Ask your questions

Alright boys and girls, we are closing the question submissions as of now. Hopefully you'll enjoy our answers!

C&Rsenal

My question may be out of place and not what you are looking for. You often bring up that X or Y would make a great topic for research or that you require help or assistance on research at peak times of episode prep. Can you speak more to that? Your standards, expectations, how one could be of use in this regard? Cheers, G

Gary Newman

Question for Mae: Situation: You are going to be sent to a random battlefield in WW1, you don't know what the conditions will be - Trench mud, African bush, Veldt, Steppe, Desert, Mountain - you just know that when you get there you'll see combat. The question is, going into the unknown, which WW1 Rifle do you take, and why that one?

Michael 66

are there any credible sources on winchester 05, 07, or 10 carbines being converted to selective fire by the factory or an armory

stephen larson

If you had the ability to instantly change one gun law in the US (Add, Remove, Alter, what ever) what would it be and why?

Gary Generous

What's your opinion on guns being treated solely as investments? Do you think it hurts or helps the overall gun market, or does it just make everything more expensive with no redeeming qualities?

Cam W

A dumb, but simple question. Could the MP 18 have used standard P 08 mags in a pinch? Not that an 8-round mag in a full auto would be ideal, but I was wondering if it would be possible at all.

Christopher Dooley

will you guys be doing episodes on the Dutch beaumont and Swiss vetterli/ or non ww1 guns in the far future?

ShadowOfDeath24 .

can you answer the pot roast questions from the last Q&A. couldn't resist the joke.

Jared Kennedy

Hey Othais, this may be too late to ask but, is there any evidence that the RSC 1917 was ever adapted to use a scope? I know you said that it was issued to soldiers that could get the most benefit out of it, but was it only used with iron sights? Keep up the great work.

Zachary Tenney

CANCEL this 🙂 apparently I asked this before, only realised when Bloke on the Range answered me on their recent Q&A, I had totally forgotten about it!

Gavin Rea-Davies

I’ve heard the opinions on favorite rifle of the war...but what do you two think is the best bayonet?

nick G

My question for the two of you: You get a chance to go in history and get your hands on any firearm ever made, what do you chose for a) get a single chance to shot some rounds and b) get to take home as a regular range toy (said method also gets you a reliable supply of ammunition)

Shaun Young

I think Othais has already indicated he'll undertake a series on the firearms of the transition period [ie, cap to cartridge, BP to smokeless] after he completes his commercial shotgun project due for release after the end of the current firearms of The Great War Were Declared... ;-)

Bruce Brodnax

I think that is a very worthwhile project! But if he can't post it to TheirTube [since it violates their anti-gun policy], how does he monetize it? Perhaps as a perk for Patreons who contribute more than the base level/mo?

Bruce Brodnax

Individual soldiers-wise? The U.S. [rifle AND sidearm, & both of them winners.] But we were deficient in all types of MGs, so if including brigade-level arms that within the parameters, it's going to come down to either the Brits or the Boche...

Bruce Brodnax

The Swiss were non-combatants in WW1, so it doesn't fit withing the purview of the chosen topic, "Small arms of the Great War" that they've been working on the last 4 years or so. But I agree, because of the wide-ranging f/x of the "metal patch" the Swiss developed, they should get a "bye" & be included in the on-going documentary...

Bruce Brodnax

I found that interesting too, how it seemed like the Saxons seemed to like us (the English) more than they liked the Prussians. They seemed to view them as violent war mongers.

Jack Fairbrother

Would you consider a primer episode on a small arm that uses an obsolete rimfire cartridge such as the ottoman s&w or the Swiss Vetterli, or the Milbank-Amsler trapdoor conversion? During a video the Chap presented on that last one, he demonstrates a way to make ammunition that works in rimfire systems. It’s quite labour intensive, but also friggin awesome to be able to see the old guns talk again that haven’t been fed for years. Also being a complete ammunition nerd, I would love a limited series on the evolution of small arms ammunition!! Is that something you’d consider doing? Presumably as a side project given that I’m probably in something of a minority. Cheers!

