Dale, seriously you should talk with headstamp publishing, which is founded by Ian of forgottenweapons, in order to write a book of Stgw. 57. Your information should deserve it and Ian will welcome your research!

I like Dale, he's really knowledgeable and funny at the same time. Please get him back for more videos

this is THE video for Swiss rifle grenade and Stgw 57 fans to watch. I love how the dissertation transitions smoothly from perfectly enunciated technical details to "crapping their pants" anticipating recoil!

My father was in the Swiss professional Army for 12 years (70-82) I shared this with him and he said (In good spirits- not in a hateful way) that "holy god, that Chinese kid knows more than I do!" followed by "yes those grenades were fun, unless you were skinny"

Absolutely greatest presentation I've seen on rifle grenades and were only halfway done.

I love the rubber practice grenade "oh yes" it would be more fun than the "batten" rounds we were issued with

I remember my father coming home from army service when i was a little boy with a swollen right hand from pulling the trigger during firing a rifle-grenade. in his next repetition-course the following year he bound a little piece of rope on the trigger and pulled it that way. no more injuries.. smile. by the way.. in the Swiss Army the rifle grenade was called "Rungglä".. wich is the the swiss word for "Runkle Beet".. has nothing to do with "Carrots" besides the orange color.. smile..

You can see it very clearly that they never received proper training in the correct handling of the Stgw 57. All manipulations were taught to the soldiers almost every day in a drill-like manner, so that they could do it in their sleep. I trained my people on this weapon as a non-commissioned officer. Today, as a reminder of my military days, I still have this weapon. The thing is good, accurate and indestructible, works perfectly under the most difficult conditions. During the period of service from 1976 to 1995, I have not seen anyone who had a breakdown or technical problems. This gun is very versatile, can be used as a mini-mine launcher for grenades (or illumination shells) and even anti-tank. It weighs about 7 kg. The magazine has 24 rounds, you usually get 4 magazines of 24 rounds each. The final acceleration of the GP11 cartridge is reached after 600 meters. Combat distance normally 100-200 meters, training distance 300 meters.

This is amazing! One scene from the archive footage where they talk in Italian was in Bellinzona, 5 minutes from my house.

just as the really interesting bit starts... "end of part1" Thanks for the awesome content!

My father was like "yeah those things were a whole lot of fun"

I'm blown away at the quality of the Swiss archival footage shown around the @12:30 mark. You can make out shadows inside the tire treads. Exceptional even by today's standards.

This series is f*cking awesome! I’ve never seen archival footage like this; well done.

I don't own a Schmidt-Rubin, but it is nice to see footage of them in the hands of their original owners.

Dale is awesome! Thank you for taking the effort to collect, digitize and share this information! In such a well done and interesting presentation I might add!

One of the most fascinating things I’ve seen on any gun channel. Exceptional work, Mr Deng!

Oh what fun we had in 1988 shooting rifle grenades (in the NL army). But be careful as shrapnel does fly back (the eye gouging type)

Yes I have soooo been looking forward to this! The SIG 57 is tied for my favorite firearm/weapon system with the fg42.

26:25 - bugger me, that recoil looks ferocious.

Can't wait for Part 2. Rifle Grenades make a lot of sense in mountainous terrain. That's why the Yugoslavs loved them so much. Destroy the 1st and last vehicle and now you have an armed prison camp. The Croatians did exactly that in their war of independence albeit with muscles instead of grenades.

