or electronic device used to aim the missile at the target. It can be either a passive infrared (IR) seeker that detects the target's heat signature or an optical sight with magnification capabilities for daylight operation. Some advanced sights may also incorporate night vision or thermal imaging capabilities for low-light or night-time engagements. The battery unit provides electrical power to the missile system, including the seeker and ignition system. It is typically a compact, removable battery pack that is inserted into the gripstock or connected externally to the system. The Piorun system including the launch unit and the missile has a total weight of 16.5 kg, the same as for the GROM. One of the main features of the new Piorun, there is a mini keyboard on the right side of the trigger module which can be used to select types of targets, environments, and work modes. There is also a day/night optical sight mounted on the tube launcher. Missile: The Piorun missile itself, housed within the launch tube, is a lightweight, solid-fueled, surface-to-air missile with an infrared seeker for guidance is designed to be more resistant to modern countermeasures, such as flares or infrared jammers, than its predecessor, the Grom MANPADS. It is designed to intercept and destroy low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and UAVs. The Piorun MANPADS uses a new short-range missile including a new warhead that can hit a flying target at a distance from 400 m to 6 km and from an altitude of 10 m minimum to 4 km maximum. The missile has a weight of 2 kg. A proximity fuse is used to allow more effective destruction of small-size aerial targets, such as UAVs. The missile of the Piorun has a hitting probability of 10% when jammed.

Bora JNG-90 rotary bolt action sniper rifle Bora JNG-90 sniper rifle was developed by Turkish state with the collaboration of Turkish Gendarmerie and Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKEK). Its development was started in 2004, and apparently it is fielded by Turkish army and is offered for export. Manufacturer claims that this rifle outperforms most Western rivals in terms of accuracy, shooting 0.3 MOA groups at 100 meters range, according to MKEK tests. Bora JNG-90 sniper rifle is a manually operated weapon with rotary bolt action and detachable box magazine. It is mounted onto aluminum chassis, with polymer pistol grip and fully adjustable butt. Barrel is free-floated and equipped with massive muzzle brake. Top of receiver is provided with integral Picatinny rail for quick installation and replacement of various telescope sights and night vision equipment. Additional accessory rails are provided on the forend.

Alfa Steel and Holek model revolvers are manufactured in the Czech republic by the Alfa Proj company. The major differences between Steel and Holek models are the frame material and chamberings – Steel models feature more robust, yet heavier steel frames, while Holek models feature lightweight aluminum alloy frames. Other than that, both model lines are mechanically similar, and both are offered in a similar variety of barrel lengths, ranging from 2 to 6 inches (51 to 152 millimeters). The Steel model though is capable of chambering the more powerful .357 Magnum round. Alfa Proj revolvers are intended for security, personal defense and sport. These revolvers combine affordable price with traditional Czech quality and attention to detail. Alfa revolvers are traditional double / single action guns with exposed hammers and frame-mounted firing pins. The 6-shot cylinder swings out to the left for ejection and reloading. The cylinder latch is located at the rear of the frame. Depending on the model, Alfa revolvers can be produced with fixed or adjustable rear sights.

1.Introduction 00:00 2.Description 02:04 Walther PP pistols were among the most important developments of the inter-war period. Produced between 1929 and 1945 in significant numbers, these pistols, among with the basically similar but smaller PPK, were widely used as police and military guns in Hitler’s Germany. After the war, production of the PP and PPK pistols was resumed in France by Manurhin under German license. Later on, production was returned to the re-established Walther factory in the city of Ulm ab Donau (pre-war Walther factory was located in the city of Zella-Mehlis), and these pistols have seen widespread use by civilians and police, as well as for personal defense by many non-infantry officers in several European armies. Very close copies of the Walther PP were manufactured after the war by East Germany, Hungary, Romania, Turkey and USA. At the present time, Walther PP, PPK/S and PPK pistols are manufactured in the USA by the Smith & Wesson Company under license from Walther. Walther PPK pistols are essentially similar to the larger PP pistols, except for the different design of the grip frame – while on PP pistols the grip backstrap is integral to the frame and grip panels are two separate items (left and right), on PPK pistols grip frame has a rectangular shape of a magazine channel and the backstrap is formed by the single-piece U-shaped grip unit, also usually made of plastic. While most PPK pistols were made with steel frames, in the post-war period Walther also produced some aluminum-framed PPK/L (Lightweight) pistols. Description: The Walther PP is blowback-operated pistol with a fixed barrel, usually of all-steel construction. A few aluminum-framed PP pistols were built in Germany before the war, and stainless steel versions are manufactured in the USA under Walther’s license since the mid-1980s. The trigger is double-action, with an exposed hammer and a frame-mounted manual safety/decocker; the lockwork is somewhat complicated in a typical German manner and has many small parts and pins. Sights are fixed, with the rear sight blade dovetailed into the slide. Magazines are single-stack; the magazine release button is usually located at the left side of the frame, just below the slide and in front of the grip panel. However, at least some PP pistols were made both before and after the war with so called “European-style” magazine release, located at the heel of the grip. Walther PP and PPK pistols are fitted with a loaded chamber indicator, made in the form of a small pin that protrudes from the rear of the slide (above the hammer) when a cartridge is in the chamber. This indicator is not present on .22LR models.

