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Kalthoff 30-Shot Flintlock: The First Repeating Firearm Used in War (1659) (Ad-free)
🕑 Added 2024-08-07 12:00:01 +0000 UTCThe first repeating rifle used in combat by a military force was a flintlock system developed by the Kalthoff brothers. It was adopted in the 1640s by the Danish Royal Guard, who purchased a bit more than 100 of the guns, and used them successfully in the Siege of Copenhagen in 1659. The Kalthoff is a .54 caliber flintlock rifle with a magazine of 30 balls under the barrel and a powder storage compartment in the buttstock. A lever under the action is rotated forward 180 degrees and then back to completely reload the rifle - this action loads a ball into the chamber, seats it fully in place, loads powder behind it, primes the pan, cocks the hammer, and closes the frizzen. This was an amazing amount of firepower in the mid-1600s, and the mechanism in the gun is brilliant.
The Kalthoff brothers (Peter, Mathias, Caspar, Henrik, and William) spread out across Europe working for many royal courts although it was in Denmark where their gun saw the most substantial military use. The system would lead to other repeating flintlock designs like the Lorenzoni, but these did not really meet the quality of the original Kalthoffs (in my opinion). However, the system was very expensive to make and rather fragile to use. By 1696 the Danes had taken them out of service in favor of simpler and more durable designs. Kalthoffs today are very, very rare, and it was an incredible privilege to be able to take this one apart to show to you. Many thanks to Jan, its owner, for letting me do that!
Comments
Christian D. Orr
Fascinating!
Risto Alanko
With gravity feed for both powder and ball, the manual of arms of this would be too much for a common soldier... "drop nose down, crank forward, lift nose up, tilt a bit to the right, crank back, aim, fire". Also, the rifle is quite delicate and too expensive. For a guards unit maybe, but not for the men in the line.
Mark H. Smith
Thank you again Ian for another fantastic showing of an historically important piece. The workmanship and engineering are impressive. This working firearm would very much confound current "legal experts" who believe large magazines, repeating designs and actual combat use prior to the early 1900's are anathema to "their truth".
Carsten Moser
With the metallurgy of that time, this guns had to be a marvel of hand-craftsmanship and fetch a hefty pricetag. As a german i am really impressed of the finesse!
Edmond Griffith-Jones
This guy is as important as Browning. I've watched FW since its birth and there's a bit of a jaded oh its a such and such adaptor, (Pmag etc) But this is a genuine wow. The imagination to envisage such a system in the context of the time is remarkable.
Will Sanders
I wonder if it could make it through that 30 round tube without fouling up?
Thomas Batha
A fantastically complex and cool rifle wonderfully explained by Ian. thank you!
Dana Arbeit
Great video of a amazing firearm! I love this kind of history. Thanks Ian.
ViejoLobo
The amount of hand-filing on those gears, the breechblock, the lock--breathtaking. And despite the relatively crude finish internally, and some off-square cuts, the thing works. Ur-Sturmgewehr.
Michael Quinn
Youtube is going to demonetize this on account of the hi-cap mag.
Darryl Buckman
That is an awesome piece of history. Thanks for showing me something I would never have otherwise seen.
Glenn Miller
What an amazing firearm. Thanks for showing us how it worked and for operating the action!
Rich Parker
"When you enjoy what you do, you'll never work a day in your life..." I think Ian is living proof of that.
Oliver Gilkes
Amazing. I wonder how many prototypes they went through.
BEAUSABRE23
You didn't shoot it?
Claus
Wow ! 1640s magic !
Guido Schriewer
well who but the swiss and the danes had sig p210s as standard issued handgun. they had good gear several times it sounds. coool. an ASSAULT(just kidding)flinchlock. repros just because gungrabers would get a stroke! they better had those guards WELL trained because such sure as hell was unheared of in its time. battlefield pick up by the enemy we can forget about. doubt they would have understand this at all.
