Saving From Destruction one of the RAREST Guns of WWII: GEWEHR 41
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This video was offered by, among others, Piotr Michniewski.
This is a WWII-era G41(W), manufactured in 1943, coming from the same lot of guns as the previous two, the B40 (RPG 2 clone) and Type 56 (chinese AK47). However, this one has nothing to do with Vietnam, and how these guns came together remains a mistery.
In any case, as I try to restore it to its original functioning, I'm exploring the very peculiar mechanics of this rare model, that made it both unique and surprisingly unreliable.
A special thanks goes to Michelangelo Neri Orliani for helping in the making of this project
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Play Enlisted for FREE on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PS®5: playen.link/backyardballistics Follow the link to download the game and get your exclusive bonus now. See you in battle! This video was offered by, among others, Piotr Michniewski.
Man huge props to Enlisted to join in to sponsor you haha. That segway into the sponsored segment was just so smooth and insanely relevant!
its pretty cool that insted of just crushing these firearms they are letting you attempt to get them working again. especily in this case
WARNING: Enlisted is a Gaijin Entertainment product, and of course is insanely pay to win and expensive to play. Do not fall for the "FREE" line, it's not.
@@UhIdk204 No, it’s only published by Gaijin. Enlisted, in its current form, is far less pay-to-win than say, War Thunder (especially because the advertising is actually accurate - you’ll start with the standard-issue WW2 weapons of the time period). However, this might change with the upcoming economy update - but the developers themselves have also confessed that they themselves will be attempting to avoid additional pay-to-win features in their game (but Gaijin might force their hand). So, in summary, play it if you want. It’s certainly not as expensive as the commenter I’m replying to may make it out to be, but there are some slight pay-to-progress elements (but progression without playing is still pretty favorable, just not as fast).
How many gewer 41s were made and what number was this rifle
the safety is missing, and what an amazing restoration to see something as rare as this cycle at all is incredible
The front sight cover is missing as well, but yes you're right about the safety lever
Did they even have safety in ww2 😂
@@CuriousGamer022 yes.
@@CuriousGamer022 bruh...
@@CuriousGamer022there’s a lever on the back that need to be flipped to the right to disengage the safety, the 41 in the video lacks the lever due to it age of course Time had not been kind it
Two fun notes: Having to take the front sight off the gun to disassemble the gas system--which was a 100% necessity because the Wehrmacht used corrosive ammo--would change the zero, hence a likely reason why the grouping was a little low and very left. The gas trap system, also called the bang system here in the united states, was what the m1 Garand was initially going to use, but was found to be unreliable and had the same issue of the zero changing every time the rifle was taken apart to be cleaned.
The first garands in service did in fact use the bang system
Fun fact, the original garands, before adoption, were primer actuated, instead of gas operated, however, just before adoption, the us army made the decision to to stake their primers.
It was low and to the left because it’s old, was in a dumpster, has been restored, and the stock is swollen.
@@ArchieKeen1Your mom uses the bang system.
@@nickm9123 Thats false, the garand prototypes from the twenties were primer activated, and they had several other differences. The decision to stake primers was done prior to the final trials.
Keeping these historic weapons from being destroyed or otherwise forgotten is truly a noble effort. Good on you.
I think he ruined it himself for views.
@@jestice75No.
@@jestice75 it couldnt fire before and now it does, how is that ruined
@@jolyletwoelk911 they mean they think he put the rifle in that state himself with the purpose of refurbishing it, which he did not
Imagine going dumpster diving and finding a bunch of WW2 guns. lol
In Germany we would say "gute Arbeit" ! Happy to see a rare piece of history coming back to life, you did an incredible job.
Ach wat den für'n Scheit, dat du redest .... "gute Arbeit mein funkelnder Arsch" Keins von beiden sind sehr schön
aaaah... like "Arbeit macht frei"?
@@tellyonthewall8751 hä?
@@thelespauldude3283 Alles für'n Ar***sch .. irgenwas auf's Gewehr draufschmieren .. andere Teile zeigen im Process .. uzw .. uzw Ist doch alles Ka***ke und Lügen mit derens Restaurieren
You can't have it back.
I used to watch all of these restoration videos, and be enamored with just how talented some those people were at erasing years of neglect. Then I happened on your video where you detailed exactly what to look for in those videos that proved they were completely fictitious. I was so disappointed, but extraordinarily grateful as well. I still am. Yours is the only restoration channel I still watch.
