Original subtitles

THEY ARE THE TOOLS

OF HUMAN CONFLICT AND SURVIVAL.

INGENIOUS,

POWERFUL,

DESTRUCTIVE.

FROM THE ANCIENT

TO THE MODERN,

WAR WEAPONS COMPRISE AN EVER-EVOLVING ARSENAL

THAT'S TRANSFORMED COMBAT,

HELPED BUILD EMPIRES,

DESTROY THEM,

AND DETER AGGRESSION.

THIS SERIES HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE WORLD'S

MOST IMPORTANT AND INNOVATIVE WEAPONS,

THROUGH UNIQUE EXPERIMENTS.

Machnau: I'M READY TO FIRE.

WE EXPLORE HOW AND WHY THEY WORK.

Bull: IT'S LIKE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.

WHAT PROBLEMS THEY SOLVE ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

Bull: IF THAT GOES OFF, THIS COULD BE SERIOUS.

AND GIVE FRESH INSIGHT...

Bull: LET'S GO!

...INTO THEIR ROLE IN HISTORY.

Bull: YOU'RE IN A MINEFIELD, STOP!

SINCE HUMANS BEGAN FIGHTING ONE ANOTHER,

QUICKNESS AND MOBILITY HAVE BEEN KEY FACTORS

DETERMINING VICTORY OR DEFEAT.

THE FIRST WEAPON: THE TWO-WHEELED CHARIOT.

A LIGHT, NIMBLE VEHICLE THAT COMBINED SPEED

WITH MANEUVERABILITY ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

IN THE 17TH CENTURY B.C., ON THE NILE DELTA,

THE HOOVES OF THOUSANDS OF HORSES SHAKE THE GROUND

AS THE HYKSOS WARRIORS DESCEND UPON EGYPT

WITH THEIR CHARIOTS.

HERE ARRIVES A NEW AND POWERFUL WEAPON SYSTEM,

ONE DEMANDING MULTIPLE SKILLS TO MASTER.

THE SKILL SETS REQUIREDON BOARD INVOLVED ARCHERY,

JAVELIN WORK, AND DOING ALL OF THIS

FROM A RELATIVELY FAST-MOVING AND AWKWARD PLATFORM.

SO, THIS IS A SKILL SET INVOLVING KEEPING YOUR BALANCE,

USING WEAPONS IN A NEW AND DIFFICULT ENVIRONMENT.

THE HYKSOS COME FROM THE NEAR EAST.

THEIR HORSE-DRAWN CHARIOTS

ARE A REVOLUTIONARY METHOD OF WARFARE.

IT GIVES THEM A DECISIVE ADVANTAGE

OVER THE PHARAOH'S ARMY OF FOOT SOLDIERS.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS 1,500 YEAR HISTORY,

EGYPT FALLS UNDER FOREIGN RULE.

THE HYKSOS MAINTAINED CONTROL OF THE COUNTRY

FOR ANOTHER CENTURY.

WEAPONS EXPERT, MIKE LOADES,

HAS STUDIED THESE ANCIENT ALL-PURPOSE BATTLEWAGONS.

HE KNOWS WHY THEY WERE INTRODUCED

AND HOW THEY REVAMPED MILITARY TACTICS.

THE PRIMARY FUNCTION IS FOR THE ARCHER.

SO, HE HAS A DRIVER BUT THE MAIN WARRIOR IS THE ARCHER.

ALL OF THIS, THE HORSES, THE WHEELS, THE CHARIOT,

ALL IT'S FOR IS TO PUT AN ARCHER ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

THE CHARIOT IS A WEAPON SYSTEM

FASTER AND MORE MOBILE

THAN THE ANCIENT WORLD HAD EVER WITNESSED.

MADE OF LIGHT WOOD AND LEATHER,

WITH A RAISED PLATFORM AND PROPELLED BY HORSES,

IT TRANSFORMED THE WAY BATTLES WERE FOUGHT

WHILE MOVING AT SPEEDS NO INFANTRYMAN COULD MATCH.

WHEN CHARIOTS FIRST CAME THUNDERING

ON TO THE ANCIENT BATTLEFIELD, WARFARE CHANGED.

NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME SQUADRONS OF CHARIOTS

COULD COME STREAMING IN FOR A SURPRISE ATTACK.

CHARIOTS COULD CONTROL THE BATTLEFIELD,

THEY COULD FRUSTRATE ENEMY TROOP MOVEMENTS,

THEY COULD RESPOND INSTANTLY TO CHANGING SITUATIONS,

THEY HAD MOBILITY.

THIS WAS A NEW TACTIC IN THE GENERAL'S TOOL KIT.

AND WITH IT CAME A NEW TYPE OF WARRIOR: THE CAVALRYMAN.

HE WAS ELITE, HE WAS EXPENSIVE,

AND ABOVE ALL ELSE, HE WAS HEROIC.

THIS TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION IN WARFARE

WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE

WITHOUT ONE OF HUMANKIND'S GREATEST INVENTIONS: THE WHEEL.

THE OLDEST WHEEL ARTIFACT DATES BACK MORE THAN 5,000 YEARS.

IT WAS DISCOVERED IN SLOVENIA IN 2002.

MADE OF ASH AND OAK WOOD, THIS DISC WHEEL AND ITS WAGON

WERE MOST LIKELY USED FOR AGRICULTURE.

AN ARTIFACT FROM POLAND

SHOWS THE OLDEST DEPICTION OF A WHEEL.

THE BRONOCICE VASE DATES BACK TO AROUND 3500 B.C.

THE WHEEL

IS UNBELIEVABLY IMPORTANT FOR MANKIND.

AT FIRST, IT WASN'T REALLY DESIGNED FOR SPEED,

LARGE SOLID WOOD DISK WHEELS

JUST WOULDN'T GIVE YOU TOO MUCH SPEED.

BUT YOU COULD USE THEM TO EFFICIENTLY TRANSPORT LOADS

WITH A CART, USING FOR EXAMPLE, A TEAM OF OXEN.

AND THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY A RELIEF IN WORKLOAD

FOR THE NEOLITHIC POPULATION.

THE FIRST EVIDENCE

POINTING TO THE USE OF WHEELS IN WAR

CAN BE FOUND ON THE STANDARD OF UR

WHICH DATES BACK TO 3000 B.C.

THE WOODEN BOX, WHICH WAS FOUND

INSIDE A ROYAL TOMB IN PRESENT-DAY IRAQ,

FEATURES SCENES OF EVERYDAY LIFE ON ONE SIDE,

AND SCENES OF WAR ON THE OTHER.

A WAR CHARIOT MOVES ON DISC WHEELS,

REPRESENTING A SUMERIAN WARRIOR IN BATTLE.