1.Introduction 00:00 2.Development 01:36 3.Design 03:30 Introduction: The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS) competition in 1972. The Army designated the prototype as the YUH-60A and selected the Black Hawk as the winner of the program in 1976, after a fly-off competition with the Boeing Vertol YUH-61. Named after the Native American war leader Black Hawk, the UH-60A entered service with the U.S. Army in 1979, to replace the Bell UH-1 Iroquois as the Army's tactical transport helicopter. This was followed by the fielding of electronic warfare and special operations variants of the Black Hawk. Improved UH-60L and UH-60M utility variants have also been developed. Modified versions have also been developed for the U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. In addition to U.S. Army use, the UH-60 family has been exported to several nations. Black Hawks have served in combat during conflicts in Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Somalia, Ukraine, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and other areas in the Middle East. Development: In the late 1960s, the United States Army began forming requirements for a helicopter to replace the UH-1 Iroquois, and designated the program as the Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (U T T A S). The Army also initiated the development of a new, common turbine engine for its helicopters that would become the General Electric T700. Based on experience in Vietnam, the Army required significant performance, survivability and reliability improvements from both UTTAS and the new powerplant. The Army released its UTTAS request for proposals (RFP) in January 1972. The RFP also included air transport requirements. Transport within the C-130 limited the UTTAS cabin height and length. The UTTAS requirements for improved reliability, survivability and lower life-cycle costs resulted in features such as dual-engines with improved hot and high altitude performance, and a modular design (reduced maintenance footprint); run-dry gearboxes; ballistically tolerant, redundant subsystems (hydraulic, electrical and flight controls); crashworthy crew (armored) and troop seats; dual-stage oleo main landing gear; ballistically tolerant, crashworthy main structure; quieter, more robust main and tail rotor systems; and a ballistically tolerant, crashworthy fuel system. The Army selected the UH-60 for production in December 1976. Deliveries of the UH-60A to the Army began in October 1978 and the helicopter entered service in June 1979. Design: The UH-60 features four-blade main and tail rotors, and is powered by two General Electric T700 turboshaft engines. The main rotor is fully articulated and has elastomeric bearings in the rotor head. The tail rotor is canted and features a rigid crossbeam. The helicopter can carry 11 troops with equipment, lift 2,600 pounds (1,200 kg) of cargo internally or 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg) of cargo (for UH-60L/M) externally by sling. The Black Hawk helicopter series can perform a wide array of missions, including the tactical transport of troops, electronic warfare, and aeromedical evacuation. In air assault operations, it can move a squad of 11 combat troops or reposition a 105 mm M119 howitzer with 30 rounds ammunition and a four-man crew in a single lift. The Black Hawk is equipped with advanced avionics and electronics for increased survivability and capability, such as the Global Positioning System. The UH-60 can be equipped with stub wings at the top of the fuselage to carry fuel tanks or various armaments. The unit cost of the H-60 models varies due to differences in specifications, equipment and quantities. For example, the unit cost of the Army's UH-60L Black Hawk is $5.9 million while the unit cost of the Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk is $10.2 million.

CZ 247 9x19 Luger submachine gun 1.Introduction 00:00 2.Description 01:04 Shortly after WW2 Czechoslovak Ministry of Defense (MNO) issued requirements for a new submachine gun, firing 9×19 Luger / Parabellum ammunition. CZ factory in Strakonice (Ceska Zbrojovka Strakonice) developed a variant of the pre-war Vz.38 submachine gun, chambered for 9×19 Luger ammunition, with minor alterations. Designated at the factory as CZ 47/1 and CZ 47/2, it was submitted to Czechoslovak army tests but eventually rejected. Despite of that, it was briefly manufactured during late 1940s as CZ 247 and sold in noticeable quantities to certain African and South American countries. A prototype variant, firing 7,62×25 TT ammunition, was produced as CZ 347 but it was never made in numbers. The CZ 247 submachine gun is a simple blowback operated weapon, firing from an open bolt, in full automatic or semi-automatic mode. Mode of fire is selected by trigger pull, short and light trigger pull produces single shots, while a full-length trigger pull results in full automatic fire. CZ 247 submachine gun is fitted with slim and relatively short wooden stock with a semi-pistol grip. Feed is from double stack detachable box magazines. One peculiar feature of the CZ 247 is that magazine housing is able to rotate and put magazine either below the gun or to the left of the gun, and CZ 247 submachine gun could be fired when magazine is in either position. This feature apparently was added to provide better cover when firing from prone position (with magazine located horizontally to the left), and more comfortable carry and firing from standing or kneeling positions (with magazine turned down). Another unusual feature is a magazine loading tool, built into the right side of the shoulder stock. This tool consists of a charging clip guide, attached to the stock. A full charger clip with 8 rounds is inserted into the guide, empty magazine located at the end of the guide, and then pushed forward, over the cartridges, loading magazine and ejecting empty clip. Five clips are required to completely refill one magazine.