If you enjoy this, there are still some real channels out there. The historic jamestown channel features a early 1620s roman lock pistol pulled from a well in jamestown for example, and vegard vike has a video of the langeid sword being conserved
Yes there definitely are genuine channels, a lot of them actually are, and I'm honestly sad some of those are unfairly doubted of.
What's the take on Kinzler Bros?
Its not neflect, some of theses weapons were never found and aged under rain storms snow and the such
Mark Novak has restored some milsurps that had some serious fire and flood damage. I seriously doubt he's "faking" anything but I can see it happening in the "internet age" for sure.
12:59 "annnnddd the shooter goes full Kentucky ballistics " Damnnn 😂😂😂😂
Called Scot out like a mofo!
I am a technician by trade. I work on what most people would consider some really complicated shit. But what you did here was completely amazing. I can't even wrap my head around how you learned to do something like this. Whatever you earned for doing this was not enough just a wonderful restoration.
he probably learned it from trade school or had someone in the family who taught him
I was skeptical at first of being so conservative about rust removal, but I can see by the end how it was the right thing to do. There's historic value in having an unmodified artifact, but sometimes it's even more important for it to be a piece of living and functioning history. Perfect balance of both with this one.
Absolutely beautiful work! It cheers my heart to see these historically significant pieces given appropriate respect, even if they first had to be rescued from a dumpster.
Luckily it wasn't me the one that had to rummage in the trash to pick them up🤣
I know nothing about the functionality of guns but I have massive respect for those who can save pieces of history like this from decay. Great work man!
Not too many G41's that you could feel comfortable just using without worry of scratching or ruining. An old rifle that you could actually enjoy shooting. Congrats and well done. The fact that it cycles at all is astounding.
"And the shooter goes full Kentucky Ballistics",... Snort, and full LOL,... Well played sir. Careful and respectful restoration of a piece of firearms history, preserving and displaying these tools of war is a great way to start further discussions of some of the worlds darkest history, enabling people to learn more and avoid repeating it.
At least its clearly unloaded
absolutely fantastic job on the restoration. I think you have one of the best jobs in the world if we can base it on what we get to see!
I can't complain, but keep in mind I only take to KZhead the fun stuff, leaving out all the chores ;)
@@Backyard.Ballistics When working with this stuff, the chores would be worth doing!
@@Backyard.Ballistics Would like to see a video about these chores you talk about. Just to get an idea what you do most of the time.
@@Backyard.Ballistics let us see the chores!
I mean don't get me wrong, I am definitely not complaining about my job, but a lot of stuff is not that exciting, especially writing overly formal court reports about some nutcase shooting airguns at his neighbor's car because "that's my parking spot!"
I like that it doesn't look new, it looks like it used, like a rough old weapon that's been brought back. It looks exactly how it should, I respect this restoration a lot, and what a fine job you did on a rare delicacy of a gun.
I know not of a more proffesional gun restorator. I love that you allways want to keep as much of the original as possible. Your respect for these old guns is inspiring. Thank you for sharing your hard work with us. You are the best!
This restoration is extremely impressive, not only did you get it back to near original condition, you also got it firing again which I thought for sure wouldn't be possible. Phenomenal job!
Congrats on the sponsorship, and keep up the good work. You being so open with how you do your restorations is such a nice breath of fresh air.
The fact you address the fake people out there and verified it was real means alot.
It’s a shame that people don’t take as much care as they should with these pieces of art and history. Very important to preserve this kind of stuff.
To be fair, you can't preserve *every* piece of history, but considering the rarity of this gun it is a shame.
Hard to take care of a rifle when you end up buried next to it.
I know a guy who had one in good condition... Accent on "had" He made an obrez out of it...
Amazing, would never have thought it could be fired again ,very well done big man .my hatsan semi auto shotgun has a similar gas and locking system
Such a weird collection of weapons to be found in one lot from a dumpster, but the mix of leftovers from the German occupation of Italy and then a few soviet arms makes me wonder if they were maybe part of some guerilla arms cache left over after the Anni di piombo and then very hastily disposed of, but then I can't ever remember reading about the Brigate Rosse or Prima Linea getting their hands on heavy artillery like RPGs. Very cool restoration, this is a really great channel that you've built up.
And somehow they all have the same damage that looks like salt brine damage.
@@bad74maverick1 rust is rust, corrosion is corrosion. what are you on about?
