The Cei Rigotti is a fascinating early Italian self-loading rifle design that was tested in several countries, but never adopted or put into production. I had a chance to disassemble one at the British REME museum in Warminster back in 2012, and the video has not gotten much traction because of how small the channel was back then. So, coupled with a bit of backstory about how we filmed it, this makes an excellent Throwback Thursday video. Enjoy!
More information and photos of the Cei Rigotti
Who else misses bedroom voice Ian?
It reminds me of the SNL “Schweddy Balls” sketch where Molly Shannon and Ana Gasteyer mimic the hushed tones of NPR hosts. “‘Season’s Eatings’? That’s funny, because it sounds like ‘Season’s Greetings’.”
ive been here almost since the beginning. i remember a plywood closet looking area with a helmet on the desk.
There are if not countless, at least numerous, early attempts at a semi automatic rifle 1890s+. Often exhibiting breathtaking ingenuity. But there is commonly little-nothing in the way of assessments as to their feasibility. Did any of them come close to the ‘level’ that would have been required for a service rifle (putting aside such factors as complexity and difficulties of mass manufacture etc).
Mondragon, RSC, Chauchat, BAR…
“(…)Did any of them come close to the ‘level’ that would have been required for a service rifle (putting aside such factors as complexity and difficulties of mass manufacture etc).”
M.1896 Flaadens Reculgevaer https://modernfirearms.net/en/military-rifles/self-loading-rifles/denmark-self-loading-rifles/madsen-m1896-eng/
was self-loading rifle adopted by Danish Navy in end of 19th century
Little bit of names curiosity …. Amerigo Cei-Rigotti reminds me of another Amerigo; Vespucci. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerigo_Vespucci
After him the continent is named. Therefore, the name AMERICA does not belong to one country only, although U.S. almost managed to appropriate it. This ought to be of general awareness, but I would not take it for granted 🙂
When it comes to gun – an ingenious piece of work for its time.
Select fire, wow,
Getting a liiiitle ahead of yourself with that one.
“remmy”? REME = Ree-Mee.
Yes REME, more correctly known as the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
Hmmmm… kinda looks like a Schmidt-Rubin in a way, with a gas “pushed” operating rod replacing the manual straight pull rod. I presume that manually cycling is a straight pull. Would be nice to see a new video showing more of the rotating cut and the lug lock-up.
If you need weapon like Schmidt-Rubin but self-loading (and using 7,62×63 cartridge) then use Selbstladegewehr System Richiger https://www.forgottenweapons.com/m1-garand-development/swiss-rychiger-rifle/
Two of the coolest gun dudes in one video (well Chuck behind the camera I presume). The channel has certainly come a long way.
I conclude big part of the channel huge success is in his persona, which has not changed to worse in these 10 years, nor did he had some flops, out of character moments and breakdowns that all money hungry youtubers sooner or later suffer, thus alienating their fan base. And more important, he did not start as classic youtuber, and maybe even now still, is not; first posts on the site were not video based. But he quickly realised what is a best approach in presentation, as just visually reading and looking at the pictures of these more or less rare guns, would never amass so many viewers.
Big thank you for this video. I was searching for the first automatic rifle or gun. And the iconic design of the Tommy gun was the oldest gun even with a foregrip from 1920 approximately that has the same looks as a assault rifle like the ar-15 or ak 47 or fn fal. Buttstock, pistol grip and receiver, magazine and barrel.
I found the start with evolution guns like Maschinenkarabiner 42(H) or the stg44 later really amazing it is like we go level up as humanity. and Europe is the best in the world Oh yeahhh!!!!!!!
I have founded that the French LMG chauchet was the first LMG in humanity.
And I have founded that the fedorov avtomat russian rifle was one of the first automatic rifles in humanity. But it started not with this Russian one but with this Italian one. Cei Rigotti is the automatic rifle where it all started with