German soldiers on patrol The first one: "Is that a man on a bicycle?" The Second: "It looks like he has something on the handleba-" *BARATATATATAT*

The greatest gun channel ever. no gimmicks, no BS, just a man who clearly cares about about the history of firearms. I commend you for being so dedicated to your channel. your explanations and historical retellings are always interesting and you clearly have a vast knowledge of the history. I just think it's awesome, you don't seem to be about money or popularity, you just act genuinely and make great videos. thanks for such quality work.

'you need a slower fire rate' Are you suggesting... we need LESS dakka? Heresy!

*"A Sentry kit has been located near your location."*

wow I didn't realize it was so small. You don't really get a good idea of how big it is from pictures in books. Also the simplicity of this gun is fascinating.

Did anyone else think that all those magazines aligned in that case was a beautiful sight??

Ohhhh so the "Automatico" m1918 is just a re purposed half a Villar Perosa. That's so cool to know after having used both in Battlefield 1.

The magazine release is probably explained by having to wear gloves when flying at altitude.

5:44 theres a damn fidget spinner at the end of the barrels

The bike mounted version would be every cycle couriers dream!😂

Well ahead of its time, in 1915 Italy releases an AA gun meant for shooting down quadcopter drones.

This would be awesome for defending choke points. I imagine this covering the entrance to a bunker through a firing port.

The Cody Museum was way cooler than I expected. Top notch museum in 4 parts, The firearm museum can only be described as exhaustive. It has libraries of sporting and military firearms. The Yellowstone region natural history museum is very nice, and the Plains Indians Museum is very impressive. The section about Buffalo Bill himself is also really neat and has a lot of cool firearms and artifacts mixed in. It was something I didn't originally plan to go see, but when one of our days to be spent in Yellowstone was waylaid by rain, sunburn and some organizational issues, we went and I was so happy we did.

BF1 bicycle DLC coming soon...

That is actually a really well thought out little rig - for the right application. Very impressed, especially given it was a complete blank slate before this and the MP-18. It seems beautifully engineered, especially given its funky look, but perhaps a little finicky and fine around the magazine mounts. I'm so glad you touched on the independent fire technique for ground use. It was my first thought when you demonstrated the triggers - a great way to continuously dump 25 rounds a pop downfield without a reload interval... but I can see the loader getting in the way of the gunner.

Germany: "We have developed war gas and zeppelins,What have you made Italy?" Italy: "Machine gun bicycle!" Germany: "Mein Gott..."

One of my friends got to met gun jesus at defcon in vegas today, cool shit.

WHY DIDNT DICE PUT IN A BICYCLE JUST FOR THIS

Need to put this on my bicycle for EDC.

“Dad, Are we hit?” “More or less. Son I’m sorry, they got us.”

I haven't seen one of these before, my first reaction was "Uh, what the hell is that? Where's the rest of it?" but, having seen it up close, that thing is beautiful in it's simplicity.

I've only ever seen this gun fired in BF1 and if that is an honest reflection of the rate of fire of this weapon, even as a single weapon the rate of fire is scary.

One of the most beautiful machines/weapons you've ever shown us. TY Ian!

In theory each gun had a crew of 5 and another dozen men that carried ammunitions from the rear. Two such teams made up a Villar Perosa platoon and all infantry companies included one since 1917. It seems a lot of support for a weapon so underpowered and when I saw it in museums I believed it was something that the troops would rather bury and forget but from all accounts I've read it was instead much appreciated and more effective than it looks , some troops not disdaining to seize more than allowed from a depot if the opportunity arised. The austrohungarians too used the ones captured or built their own copies. Certainly in a fluid situation it was easier to change position, advance and provide support in comparison to an heavy fiat machinegun that was the only other option.

You have a real talent for making the past come alive. You are always prepared with the facts. You are also a very good speaker. Thank you!

thanks to battlefield one you guys are getting a lot more views

Wouldn't mind seeing that bike rig setup show up in BF1.

Glad to finally see you finally got to do a video on this weapon. I asked you in July of last year if you had come across one. You said you had but had not had an opportunity to do a video on it. Great to see it come together, and the fun and it's transport chest is just an amazing find. Good job as always Ian. I am so very envious of you being able to put your hands on So much firearms history. A passion that we share for sure.

Isnt this the sentry kit in Monte Grappa for BF1?

Wow, nice gun. It's like that old sewing machine. Brass and iron. Almost steam punk ..

I must say, I really admire your knowledge of these weapons' history, usage and workings, and your clear, comprehensive explanations. As someone who couldn't tell you what a firing pin was three days ago, just randomly jumping around these videos has already given me a much better understanding of the evolution, usage, and (scarily-simple) workings of firearms.

Always something unique and awesome on this channel. Thanks for all that you do!

Wow. I had no idea there were still some around. I asked The Great War about the Beretta 1918 during their Italian Weapons segment and even they knew relatively little of it.

The Villar Perosa has got to be one of the most badass weapon ever manufactured.

I´ve been waiting for a closer look on this gun for years. Great video Ian!

Goofy levers and mag release is 'cause aircraft gunner would be wearing heavy gloves. Love your vids, great first name too!

Battlefield 1 is really making this awesome channel grow bigger

A test fire sure would be cool! I understand why you didn't, but it sure would have been cool.

Thanks to this channel, I realize I now need a bicycle mounted machine gun.

What a great piece of history. THANX Ian

This and a suit of armor in Bf1 :,)

I'm here from battlefield 1. Now I keep watching all these videos.

Man... I been looking for this gun for along time (well a video) and finally here it is...

Along with the FG-42, MG-81, The Villar Perosa, is on my top 10 list of all time favorites. Thanks for posting this fascinating video

Views must be way up cause of bf1. I've been subscribed for a year or so though, keep up the good work!