@baxwell3540 no it's not. Rust and corrosion are chemical reactions. Rust and corrosion can come from rain, humidity and under water submersion. Chemical rust and corrosion can come from other chemicals and it's quite different. Each corrosive has different traits. Salt, acid, caustic ect. Its easy to tell the difference. That gun looks like it was salt brined, and the damage it has especially to the wood would take several years. I'm not saying he did those things and they weren't found in a dumpster. I'm just pointing out the obvious.
gladio
@@bad74maverick1 regardless of the dumpster theory, your other comments are deluded.
Great restoration on this historical rifle. To see it actually function properly after what it's been through is amazing. I am not a gun person, but I do own a WWII M1 carbine. It was manufactured in 1943 and is in pristine condition. I mention this because, in comparison to this GEWEHR 41, it is the definition of simplicity in design. It works well and is very reliable. The Garand is pretty much the same. I am amazed at the intricate and complicated GEWEHR 41 design. God help the poor soldier that has to field strip it and clean it. I saw a WWII documentary wherein it showed a German soldier collecting captured US M1 carbines. The narrator said the Germans coveted these rifles. I'm sure reliability was one of the main issues. This GEWEHR 41 looks so overly complicated, much like many German built cars today.
Germany saw very limited semi auto use during the war for the reasons you listed. They coveted enemy rifles because the alternative was the Kar 98, which while I have a personal spot of affection for it, obviously cannot compete with semi automatics
Much like most of German engineering. I farm in the UK and we use Fendt tractors and Claas combines both from Germany, and they live up to your comment. Arguably the extra engineering does achieve extra performance and productivity, but at the price of disproportionatley increased initial cost and higher maintenance costs. For us, it's worth it as we need high spec machines to exploit the small useable weather windows we get for field operations on this wet little island!
@@essexfarmer9610Excellent comment... thank you.
Thank you for the care and respect you show during your weapon restorations. And I highly appreciate the explanation as you do your work.
Incredible restoration! Seeing the weapons you restore function again, especially through your hard work, is exceptionally satisfying.
Thank you for restoring the beautiful peace of history. Its a shame that the saftey was missing.
Excellent job!! I’m happy you restored and shot it! A lot of the channels just restore things to look functional but you did the whole job!
Man, I admire you taking the long route to preserve these pieces of history and putting the extra step forward to do the job. Very admirable!
Red Orchestra 2 and Post Scriptum also have really nice depictions of this thing. Fantastic work too, bringing an important piece of history back to life.
8:54 it would be quite interesting to know the back story that leaded an RPG, an ak, a Carcano and a g41 together in that dumpster.
Honestly, I have no idea. There were a few other Carcano's that were beyond repair and just got scrapped, some from WWI, others from WWII. No idea how such different guns got mixed together. They're safe in a museum now ;)
@@Backyard.Ballistics glad to hear that all of the ones that were in repairable shape were rescued. its so cool that you dedicate such care and time to saving pieces of engineering history
You are one of very few people who would take on a restoration of this size and then go right out to the range and shoot it. Most collectors would have a gun like this cleaned up and restored and then burry it in the safe or a display case, never to be fired!! The guts you have to just go for it and see if the rifle will run is truly amazing. Congratulations on an amazing video!!
I had no idea a channel like this existed and I'm glad the algorithm pushed me this way. I've done similar work on well, very old sewing machines and as a gun owner, I know it's different but I love seeing old machines getting repaired and restored. Great work!
What a rare and great find. I always appreciate the fact that you are careful with how conduct restoration, notably with the historic items.
Great job on that restoration! Your videos are very entertaining to watch its super satisfying to see the end result. Not to mention you've taught me a ton about restoration by explaining your processes.
I'm very glad I could convey some knowledge, that's always been my priority.
Dude, I love that you are telling us what you are doing the whole time, not just playing some annoying background music while mixing some magic potions! Best restoration chanel on the tube!
I really appreciate your commentary. I watch a lot of these restoration videos but most have no voice over. This was very educational! Loved the video brother. Im glad i found your channel
Your restorations are always amazing. Thanks for saving this piece of history!
Beautifully done, I really appreciate your efforts to preserve pieces of history such as this.
Having watched some of the other so called restoration videos, you are truly doing real restorations! Thank you for these videos as I have learned alot!
Mate your videos are always so awesome to see! The amount of respect for the gunsmithing and design that was put into the weapons you restore is always a breath of fresh air. As a gun smith by trade, and a historian by study, seeing videos like this always leave me fully satisfied. Keep up the good work!!!
Top notch content. I look forward to every new video you post. The detail you go into and the process is just fascinating. Thank you, your work is quite appreciated.
