The Hotchkiss Type Universel has a unique folding stock and telescoping barrel - here's how it works. Be sure to check out our full video & the accompanying article on the Hotchkiss here - http://armourersbench.com/2020/04/27/hotchkiss-type-universal If you enjoy our work please consider supporti...

By the mid-19th century many major militaries were beginning the hunt for a reliable and robust breechloading system. France was no exception with a number of systems trialled during the 1850s, following the Prussian adoption of the Dreyse rifle. Today we’re lucky enough to be examining one of Fr...

On 7 November, Alexander Borodai, the former leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic now a member of the Russian Duma for the separatist region, was seen in a video showing a near miss with a French HPD 2A2 anti-vehicle mine. Be sure to check out our accompanying article for this ...

Watch latest videos, sometimes even early releases! Sign up for the newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/9HoleReviews or https://tinyurl.com/SlateBlack The FR F1 is one of the least understood sniper variants in the U.S. due to it's rarity, but the rifle has been the champion for French soldiers using...

Watch latest videos, sometimes even early releases! Sign up for the newsletter 🗞️https://tinyurl.com/9HoleReviews or https://tinyurl.com/SlateBlack The French FR-F2 sniper rifle was a further advancement of the FR-F1 sniper rifle. Much like it's predecessor, the FR-F2 was incredibly well-balanced...

Watch latest videos, sometimes even early releases! Sign up for the newsletter 🗞️https://tinyurl.com/9HoleReviews or https://tinyurl.com/SlateBlack The FR F2 is unlike any bolt-action sniper rifle of it's era. Capable of shooting from a multitude of complex terrain and equipped with a fast cyclin...

The Chauchat is a machine gun with a reputation for being unreliable - a reputation that is only partially deserved. But what the Chauchat does completely deserve is its reputation for being notoriously difficult to shoot well. The grip design, stock design, sight placement, trigger, and the dyna...

The Chauchat is a machine gun with a reputation for being unreliable - a reputation that is only partially deserved. But what the Chauchat does completely deserve is its reputation for being notoriously difficult to shoot well. The grip design, stock design, sight placement, trigger, and the dyna...

When France decided to adopt a new 9x19mm submachine gun after World War Two, all three of the main French arsenals (St Etienne/MAS, Chatellerault/MAC, and Tulle/MAT) developed designs to compete for adoption. Tulle would eventually win and their design became the MAT-49, but the other lines of d...

Chappie demonstrates a really easy way to make M1866 Chassepot needlefire rifle cartridges.

When France decided to adopt a new 9x19mm submachine gun after World War Two, all three of the main French arsenals (St Etienne/MAS, Chatellerault/MAC, and Tulle/MAT) developed designs to compete for adoption. Tulle would eventually win and their design became the MAT-49, but the other lines of d...

Jonathan gets hands on with one of the wackier combination weapons seen in this series. The object is one of a number of patented combination weapons by Parisian gunmaker, Dumonthier & Chartron, that exist in the museum's collection.

Parisian gunmaker, Nicholas Bouillet is the designer behind this ornate weapon, featuring two steel box covers to literally 'keep your powder dry' and avoid misfired in wet conditions.

At the end of the 19th century, cycling was booming in Europe. Unfortunately for enthusiasts of two-wheeled conveyance, so was rabies in dogs. A solution to this problem was found in the 'Velo-dog', a French/Belgian self defence revolver that gives us a fascinating peek into the perils of pedalli...

Revolutionary France faced a problem: How could it mass produce cheap firearms with a shortage of heavy machinery and skilled gunsmiths? The answer: this thing.

This week's obscure firearm stems from the French city of Marseille in the mid-19th century. Made by the Viallon family, these weapons catch the eye as a result of their modern looking grip. Jonathan Ferguson explains why they look so different compared to other percussion pistols at the time.

While French military planners debated which pattern of rifling they wanted to adopt in the mid-19th century, they released the 1853/67 Tabatière as a smooth bore, percussion cap weapon with the intention of adding in the rifling at a later date.

Designed to keep you safe from Victorian pick-pockets, Jacques Edmond Turbiaux's 'Le Protector' offered portability while still packing a punch.

This crazy looking pistol produced by Parisian gunmakers Lefaucheux in 1925 has 2 barrels and could fire a remarkable 30-shots.

Please support us at: https://www.patreon.com/capandball The second part is about the history and comparison of the French 1777 and the Austrian 1798 M musket. If you would like to support our work, please buy something from our handcrafetd products: http://kapszli.hu/en/termek-kategoria/capandba...

Please support us at: https://www.patreon.com/capandball Dear All, this is the 1st of a 3 part series about skirmish fire in the Napoleonic wars. This first part is dealing with the basics, the second part will be about the history of the French 1777 musket and the Austrian 1798 musket, and the 3...

Please support us at: https://www.patreon.com/capandball Shooting the French 1777 flintlock cavalry pistol was something that was on my bucket list for a long time. This martial pistol plays an important part in firearms history being one of the very first models to have a separate frame. This fi...

Damaged present on this incredible object might have actually saved a soldier's life. Jonathan examines how a French poilu, out of ammunition was likely saved by his RSC Fusil Automatique M1917 taking a bullet.

The Guycot chain pistol was the development of two Frenchmen, Henri Guenot and Paulin Gay in 1879. It is chambered for a unique 6.5mm caseless rocket ball type cartridge in which the base of the projectile is hollowed out and contains the propellant powder and a primer. Upon firing, the entirely ...