Heckler-Koch HK 512 semi-automatic shotgun Heckler-Koch HK 512 semi-automatic shotgun was produced during 1970s and 1980s by famous German company Heckler und Koch primary for German military and police use. HK 512 shotguns saw extensive use by special anti-terrorism units such as GSG-9 or KSK, and few were also exported to USA and sold commercially during 1990s. Since Heckler & Koch company had no previous experience in shotgun development, for manufacture of HK 512 shotgun it teamed with another famous gun maker, Italian company Luigi Franchi Spa, which has quite a lot of experience in shotgun manufacture. Apparently, Franchi supplied parts and assemblies to Germany, where H&K factory finished them to German standards, assembled complete guns and proof-fired them. Heckler-Koch HK 512 shotgun is a gas operated weapon, using annular gas piston, located around the magazine tube. Barrel locking is achieved by a tilting piece, located inside the bolt, which engages the barrel extension. Ammunition is fed from tubular magazine, located below the barrel, and gun was designed to fire all standard 12 gauge shells with hulls up to 70mm (2 ¾”) long. Manual safety was made in the form of a cross-bolt button, located behind the trigger. Stock and forend were made from wood. Fixed rifle-type sights were mounted on the barrel. An unusual feature of the HK 512 shotgun was special shot diverter, mounted on the barrel of the gun. It was a sort of muzzle device, intended to create oval, rather than round shot patterns. Depending on the tactical situation on hand, this shot diverter could be set (rotated) for horizontal or vertical dispersion. It also allows use of most types of standard 12 gauge slugs.

K6-92 / Borz submachine gun The K6-92 submachine gun was developed during early 1990s in the republic of Armenia, which gained its independence in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union. At the time Armenia was engaged in the local conflict with Azerbaijan (another ex-USSR republic), and was in desperate need for small arms. The submachine gun is one of the simplest automatic arms to design and manufacture, so Armenian engineers quickly developed a straightforward weapon, which can be easily manufactured by almost any mechanical workshop. Later on, more than few K6-92 submachine guns made its way through the borders into the Chechen republic, the most turbulent part of the Russia. During mid-1990s Chechnya was heavily infested with separatists, Islamic extremists and other kinds of bandits, which found submachine guns to be convenient weapons for urban fighting. Separatist Chechen government attempted to produce a "local" copy of the K6-92 at one of machine-building factories in the city of Groznyj, but very few were made there due to production problems and quality issues. Chechen-made copies of the K6-92 submachine gun are usually referred to as "Borz" (which means "wolf" in Chechen language). It also must be noted, however, that underground workshops, run by separatist forces, also made some "generic" crudely made submachine guns, generally known under the same name (Borz). These "homemade" submachine guns can be distinguished by tubular receiver and extremely poor fit and finish. Overall, the K6-92 submachine guns are reported as crude arms, suitable mostly for close combat. Over last two decades, plenty of these submachine guns turned up in Russia and other former USSR states during various crimes of violence and illegal arms trafficking. The K6-92 submachine gun is a simple blowback operated weapon that fires from open bolt. Receiver is made from steel stampings, welded together. Cocking handle is located at the top, safety / fire mode selector is located at the left side of the gun, above the trigger guard. Gun can be fired in single shots or in full automatic. It is fitted with plastic pistol grip and a top-folding metallic buttstock.