Jack Fairbrother

It may take unnecessary work, but would you consider editing shorts of your disassembly of firearms from the episodes like you did with Mae’s shooting segments? I personally really enjoy those parts and it would also be an awesome reference library for owners of particular examples.

Loren Hermanson

Just rewatched peter jackson's documentary 'they shall not grow old' , as they talked about german POWs and how the brittish soldiers got along with them. What if any info on the reverse, what about french/german; american/german; as well as the other fighting powers. As far as treatment of POWs goes did they differentiate between the different regions, i.e. prussian vs bavarian vs saxon

Phil Byrd

those people need to be remembered that is true, Its the veneration of the SS artifacts that is abhorrent. And yes it is ok to punch a Nazi right in the Face.

Phil Byrd

It's ironic that a group hated for attempting to wipe peoples, cultures, art, etc. off the face of the earth is met with the same stragety. Those people, as people, need to be remembered just as much as their victims, lest we forget the sudctive power of propoganda.

Mr. Lee

Considering the historical issue guns (rifle+pistol+mg, both heavy and light+shotgun/submachine gun) together, I love to know what is, for both you and Mae, the best equipped army in 1918.

Matteo Manino

Italy

Matteo Manino

When will we see another poster campaign? Will you introduce another patch series?

Timothy Billow

Do you guys have any plans to do an episode on the Scmidt-Ruben, I've always found those rifles so cool.

Adam

First I'll add my interest in a WWII series to those already mentioned and those to no doubt come after. While recognizing the difficulty in getting examples of some weapons for disassembly or firing, are there any plans for a series on American civil war weapons? Even with those limitations and covering some guns without a physical example I would be very interested in such a series.

William Kreh

Not all combat was done in the trenches, in no-man's-land, or on an active battlefield.

Sopwith Cameltoe

Best facial hair: Your’s, Ian’s or Rob’s from British Muzzleloaders?

Chairman

Of all the guns you have done so far which one would you most like to take to a random range day?

Martin Moser

No, it did not. The problem was that it couldn't sustain the U.S. Army's demand for a higher velocity cartridge than the 30-40 Krag [which ultimately led to the .30-'03 & then .30-'06 Springfield cartridge.] Either the rifle itself or the stock [due to the receiver configuration] broke when they tried to push the 200gr bobo past the 2200fps mark, and the Army declined to consider the mass for velocity trade that was required [at that time; ultimately, that tradeoff was made for the .30-'06, with the 175gr load & then decades later, the 150gr issue load...] I blame the generals making the decision having been raised on BP and only equating effectiveness w/ the massive bullets BP requires due to its upper limit on Vm...

Bruce Brodnax

Limitations of available technology. You have to remember that aluminum was still VASTLY more expensive (& less well understood, ergo, too soft) than steel. Steel stamping tech was still in its infancy vs. 20 years later during WW2, etc. etc. We've come a loooong way! ;-)

Bruce Brodnax

Maintain your bound book religiously...

Bruce Brodnax

I know you probably have plans for covering WW2 (and the inter war period) in the future, but are you going to do any Pre-ww1 arms? Like the martini, trapdoor Springfield, p53 enfield, Brown Bess, et cetera?

Jared russell

With the volume of fire & explosions & such, they were likely viewed as unnecessary. Plus they altered the POA/POI on any rifle to which they were attached, so you couldn't exactly pop them on & off as needed. Plus one more thing to go wrong/carry, so nobody bothered with them. Soldiers' (loss of) hearing wasn't considered an issue.