THE ORIGINAL SUMERIAN CHARIOTS

ARE ESSENTIALLY FOUR-WHEEL CARTS.

THEY'RE POWERED BY ASSES, THESE ARE NOT FAST VEHICLES,

THEY'RE NOT DYNAMIC, THEY'RE JUST MOBILE PLATFORMS

FROM WHICH MEN CAN FIGHT.

SPEARS, MAYBE BOWS AND ARROWS.

THEY'RE NOT FAST, THEY DON'T CHANGE THE PACE OF BATTLE.

THEY PROBABLY ENABLE MEN TO ARRIVE AT BATTLE

FRESHER THAN THEY WOULD HAVE DONE

IF THEY'D MARCHED THERE OR RUN THERE.

SO THEY HAVE SOME ADVANTAGES,

BUT THEY'RE NOT FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORMATIONAL WEAPONS.

BY ADDING SPOKES,

THE WHEEL BECOMES MORE FUNCTIONAL.

INITIALLY, THE WHEELS HAVE FOUR SPOKES,

BUT THEY LACK STABILITY.

AND THEN, A BIG INNOVATION

WAS TO JUST USE MORE SPOKES SO THAT YOU COULD DISTRIBUTE

THE LOAD BETTER AND YOU COULD PUT MORE WEIGHT ONTO THE AXLE.

A FOUR-SPOKE WHEEL IS LIGHT ENOUGH

TO USE ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

BUT WITH A HEAVY LOAD, IT CAN QUICKLY BREAK.

ONE SOLUTION: TWICE AS MANY SPOKES.

BUT THIS ALSO INCREASES THE CHARIOT'S WEIGHT,

AT THE EXPENSE OF SPEED.

THEN A COMPROMISE: SIX SPOKES,

PROVIDING OPTIMAL STABILITY AND MANEUVERABILITY.

WHILE STILL UNDER THE HYKSOS OCCUPATION,

THE EGYPTIANS START IMPROVING CHARIOT TECHNOLOGY.

THEY EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT MATERIALS AND DESIGNS,

UNTIL THEY FIND AN EFFICIENT SOLUTION.

WHAT THE EGYPTIANS DID

WAS THEY GOT PIECES OF TIMBER LIKE THIS,

SO THAT EACH SPOKE IS ACTUALLY TWO PIECES.

BUT THE BEND GOES INTO THE NEXT SPOKE,

SO THIS IS THAT SPOKE AND IT COMES ON TO THIS ONE, HERE.

SO, THIS JOINT IS NOW INCREDIBLY STRONG

BECAUSE IT WAS GROWN.

THEY WOULD TAKE YOUNG TREES

AND AT A YOUNG AGE BEND THEM OVER, HERE IS THE JOINT,

THAT IS NOW AS STRONG AS YOU CAN GET IT.

AND IT'S QUICK TO ASSEMBLE.

DURING THE 1920S, IN THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS,

SCIENTISTS MAKE A SPECTACULAR DISCOVERY.

TUTANKHAMUN'S TOMB REVEALS, AMONG OTHER THINGS,

SIX PERFECTLY PRESERVED CHARIOTS.

EVEN AFTER THE END OF FOREIGN RULE,

THE EGYPTIANS CONTINUE TO USE HYKSOS TECHNOLOGY.

NO ONE KNOWS WHETHER THE CHARIOT

PLAYED A ROLE IN SHIFTING THE BALANCE OF POWER.

MIKE LOADES HAS ARRANGED FOR A CRAFTSMAN

TO BUILD AN EGYPTIAN CHARIOT,

BASED ON THE HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED

ROYAL CARRIAGE OF TUTANKHAMUN.

CONSTRUCTION DECISIONS ARE BASED

ON WHAT MATERIALS WEIGH THE LEAST,

AND WHICH ARE THE MOST USEFUL FOR BATTLE.

THEY ALSO CONSIDERED

THE ISSUE OF SUSPENSION SO THAT THE SHOOTER

COULD REMAIN AS STABLE AS POSSIBLE

AND IF YOU DROVE OVER A HOLE, YOU WOULDN'T MISS COMPLETELY.

SO THEY CAME UP WITH STRATEGIES LIKE A LEATHER PLATFORM

FOR THE ARCHER TO STAND ON.

THEY REALLY THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL PARTS

WHICH IS FASCINATING TECHNOLOGICAL WORK.

A CHARIOT'S WOVEN LEATHER PLATFORM

MUST BE STURDY ENOUGH TO CARRY A CREW OF UP TO THREE MEN.

IT MUST ALSO BE FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO CUSHION THE RIDERS

FROM THE IMPACT OF UNEVEN TERRAIN ON A BATTLEFIELD.

THE FINISHED CHARIOT, BUILT FROM NATURAL MATERIALS

ACCORDING TO HISTORICAL MODELS.

CERTAIN KEY POINTS, LIKE THE YOKE TO THE POLE

AND THE POLE TO THE AXLE, WERE LASHED TOGETHER WITH RAWHIDE.

YOU CAN SEE THE AXLERUNS UP THE REAR OF THE PLATFORM

SO ALL THE WEIGHT IS ON THE WHEELS, IT'S NOT ON THE HORSES.

AND THESE WHEELS ARE INDEPENDENT.

THEY ARE ON A FIXED AXLE

AND THE WHEELS MOVE INDEPENDENTLY ON THE AXLE.

THE BATTLE OF KADESH, 1274 B.C.

THE EGYPTIANS FIGHT THE HITTITES, THEIR NEW RIVALS,

FOR CONTROL OF THE NEAR EAST.

BOTH SIDES HAVE THE SAME WEAPONS AT THEIR DISPOSAL.

ACCORDING TO ANCIENT SOURCES, OVER 5,000 CHARIOTS FACE OFF

AS THESE TWO DOMINANT REGIONAL POWERS

CLASHED ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

THE EGYPTIANS AND THE HITTITES

WERE INVOLVED IN A VERY SERIOUS ARMS RACE

WITH THE NEW CHARIOT TECHNOLOGY.

AND THE CHARIOTS ARE USED TO ENGAGE THE ENEMY

AND ENGAGE EACH OTHER.

AND ESSENTIALLY, IT'S A BATTLE ABOUT CHARIOTS

AND THAT'S CERTAINLY HOW THE EGYPTIANS

REPRESENT THEIR VERSION IN WHICH THEY WIN.

AND THE HITTITES HAD A VERSION

IN WHICH OF COURSE THEY WON AS WELL.

IT'S ONE OF HISTORY'S GREATEST DRAWN BATTLES.