I never realized how small they are

I have been waiting for this one for so long.

This is the true Italian 9mm 'Fiat' amidst all anti-aircraft machine guns fitted to aircrafts from the beginning to the end of the First World War. Apart from the Villa-Perosa SMG with a really small total ammunition capacity, this compact and well-made weapon posed a threat to first-time pilots armed with revolvers or completely unarmed members of the aristocracy who expressed their displeasure with aircraft that were armed, either by waving their fists overhead and other gestures. Descendants of noble families, with romantic views of a new type of army - aviation, with yet unexplored combat roles and capabilities. But some pilots really enjoyed being members of the new branch of the armed forces. Just before the war, the aristocracy saw flying as their own new pastime, and when the war broke out they saw their squadrons as the last refuge of "true chivalry, courage, sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct" in complete madness. We are talking about characters who most likely thought that it should be enough to outwit the opponent with flying skills, and when you get on his tail, the "loser" would have to greet the "winner" like a real officer and a real gentleman and fly to the home airport. And I guess, because of the humiliation he suffered, he should supposedly never fly again. Except after the war. From the bullets that the pilots will soon start firing at them, most of these romantics will close their eyes forever. But ordinary men, who were certainly not made of the stuff that "separates the gentlemen from the rest," quickly learned most of the secrets of air combat. That's why these young guys could quickly learn to keep their eyes wide open and constantly scan the entire sky.. Because the side with the height advantage can turn that height into speed and when they decide to attack, these guys have a better chance of winning. Only with these advantages. Be the first to see the enemy, then approach it from the direction of the Sun and attack it so that each pilot chooses one plane to attack. If the enemy has more agile planes and great pilots, you can always break contact with the enemy with the speed accumulated while you were diving...

Isn' t these the mounted gun in Indiana Jones 3 ?

"Son, I'm sorry, but they got us."

An amazingly graceful and efficient design. Thanks for sharing.

Blows my mind some of the cool stuff that’s on KZfaq.

all its missing is some badass armor and a grenade and you're good.

I'm pretty sure I've seen pictures of this on a ring mount for the observer. I always thought that I wasn't seeing it right because it was just too small. So glad to see this!

Awesome video, I've been trying to expand my knowledge on WWI weapons and really enjoy this stuff. Great job!

Yay, just came home. Right on schedule.

How exactly did this weapon fire so damn quickly?

Damn that bicycle with this gun is one of the most scariest thing I've seen!

Lots of clever and practical design ideas went into this little gun! The fact that there has been better ideas since (or before) does not detract from that.

The Charging levers and mag releases are awesome.

The reloader would have a hell of a job since each magazine would empty in about a second.

Shoutout to my Isonzo players in 2022.

That whole kit is so badass, wish I had the money to get my hands on one of those.

it's pretty interesting watching those videos and learn the technology that they where using in WW1! i mean they had to figure out so many patents like this one that is pretty simple yet effective! cool video

Amazing that it took them two years to figure out about adding a stock to it.

how the fuck does a soldier hold this in BF1?

An amazing look at history. Thanks!

A unique machine. And your presentation is always good.

a sentry kit is nearby on your position

Excellent vid, thanks! Any chance for you to make a video review of the OVP M1918 SMG in the near future?

Nice piece. I love the engineering. So many ways...

So simple yet solid as a rock and tiny. I actually like it.

my father found this machine gun with metal detector:)

Well the Village Perosa isn't really "forgotten" anymore. Battlefield 1 has it and they made it kinda unrealistic to what it's like in real life. The gun doesn't have a shoulder stock, but it somehow doesn't have that much recoil.

This is an _excellent_ video on the Villar, and I'm very happy you explained things a lot better than the various books (like Hogg's) books where they ponder over rationalizing this particular firearm.

WOW I just saw this video and realized I've been there before! 10/10 would visit again

so OP

Buffalo Bill Center?.........put the fucking lotion in the basket!

I LOVE that little gun, wish I had one for mounting on my RV, can you imagine the response to road rage with one of those in I40?

Cool! This weapon has fascinated me since I first saw it in a book... when I was 9 or 10... 35 years ago... damn I'm getting old! ;)

Lots of battlefield 1 fans coming in

is it just me or does he talk about every gun in BF1

Excellent video. Especially enjoyed the image of a 2,500rpm SMG mounted on a bicycle haha

What a cute little machine gun. I kind of like that sight. I might make one on some homemade garage build sometime.

I wonder why they did not simply take the pairs apart, mount them on shoulder stocks, and use them as two individual submachine guns. Seems to me that burst ROF could have been quite useful at times, even if a bit fast for others.

Is this a functional example?

This was quite interesting, thanks for sharing

Ian, you made my day with this so a wholehearted dioloch yr vwr!

So tiny and simple! Was it at all "reliable"?

This gun is so over powered in battle field 1

this is a very odd and very cool gun. I like that on the mag's the backs are open so you can easily see how much amount you have.

great video! thanks for the upload!

This was the gun they used in the BiPlane VS Me109 scene in the third Indiana Jones movie. I am sure of it.

I bet this guy's views has exponentially increased since Battlefield 1 released. I search for a weapon used in BF1 and pretty much all of them are this guy

I'm actually very impressed. This gun makes perfect sense in every role. It's simple, elegant and versatile. I would posit that's the best Italian gun out there ever! (except for Berettas obviously)

Impressive in its simplicity, but elaborate in its construction.

Coming from 2019

could standard 9mm or 9mm luger run through this?

“Look, someone glued together two Sten Guns with the magazines pointing up!”

Grazie per i sottotitoli in italiano :)