2S3 Akatsiya 152.4 mm self-propelled gun 1.Introducction 00:00 2.Description 00:48 3.Armament 02:14 4.Maneuverability 04:08 5.Series production 05:04 The SO-152 (Russian: СО-152), usually known by its GRAU designation 2S3 (Russian: 2С3), is a Soviet 152.4 mm self-propelled gun developed in 1968, as a response to the American 155 mm M109 howitzer. Development began in 1967, according to the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union from July 4, 1967. In 1968, the SO-152 was completed and in 1971 entered service. The fighting vehicle also received the added designation Akatsiya (Акация), which is Russian for Acacia. Description: The 2S3 Akatsiya is armed with a 152.4 mm howitzer based on the Soviet 152.4 mm D-20 howitzer. The artillery system was developed at the design bureau No. 9 of Sverdlovsk. The factory designation of the howitzer is D-22 and the GRAU designation, 2A33. The chassis was developed by Uraltransmash. The driver's and engine-transmission compartments are in the front part of a hull, the fighting compartment with rotatory turret in middle and rear parts of the hull. The armor is welded rolled steel. The SPG is equipped with an R-123 radio set, an R-124 intercom, an automatic CBRN defense system with filtration unit and fire-fighting equipment. The V-59 12-cylinder four-stroke water-cooled diesel engine connects to a mechanical two-speed transmission. The gear box is combined into one block with a planetary steering gear. The 2S3 has self-entrenching equipment which allows it to prepare a trench within 20 to 40 min. The crew consists of 4 to 6 men: a driver, a gunner, a loader, a commander, and two ammunition bearers, which are positioned to the rear of the vehicle feeding rounds through two hatches in the hull rear when in masked firing position. Armament: The 152.4 mm L/27 howitzer D-22 (2A33) can elevate from −4° to +60° with a turret traverse of a full 360°. Rate of fire is 2.6 – 3.5 rounds/min depending on firing conditions. The howitzer is equipped with a double-baffle muzzle brake, a semi-automatic vertical wedge breechblock and an ejector. The 2S3 has a periscopic sight for laying the howitzer, and telescopic sight for engaging targets with direct fire. The howitzer has separate type of loading with ammunition (35 rounds, later raised to up to 46) arranged in two mechanized stowages (in the turret and in the hull rear). The Akatsiya can fire OF-540 and OF-25 high-explosive fragmenting (HE-Frag) 43.56 kg projectiles (also all types of rounds developed for 152.4 mm towed howitzer-guns ML-20 and D-20, and for towed howitzer D-1) at a maximum range of 18.5 km depending on used charge or rocket-assisted projectiles (RAP) to a maximum of 24 km. Other projectiles include BP-540 high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT-FS) with sight distance of 3 km and 250 mm armor penetration, Br-540B and Br-540 armour-piercing ammunition (AP-T) with 115–120 mm armor penetration at a 1000 m, OF-38 Krasnopol laser-guided rocket-assisted projectiles, S1 illuminating, ZH3 smoke, nuclear (explosive yield of 2 kilotons). Secondary armament consists of a remotely controlled 7.62 mm PK machine gun tank (PKT) on commander's cupola for close range anti-aircraft and self defence. Maneuverability: The Akatsiya chassis Objekt 303 is based on that of the Object 123 tracked chassis of the 2K11 Krug surface-to-air missile system; it includes six (rather than seven as in the 2K11 Krug) twin rubber-tired road wheels, four rubber-tired return rollers (two single and two twin), front drive sprocket with detachable sprocket rings (lantern-wheel gear) and idler wheel per side. The track is 14.375 m long, 482 mm wide and has 115 links. The Akatsiya can cross 0.7 m high vertical obstacles, 3.0 m wide trenches, 1.05 m fording depth and climb 30° gradients. It can be transported by the cargo aircraft An-22, which can carry two self-propelled howitzers of this type. Series production: Two prototypes were built in the end of 1968. Factory tests finished in October 1969, and discovered strong gas contamination of the fighting compartment during intensive gunnery, especially during the use of small charges. As a result, army inspectors did not accept four SO-152s built in summer 1969 for ground tests. The problem of gas contamination was solved, allowing the SO-152 to enter service of the Soviet Army in 1971. The first three serial 2S3s were built by Uraltransmash in the end of 1970, and in 1971 nine were produced. The works received an order for 70 2S3 in 1973. The mass production finished in 1993.

Mannlicher M1893 bolt action rifle Mannlicher M1893 rifle was designed by famous Austrian gun designer Ferdinand von Mannlicher who worked at the Osterreichishe Waffenfabrik-Gesellschaft (OWG) factory, in the city of Steyr. In 1893 this rifle was adopted by Romania, and all production has been carried out by OWG. During WW1, a number of Mannlicher M1893 rifles that were still in OWG warehouses were taken into Austrian service, in its original 6.5x53R chambering or converted to Austria’s own 8x50R ammunition. In 1895 the same rifle with minor modifications was also adopted by Netherlands as Geweer M. 95. Until about 1902, Dutch contract Mannlicher M1895 rifles were produced by Steyr factory. After that, M1895 rifles and carbines were produced by Hemburg arsenal in Netherlands. Production there lasted until 1940. One peculiar feature of Dutch Mannlicher M.95 carbines was that there were way too many (probably more than a dozen) minor variations issued to different branches or services, such as cavalry, engineers, artillery, Navy, colonial troops etc. Mannlicher M1893 / M1895 rifle is manually operated, rotary bolt action weapon. Its bolt is based on modified German Gew.88 design, with dual locking lugs at the front of the bolt body and a detachable bolt head. Fixed magazine, designed by Mannlicher, is loaded using 5-round en-block clips that fit into the magazine and remain there with the ammunition in it. Once all ammunition from magazine is expended, empty clip automatically falls down and out of the magazine, through the opening in the magazine base. M1893 and m1895 Mannlicher clips were of ‘symmetrical’ design, with no designated ‘top’ or ‘bottom’ sizes. Receiver has split rear bridge to allow passage of the bolt handle, conveniently located at the middle of the bolt. Romanian and Dutch rifles are mechanically similar and have minor differences in the barrel lengths (Dutch rifle is slightly longer at 1295 mm overall, its barrel is 788 mm long), rear sight shape, wood and other minute details. Dutch carbines were available with many variations of stocks, fittings and sling loops. Ammunition and clips were interchangeable between all 6.5mm Mannlicher rifles and carbines of this basic design.