MIKE LOADES WANTS TO TEST THE EGYPTIAN CHARIOT

TO GET AN IDEA OF HOW IT PERFORMS IN ACTION.

AND DOING SO, HE'LL SOON FIND OUT WHAT'S BEHIND ITS SUCCESS.

THE CHARIOT IS AN EVOLUTIONARY STEP

THAT PRECEDES THE MIGHTY CAVALRY ON WAR'S BATTLEFIELD.

MEN DROVE CHARIOTS FOR ABOUT 1,000 YEARS

BEFORE THEY RODE HORSES.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE EARLY HORSES WERE REALLY QUITE SMALL,

THEY WEREN'T BIG ENOUGH AND STRONG ENOUGH

TO CARRY A MAN'S WEIGHT, BUT YOU COULD PULL A MAN

BY PUTTING HIM IN A WHEELED VEHICLE.

THESE WELL-TRAINED HORSES

ARE OVER FIVE FEET TALL.

CHARIOT HORSES FROM ANTIQUITY WERE NEARLY A FOOT SMALLER,

BUT THE EGYPTIANS EMPLOYED A UNIQUE HARNESS SYSTEM.

YOU'LL SEE THEY'VE GOT THIS NECK FORK HERE.

THIS IS QUITE DIFFERENT TO MODERN HARNESS.

THE HORSES ARE JUST ATTACHED, JUST BY THE WITHERS THERE.

ONLY ONE ATTACHMENT WITH A YOKE JOINING THEM.

SO, WITH THIS SYSTEM IT'S MUCH MORE CHALLENGING

TO DRIVE THEM AND TO KEEP THEM STRAIGHT,

IT TAKES A LOT MORE DRIVING EXPERTISE.

BUT ON THE BATTLEFIELD, IT WAS MORE EFFICIENT.

IF ONE OF YOUR HORSES GOT SHOT,

THEN YOU COULD CHANGE THE TEAM VERY QUICKLY.

LIKE A FORMULA 1 PIT CREW, MEN WOULD RUSH IN,

ONE, TWO STRAPS, YOU COULD TAKE THE TEAM OUT

AND GET ANOTHER TEAM IN REALLY QUICKLY.

HOW FAST CAN THIS KIND OF CHARIOT

GO ON A FLAT SURFACE?

THIS FIRST TEST IS AT A DISTANCE OF 164 FEET.

SO WHAT TIME DID WE GET?

Man: 6.50.

THAT'S NOT BAD, SIX SECONDS, 50 METERS, THAT'S IT,

YOU KNOW, 12 SECONDS 100 METERS.

WITH TWO HORSES,

MIKE MANAGES A SPEED OF 18.5 MILES PER HOUR.

IMPRESSIVE FOR ANCIENT TIMES.

BUT GOING FASTER REQUIRED SOMETHING MORE.

AFTER THE SPOKED WHEEL, THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR

IN DEVELOPING THE SWIFTESTCHARIOT WAS DOMESTICATED HORSES.

THEY ARE ANIMALS WITH STAMINA, AGILITY AND SPEED.

AND THEY CAN BE TRAINED FOR WARFARE.

THE HORSE IS THE SINGLEMOST IMPORTANT ANIMAL OF WAR.

IT'S CARRIED MEN TO WAR, IT'S CARRIED MEN IN BATTLE,

AND IT'S CARRIED THEM OUT OF BATTLE AGAIN.

IT'S CRITICAL TO THE LOGISTICS OF WAR,

TO THE MOVING OF HEAVY EQUIPMENT,

ARTILLERY FOR EXAMPLE.

HORSES ARE A CREATURE THAT HAS BEEN SELECTIVELY BRED

OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS TO SERVE MAN'S MILITARY NEEDS.

IN FACT, HORSE BREEDING

IS A PRACTICE OVER 3,000 YEARS OLD.

AS EVIDENCE, THE KIKKULI TEXT

CONTAINING HORSE TRAINING GUIDELINES

WRITTEN IN THE 14TH CENTURY B.C.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE KIKKULI TEXT,

IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HORSES,

YOU NOTICE IMMEDIATELY THAT A TEAM IS TRAINED

TO OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT TRAINING SESSIONS.

THERE ARE INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT FEEDING,

ONLY OATS, THEN ONLY ALFALFA.

AND THEN THEY WERE TAKEN ON NIGHT RIDES,

WHICH WAS PROBABLY ALSO SO THAT ENEMY SPIES

COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHEN YOU HAD YOUR CHARIOT TEAMS

READY TO RUN, WHEN THEY'RE READY FOR ACTION.

THAT NEEDED TO BE KEPT SECRET FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

IT TAKES SKILL

TO GET THE BEST OUT OF CHARIOT HORSES.

BUT THE ARCHER ALSO NEEDS A CHARIOT DRIVER

THAT HE CAN RELY ON, ONE WHO CAN HANDLE THE REINS.

SO NOW I HAVE A DRIVER AND I AM THE ARCHER.

THIS WAS THE MAIN TWO-MAN CREW.

IN BATTLE YOU HAVE THE DRIVER

AND THE WARRIOR WHO WAS THE ARCHER.

WHAT WE SEE ON THE EGYPTIAN CHARIOTS

IS ON BOTH SIDES CROSSED QUIVERS,

SO THE PRESUMPTION IS THAT I CAN SHOOT HERE

AND TURN AROUND AND USE THESE ARROWS TO SHOOT ON THAT SIDE.

AND CHANGE AND I CAN GET OVER

AND SHOOT USING THESE ARROWS ON THIS SIDE

AND TURN AND USE THOSE.

THEN I SHOULD BE ABLE TO SHOOT

FROM ALL FOUR CORNERS OF THE CHARIOT

BECAUSE IN A BATTLE, ESPECIALLY CHARIOT TO CHARIOT BATTLE,

YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THE CHARIOT

IS COMING OUT OF THE DUST CLOUD,

SO YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO MOVE AROUND.

SO HOW WELL CAN MIKE SHOOT

WHILE THE CHARIOT IS MOVING AT FULL SPEED?

FROM THE PLATFORM, HE HAS TO BE AGILE ENOUGH

TO AIM AND HIT TARGETS IN ANY DIRECTION,

EVEN WHILE SWITCHING POSITIONS.

THE CHARIOT SUSPENSION SHOULD HELP MIKE KEEP HIS BALANCE.

DURING THE TEST,

NINE OUT OF MIKE'S 12 SHOTS HIT THEIR TARGET.

SO, I HAD A FEW MISSES.

BUT YOU KNOW IF YOU WERE IN BATTLE,

FOR EVERY ONE YOU MISS, THERE'S A MAN STANDING BEHIND.

SO, IT WOULD HAVE HIT SOMEBODY IN DENSE RANKS OF MEN.