Hello al Gunners...... I come from Switzerland In addition, one should say that there were two versions of the "Rüäbli" .... "Carrots". The first "without additional propellant charge" for a range of 30m and the other with an additional propellant charge for a range of up to 270 m. The one with an additional propellant charge was the only one still in use from the early 1980s, because shooting at a tank at 30 m is extremely dangerous. You can't get that close to a tank. The carrots were hollow-charge projectiles that penetrated even the most massive steel. There were also steel grenades, fragmentation grenades, flares, etc. During my training in 1983 I shot ... 69 of these carrots, plus 2 real sharp steel grenades ... but was the only one in the company who was allowed to do that. We had a shooting book where everything was recorded. In addition, I fired 12 hand grenades plus about 20 shots with the Panzerfaust (rocket tube). After the training I had cracks in the joint capsule of my right thumb, because the carrots shot with propellant charge ... were really very uncomfortably strong. In the 80s these carrots were only shot with an archery shot or in a lying position, standing was no longer allowed. The rule was ... 3 shots in 12 seconds with 2 hits. That at 120-150 m firing range ...... but may have been different on each troop shooting range ..... depending on the distance possibilities. To shoot the carrots you needed an extra magazine, a "white-colored" aluminum magazine with 5 cartridges. Quasi-blind cartridges that only generated pressure but were without a projectile. You could also shoot shot carrots with the white cartridges after they had already been shot, only then they only flew 10m far .... (((-: The magazine had a locking button that you had to press to reload a new cartridge. Switzerland really has everything to do better, we want the others, that's why the carrot has become so big that nobody liked it anymore ...... And that's why the StGW-57 was so massive, neatly processed that you hit it like on the first day after tens of thousands of shots. But it was so heavy that we would all have preferred light rifles like the G-3. The StGW 57 costs between 150 and 300 francs, the bayonet perhaps 30 francs. Oh yes, and not all StGW have the relief grooves in the cartridge chamber, that was added later to achieve a certain improvement because of the case jamming, etc. With mine, however, there was never a malfunction, no sleeve jamming, yes, in the entire training there was never anything like a malfunction, a defect, etc. The Swiss never shoot it off the sandbag, but from bipod. The bipod in the rear position locks for normal single fire, the bipod at the front of the barrel locks for series fire .... so full-size car. There was a small white plate on the left of the handle of the StGW, it had to be turned over for continuous fire, it said black ..... you could shoot all types of fire. The white position of the plate was intended to prevent accidental fire from suddenly shooting in the shooting range. So whoever went to the annual compulsory exercise (the compulsory as they say here) shooting distance is always 300m here, and went into the shooting range, had to have the rifle set to "white". Greetings Peter

Fantastic video, guys. We all appreciate the research and work you both put into this.

Great presentation, can't wait for part 2.

really enjoyed that, especially the archival footage. Thanks for taking the time!

Nice to see Mr. Ding back. Excellent presentation! Thank you.

Excellent work on this video, and incredibly informative! I'm really looking forward to seeing part 2.

Thank you Dale ,i wish more people would display this kind of commitment and diligence.Please more of this kind of videos.

At the end of the first day firing the training grenades in Recruit School in Airolo in 1980, I think we had at least 30% of the blokes in line at the KZ, infirmary.

I had no idea that this would be so fascinating. This is an excellent presentation.

I appreciate someone actually talking about technical details, too many times I find videos and all the people are willing to talk about is some hero who used the weapon, or how to be tacticool with it, or have no technical details at all. Thanks, looking forward to part two watching.

This is one of the best and informative videos I’ve ever seen! Awesome! Here in Holland, Swiss rifles like the K31 and StG90 are very popular, so I created respect for Zwitserland and there weapons. Came across this, and watched it 3 times!

Nice work dale, clear you have passion for the technology. It’s critical we study this stuff.

This is why I love watching this channel. Can't wait for part II

Very educational, thank you Dale!

Why weren't those early rifle grenades toggle-locked? Everything in Switzerland was toggle-locked during those days.

Great presentation. Looking forward to part 2

Thank you both

Awesome! Can’t wait for part 2

Wonderful presentation!!!

Thank you very much, this excellent quality content!

Sweet memory of how the "Runkel" flew....

I am a rifle grenade fanboy so this is manna from gun heaven for me. Bravo!

it could make out an interesting competition game with this and the inert round hitting the steel target would sound excellent

This presentation must be part of some kind of history science project. Very high quality work.

Just watching those videos of soldiers very carefully firing those rifle grenades made me fear for fingers. Very interesting video, thanks!

Thank you, Mr Ding! Gotta say you’re a great presenter :)

Congratulation for this very good video, brings back a lot of memories. I shot my first UG back in summer 1983. Direct fire with rocket boosted UGs, the ones with the yellow/greenish tails were a beast. We had this exercise which I hated: two shoots in 15 seconds with two hits. Sounds not really impressive. However the reloading process with the white magazines which locked the bolt was cumbersome. And the recoil was impressive. Indirect fire was fun. Looking forward to part 2.

passionnant. Merci

The thing you see moving infront of the target at 25:56 is a person sitting back there with a stick and showing him where he hit.