Bruce Brodnax

The U.S. didn't have enough Springfields [& later 1917 Enfields] to go around, so the Krags were already in use for training & homeland defense [we already had sufficient stocks of 30-40Krag on hand for foreseeable need.] As Othais states in one of the episodes, he's only found an account of Krags making it dirtside in Yurp in one engineering battalion, but w/o photographic evidence he hesitates to state unequivocally that such really did happen. So, bottom line in answer to your question: the U.S. had not completed rearming all forces to the Springfield, and could foresee the possible need to use the Krags, so they weren't "surplus" to be sold off to the Tsar when his agents came knocking...

Bruce Brodnax

There's something very wrong with you. I foresee a FIAT in your future! X-D

Bruce Brodnax

Definitely. The Germans were 1st on the scene w/ snipers, w/ the British following on quickly as soon as they encountered the threat from the other side. You might want to try to find a copy of _A Rifleman WentTo War_ by Herbert McBride. [NB: He also wrote _The Emma Gees_, which may contain some of his sniping experience, but is focused upon his exploits as part of Britain's Machine Gun troops (which is the only UK military dept. I can think of to have their war memorial demolished by their own govt!)]

Bruce Brodnax

Thanks! Bummer, though...

Zach Leonardi

AR pistols are pistols only by virtue of being wieldable one-handed. Nobody makes a holster for one, nor are they of a size that anyone would ever carry one hung off their belt... ;-)

Bruce Brodnax

Because DA revolvers are still often used in SA mode, whereas most semi-auto hammers are only ever cocked by racking the slide.

Bruce Brodnax

What was your most unfortunate haircut?

Tiger in man's clothing

Savage was too busy with other contracts already [machine guns, rifles] I suspect. Don't forget their pistols. Didn't leave a whole lot excess capacity to make their lever guns, which were never a high-volume item due to the complexity of their rotary magazine.

Bruce Brodnax

He's already said he can't get much past the mid-'20s because of the dearth of public domain video & audio to "flesh out" the story due to DMCA, no matter how much he might wish to do so...

Bruce Brodnax

I would love to hear yours and Mae's preferred weapons if War Were Declared...In 1887. Lebel? Mannlicher 1886? Screw it, get a Winchester? 71/84 with a Riechsrevolver backup? We see the more modern guns obviously getting preference for the Great War, but I'd love to know how the single-shot guns and blackpowder repeaters match up against other of their own class.

Christopher Dooley

Hi Othais and Mae. The American Krag-Jorgensen rifle was obviously not the best rifle available by the time it actually got issued but did it really deserve the bad reputation that it got? I have one and I actually rather enjoy it.

Sean S.

More of a request than a question: are you gonna compile all your (I assume massive by this point) bibliographic/archival database and make it available to viewer/researcher when you've finished the Primer serie? I'm looking at a research project in a gun myself. And being a serious historian, I think that a work of dissemination of books like that would be immensely useful. Greetings from Italy! If ya'll come around Venice, I'll have a barbecue ready.

Agostino Ventura

At the Show of Shows does seeing so much Nazi SS stuff being looked at and adored not make you just a bit sick and want to take a flamethrower to the room? Also this is not a 1911 episode.

Phil Byrd

After you finish your "Great War" (WWI) Primer Episodes. Due to the issues with copyrights, can you do some guns that although did not see use in the war were developed immediately following as a direct result of lessons learned in the war and were "Roaring 20's" guns. I'm specifically thinking of the Tommy Gun. Does that still fall early enough for not having copyright issues? Any other guns that were immediate post war as a result of lessons learned in the war that you could do and still be under the wire for copy right issues ???

What was the lifespan of a Standard military Rifle in the trenches. The produced millions, but where still short of Guns.

Gerhard Wäger

I know the primary focus is Small Arms, but has there been any thought for some of the heavier or other infantry arms? While it's impossible to get the live firing, the history of those weapons would be really cool.

Davion Nerd

Given the deplorable state of most of the early magazines, why wasn't more effort put into lighter belt feed mechanisms (i.e appropriate for a Chauchat or a BAR vs a Maxim) from 1900-WW2?