IT'S FINE TO SHOOT FROM THIS PLATFORM.

IF YOU IMAGINE THOUSANDS OF CHARIOTS ON THE BATTLEFIELD,

WHICH THERE WERE, THEN THE DUST CLOUDS,

YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SEE WHERE THEY WERE.

THEY'RE MOVING AND YOU CAN'T SEE WHERE THEY ARE.

THAT'S FAST ENOUGH NOT TO BE SHOT BACK AT.

SO, I THINK FOR ITS TIME,

IT WAS A REALLY USEFUL WEAPON AND A GAME-CHANGING WEAPON.

IT BROUGHT MOBILITY TO THE BATTLEFIELD.

BUT CHARIOTS ALSO HAVE DRAWBACKS.

THEY'RE EXPENSIVE AND CAN ONLY BE USED

ON RELATIVELY FLAT TERRAIN,

AND AS HORSES ARE BRED TO BE BIGGER, STRONGER,

AND CAPABLE OF CARRYING AN ARMORED WARRIOR INTO BATTLE,

THE NEED FOR A WHEELED MOBILE PLATFORM FADES.

THE NEXT WEAPON,

FOR CENTURIES IT DECIDES THE VICTORS OF ANCIENT BATTLES,

AND YET TODAY, IT'S ASSOCIATED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY

WITH A FAMOUS BIBLICAL STORY, THE SLING.

2,000 YEARS AGO, IN GREEK, ROMAN, AND OTHER ARMIES,

SLINGERS ARE IN HIGH DEMAND.

YET ONLY A FEW PIECES OF EVIDENCE

HAVE BEEN HANDED DOWN ABOUT THIS SIMPLE RANGE WEAPON.

DATING BACK TO THE 2ND CENTURY A.D.,

THIS RELIEF ON TRAJAN'S COLUMN

DEPICTS IBERIANS USING SLINGS.

PROOF OF THEIR TACTICAL ROLE AS A WEAPON

DURING THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

IN ANCIENT BATTLES,

THE USE OF THE SLING WAS QUITE COMMON

AND THE SLING WAS USED IN MUCH THE SAME WAY

AS MUSKETS AND RIFLES IN EARLY 18TH CENTURY,

19TH CENTURY WARFARE.

MIKE LOADES IS HEADING TO DENMARK.

IN A RECONSTRUCTED MEDIEVAL TOWN,

HE WANTS TO DISCOVER THE SECRET

OF THIS NEARLY-FORGOTTEN ANCIENT WEAPON.

THE SLING IS POSSIBLY THE EARLIEST WEAPON

THAT GAVE MEN MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE.

WHAT IT DID WAS IT EXTENDED THE LENGTH OF HIS ARM,

IT MADE THEM LONGER LEVERS

SO YOU COULD THROW WITH MORE SPEED, AND MORE FORCE.

DURING THE STONE AGE,

SLINGS WERE USED FOR HUNTING.

AND LATER, THEIR DISTINCTIVE SNAPPING SOUND

WOULD BE HEARD ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

AN ANCIENT SLING IS BETWEEN TWO FEET TO NEARLY A YARD LONG

AND IS MADE UP OF BRAIDED PLANT FIBERS.

ITS DEADLY PROJECTILES WEIGH

BETWEEN AN OUNCE TO HALF A POUND.

THESE STONES FOUND IN MODERN-DAY TURKEY

DATE BACK AROUND 8,500 YEARS.

EARLY EVIDENCE OF THE SLING USED AS A POTENT WEAPON.

IN EXPERT HANDS,

THE SLING IS A REALLY POWERFUL WEAPON.

IT WAS A BREAKER OF HEADS AND A SMASHER OF BONES.

AND THE BEST SLINGERS CAME FROM THE BALEARIC ISLES.

THEY WERE SOUGHT AFTER BY ALL THE ANCIENT ARMIES:

THE GREEKS, THE ROMANS, THE CARTHAGINIANS.

LEGEND HAS IT THAT THE MOTHERS OF CHILDREN

IN THE BALEARIC ISLES WOULD NOT LET THEM EAT,

WOULD NOT GIVE THEM THEIR FOOD

UNTIL THEY COULD HIT IT WITH A SLING.

THERE WAS SUCH A CULTURAL TRADITION THERE

AND IT LASTS TODAY,

EVEN TODAY THE BEST SLINGERS COME FROM THE BALEARICS.

THESE SLINGERS ARE CELEBRATED

THROUGHOUT THE ISLANDS.

EVERY YEAR, IN SA POBLA, ON MALLORCA,

THE SLINGING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TAKES PLACE.

NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE BEST SLINGER IN THE WORLD

HAILS FROM THE BALEARIC ISLANDS.

LUIS PONS LIVERMORE IS A MULTIPLE-TIME SLING CHAMPION

AND HAS AGREED TO HELP MIKE WITH AN EXPERIMENT.

YOU HAVE DIFFERENT PARTS,

THE RING WHERE YOU PUT THE FINGER.

THE POUCH, WHERE YOU PUT THE STONE OR WHATEVER,

AND THE FINAL IS THE TAIL THAT HAS TWO FUNCTIONS.

ONE IS THE CRACK MAKE A NOISE.

LIKE A WHIPLASH. YEAH, LIKE A WHIP.

AND THE OTHER ONE FOR GET PRECISION.

BUT IF THIS SNAPS LIKE A WHIP,

THAT MEANS THIS IS GOING INCREDIBLY FAST.

I MEAN THIS IS A HIGH-SPEED WEAPON, ISN'T IT? I MEAN...

IT IS.

YOU CAN THROW A ROCK

BUT WHEN YOU THROW IT WITH THIS, THEN IT BECOMES A BULLET.

AN IMPORTANT FACTOR FOR SPEED IS THE BAND,

THE LONGER IT IS, THE FASTER THE PROJECTILE WILL LAUNCH.

THE PART IN THE MIDDLE IS KNOWN AS THE POUCH.

YOU'RE MAKING THE DIVIDE HERE

WHICH IS THIS PART OF THE SLING, WHICH IS CRITICAL.

LET'S HAVE THESE TWO PARTS EXACTLY THE SAME.

LUIS HAS MADE MANY SLINGS FROM SCRATCH.

HE USES PLANT FIBERS THAT ARE RESISTANT TO TEARING.

HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU MADE YOUR FIRST SLING?

PROBABLY 10 YEARS OLD.

OH REALLY? YEAH, 10-11.

AND YOU WOULD NEVERTHROW WITH SOMEONE ELSE'S SLING,

THERE'S A PRIDE IN MAKING YOUR OWN SLING.