Wow, what a small internet! This video has been on my Watch Later list for a while, and I just followed a link from a video on Dale's channel back to here!

Morning. Appreciate the info. Going to catch some more Zs then watch this. Thanks

Also handy if the Swiss ever went to war against a naval power as it's a freaking torpedo! Good presentation, Dale clearly has done his research and comes over really well, very informative.

awesome, hope to see a video in the future about collecting small arms is your country, keep up the good work.

Great video.

Wilfred Stokes invented what was to become the forerunner of the modern mortar in 1915 and went into service 1916/17. However he was an engineer not an entrepreneur and never patented the idea and Brandt stepped in and collared the design but he did call them the "stokes/Brandt" and over the years the Stokes got lost somewhere.

My shoulder hurts just looking at these things....Really glad we didnt have to shoot these in combat lol..Our 40mm probably aren't as effective as these as far as explosive payload but I like my shoulder in the socket thank you very much lol

Thank you guys dale and bloke i get more and more interested in those ,,rüeblis"... already have 3 of them and i'm looking forward to shoot one of these. I wanna try that so bad but never had a oportunity.. I need to know more about it so please feed me some more carrots..

Idk why i love rifle grenades so much

Outstanding !

Great content.

Great info. I wonder if the film of the Stgw 57 demo was fired with all tracers for the benefit of the filming?

Today we are issuing only tracer. The press is here and we need it to look good

Very interesting stuff!

Lot cheaper to practice with than the 40mm ones. Blank practice ones can be reused over & over again. Plus with bullet trap one’s one doesn’t have to use special ammo.

Very cool video and much appreciated. I always thought that rifle grenads were a awesome idea especially for defense. Just imagine a whole rifle platoon lying in ambush all armed with rifle grenades instead of maybe 6 guys with m203s that would be a huge fire power increase. but I never knew of the complexities that comes with them. thanks again. 👍🇦🇺

Good content. I never knew how they worked.

I love this dude! Asian man, living in Europe(?) but has a pretty strong American accent and is a Swiss weapons expert! LOL... such is the world today. Awesome! Just subbed his channel and looking forward to watching his videos after this one!

26:40 ah walking fire, Othias approves, Ian says they should have chauchats...

And it is pretty cool that that 200m AT gun have a toggle lock mechanism.

mmmm coffee. But I want to know where Buggs Bunny comes into the story Nice presentation Dale.

Thank you BLOKE AND DALE for a very complete PE 57 report. Every one Bitches about a 12 pound rifle but it is a light machinegun not as rifle. It is a lot lighter than a BAR or a BREN. I fear though you did not find the Epitome of Swiss Anal retentive engineering. Check out the steel BB on a peg cast into the bottom of the Aluminum BI POD LEGS so they would not wear down when fired off concrete. You took the easy way out by not removing the locking rollers. With the 2 Jesus springs on top (as in Christ where will I find another one of those). The reassembly instructions calls for 2 dabs of Petroleum jelly to hold the roller wedges still. The PE57 offered a small bent oval with a slot on the end for $5.00 to hold up the chamber loaded indicator. At the time it seemed like $5.00 should have bought a hundred of them. When the PE 57 was on sale in the US a 25 round clip would have cost $25.00 to fill. You could have bought a nice Nazi P 38 for the cost of 2 mags full of Norma 7.5 Swiss the only ammo available then. No one ever asks but I much prefer shooting my PE57 to my SIG AMT.

Well done Dale. I agree with previous comments about a book. Get with Headstamp while there is interest. If Ian can make a success of a niche market with French military rifles so can you with the STG 57 and rifle grenades.

Oh... Well. Those monutes went by fast! Looking forwards to part 2/2. And...more? ^^

Fascinating

The detail is unbelievable. The Swiss government historian society (if there is such a thing!) should employ you to public speak! When are you continuing the series on the straight pull Swiss rifles???

It seems, in the end, that the Swiss should have focused in a great battle rifle and a crew served recoiless rifle separately. Make every fourth man an antitank gunner. Would have made this weapon way more successful, considering how good it did as an automatic rifle.