Adam Schindler

I know FN was working on several designs with high hopes for military contracts just before war were declared and the germans took the factory. Do you think faster development of something like the FN Grand Browning could have had an impact on european pistol design or caliber choices? And have you come across other arms with a similar fate in your research?

Mr. Lee

All of your content is appreciated and, at least here, waited for patiently. Thank you for your passion, hard work and persistence in the face of various and sundry obstacles.

Michael Spratt

Is there a primer or "C&R FFL for Dummies" reference that explains how to properly comply with the ATF when purchasing and selling curio and relic guns?

Arturo Ceron

In Africa it wasn't completely uncommon to be issued surplus ww1 smsmallls

Mr. Lee

What are Mae’s and your top 5 rifles and/or handguns of the war that you have covered thus far. Are there any guns that you had high hopes for or had a favorable bias toward but turned into disappointments after handling and firing them?

38super_partizan

We've seen y'all greatly cover ww1-era and older firearms however, from a personal standpoint, what are your inclinations towards modern firearms? Any modern shooting disciplines or modern types of weapons that y'all take interest in personally?

Krazzett

Who taught Mae to shoot so well? I'm always quite impressed with her shooting of those long, heavy rifles in the off-hand position. Natural talent, self taught, instructed by someone else, instructed by Othais, other?

Josey

Will we see more cameo appearances of Crozier and Lewis at some point? (There's a 3rd one, but I forget it's name.... sorry).

Josey

What’s your and Mae’s bio? Have you been in the military? How did the gun collector stuff start? What came first chicken or egg?? We need answers! 🤔

Chris Marchi

When (if) you shoot modern guns what is your favorite thing to shoot?

Sophie

How long does it typically take for one episode to be researched,filmed and edited? Also what does your backlog usually look like?

Alexander Moore

Like 'clown cars'. Such garbage. Such turds. Nothing works as intended. Parts are missing. Rain makes the radio turn off. The starter is wired to the heater fan control. When it shifts into third gear, the speedometer goes backwards. Etc., etc. Yet, you can never drive one without getting out with a smile on your face.

Sopwith Cameltoe

Are you aware of any suppressors being used in combat in WWI? The Maxim Silencer for the 1903 was known to have gone to France, but that's about all I've ever heard for suppressors/silencers in WWI.

Sopwith Cameltoe

Most modern bolt rifles pull from the mauser in one way or another. The closest right now is the classic Winchester Model 70. a Pre-64 one is as close as it gets in my opinion.

Kurtis Martonik

Given America's support for Russia during WWI and the shortage of Russian weapons and declaration that "rifles were more valuable than gold" with the order to Russian agents to purchase any rifle possible so long as ammunition could be procured, why did America not resell Krags to the Russians? This would have given the Russians several hundred thousand semi-modern rifles (certainly moreso than the Vetterli, 4.2 Berdan, etc).

Tyler Smith

What self-loading rifles would have been the best for a total army adoption in ww1? Are there some that are overlooked today, or back then?

Coatl

What WWI weapon (or weapons) do you like despite being awful. In other words what weapons make you say, “This thing is so dumb, I love it.”

Dylan Curry

What kind of oil and conservation method/routine do you utilize being in humid South Carolina?

Philip Spadano

How do you research what books to use/buy for an episode?

Philip Spadano

Great series, get better and I know we get better show with rested host and crew. Question. Were there any use of snipers in WW1 Were there build specific sniper/marksman rifles or did they just knock a scope on any ol rifle?

Hannes Þórisson

In the Post Franco Prussian period. Looking just at France and German who had the better primary Rifles and Carbines over the years? Was the newest gun adopted by either side always the best?

Primarch359

Of all the small arms you've featured (not counting machine guns), which one was most unfortunately passed over for further development? In other words, which one do you think showed the most promise that wasn't explored and developed further?