NO, ALL THE SLINGS ARE DIFFERENT.

THESE DAYS, LUIS CAN FINISH MAKING A SLING

IN LESS THAN 30 MINUTES.

THAT'S FANTASTIC, THAT WAS SO QUICK,

IT SEEMS SO EASY BUT IT'S ELABORATE.

DURING ANCIENT WARS,

SLINGERS WERE USED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.

IN CAESAR'S TIME, A TYPICAL ROMAN BATTLE FORMATION

WAS MADE UP OF HEAVILY ARMED SOLDIERS

ARRANGED INTO BLOCKS ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

EACH BLOCK, KNOW AS A COHORT,CONSISTED OF ABOUT 500 MEN.

THE SOLDIERS WITH SLINGS WERE PLACED

BETWEEN THE INDIVIDUAL BLOCKS, AS WELL AS IN THE FRONT ROWS.

ONCE THE BATTLE STARTS

YOU COULD HAVE THE ELITE SLINGERS

LIKE THE BALEARIC SLINGERS,

YOU COULD HAVE THEM IN THE FRONT LINE.

MEN WHO COULD AIM ACCURATELY,

MEN WHO COULD TARGET A GENERAL ON A HORSE AT 300 METERS.

BUT YOU COULD ALSO USE REGULAR SLINGERS

BEHIND RANKS OF ARCHERS BECAUSE THE SLING

HAS GOT A GREATER RANGE THAN THE BOW AND ARROW

AND THESE MEN WOULD BE THROWING HIGH IN THE AIR

BRINGING DOWN A TEMPEST OF STONES

FALLING ON THE HEADS OF THE ENEMY.

IN ADDITION TO THE TOP BALEARIC SNIPERS,

THE LESS EXPERIENCED MEN WITH SLINGS PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE.

BUT HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO MASTER THE WEAPON?

LUIS RECRUITS THREE AMATEURS

TO HELP OUT IN AN EXPERIMENT TO TEST JUST THAT.

FOR SAFETY REASONS,

THEY'LL USE TENNIS BALLS INSTEAD OF STONES.

THE RING GOES IN THE MIDDLE FINGER.

YOU PUT IT LIKE THIS AND IT'S HANGING OUT OF YOUR HAND,

OKAY, YOU PICK THE TAIL

AND YOU CLOSE IT IN YOUR HAND LIKE THIS, OKAY, SOFT.

AND YOU SEE THE POUCH,

YOU HAVE TO BE THE SAME LEVEL, ALL RIGHT?

WHEN YOU HAVE THIS,

YOU HAVE TO PUT THE TENNIS BALL JUST ON TOP.

ONCE YOU GET THE BALL INPOSITION,

AND YOU HAVE THE SLING IN YOUR HAND,

YOU SPIN IT THREE, FOUR TIMES,

YOU HAVE TO PULL YOUR ARM,

AND WHEN YOU PULL YOUR ARM, YOU HAVE TO GET CLOSE THE TAIL.

SO HAVING A SLING IS LIKE HAVING A LONG ARM.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU WANT TO PASS THE BALL LIKE THIS

AND IS GOING TO GO OUT IS THE SAME.

YOU HAVE TO, TO GET THE MOVEMENT, PUT IT IN FRONT,

AND OPEN YOUR HAND FORWARD.

THE TARGET IS A TIN CAN 30 FEET AWAY.

WHO WILL HIT IT ON THE THEIR FIRST TRY?

FOR WORLD CHAMPION LUIS, IT'S A PIECE OF CAKE.

Woman: NO PRESSURE.

NO PRESSURE. Man: NO PRESSURE.

NOT SURPRISINGLY,

THE AMATEURS HAVE A HARD TIME WITH THEIR SLINGS.

ACCURACY IS DIFFICULT.

Man: IT'S HARDER THAN I THOUGHT

BECAUSE MY BALLS WERE ALL OVER THE PLACE,

SO I DON'T KNOW, IN 10 YEARS I MIGHT BE AS GOOD AS HIM.

IN ANCIENT TIMES,

IT TOOK YEARS OF TRAINING TO DEVELOP A DEAD-EYE SNIPER

FROM JUST ANOTHER SOLDIER WITH A SLING.

ONE OF THE SIMPLEST RANGED WEAPONS,

A SLING CAN BE A LOW-TECH WEAPON OF ORDINARY PEOPLE.

EVEN UNDERDOGS.

CASE IN POINT, THE FAMOUS OLD TESTAMENT STORY

OF DAVID AND GOLIATH WHERE A SMALL ISRAELITE BOY

FACES A MASSIVE PHILISTINE WARRIOR.

THE YOUNG SHEPHERD REACHES INTO HIS SATCHEL,

TAKES OUT A STONE, AND SLINGS IT,

HITTING THE GIANT IN THE FOREHEAD.

THIS TELLS US EVERYTHING ABOUT THE SLING,

IT'S A LEVELING WEAPON,

IT ALLOWS SOMEBODY WHO IS NOT OF ELITE STATUS,

DOESN'T HAVE ALL THE ELITE EQUIPMENT

OF ARMOR, SWORD AND HORSE,

TO DO SOMETHING REALLY SIGNIFICANT ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

SINCE ANCIENT TIMES,

STONES HAVE BEEN USED AS AMMUNITION.

THEY'RE AVAILABLE ANYWHERE,

BUT NOT EVERY STONE IS SUITABLE FOR THE SLING.

BUT THEY HAVE TO BE A UNIFORM SHAPE.

IT'S NO GOOD ME PICKING UP THESE STONES.

NO, NOTHING.

BECAUSE THEY WOULD THROW ALL OVER THE PLACE.

ALL OVER THE PLACE,

THEY WON'T FLY IN A STRAIGHT LINE,

MAYBE YOU CAN LOSE IT WHEN YOU GO SPINNING.

SO YOU HAVE TO EITHER FIND STONES

THAT ARE A NICE EVEN SHAPE, OR YOU HAVE TO--

MAKE THEM. MAKE THEM.

THESE TYPES OF STONE PROJECTILES

WEIGH ABOUT SEVEN OUNCES.

WHAT KIND OF IMPACT DO THEY HAVE?

A WOODEN AND TIN TARGET IS SET UP FOR A TEST 45 FEET AWAY.

THE SLING'S CHARACTERISTIC WHIP-CRACK NOISE

IS HEARD EVERY TIME THE BACK PART OF THE SLING

BREAKS THE SOUND BARRIER DURING THE SHOT.

THE SOUND WAVE OF THE SLING BAND INCREASES

AS IT CONTINUES TO THE SLACK-END

WHERE IT REACHES TWICE THE SPEED OF SOUND.

YOU'VE JUST EATEN THAT SHIELD!

