It's been a while since we did a book review so let's take a look at the latest Vickers Guide. The latest edition of the successful +P+ coffee table series examines the pistols and submachine guns of SIG Sauer and its predecessors. Be sure to check out our accompanying article for this video here...

In this episode of the Surplus Zone Vic takes a look at an inert PIAT training round from an Explosive Ordnance Disposal training kit. The kit included numerous other WWII and later ordnance and was intended to represent what might be found on training grounds and former battlefields throughout E...

The MkVIII was the last of the rhomboid heavy tanks developed during World War One. It was a collaborative effort between the US, UK and France. With the UK providing the armour plate and guns while the US provided the engine and automotive parts. The tanks were to be assembled at a factory in Fr...

In the second part of a special TAB episode examining the history of the ArmaLite AR-10, Vic discusses the rifles made by Artillerie Inrichtingen in the Netherlands. In what we believe is a first, Vic takes us through every major A.I production model AR-10 including the Cuban, Sudanese and Portug...

In this episode Matt uses some amazing original 1918 film to discuss the development, history and fate of America's first tank. The 3-Ton Ford M1918 Light Tank was the first tank to be entirely designed and built by the United States. A light and nimble armoured vehicle armed with a 30 calibre ma...

I came across some intriguing newsreel footage while doing some archival digging that shows an Allied M3 medium tank pitted against a German Panther! What do you think? Be sure to check out our accompanying article for this video here - https://armourersbench.com/ If you enjoy our work please con...

While doing some archival digging in the IWM's online image collection I came across a couple of intriguing photos. Featuring the UK's WW2 Deputy Prime Minister Clement Attlee examining a STEN MkII with an intriguing ad hoc front grip! Be sure to check out our accompanying article for this video ...

The 1942 British Thompson Submachine Gun manual. Let's take a look inside. It's essential for soldiers to know how to use and maintain their weapons properly. We've been collecting training manuals, pamphlets and handbooks to give us a wider understanding of how troops were trained and how they u...

The MB-1/AIR-2 ‘Genie’ was the world’s first nuclear-armed air-to-air weapon and remains the most powerful missile ever deployed aboard U.S. Air Force interceptors. Developed as the Cold War began to heat up it would be carried aboard a succession of aircraft including the F-89, F-101B Voodoo, an...

In our earlier video we looked at the iconic ‘Bring Up the PIAT’ scene from A Bridge Too Far. In this video we’ll look at some of the PIAT’s other appearances in the film that are arguably even more interesting that it’s most famous scene! Be sure to check out our accompanying article for this vi...

With many of us being stuck in COVID-19 imposed lockdowns I thought now would be a good time for a video-walk around Donnington Castle. Think of it as a virtual stroll. The 14th century castle found itself embroiled in a long siege during the English Civil War with extensive earthworks built to d...

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...

In this video we'll take a look at an import on-screen depiction of the Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank (PIAT) in action with the Polish Home Army during the Warsaw Uprising. The scene from 2014's Miasto 44/Warsaw 44 features a PIAT going up against a Goliath remote controlled mine. Be sure to che...

In the 1890s John Browning developed a whole host of firearms designs which never saw production. Many, like this one, were purchased by Winchester. This fascinating rare prototype, currently on display at the wonderful Cody Firearms Museum, feeds from a 5-round en bloc clip rather than a tube ma...

A walk around the Anglesey Transport Museum's collection of military vehicles with a look at a Alvis Saracen, a Daimler Ferret, a Humber Pig and a Bofors QF 40mm Mk1! Find out more about the museum at - http://angleseytransportmuseum.co.uk/ Be sure to check out our accompanying article for this v...

Matt examines another one of a kind John Browning prototype. Patented in 1895, this slide action rifle design was purchased by Winchester but never manufactured. Instead Winchester went with the iconic lever-action Model 1895. Be sure to check out our accompanying article for this video here - ht...

Matt examines an unmarked screw-breech percussion rifle, believed to be a prototype dating from the 1860s. Building on earlier screw-breech designs like the Ferguson, this rifle is believed to have been designed by Lewis Wells Broadwell, who patented a similar action in the mid-1860s. Be sure to ...

In late 1944, the Royal Canadian Engineers were tasked with improvising a harassing weapon. The result was the Experimental PIAT Carrier. The Canadian Sappers mounted more than a dozen PIATs (Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank) onto the back of a Universal Carrier! In this video Matt digs into this h...

In this video we have some fun and look at portrayals of the PIAT in various games over the last 20 years. We’ll look at the size, shape and physical characteristics of the models, how they function in the game and the animations and sound effects of them in action!
While not an exhaustive list ...

We continue our STEN gun series by looking at the various magazine loading tools developed to help load the STEN's difficult to load magazines. Check out Richard's channel - https://www.youtube.com/VickersMGCollectionResearchAssociation And for more about his work with the Vickers Machine Gun Res...

In the late 1940s the US began the search for an all-weather interceptor. The search culminated with Northrop's XF-89 and Curtiss-Wright's XF-87. While the XF-87 was initially selected it was quickly dropped and the F-89 Scorpion entered service instead. In this week's video we examine the develo...

The Battle of Palmdale is one of those historic events that could easily spawn clickbait titles: US Navy vs US Air Force Drone vs Manned Fighter Runaway WW2 fighter vs Rocket-armed Jet Interceptor None of these would be a lie! On 16th August, 1956 a US Navy Grumman F6F-5K Hellcat a target drone w...

The Northrop F-89 Scorpion is perhaps one of the lesser known American jet interceptors of the 1950s. It was the first combat aircraft to be armed with air-to-air nuclear weapons and has the distinction of being the first US fighter to launch a live tactical nuclear weapon. Be sure to check out o...

During WW2 the US Army sought a light, nimble tank destroyer. The M8 developed by Ford ticked the Army's boxes but by the time it entered production its 37mm gun couldn't penetrate thicker enemy armour. Instead, the M8 was pressed into service as a scout car. Be sure to check out our accompanying...