David Bock

How about a top 5 list for rifles and pistols, in terms of accuracy / effectiveness?

Gavin Rea-Davies

"Supporting the 2nd" means different things to different people. To some, it is a reflexive opposition to every "anti-gun" legislation. Others Support universal background checks and nothing more. Others want to push for repeal of the Hughes amendment. Also most gun owners vote based on other issues as well unless they make guns their entire identity.

Primarch359

Are there any notable descendants of the mainline WWI rifles being produced today? Did things like Mauser-style actions or Mannlicher-esque straight-pulls make it to the modern day?

William Jensen

Most of the Great War causalities came from Machine guns, artillery, and mortars, not small arms (rifles and pistols). Would having reliable semi automatic rifles and submachine guns really have made that much of a difference?

Nathaniel Wright

If John Browning had a little more warning and had more time to spend developing the BAR before it had got grabbed up for the war, which commercial Colt or FN variant would a US BAR have looked like in your opinion?

An odd ball question. Would you consider the AR pistol to be today's C96 considering they both have the magazine forward the trigger?

Adam Junemann

How much ammunition do you typically use during 1 Primer episode? Understanding that the machine guns are usually loaded in smaller loads considering their own belt or magazine limitations and the fact that you also typically unload many cartridges because of the age of the weapon & safety concerns.

Doug G

Grenades were a major weapon of WWI sometimes more important than any rifle or LMG would you consider doing some episodes on non firearm weapons. Bayonets and other sharp pokey things would be interesting. Mae charging a target with fixed bayonet would be amusing though possibly not for Mae

Stuart Burton

Are there any plans to rank every gun you've covered on the show in a giant list by type? That would be a cool but monumental undertaking.

Peter A

Why are hammers on revolvers so much larger than those on hammer-fired semi-autos?

Gavin Rea-Davies

You’ve stated more than once that post-WW I resources won’t be public domain, which will curtail images, etc. you can use to serve the episodes. Could a partnership with The Citadel provide some of what you need, or would the cost still be prohibitive and/or might it negatively affect your control of the content?

David Hemsath

Not a question, but a suggestion. Since we know about your fondness for both WWI and dogs, I would recommend a movie I just watched with my girls called "Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero". This is the true story of a stray dog that became the regimental mascot of the 102nd Infantry Regiment, 26th Division, and was the most decorated American dog of the war. Interestingly, they also mostly got the rifles correct!

Dr. B

With your experience with light Machineguns and project lightning, how important do you think capacity is compared to the ease of reloading for a light machinegun? For example a 50 round belt that is finicky and takes 5-6 seconds to reload isn’t as good as a 50 round box magazine that takes a half a second to reload, but at what point does capacity outweigh ease or lack of capacity undermine ease? I’m interested to hear your opinion on this question both in the context of the Great War and as time and technology progressed.

Jonathan Birkeland

Would you compile a top ten list of archival resources.

Wayne Dygert

What do you consider to be the most important part of a gun, and why?

Ion

Are there any “modern” (1970s- present) guns you’ve been thinking would make an interesting episode?

Christian Hanes

Could you please do Q&As more often? I really like Ian's monthly one for listening to in the car. Quarterly? Every 6 months?

Primarch359

What email are you tired of answering?

Nicholas White

Are there plans to do shows specifically on ammunition? Manufacture/development/advancements/breakthroughs (black powder to smokeless) bullet designs/jacket materials and also special and prototype ammunitions like flechettes/duplex/sabots?

Michael Spangler

Are there plans to

Michael Spangler

With the planned 1919 offensive, what weapons in the works would have helped and what would have hurt. And would those weapons made a difference? Would brass 12 miagated the issues and made the shotgun more viable for trench work?

Old Man Winter

What's a funny story/picture from your research that didn't make it into the videos?

Kyle Pocock

Did anyone else other than the Germans look into developing a submachinegun prior to the advent of the MP18?

