Over two years ago, Jonathan introduced a strange prototype rifle, a complete unknown pulled from the shelves of the Ministry of Defence Pattern Room. No label, no provenance, and a mechanism unlike anything else in the collection.

This week, the mystery comes full circle.

You’ve seen MP5s. You’ve seen SIGs. But you probably haven’t seen this.

This week on What Is This Weapon? Jonathan takes apart the FAMAE SAF, a rare submachine gun made in Chile that looks like it’s from Switzerland and feels a bit like something from Germany.

This week on #whatisthisweapon, Jonathan examines a sealed pattern musket from Hesse, Germany.

What was it for? Who used it? And why is it covered in masking tape? Join Jonathan as he investigates this curious weapon from our collection.

This week on #whatisthisweapon, Jonathan looks at at bizarre and 'cursed' rifle - a bullpup conversion of the Armalite AR-18.

With no trigger linkage, a mismatched upper and lower, bodged welds, and a "front sight on your front sight," this prototype bullpup is more at home in a video game than ...

In this episode of #WhatisthisWeapon?, Jonathan takes a deep dive into one of the most ambitious, futuristic rifles ever conceived: the Heckler & Koch G11.

Designed with caseless ammunition and a high rate of fire, the G11 looked like something out of a science fiction movie, but it never made ...

This year marks the 80th anniversary of both VE Day and VJ Day, commemorating the end of the Second World War in Europe and across the globe.

To mark this historic occasion, Jonathan explores some of the most significant weapons used during the largest and most devastating conflict in human his...

In this episode of #WITW, we take a close look at the British Special Forces’ mysterious 'battle rifle' - the HK417.

Or as it was designated in service: the L2A1 "SACTARASS" (yes, that acronym really stands for Semi Automatic Counter Terrorist Assault Rifle and Sniper System).

Ever wondered what Jonathan Ferguson (Keeper of Firearms & Artillery at the Royal... etc) gets up to on his holidays? Well, it's pretty much exactly what you would expect...

No it's not from Star Wars, but it *might* fire lasers?

That is, in the film it's likely from - 1984. Based on George Orwell's famous novel, this firearm has a star-studded history.

Hopefully you all know about Thorneycroft by now (if you don't, there's probably a book on it), so in this episode Jonathan get's hands on with a weapon owned by the man himself.

To coincide with our resident Keeper of Firearms new publication pre-order, we're doing an episode on a WW2 commando carbine prototype that a few of you might be familiar with....

Jonathan's book pre-order is available here: https://shop.royalarmouries.org/products/pre-order-signed-arms-and-armo...

Today's episode revolves around a Revolver with some historical significance and represents the 'last gasp' of revolvers within UK Police service.

Frederick Wilkinson. ‘Those Entrusted With Arms’ (Greenhill Books, 2002).

https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/judgments/lockerbie-trial/

https://www.sh...

Boasting 1,200 rounds/min with a unique "Super V" recoil mitigation system, The Kriss Vector (on paper) sounds like a firearm to be reckoned with.

So Jonathan is going to put it to the test.

If you want to see how the Super V system works, in-depth, and in your own virtual hands, then you can ...

Unusually light, extremely fast firing and featuring a feed cage mechanism. This week's weapon is the ShKAS machine gun.

Today's episode is an interesting one... you could almost... write a book about it.

In other news - we're taking part in a Call of Duty livestream against the Cody Firearms Museum in a 3v3 for each museum to defend their gaming honour. And to hopefully raise a few donations from you lovely viewe...

Dave and Jonathan return for a repeat of the museum supermarket sweep that is 'Antiques Gunshow'. This time, the category is: Video Games.

As seen in Squid Game, this week Jonathan delves into the South Korean service rifle - the Daewoo K2.

Luger what we have here - a hands-on with the carbine variant of the Luger series of pistols.

Oh and this one is very, very rare.

Autocannons, Martini-Henry Rifles and... a weapon that screams as you shoot it?

What's not to love?

Join Jonathan & Dave in the final part to their look back at 2024's video game firearm offerings.

This week and next, Jonathan & Dave look back and reflect on 2024's videogames and how they handle firearms and decide which 5 they loved the most.

In today's episode we showcase two rifle's that participated in 19th century British weapon trials that eventually lead to the adoption of the Martini-Henry.

Sources mentioned:

Burton's life in arms from Logan at High Caliber History
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNGgXVIIncU

'From Under I...

Our first episode of 2025 covers variants from the Ruger P series of pistols featured in films like Desperado and True Lies with our star of the show being the 'laser gun' P94DAOL.

P.S. Someone tell Jonathan to take his Christmas decorations down.

Merry Christmas from us at the Royal Armouries - you don't have to unwrap our present from us to you, as it comes in the form of a special episode with our good friend Dave Jewitt.

Not quite Christmas magic, but definitely full of sparkles. Today on What is this Weapon is a visually astonishing diamond, white gold and platinum Smith and Wesson Revolver as featured in this years Re:Loaded exhibition.