#GermanGuns

The German G41(W) was Germany’s first self-loading rifle issued in any significant quantity during WWII, but it’s many flaws led it to not be appreciated or coveted by the soldiers who were issued them. Using an unusual operating method, the guns were subject to excessive fouling and other troubles.
That said, the rifles are mechanically fascinating, and in this video we take a look at what makes them work.

The German K98k served Nazi Germany from the mid 1930s until the end of World War II, and was by far the most prolific German small arm during the conflict. The rifle is essentially a shorter, lighter, and handier version of the old Gewehr 98 rifles with some tweaks and modifications to make it more suitable for use by the German war machine. In this video, we take out one of these old workhorses and do a bit of shooting.

The Walther Gewehr 41 is a mechanically interesting rifle that was adopted by the German military during WWII. Over 100,000 were made, and it uses an interesting operating method known as the “bang” system that traps gas after the muzzle and uses it to self load. This system is known for being unreliable and sensitive to fouling (especially with corrosive ammo) but how does it shoot?