STEYR HS .50 longrange sniper rifle The Steyr .50 HS is the development of the famous Austrian arms manufacturer, the SteyrMannlicher Gmbh & Co KG. First displayed at the ShotShow-2004 (February2004, Las-Vegas, USA), this single shot rifle is primary intended for anti-material applications and counter-sniping. The Steyr .50HS is available in two calibers, the old and venerable .50BMG and the new .460Steyr . The Steyr .50 HS is a single shot rifle,with manually operated, rotating bolt with two large locking lugs at the front.The two-stage trigger is factory set to 4lbs (1.8kg). The buttstock is adjustable for length of pull, the cheekpiece is also adjustable. Heavy barrel is partially fluted and fitted with effective muzzle brake. Steyr .50 HS has no iron sights; the MilStd Picatinny rail is standard. Rifle is not intended to be fired off-hand; it is fitted with integral folding adjustable bipods.

Madsen light automatic rifle LAR M/62 7.62×51mm NATO Famous Danish company Dansk Industrie Sindikat (DISA) “Madsen” developed a modern prototype automatic rifle in late 1950s. Apparently, early models were made in caliber 7.62×39 M43 Soviet, to participate in Finnish army trials for new assault rifle. Later on, circa 1959, same weapon was reworked to fire larger and much more powerful 7.62×51 NATO ammunition, and in this form it was offered for any interested buyer as Madsen Light Automatic Rifle, LAR M/62. Apparently, this weapon failed to attract any serious buyers, and it soon went into oblivion. Madsen light automatic rifle LAR M/62 is a gas operated, selective fire weapon which fired from closed bolt. It uses rotary bolt locking and a long stroke piston gas system, with manual gas regulator. Receiver of the gun is made from aluminum alloy, with separate trigger unit / pistol grip attached below. Manual safety / selector switch is located on the left side of pistol grip. Rifle is fitted either with fixed wooden butt or with side-folding tubular metallic butt. Variants: Variants of the LAR came with solid wood stocks that covered the receiver from the handguard to the buttplate, then with a fixed steel tube and side/underfolding stocks. The earlier assault rifle variant (chambered for the 7.62×39mm M43 round but incompatible with AK magazines) was intended for the armed forces of Finland and to draw them away from using a Soviet-based design, the Valmet M62. However, Finland, being a neutral country, ignored this and went ahead with the Valmet M62, adopting it as their standard service rifle due to its cheaper cost for production and potentially better reliability.

Vz. 50 double-action, semi-automatic pistol .32ACP 1.Introduction 00:00 2.Design 01:20 Introduction The Vz. 50 (also known as the CZ 50) is a Czechoslovakian made double-action, semi-automatic pistol. Vz is an abbreviation of the Czech (as well as Slovak) term "vzor" meaning model. The small, pocket-sized Vz.50 was developed during late 1940s for police use and it was chambered for the marginally powerful 7.65×17 Browning ammunition. Influenced by the Walther PP in design, the Vz.50 had several differences in safety and disassembly. In the early 1970s the basic design went through minor face-lift, and the “new” design received the designation of Vz.70. Many Vz.50 pistols were refurbished to Vz.70 standard, with different finish, grip panels and a slightly different safety lever. New Vz.70 pistols were also manufactured between 1970 and 1983. After the replacement in service of the older Vz.50 and Vz.70 by more modern 9mm Vz.82 pistol, most were sold as surplus, as Cz-50 and Cz-70, respectively. Design The Vz.50 (commercially sold as Cz-50) is a compact pistol of all-steel construction, firing the relatively weak 7.65mm ammunition. It has a simple blowback action with a fixed barrel. The trigger is double-action, with an exposed hammer and a frame-mounted decocking safety lever. The sights are fixed. Magazines are single stack. The magazine release button is located relatively high on the left side of the frame, behind the trigger. Vz.70 (Cz-70) pistols are similar, with minor differences in the finish, shape of the safety lever and grips. Manual safety is a lever at left side of the frame, behind the trigger guard.

