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    We Fired Great British Weapons of WW2



    Luke Tomes travels to the Royal Armouries in Leeds to fire some of the most iconic weapons of the Second World War belonging to the British Army.

    As always he is joined by Keeper of Firearms & Artillery, Jonathan Ferguson who talks him through the history of all the pistols, rifles and machine guns employed in the conflict.

    First up is the Webley Revolver Mk VI, first introduced during the stalemate of static and bloody trench warfare in 1915. Designed as a top-break revolver with a double-action mechanism and potential speedloader accessory, the Webley Mk VI was considered to be vastly superior to its predecessor models – its 6 inch barrel also offering improved accuracy. Whilst the official service pistol for the British military during the Second World War was the Enfield No. 2 Mk I revolver, a shortage in production led to many Webley’s returning to front line service in the conflict.

    Second is the Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I, the new and improved bolt-action rifle issued to British infantrymen during the latter half of the Second World War. Introduced in 1941, the weapon was built upon the legacy of its earlier models, specifically designed to meet the demands of an ever-changing style of warfare. With a 10-round .303 detachable magazine and robust bolt-action mechanism allowing for rapid cycling, the No.4 Lee Enfield enabled trained riflemen to achieve an impressive rate of fire, a hallmark of British infantry tactics since the First World War.

    Third up is Sten, designed by Major Reginald V. Shepherd and Harold J. Turpin and introduced in 1941. A cost-effective replacement for the Thompson, the Sten would prove to be a widely used and effective submachine gun used by British soldiers across multiple theatres of the conflict. Notable for its magazine placement at the side of the gun, the Sten was capable of firing 500-600 rounds per minute.

    Last but not least is the Bren Light Machine Gun. Derived from the Czech ZB vz. 26 but adapted to meet British military requirements and replace the old Lewis Gun, the Bren would quickly become a cornerstone of British infantry firepower. The centrepiece of every infantry squad, the Bren’s box magazine was filled with 30 .303 rounds, used in the standard Lee Enfield rifles and also carried by virtually every soldier to ensure the weapon was always supplied with sufficient ammunition.

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    00:00 Introduction
    02:13 Webley Revolver Mk VI
    08:49 Firing Webley Revolver
    11:47 Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I Bolt-Action Rifle
    18:31 Firing Lee-Enfield
    21:43 Sten Gun Mk II
    27:42 Firing Sten Gun
    32:30 Bren Light Machine Gun
    40:44 Firing Bren LMG

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    40 Comments

    1. @HistoryHit on

      We do hope you enjoyed this fourth instalment in our 'Weapons of WW2' series with Luke and Jonathan. We have plenty more videos in the works filmed at the Royal Armouries for you all to look forward to in 2025. Thanks again for all the support and comments! 💥

    2. @chapmasi on

      I've been an IT contractor for 26years now…. and no job will ever compare to spending 2+yrs at the Armouries. I was on that range with Jonathan and the other guys any opportunity I got. Bucket list stuff

    9. @mrross69 on

      I had the opportunity to train with the Bren rechambered in 7.62mm, very accurate, beautifully balanced, easy to carry compared to a MAG48

    13. @CustardCream515 on

      Big fan of history but never too much on the specs of guns and vehicles, but wondering now if these are similar to what national servicemen would've used in Malaya? My grandad isn't around anymore to ask and when we did talk about it he always spoke about the training and patrols rather than the gear. He was in the paras if that helps

    18. @zalromir on

      Sten – Dad used to say they often jammed ("but what do you expect for 7s6d?""). He said they weren't well-loved or reliable. Probably early versions?

    19. @markymark3572 on

      The Bren has often been called the finest light machine gun in the world. The British Army loved it, which is why they went to the trouble of rechambering it to fire standard NATO 7.62mm rounds post WW2.

    21. @bramscheDave on

      My German brother-in-law is a geologist and does tours of the Silbersee mine near Melle in Lower Saxony. I went on one of the tours with him and they have the remains of a British BUC (Universal Carrier or Bren Gun Carrier). The first time we went there, he pointed to the remains and started explaining in German to the group what it was and I said, "oh, a BREN Gun Carrier." He was quite shocked that I knew what it was, based on the couple of pieces of mangled metal. The carrier was dropped from the top of the cliff into the pit before the mine entrance towards the end of the war.

      I was always fascinated by the STEN and BREN growing up. Too many Commando comics from my mates or sitting in piles in holiday homes we rented when I was a kid, probably.

    25. @davidjones5416 on

      I can remember a 14 year old me in the late 60's running around on battle field exercise and firing live ammo on the ranges the No4 Mk1, Bren and Sten but not the revolvers but fired a browning Hi-Power. I am nearly 70 now it was good to see them being fired again Great video the both of you keep up your good work

    26. @72mossy on

      We were the last group in the Irish reserves to trained and fire the Lee Enfield when it went out in 1990. My dad trained with it in 59 in the Irish army. He served with the UN in the Congo with a Bren Gun. He fired both in combat situations.

    37. @romanf9672 on

      Oh yeah the Sten Mk 2. Probably the most famous sub machine gun in Czechoslovakian history. It was infamously used during the Operation Anthropoid by Jozef Gabčík. Unfortunately during the assassination of SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich, gun malfunctioned.

    39. @oteliogarcia1562 on

      IIRC, the British Indian Army did not adopt the No. 4 rifle.
      The Australians did not adopt the No. 4 rifle.

      So the SMLE still served in a lot of Allied hands in WW2 and even Korea

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