STONE AFTER STONE JUST EATING AWAY.

AND YOU WERE DOING IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN,

IT'S A VERY RHYTHMIC ACTION.

YES, IF YOU HAVE THE POINT,

YOU HAVE TO KEEP SHOOTING, SHOOTING, SHOOTING.

LOOK AT THE IMPACT ON THE METAL!

IT'S A TERRIFYING WEAPON, TERRIFYING WEAPON.

I MEAN THOSE STONES, THAT'S GONNA KILL YOU.

WITH THAT SPEED THAT YOU ARE THROWING,

WITH THAT WHIP-CRACK FORCE,

WHETHER YOU ARE WEARING ARMOR OR NOT,

IF IT HITS YOU IN THE HEAD, IT'S CERTAINLY GONNA KILL YOU.

YEAH, OBVIOUSLY.

HOW FAST DOES THE STONE PROJECTILE

TRAVEL WHEN IT'S SHOT BY LUIS?

MIKE TESTS THE SPEED WITH A HIGH-PRECISION DIGITAL METER.

BUT IN ORDER TO MEASURE THE SPEED,

LUIS NEEDS TO SHOOT DIRECTLY THROUGH THE OPENING.

SUCCESS, BUT HOW FAST DID HE FLING THE STONE?

52 METERS PER SECOND,

SO THAT'S 186-187 KILOMETERS PER HOUR, PRETTY FAST.

A SLING CAN REACH TOP SPEEDS,

BUT ON-TARGET ACCURACY ISDIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY IN COMBAT.

A DELAY OF JUST 2/10 OF A SECOND BEFORE RELEASE

CAN CAUSE A 30-DEGREE DEVIATION IN THE STONE'S TRAJECTORY.

TO INCREASE THEIR HIT RATE,

ANCIENT WARRIORS CHOSE UNIFORMLY-SHAPED MISSILES

AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.

THESE PROJECTILES WERE MADE MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS AGO.

SO WE GOT TWO VERY DIFFERENT MISSILES HERE,

THE HEAVY ROCK AND THE ROMAN GLANDES

WHICH IS LATIN FOR ACORN,

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT'S AN ACORN SHAPE.

THE ROMAN GLANDES CAN BE PRODUCED

AT ANY CAMPFIRE SINCE LEAD MELTS

AT A TEMPERATURE OF 622 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

THE LEAD MISSILES WOULD OFTEN CONTAIN A MESSAGE

DIRECTED TO THE ENEMY.

ON THIS ONE, IT SAYS IN GREEK LETTERS, "TAKE THAT."

THE TRADITION OF WRITING ON PROJECTILES

CONTINUES TO THIS DAY. DURING WORLD WAR II,

ALLIED AIRCRAFT CREWS OFTEN DECORATED THEIR BOMBS

WITH MESSAGES FOR THE GERMANS.

DURING THE IRAQ WARS, AMERICAN SOLDIERS INSCRIBED MESSAGES

TO SADDAM HUSSEIN ON THEIR BOMBS.

THE NEXT EXPERIMENT WILL MEASURE THE IMPACT OF WOUNDS

CREATED BY A SLING.

WORLD CHAMPION, LUIS PONS LIVERMORE, WILL SLING STONES

AT A REALISTIC LEATHER-SKINNED DUMMY BLOCK.

A CAMERA RECORDS THE MOMENT OF IMPACT.

LOOK AT THAT.

WE CAN SEE HOW HARD IT HIT BY HOW FAR IT HAS BOUNCED BACK.

HERE IT IS, I MEAN THIS IS ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE,

THAT'S SIX METERS FROM WHERE IT HIT.

THAT WAS A TREMENDOUS IMPACT

AND YOU HIT HIM RIGHT OVER THE HEART.

THAT WOULD HAVE SMASHED HIS RIBS AND STOPPED HIS HEART.

YEP.

NEXT, WE TRY THE LEAD-CAST ROMAN GLANDES.

WHAT'S THE IMPACT OF THE SMALLER

SHARP-EDGED PROJECTILES ON THE DUMMY?

LOOK AT THIS, LUIS, THAT IS CHILLING.

IT'S ACTUALLY IN THERE, YOU ACTUALLY GOT IT INSIDE THE MAN.

THIS HAS GONE THROUGH AND EMBEDDED DEEP INSIDE,

THAT IS A WEAPON!

SLINGERS APPEAR REPEATEDLY IN WORLD HISTORY.

IN THIS 14TH CENTURY DEPICTION FROM THE MIDDLE AGES,

THEY ARE SHOWN NEXT TO THE ARCHERS.

DURING ITS CONQUEST OF THE INCA EMPIRE,

SPAIN IS CONFRONTED WITH WARRIORS USING SLINGS.

AS A WEAPON OF WAR, THE SLING IS FINALLY REPLACED

WHEN FIREARMS BEGIN TO APPEAR ON THE SCENE.

STARTING IN THE 16TH CENTURY, THESE WEAPONS CHANGE WARFARE.

SMALL HANDGUNS,LIKE THE REVOLVER, BECOME MORE PREVALENT,

INSPIRING NEW BATTLEFIELDTACTICS ESPECIALLY FOR HORSEMEN.

AND THE REVOLVER BECOMES LEGENDARY,

NOT ONLY FOR ITS SPEED.

ITS MYTH IS CLOSELY TIED

TO A ROMANTICIZED IDEAL OF THE WILD WEST.

COWBOYS, OUTLAWS, AND SHERIFFS,

THEY ALL HAVE THE REVOLVER IN THEIR HOLSTERS,

AND WHOEVER DRAWS FASTER, WINS.

BUT NOT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THE REVOLVER

ALSO INFLUENCED MILITARY CONFLICTS,

LIKE THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR.

IN LARGE PART BECAUSE ONE OF ITS DESIGN FEATURES

GIVES IT AN EDGE IN SPEED.

THE HISTORY OF WAR IS ABOUT,

IS A CONSTANT SEARCH FOR AN ADVANTAGE.

HAVING WEAPONS THAT ARE FASTER THAN THE ENEMY'S WEAPONS

IS A GREAT ADVANTAGE.

IF YOU CAN SHOOT FASTER,

YOU CAN KILL HIM QUICKER THAN HE CAN KILL YOU.

DREAMS OF A PISTOL THAT CAN FIRE

MORE THAN ONE SHOT WITHOUT RELOADING

HAD BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

BUT DESIGNS WERE EITHER TOO EXPENSIVE,

OR LIKE THESE PEPPERBOX MODELS, TOO HEAVY.

THEN COMES A YOUNG AMERICAN WITH BIG IDEAS

AND NO SHORTAGE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT.