PPSh-41 7.62×25mm Tokarev Submachine gun 1.Introduction 00:00 2. Design 00:53 Introduction The PPSh-41 (Pistolet Pulemjot Shpagina model of 1941) was one of major infantry weapons of the Soviet troops during the Second World War. Total number of PPSh's manufactured during this War estimates to more than 6 millions. The gun became one of the symbols of the Great Patriotic War. Retired from Soviet Army service soon after the War, the PPSh was widely exported to some pro-Soviet countries around the world, including China, Vietnam and many African countries. It was effective, but somewhat crude weapon, reliable in combat but not without certain flaws. It has somewhat excessive rate of fire, and its drums were uncomfortable to carry and prone to feed problems once spring is weaken. Design The PPSch-41 was designed as a cheap and simple but effective war-time weapon. It featured simple blowback operated action, fired from open bolt. To decrease the recoil stress, gun was fitted with bolt buffer at the rear of receiver. The buffer was made from fiber and was attached to the return spring guide rod. The striker was permanently fixed to the bolt face. PPSh-41 was a select-fire weapon, with fire selector switch located inside the trigger guard, ahead of trigger. The safety was integrated into the charging handle and locked the bolt in forward or rearward position. The receiver and the barrel shroud was made from stamped steel. The front part of the barrel shroud extends beyond the muzzle and acted as a muzzle brake / muzzle flip compensator. Early PPSch-41's were issued with drum magazines with capacity of 71 round, similar to ones used in PPD-40. Such high capacity increased the firepower, but the magazines were too slow to refill and not too reliable, so in 1942 a curved box magazine was developed. This magazine held 35 rounds and was much more comfortable to carry in pouches. Usually, infantrymen carried one drum in the gun and some box magazines in the pouches or pockets. Early guns featured elevation-adjustable rear sights, marked up to 500 meters; late production guns had flip-type "L"-shaped rear sights marked for 100 and 200 meters range.

Taurus MT G2 submachine gun 01:55 PARTS LIST 1 STEEL FRONT SIGHT 2 STEEL REAR SIGHT 3 COCKING LEVER SCREW 4 COCKING LEVER SUPPORT 5 COCKING LEVER KNOB 6 MUZZLE BREAK 7 MUZZLE BREAK LOCK NUT 8 FRONT CARRYING SLING 9 BARREL 10 BARREL SUPPORT SCREW 11 BARREL SUPPORT 12 COCKING LEVER LOCK 13 EJEACTOR SCREW / COCKING LEVER LOCK SCREW 14 EJECTOR 15 LOWER RECEIVER 16 CARRYING SLING SUPPORT 17 CARRYING SLING SUPPORT SCREW 18 CARRYING SLING SUPPORT NUT 19 BOLT BUFFER 20 BUTTSTOCK SUPPORT 21 BUTTSTOCK HINGE PIN 22 BUTTSTOCK HINGE SPRING 23 BUTTSTOCK CORE 24 RETRACTABLE STOCK 25 THREADED INSERT BUSH 26 LOCKING TRIGGER SPRING 27 BUTTPLATE 28 BUTETPLATE SCREW 29 BUTTSTOCK RETRACTABLE HANDLE 30 BUTTSTOCK RETRACTABLE HANDLE PIN 31 BUTTSTOCK RETRACTABLE DETENT PIN 32 BUTTSTOCK RETRACTABLE DETENT 33 FOLDING BUTTON PIN 34 BUTTSTOCK FOLDING BUTTON SPRING 35 FOLDING BUTTON 36 BUTTSTOCK SUPPORT STOP 37 RECOIL SPRING GUIDE SCREW 38 RECOIL SPRING 39 RECOIL SPRING GUIDE 40 RECOIL SPRING GUIDE CHAPE 41 FIRING PIN 42 FIRING PIN SPRING 43 BOLT 44 EXTRACTOR PIN 45 EXTRACTOR 46 EXTRACTOR SPRING 47 RING 48 FIRING PIN RETAINED PIN 49 CARRYING SLING SUPPORT PIN 50 CARRYING SLING PIN LOCK 51 CARRYING SLING PIN LOCK SPRING 52 HANDGUARD 53 BOLT CATCH PIN 54 MOUNTING PIN DETENT 55 MOUNTING PIN DETENT SPRING 56 TAKE DOWN PIN CAP 57 TAKE DOWN PIN DETENT SPRING 58 TAKE DOWN PIN 59 BOLT CATCH RIGHT LEVER 60 BOLT CATCH SPRING 61 BOLT CATCH LEFT LEVER 62 LOWER RECEIVER FIXATION PIN 63 MAGAZINE RELEASE PIN 64 MAGAZINE RELEASE SPRING 65 MAGAZINE RELEASE 66 PISTOL GRIP SCREW 67 PISTOL GRIP DENTED WASHER 68 LOWER RECEIVER 69 TRIGGER MECHANISM PIN 70 GRIP 71 LIMITED BURST STROKE SPRING 72 LIMITED BURST STROKE 73 HAMMER 74 HAMMER SPRING 75 FULL AUTO SEAR 76 FULL AUTO SEAR SPRING 77 DISCONNECTOR FULL 78 DISCONNECTOR BURST 79 TRIGGER SPRING 80 DISCONNECTOR SPRING 81 TRIGGER BURST 82 SELECTOR INDEX 83 FIRE SELECTOR RIGHT LEVER 84 SELECTOR INDEX SPRING 85 HAMMER / TRIGGER / FULL AUTO SEAR PIN 86 FIRE SELECTOR LEFT LEVER 87 TRIGGER MECHANISM HOUSING 88 FOLLOWER 89 MAGAZINE SPRING 90 MAGAZINE SPRING PLATE 91 MAGAZINE BOTTOM CAP 92 MAGAZINE BODY