Man, I have got to hand it to you. This was a real gem of a video to watch, and I only thought you'd get the gun back into some sort of a worthy display form. Boy did you knock my socks off with your restoration and getting this gun to fire again. I came across your channel just by accident and I sure am glad I clicked on it. I have subscribed and I will watch more of your videos. I sure would love to hear the story about how this weapon was found in the trash. I also watch "Forgotten Weapons" channel and I think you both are amazing at what you all do.
Just amazing to see that rifle back on the range functional looking like there was never anything wrong with it. Nice job!
This is remarkable. Thank you for your care on preserving history and sharing it with us.
That was amazing work! Thank you for bringing that rare piece of history back to life.
Thank you for watching!
@@Backyard.Ballistics My pleasure! Ciao!
That cleaned up so much better than I'd have thought! Exceptionally fine job and well presented
Glad you liked it!
One of the best restore / analytic videos I've seen. Thank you!
At least its clearly unloaded. Your restorations are always amazing. Thanks for saving this piece of history!.
This is a real treat to watch as an owner of a G41M, the rifle this one beat out in competition for the contract. I wish mine was fully assembled but yet, mine still ended up with a G41W muzzle cone somehow despite not being interchangeable… no clue how that happened
Dude owning kraut guns is nasty, that’s pretty fucking foul
Have had the pleasure to fire one several times as I am close friends with a very dedicated collector/ gunsmith. Absolutely fantastic rifle when taken care of. A lot of the unreliability I’ve heard came from the use of surplus steel case ammunition for the machine gunners mixed in with the brass was a big cause of it
As a g43 collector, I'd like to clarify something about the missing safety I see people talking about. First off, the firing pins of new rifles were issued to soldiers in the butt stock and you were to assemble them yourself. One thing soldiers quickly noticed about the safeties was that they fell out easily when you were disassembling your rifle. Not only that, they were notoriously fragile in the Russian cold and would sometimes just break on the soldier, it quickly became known these rifles would fire without the safety in place because of this. The saftey is likely missing because it either broke or fell out during a field strip, not because a soldier was more concerned with having the saftey on and missing a shot.
You did excellent with this one like all others you do. Thanks for keeping the history alive!!!
I think "That's so German," is now my favorite phrase
You know, thr German engineering rule: Why make simple solutions, when complicate ones work?
Absolutely beautiful recovery. I love watching restorers like you relive pieces of history like toys, appliances, furniture or in this case an artist's handiwork! I have high respect for your fine craft sir. Let's continue to save these beautiful pieces of history.
Beautiful craftmanship on your part! Love to see weapons like this restored.
Great job!! All of these firearms are pieces of history and having them restored allows history to be shared and learned about. Well done.
Love your channel and your content, your genuine passion for what you do shines through all the fake crap on here like a diamond in the rough, please never stop making these as long as you’re able to.
Very nice, rarest ones ive had in my hands were an original MP-3008, an original ČZ-247 submachinegun and a chineese warlord C96. Our local gunsmith has very interesting finds.
This is absolutely awesome. I accidentally stumbled across your gun restoration vids. I look mostly at car restoration vids, and to me, this seems more complex. The result is amazing. Thank you for the vid👍. I’ll be tracking back to watch your others.
This is an absolutely gorgeous weapon. Brilliant work! You were the perfect man for the job
Lovely video! Can't wait for more restoration content from your channel!
Amazing work! When i first saw it i thought thats never gonna be a shooter again. But you let me eat my thoughts 😁 Very rare and unique gun indeed. I think thats the very first restauration of one on KZhead. The views must sky rocket on that one. Greetings from Germany.
Awesome narration It’s so interesting to watch,an I appreciate your interest and that you share it here. Great to see history preserved if only it could talk. Thanks looking forward to the next one
What an excellent skill you posess to restore pieces of history such as this , definitely doing Gods work 🙏 , to see it working again was truly a treat to watch !!
Much awaited, much appreciated looking forward to excellent work as always.
Great Job on bringing that piece of history back especially from the dumpster fate, love the way you describe what your doing too. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
That is one of the strangest operating systems I’ve seen in a rifle. Very odd but very cool. Beautiful work.
I think i found a new favourite genre of videos. Ww2 rifle restoration. Amazing job brother
These were so close to being an amazingly effective rifle.
Beautiful work. Its a shame to see beautiful historical weapons in such conditions but thanks to people like you they can be restored (to somewhat) working conditions. Great video! The Mauser version of this rifle is cool with the bolt action and semi auto function in one.