What is that light tank at 20:33? An old Belgian Char Léger de Reconnaissance Vickers-Carden-Loyd Mod.1934 T.15? Edit: answered own question. It is the Panzerwagen 34/35 - Vickers Armstrong Light Tank Model 1934/35. Same family as the Belgian. Thank you for presentations for grown ups who don't just say 'yee hah' when they see a gun......

Excellent stuff chaps... One teeny observation; I think Stokes was the progenitor of the modern mortar, not Brandt, although there was probably a not inconsiderable amount of parallel development? Being of an age to have experienced the ENERGA fired off the SLR and having been involved in the sporadic use of rifle grenades in UK service, I look forward to seeing the second half of this.. My own view of rifle grenades is that they had a worrying habit of falling into the hands of the least sensible member of whichever military grouping was involved, often with dire consequences! One of the great issues with rifle grenades that I was dealing with is the bore safety and arming distance problem. As they are inherently short range weapons it follows that they need a short arming distance, otherwise they are useless in street fighting situations. On the other hand they are being fired by steely eyed, but generally unprotected infantryman, who might object to a bore or near bore premature..! The forces available to you in a rifle grenade for powering and unlocking safety features are not that great either. The ENERGA had a safety shroud blocking the path between the spit back fuze and the base detonator which was basically a variation on the mechanism used to work retractable ball point pens! It was SOP to shake an ENERGA before loading and if it rattled it meant that the safety shroud had fallen off and that you were now shaking an armed HEAT grenade!

I've always been curious about these weapons, but everything I've seen was in Swiss German or French. This is a case where the K31 having a detachable magazine was really beneficial. They could keep a spare mag of grenade firing cartridges and the magazine was painted white to avoid confusion.

Almost makes you want to take up practice grenade golfing! Dale said in ine of the comments that they are regulated in Switzerland, even inert ones?

These things turn all boots on the ground into "Mortar Men" or a teams or Tank Killers! WoW! easy, cheap, on demand! Me thinks the extra weight is worth it!

The coolest part were the newsreels in the different cantonal languages. The Canton Ticino version gave me a short moment of cognitive dissonance ....

Xcellent!

I wonder why Dale decided to study Swiss rocket powered exploding carrots of doom in such detail? I wonder if he can get in contact with Ian so his knowledge can be added to the Forgotten Weapons archive.

Gotta be close. Tanks can engage you at ranges beyond your capability. Hoping you can hide until close is a gutsy move and tanks come in groups just looking for guys like you if their infantry hasn't got to you first.

Rifle grenades seem even more dynamic when spoken about in Italian...

OGIVE. The shooter calls it OGIVE. The target calls it OSHIT.

Excellent presentation which clearly has a lot of work put into both research and presentation. I had no idea the Swiss made such extensive use of rifle grenades and it is interesting to learn how they solved a problem facing both of the neutral statex as their AT weapons could not keep up with wartime developments. Here in Sweden the emergency solution was to copy the panzerfaust which ended up in Swedish hands thanks to the Finns ”misplacing” some of theirs. (Swedish infantry used improved Panzerfausts into the 1960s) Post war the m/48 Carl Gustav RCL was developed and it in turn meant that the Swedish army never took an interest in rifle grenades.

Really nice work! But for launching big exploding things i'll stay with our M109 KAWEST

@0:00 holy... Today that would leave soldiers crying and later suing the state for their PTSD that they received during the military training. Those things are freaking mortar rounds haha

Looking at these I now know why the STG57 is built like a brick shithouse. It had to be to lob those huge grenades. The recoil would have been stupendous.

You are doing great work and research. Just a question tought as I wasn't trained on these : how were the operators supposed to aim ? Just by luck or they could still use the riffles aiming components ? Given the short distance and the curved trajectory this would be quite difficult to model trough an aiming system no ?

I always like a video with a light anti tank capability.

Still waiting on Dale to author a Collectors Grade book.

I'm interested in those smocks/shelter halves at ~20:10 I would assume they are the shelter halves but they appear to have hoods.

Interesting comparrision to Sweden which went all in on recoilless rifles smilliarly to how the Swiss doubbled down on rifle grenades.

super

Nearly all 5.56 NATO service rifles have a 22mm flash hider for compatibility with one particular brand of bullet trap grenade manufacturd by Mecar. So yes you probably could stuff one over the muzzle of a 416.