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird Strategic reconnaissance aircraft 1.Overview 00:00 2.Airframe, canopy, and landing gear 02:08 3.Shape and threat avoidance 04:42 4.Air inlets 06:20 5.Engines 08:05 6.Astro-inertial navigation system 10:42 7.Sensors and payloads 12:07 8.Life support 12:57 The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a retired long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. The SR-71 was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft during the 1960s by Lockheed's Skunk Works division. The shape of the SR-71 was based on that of the Lockheed A-12, which was one of the first aircraft to be designed with a reduced radar cross-section in mind. The SR-71 was longer and heavier than the A-12, allowing it to hold more fuel as well as a two-seat cockpit. The SR-71's existence was revealed to the public in July 1964; it entered service in the United States Air Force (USAF) in January 1966. In 1989, the USAF retired the SR-71, largely for political reasons; several were briefly reactivated during the 1990s before their second retirement in 1998. NASA was the final operator of the Blackbird, using it as a research platform; it was retired again in 1999. Mission equipment for the plane's aerial reconnaissance role included signals intelligence sensors, side looking airborne radar, and a camera. During missions, the SR-71 operated at high speeds and altitudes (Mach 3.2 and 85,000 ft; 26,000 m), allowing it to outrace or entirely avoid threats. If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outpace the missile. On average, each SR-71 could fly once per week due to the extended turnaround required after mission recovery. A total of 32 aircraft were built; 12 were lost in accidents with none lost to enemy action.

FN P90 personal defense submachine gun The FN P90 Submachine Gun (SMG) was developed in the late 1980’s as a personal defense weapon. It was intended for troops whose primary activities did not include small arms, such as vehicle and tank crew members, artillery crews etc. Standard pistols and submachine guns chambered for pistol rounds had proven ineffective against enemy soldiers wearing body armor. Therefore FN designers first developed a new round with enhanced penetration, initially known as SS90. To achieve the necessary high penetration while keeping the recoil impulse low, FN used a small-bore approach, creating a round that looked much like a scaled down 5.56 NATO round. It must be noted that similar concepts were tried in other countries, most notably in the USA, several decades before FN. For example, the US Army tested M1 carbines chambered for the .221 Johnson Spitfire round back in the late 1950’s. Later on, Colt produced its .22 SCAMP and 5.6×30 MARS ammunition for the special SCAMP machine pistol and MARS “mini assault rifle” (a scaled-down M16 rifle) respectively. It must be noted that the 5.6×30 MARS round was in a sense a direct predecessor to the 5.7×28 FN SS90 round, although the latter featured a slightly lighter and faster bullet. By the late 1980’s the concept of a small-bore, low-impulse “personal defense weapon” (PDW) with good accuracy and lethality at ranges of up to 200-250 meters was well established, although there were no weapons adopted for service yet. FN decided to follow this concept and create its own PDW using a “clean sheet” approach. Basic ideas used for this development, designated as ‘Project 9.0’, included the following: - minimal size and weight - large magazine capacity - complete ambidexterity - ease of use and maintenance. To save on size and weight, the FN designers put the new weapon into a compact and lightweight stock of bullpup layout, made of impact-resistant polymer. The high-capacity magazine was also made from semi-translucent polymer, and holds 50 rounds in two rows. To further make the loaded weapon as compact as possible, FN designers followed the idea of American designer Hall, and placed the magazine above the barrels, with cartridges stored in horizontal position with bullets at 90°. While the Hall system employed a rotary feed unit, operated by the bolt, to put new cartridge in line with the barrel, FN designers incorporated a stationary helical ramp into each magazine, which rotates the cartridge 90° prior to passing through the feed lips. Complete ambidexterity was achieved by using duplicate controls (including dual charging handles and dual back-up open sights), and bottom ejection. Finally, simplicity of aim was achieved by the use of an integral reflex type collimating sight and integral laser aiming module (LAM). The resulting weapon appeared in 1990 as the FN P90 Personal Defense Weapon. This was alongside the improved 5.7×28 SS190 ammunition, replacing polymer-cored bullets with heavier dual-core (steel / aluminum) bullets giving better penetration against body armor. Several other types of ammunition were developed for this weapon, including tracer, subsonic ball and soft-core training ball. The first sales of P90 were made to Saudi Arabia in the early 1990’s. Today it is believed that FN sold more than 20 000 P90’s to a wide variety of law enforcement agencies and military special operation units worldwide, including the US Secret Service, Austrian Army rangers, Dutch BBE Special Operations Forces, the Belgian Army among others. Most interestingly, the adoption of the P90 so far has generally been in direct opposition to what was originally intended: That of a “personal defense weapon”. In fact, most services and various agencies use it as an offensive weapon, as a specialist or even primary weapon for various assault teams. Also other “professional small-arms users”, as opposed to military personnel whose primary functions do not include the use of small arms. In around 1995 FN supplemented the P90 with a pistol design, firing the same 5.7×28 ammunition, designated as the FN Five-seveN. Recently, FN also introduced a civilian version of the P90, designated as the PS90 carbine. This is a self-loading weapon with a longer barrel (408 mm / 16″).

