- Hello, this is Alex C. with TFBTV.
Today I'm gonna cover my picks
for the top five most important pistols in history.
For this, I will be using the lexical definition
of the word "pistol".
That is, I'm going to be pedantic
and go by the definition
that a pistol is a handgun
having one chamber integral with the barrel.
Sorry revolver fans, that's another video.
So let's have a look, shall we?
To start, I chose the Mauser C96,
colloquially known as "The Broomhandle"
for obvious reasons.
The C96 was an amazing commercial success
that proved semiautomatic pistols were here to stay.
While not the first mass-produced semi-auto pistol,
an honor belonging to the Borchardt C-93,
it was less cumbersome
and much more powerful.
In fact, it fired a round
that was dethroned in velocity
only by .357 Magnum.
It was also exponentially more successful
than the Borchardt.
Mauser alone
made and sold over 1,000,000,
and the pistol was copied the world over.
The gun was, however, pricey.
A factor that did not stop Winston Churchill
from acquiring and using one in battle.
The pistol is complex in its function,
was difficult to manufacture,
and is a nightmare to disassemble and clean.
But it is beautiful,
and proved to the world
that revolvers in military service
may not have been the way of the future.
So the Broomhandle definitely earned
a spot on this list.
It was reasonably user-friendly at the time
and could accept stripper clips
containing 10 rounds of ammunition.
The stripper clips are reasonably easy to use
and I could see that in the heat of battle
it would definitely have a revolver outmatched
as far as reloading speed and power,
but it was a little bit larger.
However its holster also doubled
as a shoulder stock,
and eventually developments led to things
such as select-fire versions,
which were very nifty,
if not something of a novelty.
This example right here
is a M712 Schnellfeuer,
which means "fast fire" or "rapid fire" in German,
and that selector switch right there
allows the user to go from single shot
to full auto.
You can see here
that a shoulder stock has been attached,
which is also the holster.
The Broomhandle had a great influence,
not just on handguns,
but all sorts of different firearms and designs.
But let's see what's up next.
Next we have a pistol after my own heart.
The P08 Luger pistol.
The Luger is a refinement of the Borchardt pistol
I mentioned earlier,
but with a less cumbersome action.
It was arguably the semi-automatic handgun's
Model T moment.
Not the first,
but it got the job done well,
and at an affordable price.
It was adopted by many nations
and even considered by the U.S. military.
Originally chambered in .30 Luger
or 7.65 caliber,
it was later offered in a proprietary caliber
9mm Luger.
Even today, 9mm is going strong.
This is perhaps one of the most successful flukes
in firearm history.
For a more detailed look at the Luger,
click the link below.
We have shot a segment on the Luger for TFBTV,
and I cannot understate how fun it is
to fire one of these pistols.
The grip angle and the way it functions
just make it a fantastic pistol to use, fire,
and have in your collection,
and I would definitely recommend one
to anybody.
So the next choice is a pistol
that is often overlooked,
but it makes the list primarily
because of one feature so revolutionary
that just about every handgun today
has copied it.
This is the FN Model 1900,
and it was the first pistol ever
with a slide
Grabbing your pistol and pulling the slide back
to chamber a round is commonplace today,
but before 1900
you either cranked a toggle
or racked a bolt.
This gun changed everything.
The Model 1900 though is also important
because it was affordable.
Its simple blowback action made it easy to manufacture
and the price was passed on to consumers.
Browning did well in designing
the small, affordable pistol,
and FN was proud enough to feature its form
on its own grip.
Another neat feature
is a small lever that impedes the sight plane
so the user knows that the pistol is not cocked.
Up next is a true American classic.
It would be hard to overstate
the significance of John Browning's M1911.
It has been produced for over 100 years
with many of its proponents arguing
that it is still the best option out there.
In its early days,
it was used by both hero and villain alike,
and the films would have you think
that no self-respecting gangster
would leave home without his Tommy gun
and a 1911 pistol.
But for good reason.
Relative to other offerings,
the 1911 and its .45 ACP cartridge
were incredible.
The legacy of the 1911 can be seen
in most modern, short-recoil operated handguns.
That is to say, Browning's tilting barrel operation
is used in its linkless form
by Glock, SIG, HK, Smith & Wesson,
and many more.
The 1911 has earned its place in history
by proving itself the hard way,
and it lives on by being manufactured
by dozens of outfits to this day.
Lastly, we have an unusual entry.
This isn't a phaser,
but it certainly looks like one.
What you see here
is an HK VP70Z.
But why include it on the list?
Well, for good reason.
It was the world's first polymer-framed pistol.
Not only did it beat Glock to the punch by 12 years,
but it has a greater capacity.
18 rounds versus 17.
In 1970, a pistol with an 18-round capacity
was very impressive,
but many people were deeply concerned
about a pistol made of Tupperware
exploding in their hands.
Since then, this attitude has dissipated,
and the VP70 served as a great proof-of-concept
to plastic Wonder Nines
that would come after it.
It wasn't exactly a great pistol,
but it was a trailblazer in terms of pistol construction
and the durability of polymer
in firearms applications.
This application would turn out
to be one of the most influential
design elements of handguns
in the late 20th century.
So that covers the list
of the Five Most Historically Significant Pistols.
If there's a gun you have in mind
that you believe should've been included in the list,
please list it in the comments below.
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this installment of TFBTV.
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