Last weekend at the We Have Ways podcast's history festival the Airborne Assault Museum brought along a very interesting piece of history - a PIAT with Arnhem provenance. The PIAT (Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank) had allegedly been dropped during Operation Market Garden but not used. At some poin...

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of filming some segments on small arms for the new documentary on the Rhineland Campaign – ‘Rhineland 45‘. Not all of the segments I filmed discussing weapons could be included in the finished documentary – I filmed quite a few – so I’m pleased to share a coup...

On the 14th May 1940, the British Government announced the formation of the Local Defence Volunteers (later the Home Guard). But with few weapons available to equip the new militia force some units improvised! A Hampshire Home Guard unit appear to have improvised a remarkable and innovative incen...

In this video we look at extracts for an early Second World War contract signed by Britain with a US ammunition manufacturer for the production of .303 ammunition. Be sure to check out our accompanying article for this video here - https://armourersbench.com/2022/10/16/ww2-anglo-american-ammuniti...

A couple of months ago I visited the UK’s National Army Museum in London. They currently have an exhibition exploring the history of the British Army in Germany since 1945. Titled 'Foe to Friend' it explored the British Army’s post-war experience in Germany first as an occupier and then as a NATO...

In this video we'll use some brilliant newsreel footage from New Zealand to examine how the Mills Bomb (or No.36 Grenade) was manufactured during the war. We also take a look at the design and history of the No.36 which served for over 50 years. Disclaimer: This video doesn't give any instruction...

In this final video of the Rhineland Campaign Weapons series we take a look at the little known role of the British and Commonwealth forces' Vickers Guns. With the help of the @vickersmg we recreated a platoon line consisting of 4 Vickers Guns to recreate the Pepperpot tactics used during Opera...

During the Second World War the British Home Guard were extensively issued American .30 calibre Browning M1917 machine guns. With so many guns in service there needed to be a way of describing, categorising and identifying the weapon’s parts so an identification list booklet was drawn up giving t...

The British Army's first dedicated infantry anti-tank weapon was a rifle grenade. Rifle grenades became extremely popular during the First World War and when the tank threat emerged a rifle grenade seemed like the ideal answer. Be sure to check out our accompanying article for this video here - h...

In this video we’ll take a look at a short internal British Ministry of Defence film about the SBS called ‘Oil Safe’. Produced in 1980, the film provides an introduction to the Special Boat Service’s capabilities and procedures for retaking off-shore oil and gas rigs seized in a potential terrori...

A wild MCEM-2 appears! Recently, while looking though British Army Cold War training films, I stumbled upon something I never expected to see: a clip of an MCEM-2 firing. The MCEM-2 (Machine Carbine Experimental Model No.2) was a small, compact, innovative submachine gun developed towards the end...

Recently at the Las Vegas Antique Arms Show I had the chance to examine an extremely rare Sten variant - the silenced MkIVA Be sure to check out our accompanying article for this video here - https://armourersbench.com/2023/02/12/suppressed-sten-mk4/ If you enjoy our work please consider supporti...

The Royal Bermuda Regiment utilises one of the most unique SA80/L85A2 configurations around. Combining a Trijicon ACOG originally purchased under an urgent operational requirement for Afghanistan and HK’s redesigned handguard.

Be sure to check out our accompanying article for this video here - ...

Shoot to Live - British Army Marksmanship Training pamphlet Shoot to kill had long been a British Army slogan, appearing in numerous training films and pamphlets, but in the late 70s a need introductory pamphlet on marksmanship filed it on its head. In this video we take a look inside an original...

Vic continues his Surplus Zone series with a look at the British SUSAT sight, principally used by Britain on the SA80 and by Spain with the CETME Model LV & AMELI. In this episode Vic shows us how to refit a SUSAT with new Tritium elements. Check out the accompanying blog for this video over at: ...

If you're familiar with the film Siege of Jadotville you will remember a scene in which the Irish company’s sniper takes on a long range shot... with a Bren. The sniper exchanges his scoped Rifle No.4(T) for a Bren and single loads a round with the magazine removed. We teamed up with our friend R...

Ukrainian troops are in the UK training as part of an agreement with the British government. The UK has procured an interesting assortment of AK pattern rifles for the Ukrainian personnel to train with. In this video we look at what rifles are in use and some of the challenges of procuring them. ...

A couple of weeks ago I had the honour of taking part in a shoot at Bisley to commemorate the disbandment of the British Army’s Machine Gun Corps. For the first time in 20 years a company's worth of Vickers Guns (16 in total) were fired demonstrating their capabilities. Not only did the day illus...

In this episode Matt put some rounds through a British Bren Mk1 (Modified). Introduced in 1938, just in time for the outbreak of the Second World War. Britain entered the war with over 30,000 Brens but most of these were lost during the evacuation from Dunkirk in May 1940. Production needed to be...

On the 16 July, I took part in a Spotlight Saturday event at the UK’s National Army Museum in London. Organised by the @vickersmg the event commemorated the 100th anniversary of the disbandment of the British Army’s Machine Gun Corps but also commemorated the legacy of the Vickers Machine Gun i...

In this video we have some fun and look at portrayals of the PIAT in various games over the last 20 years. We’ll look at the size, shape and physical characteristics of the models, how they function in the game and the animations and sound effects of them in action!
While not an exhaustive list ...

Watch latest videos, sometimes even early releases! Sign up for the newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hkbJYn [or] slateblackindustries (dot) com 👉 Newsletter The Webley Mark VI service revolver... perhaps one of the most iconic British revolvers of World War I. The mere sight conjures up images of a ...

Watch latest videos, sometimes even early releases! Sign up for the newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hkbJYn A 9-hole accuracy review on my all-time favorite hunting rifle, my Enfield No.4 Faux (T) Sniper Rifle. Rifle: Lee Enfield No.4 MkI 1943 Scope: Vintage Weaver 2.5x T post We have a discount for...

Watch latest videos, sometimes even early releases! Sign up for the newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hkbJYn [or] slateblackindustries (dot) com 👉 Newsletter The Sterling SMG is a direct descendent of the Sten gun, which in turn was a descendent of the German MP28/II (most don’t want to admit this ;)...