FAMAS Bullpup assault rifle 5.56×45mm NATO Introduction 00:00 Technical description 03:18 FAMAS stands for Fusil d’Assaut de la Manufacture d’Armes de St-Etienne (Assault Rifle by St-Etienne Arms Factory – a member of the French govt. owned GIAT Industries concern). Development of this rifle began in 1967, under the leadership of the Paul Tellie, a French arms designer. First FAMAS prototype had been built in 1971. French military began to test this rifle in 1972-73, but, in the meantime, France adopted a Swiss-designed SIG SG-540 5.56mm assault rifle as an intermediate solution. FAMAS rifle was adopted by the French in 1978 and since then became a standard French Army shoulder fired small arm, known among the French soldiers as “Le Clairon” (the bulge). According to the Janes Infantry Weapons 2000, the total number of FAMAS F1 rifles built is estimated at 400 000, and the production of the F1 variant has been completed before 2000. It is still used by the French army and was exported in small numbers to some countries like the Senegal or United Arab Emirates. Since then, the GIAT Industries developed an improved version of the F1, known as the G1. This rifle featured an enlarged trigger guard, that covered a whole hand, and a slightly improved plastic handguards. G1 was an intermediate design, and was consequently replaced by the latest production model, the FAMAS G2, which appeared circa 1994. This rifle has the G1-style enlarged trigger guard but can accept only STANAG type (M16-compatible) magazines. It was adopted and purchased by the French Navy in the 1995, but French army never get down to adopt it, so overall production was fairly small, about 10-15 thousand total. FAMAS F1 rifles began to receive midlife update (Picatinny rails, new bipods, forward grips etc.) in around 2010, but in 2014 all upgrade work has been cancelled in favour of purchasing entirely new rifles of foreign make. Since 2016 well-worn and aged FAMAS inventory is gradually replaced in French service with German-made HK416F rifles, although this process could take more than few years to complete. FAMAS rifles also served as a testbed for small arms part of the FELIN program (Fantassin à Équipement et Liaisons Intégrés, Integrated Infantryman Equipment and Communications). Several thousands of FAMAS F1 rifles were upgraded between 2010 and 2014 to accept electonic equipment of the FELIN system. Among other upgrades, it included new forward grip with supporting bracket at the bottom and the keypad at the top rear, with several buttons that are used to operate and control onboard electronics.

Lahti L-39 antitank rifle "Elephant Gun" The L-39 antitank rifle (official Finnish designation 20 pst kiv/39, unofficial "Norsupyssy" – elephant gun) was developed by famous Finnish arms designer Aimo Lahti on request from Finnish army. Early prototypes were built around proprietary 20×113 ammunition, also designed by Lahti, but in mas production this was changed to more common 20x138B ammunition, which was more powerful, has wider selection of loadings (AP, AP-T, AP-HE, Incendiary etc), and was also common with 20mm AA guns, bought from Germany. About 1 800 of these guns were produced by VKT factory during the WW2, and although 20mm shells were rather ineffective against Soviet T-34 and KV tanks, Finnish army made a good use of this weapon to fight light armor, bunkers and other targets of importance. In 1944, an 'anti-aircraft rifle', known as 20 it kiv/39-44, was developed from the L-39, by adding select-fire capability and simple anti-aircraft mount. It must be noted that Finnish army kept its stocks of Lahti L-39 anti-tank rifles well after the WW2 – many were surplussed and sold to USA in early 1960s and last ones were scrapped or sold as surplus in mid-1980s. Lahti L-39 anti-tank rifle is a semi-automatic, gas operated weapon. Gas piston is located below the barrel, and a manual gas regulator is provided in gas block. The bolt locking is achieved by vertically sliding locking block, which is installed in the bolt. When in battery, this locking block is forced up by cam surface in the bolt carrier to engage the slot cut in the receiver. After discharge, rearward movement of the gas piston and bolt carrier forces the locking block to fall down and unblock the bolt; after that, bolt is free to recoil along with bolt carrier. One unusual feature of the Lahti L-39 anti-tank rifle is that bolt remains open after each shot, which allows the barrel to cool down faster after each shot. Despite that, gun is fires from closed bolt, and the firing sequence after each shot involves two deliberate actions. First, shooter must squeeze grip lever (located below the trigger guard) to release bolt forward. Once bolt is fully locked, shooter can pull the conventional trigger and fire the gun. Feed is from detachable top-mounted magazines, ejection is to the bottom. To reduce the felt recoil, rifle is equipped with massive muzzle brake and a soft shoulder pad. Standard iron sights are fully adjustable and calibrated between 200 and 1400 meters. Lahti L-39 anti-tank rifle was equipped with unusual "dual" bipod, with two sets of legs, one with spiked shoes for use on more or less hard ground and another with skid-type shoes for use on soft ground or snow.