Chris Stochaj

Given the rapidity of advancement in firearms technology occuring in the lead up and during WW1 there appears to be a lot of interesting/quirky designs and solutions being developed. What do you think is the most interesting firearm or operating system to be developed that did not make it to formal adoption?

John Benson

Which participant in the great war do you feel had the most optimal small arms platform for their situation at the start of the war?

Saoirse

What is the most difficult small arm of the war to field strip/disassemble and why? Not machine guns, we know those basically all sucked to take apart.

Garrett Hausman

How often do you get to shoot? Is it relaxing or too much like work?

Garick Black

With lever guns like the Winchester 92, 94 and 95 being used during the war, was the Savage 99 ever considered?

kvogler02

Hypothetical: You're in a low intensity conflict somewhere in the 3rd world in the 50's and 60's. You and your buddies stumble onto several crates of weapons from WW1, primarily long arms and machine guns. What do you hope to find and why? What other factors are contingent on your answer such as location, enemy gear, and so on?

Derian B

What gun have you had the greatest difference between your perceptions before having handled it, and after you shot it?

Hunter Compton

Did anyone else besides the Americans, the British, Vegeiro, and the Japanese riff off the Mauser action?

David Herman

We often hear about how universal the stripper clip was, but why was it so beneficial compared to en-blocs? While the issue of feedlips on the clips becoming damaged easier than if they were in the gun itself makes some sense, considering that they were pretty much universally treated as throw away items would seem to make such an issue obsolete. Also, considering how the en-bloc clip is faster than most, if not all, stripper clips, I for one favor the en-bloc, and I'm curious which you would prefer in a rifle, if all else was equal? PS: Love the show and your passion for firearms and history has strengthened my own. Thanks for the great content, God bless you all!

Jacob Parker

What’s your AK or AR?

Luis Rivero

What weapon are you most excited to cover once you eventually get out of the Great War?

Phil Block

Do you think the gun industry will ever step up and support not only channels like yours but also politicians that support the 2nd . I know you try to stay away from politics but with the threat of Doomberg and his billions, that he is willing to spend to keep us as an underclass, we all have to decide who we support and what is important . We can be free or taken care of but not both.

Gary A

Of all of the types of firearms from WW1 (pistol, bolt actions, semi's including prototypes, SMGs, and machine guns), what would be your absolute dream gun from each category? And briefly why for each if you want to answer that

Cody W.

Take whatever time you need bro! Just so long as it doesn't seem like you're disappearing.

Andrew MacDougall

It's 1910 and you are in charge of US Ordnance Corps. Where do you steer the US Army?

Thomas Pigott

How far are you looking to take C&Rsenal past WW1? Will we be seeing a Primer on modern small arms in a few years; or are you looking to stay niche with documenting weapons that are slowly becoming “curios and relics?”

Zach Leonardi

Most baffling and/or annoying ergonomics of any gun, WW1 and overall? We take for granted guns designed for humans in the modern era, so I want to hear about ones that aren't.

Lumpytusk

I know that the channel has covered the Winchester 1892, 1894, 1907, and 1910 and the Remington Model 8, but did any of the allies purchase other U.S. made commercial arms in large quantities?

Kevin J Curtis

What combination of primary/secondary arms would you choose from to take into War were declared?

Daniel Falch

I know that non standard long arms typically were issued to non Frontline troops, but who would have got non standard handguns? Or was that not something that was not worried about in WWI?

James Ludovici

Would brownings .32acp submachine gun been adopt if it had been developed?

Will Wooten

Is there a combination of WWI sights/sight features that you think would make a "best of breed"? Or do you think that the best WWI sight possibility already exists & if so which set? (You two have already kind of alluded to this before so free to skip this Q in favor of more interesting ones.)

G3yost

What show acquisition that you either borrowed or had to sell to finance the show do you wish you got to keep?

Alex