The Curtis Rifle - The World's First Repeating Bullpup
Bolt Action Rifles
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13m
In this very special episode Matt examines what is probably the first repeating bullpup rifle - the Curtis. Designed by a British inventor, William Joseph Curtis, in 1866 it predates all other known bullpups. The design never left prototype stage but gain notoriety in 1895 when it was used by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company to defend against a lawsuit over pump action shotguns - Matt explains this fascinating story in the video. The Curtis Rifle is not only the first repeating bullpup, but it is also an early example of a striker fired weapon, uses an advanced drum magazine and even has a folding stock - all patented in 1866! In this episode Matt discusses early bullpup designs, the Winchester vs Francis Bannerman court case and the intriguing Curtis Rifle itself. Using contemporary news reports, engineering and patent drawings and illustrations Matt explains the history of a firearm that was well ahead of its time! Our thanks to the wonderful Cody Firearms Museum for allowing us to handle and film the Curtis! Check out our website https://armourersbench.com/2018/08/10/the-curtis-rifle-the-first-repeating-bullpup/ for an accompanying article on the Curtis Rifle If you enjoy our work please consider supporting us via Patreon, TAB is a viewer supported channel and any help is very much appreciated! We have some great new perks, check out our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/thearmourersbench You can also now support us with one-time donations via https://ko-fi.com/armourersbench Ever wished all the best gun history content creators were gathered in one place? Check out - https://surplused.com - we're on there! Where to find TAB: https://armourersbench.com https://facebook.com/armourersbench https://ko-fi.com/armourersbench https://www.patreon.com/thearmourersbench https://www.instagram.com/armourersbench https://utreon.com/c/Armourers-Bench https://imgur.com/user/ArmourersBench https://discord.gg/DAjRSBc Don’t forget to like, comment, share and subscribe and help us spread the word!
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