SAMUEL COLT IS A CLASSIC AMERICAN ENTREPRENEUR,

HE'S A SHOWMAN, HE DELIGHTS IN PUBLIC DISPLAY,

IN DOING SOMETHING EXCEPTIONAL.

HE FIRST CAME TO PUBLIC ATTENTION BY BLOWING UP A SHIP,

EVERYBODY GOT VERY WET AND NOBODY BOUGHT THE TORPEDO.

IT SAID COLT CAME UP WITH THE IDEA

FOR THE REVOLVER'S MECHANISM WHILE ON A SHIP.

DEPENDING ON THE VERSION OF THE TALE,

LEGEND HAS IT THAT AT THE AGE OF 16,

HE NOTICES THAT WHEN THE ANCHOR IS HOISTED,

A WINCH CLAMPS AFTER EACH ROTATION.

THIS BASIC PRINCIPLE LATER BECOMES THE INSPIRATION

FOR THE REVOLVER MAGAZINE.

HE THEN COMES UP WITH THE IDEA OF THE REVOLVING,

SIX-CHAMBERED PISTOL, WHICH BECOMES HIS TRADEMARK.

THE FIRST REVOLVER THAT COLT SELLS

TO THE ARMY ON A LARGE SCALE IS THE COLT WALKER,

A REPEATING HANDGUN PRODUCED IN 1847.

JON RIVERA IS A FORMER POLICEMAN

AND PROFESSIONAL WEAPONS EXPERT

WHO HAS WON SEVERAL RAPID FIRE COMPETITIONS.

AT A SHOOTING RANGE, HE'LL REVEAL THE SECRET OF THE COLT.

THE COLT WALKER, WEIGHT: JUST UNDER FOUR POUNDS;

CALIBER: 44, MEANING ROUGHLY AN 11-MILLIMETER DIAMETER.

SAMUEL COLT IS THE GODFATHER OF FIREARMS.

FROM 1861 TO 1865,

THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR RAGES,

PITTING THE NORTHERN STATES OF THE UNION

AGAINST THE CONFEDERATE STATES IN THE SOUTH.

THE NORTH WANTED TO ABOLISH SLAVERY,

WHILE THE SOUTH WANTED TO PRESERVE IT.

MORE THAN THREE MILLION SOLDIERS BATTLE EACH OTHER.

ULTIMATELY, AN ESTIMATED 750,000 OF THEM ARE KILLED.

THE HIGH DEATH TOLL RESULTS FROM THE USE OF MODERN WEAPONS.

COLT SELLS CLOSE TO 400,000 REVOLVERS TO THE UNION ALONE,

AND MANY OF THE FIREARMS HE SELLS ARE COLT WALKERS.

HOW DID CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS LOAD AND SHOOT IT?

IN THE OLDEN DAYS, WHAT THEY WOULD DO

IS THEY WOULD HAVE A DEER HORN OR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS

AND THEY'D PUT THEIR FINGER OVER THE TOP

AND THEY WOULD TURN IT UPSIDE DOWN, THEN GET MEASURING

AND THEY WOULD POUR IT DIRECTLY INTO THE CYLINDER.

AND DROP IN A 44 GRAIN ROUND PROJECTILE IN IT.

THE COLT WALKER

STILL NEEDS TO BE LOADED FROM THE FRONT.

I'M GONNA CENTER IT ON THE BALL,

AND I'M GONNA PUSH IT DOWN AND SEAT IT.

IT CAME TO COMPLETE REST

AND NOW I KNOW THAT IT IS ACTUALLY SEATED

IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CYLINDER.

SO, IMAGINE THE DIFFICULTY IF YOU'RE RIDING OR IN COMBAT

AND SOMEBODY'S SHOOTING AT YOU RIGHT NOW

AS YOU'RE TRYING TO MANIPULATE AND LOAD YOUR GUN.

FIREARMS EXPERT JON RIVERA

WILL DEMONSTRATE HOW QUICKLY

HE CAN FIRE SIX SHOTS WITH THE COLT WALKER.

THIS IS CONSIDERED CAVALRY-STYLE

WITH THE BUTTS FORWARD

BECAUSE IF YOU'RE RIDING A HORSE

AND YOU NEED TO GET OUT YOUR FIREARM,

IT'S EASIER TO CROSS DRAW AND COME UP TO YOUR TARGET

THAN IT IS BECAUSE THE BARREL IS SO LONG,

COMING ALL THE WAY UP YOUR SIDE AND COMING ONTO TARGET.

IT'S PULLED OUT ACROSS THE BODY, UP, HAMMER BACK,

ACQUIRE THE TARGET, AND FIRE.

SEE THE CAPS FALLING OUT?

ACQUIRE TARGET.

AFTER EVERY SHOT,

JON NEEDS TO RAISE THE WEAPON UP TO A VERTICAL POSITION

SO THAT THE DETONATORS FALL OUT.

WITH THIS EARLY VERSION, KNOWN AS A SINGLE-ACTION REVOLVER,

THE SHOOTER HAS TO MANUALLY COCK THE GUN EVERY TIME.

THIS ROTATES THE BARREL

AND LOCKS IT INTO CORRECT POSITION FOR THE NEXT SHOT,

BUT THE COMPLEX MECHANISM IS PRONE TO MALFUNCTIONS.

WE HAD A MISFIRE ON THIS ONE,

SO I ONLY GOT FOUR SHOTS OFF ON TARGET.

AND THIS ONE IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHAT HAPPENS

IF YOU DON'T RAISE THE GUN AND CLEAR IT.

WHAT HAPPENED IS IT'S FRAGMENTED

AND IF I CONTINUE AND IF IDIDN'T RAISE IT UP AND SHAKE IT,

WATCH, IT'LL JAM DOWN BELOW,

AND NOW MY GUN IS NO LONGER GOOD.

JON NEEDS A TOTAL OF 15 SECONDS

TO FIRE FOUR SHOTS.

RELOADING IT WOULD COST HIM ANOTHER MINUTE.

THEN, THERE ARE OTHER DISADVANTAGES

FOR SOLDIERS USING IT IN COMBAT.

IT IS RIDICULOUSLY HEAVYAND IF YOU'RE HOLDING IT OUT,

YOU'RE GONNA BE SHAKING.

AND IF YOU'RE RIDING A HORSE,

IT'S GONNA BE HARD TO ACQUIRE YOUR TARGET AND STAY ON IT.

IT WAS STATE OF THE ART AT THE TIME.

I MEAN I'LL GLADLY TAKE SIX SHOTS,

FIVE SHOTS, FOUR SHOTS OVER SOMEONE

WHO ONLY HAS ONE, ANY DAY OF THE WEEK.