Forgotten Weapons is unparalleled, but I do my best and appreciate the compliment 😉
Fantastic, unbelievable, kudos, great job! So happy to see this, thank you so much! I collect many WWII guns and the Gewehr has always been one of my favorite WWII battle rifles! Job WELL done! Cheers!
Amazing restoration, good to see that some of this old gun tech survives the test of time thanks to people like you Backyard Ballistics.
I love your channel, man. You are one of the most honest and best restorers I’ve ever seen on this platform. Don’t stop making videos! Jesus be with you!
it's heartbreaking to see such a beautiful piece of history in such bad shape. thanks for bringing her back to life!
She was not dead, merely sleepeth.
It’s a kraut gun, doesn’t deserve it
Absolutely love this video. The commentary adds another dimension compared to other restoration videos. Well done 👍
Hey Backyard; another great video ! I myself have a gewehr 98 that my great grandfather got from the Germans (he was French), but it’s in a rough shape and the restoring companies I’ve contacted here told me that they couldn’t do anything about it, even tho it’s still in better condition than pretty much every firearm I’ve seen you restored here ! Is there something we could work out to make this gun firing again ? Let me know if you want me to send pictures/videos of it, I’d be glad to send them. Cheers from France
Hi, you can definitely send me pictures of it!
Of all the guns you have restored so far, what is the most challenging one in you opinion?
Unmatched credibility, knowledge and great narration. Thank you, great job and I can't wait for the next one.
The missing bit on the gun is the safety. Anyway, another amazing restoration. It's awesome to see such rare pieces of gun history being restored to working condition.
so glad this rifle found its way to your capable hands, it looks like a different rifle , the stock has refinished really well , will be interesting to see the ware pattern on the re finished components , was it the safety from the rear of the bolt that was missing, i wish i found interesting things in a dumpster not just old bits of plaster board , thanks for another interesting video , glad they were not found in the uk or it would have been straight into a crusher not back on he range where it belongs 👍
Fingers crossed, I might start saving some historical pieces in the UK as well (with the complexities you can imagine)
This is just insane restoration. I'm blown away by your dedication to restoring history.
I didn't expect you to actually restore it to firing condition. Incredible!
imagine burying and purposely rusting out a relic like this, just to "restore" it on KZhead.
Libel
Even the videos calling out fake restoration channels say not every channel is fake. So maybe look up who your talking about first before spewing misinformation. He even has his own video on the topic
Your historical knowledge complelents top notch craftsmanship and handling throughout. Great job with this video!
That is extremely impressive work. Wasn't expecting that thing to cycle as well as it did.
You gained a subscription simply from the beginning. Care and respect of these old relics is most important, quality work being a close second
Already play enlisted but good sponsor! Thank you for another legendary cleanup. I love seeing these old soldiers brought back to life.
That is one hell of a beauty ! Really nice job, every time i see one of these guns before restoring, im thinking that it's a relic that can never shoot. And once you start taking it apart and restoring it, it quickly transforms into what it used to be, and probably almost as deadly. Im amazed.
Wonderful restoration on a rare weapon. Good explanations of the workings and your process.
I have never seen a smoother ad transition in my life. Good stuff sir
another great video, you are a true professional when it comes to restoring firearms, you explain very well, which I find very educational. Keep on going restoring.
You did an excellent job, restoring that stock and that rust conversion was a miracle in itself. Firing any sort of group through that restored bore surprised me too, I thought for a minute you'd need to sleeve the barrel to do that.
Very nice. Always happy to see parts of history restored!
Great restoration. It's nice to see people treating pieces of history with respect like that.
Thats a gorgeous piece of history. Youre doing the lords work restoring and preserving these old firearms.
love seeing how much you care for the history of the weapon while bringing it back to life!
I own a G43, and what happens at 15:10 is actually quite normal because of the gun's flapper-locked action. I don't know if it's a design flaw/oversight, but the flaps move outwards when the bolt carrier goes forward. A notch slides in between the flaps, pushing them outwards and locking the action. But, while on any gun that uses a rotating bolt where the action only locks at the very end of the cycle, the flaps on the G43 basically move outwards and try to lock the gun as soon as the bolt starts moving forward again. You can see it in the video that it only gets "stuck" when you move the bolt forwards, but it's smooth when pulling it back.
I have just stumbled across your video and have to say ''I LOVE THE DETAIL AND EXPLANATION'' you give it makes for a different kind of video. This is something I would love to be able to do but in the UK its hard to get a hold of weapons to revive... Keep up the good work and will definitely be going through ALL your video's..
Awesome work and great commentary