THE MILITARY CALLS THE REVOLVER

A SIDE WEAPON, A LAST RESORT IN CLOSE-COMBAT SITUATIONS.

IT CAN BE EASILY BEATEN BY A RIFLE

IN TERMS OF RANGE AND PRECISION

BUT IT STILL WAS FIRED COUNTLESS TIMES

ON CIVIL WAR BATTLEFIELDS.

SO, SAMUEL COLT SOLD THE FIREARM

TO BOTH THE CONFEDERATE AND TO THE UNION.

AND ALTHOUGH IT WAS THE SAME WEAPON,

IT WAS USED DIFFERENTLY.

THE CONFEDERATE, SMALLER, NOT QUITE AS FUNDED,

WERE GUERRILLA WARFARE.

SO, WHAT THEY WOULD DO IS,

THEY WOULD SNEAK IN THROUGH THE TREES, THROUGH THE BUSHES,

AND IT WAS EASY TO CARRY A PISTOL,

WHEREAS A LONG RIFLE WOULD GET CAUGHT ON SHRUBS

AS YOU WENT THROUGH, OR TREES.

WHEREAS THE UNION, THIS WAS A CAVALRY GUN.

THEY WOULD CARRY IT CROSS DRAW, QUICK, AGILE,

THEY COULD GET UP ONTO THE CONFEDERATE QUICKLY,

AND COME UP ON THE TARGET AND SHOOT.

SAMUEL COLT CONTINUED TO DEVELOP HIS WEAPON

AND PUT A POPULAR IDEA OF THE ERA INTO PRACTICE,

MASS PRODUCTION

USING STANDARDIZED, INTERCHANGEABLE PARTS.

WITH HIS REVOLVER MODELS,

COLT CONTINUED TO BUILD UPON HIS LEGEND.

THE 1851 NAVY IS HIS MOST SUCCESSFUL MODEL,

SELLING 250,000 UNITS.

MANY CONSIDER HIS 1860 ARMY MODEL

TO BE THE BEST OF THE EARLY REVOLVERS.

AND FINALLY, HIS SINGLE ACTION ARMY 1873

IS THE FIRST REVOLVER THAT CAN BE LOADED

WITH COPPER CARTRIDGES, ALLOWING FOR EVEN MORE SPEED.

BY INTRODUCING THE CARTRIDGE,

YOU COULD CARRY MULTIPLE ROUNDS IN YOUR POCKET,

YOU CAN CARRY THEM ON YOUR BELT,

YOU SEE THE OLD COWBOY MOVIES WITH THE LOOPS IN THE BACK.

YOU COULD LOAD AND COME UP ON YOUR TARGET FASTER

AND IN DOING SO, GET OFF YOUR SHOTS.

VERSUS THE OLD ONE, REMEMBER, WE HAD TO DO THE CAP AND BALL

AND MAKE SURE THE CAP WOULD FALL OUT.

AND, IF YOU BECAME PROFICIENT WITH YOUR FIREARM,

YOU CAN ACTUALLY COME UP

AND WITH YOUR OPPOSITE HAND, GET OFF SIX SHOTS.

THE ULTIMATE LEGEND OF THE WILD WEST,

AN OUTLAW AND A SHERIFF FACE OFF IN A DUEL.

THEY BOTH PULL QUICKLY, SHOOTING FROM THE HIP.

IS IT REALISTIC, OR JUST A HOLLYWOOD FANTASY?

JON WILL DEMONSTRATE THIS KIND OF TARGETED HIP SHOT,

IT TAKES A LOT OF TRAINING TO AIM ACCURATELY.

SO, IF YOU NOTICE I NEVER BROUGHT THE GUN

UP HIGHER THAN MY HIP, OKAY?

SO, MOTION IS TIME.

IF I'M TAKING THE GUN AND COMING ALL THE WAY UP

AND COMING ON TARGET VERSUS A GUNFIGHTER

WHO PRACTICES ENOUGH,

AND CAN HIT FROM THIS, IT'S NOT A FAIR FIGHT.

SO WHAT'S THE SECRET?

HOW FAST CAN JON SHOOT WITH A REVOLVER?

HE USES A MODERN WEAPON OPTIMIZED FOR COMPETITION,

WE TIME HIM FOR SIX SHOTS.

A SLOW MOTION REPLAY SHOWS

THAT WITH A FLUID MOVEMENT OF BOTH HANDS,

JON CAN FIRE SHOT AFTER SHOT IN SECONDS.

THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE.

SO BASICALLY ALL THOSE SHOTS

WERE RIGHT ABOUT WITHIN JUST OVER A SECOND AND A HALF.

I WOULD SAY THAT'S PRETTY FAST,

I WOULD HATE TO BE DOWNRANGE.

TO COMPARE THE TWO,

IN THE TIME IT TAKES JON TO FIRE JUST ONE SHOT

WITH THE SINGLE -ACTION COLT WALKER,

HE CAN MANAGE SIX WITH THE NEWER COLT MODEL.

THE REVOLVER'S LEGENDARY STATUS

BEGAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 19TH CENTURY

WITH SAMUEL COLT'S EARLY MODELS.

WHAT WE GOT WITH SAMUEL COLT

IS SOMEBODY WHO SEES AN OPPORTUNITY

TO CREATE SOMETHING MORE THAN A PRODUCT.

HE'S CREATING, WELL, I DON'T THINK A REVOLVER

IS A LIFESTYLE, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY,

IT'S THAT KIND OF DESIGNER-BRANDED GOOD.

BUT AN OBSESSION WITH THESE KINDS OF FIREARMS

ALSO KILLS AROUND 15,000 PEOPLE

PER YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES.

FROM A NUMERICAL STANDPOINT,

THERE'S ALMOST ONE GUN FOR EACH AMERICAN CITIZEN,

THE HIGHEST DENSITY IN THE WORLD.

AND THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION, NRA FOR SHORT,

SUPPORTS THIS WHOLEHEARTEDLY.

SINCE THE 1970S,

THE NRA HAS PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN U.S. POLITICS.

THEIR MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITY,

PREVENTING STRICTER LAWS ON FIREARMS,

EVEN IF BLOODY TRAGEDIES

HAVE BECOME A PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS A COUNTRY

WHERE THE GUN IS PART OF CULTURE AND IDENTITY

IN A WAY THAT IT ISN'T IN OLDER COUNTRIES.

AND THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION

HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT THERE IS AN ENORMOUS POLITICAL SUPPORT

FOR RETAINING THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR

WHATEVER WEAPONS YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE.

THESE CAN BE MILITARY-GRADE ASSAULT RIFLES,

HUNTING RIFLES, ALL KINDS OF WEAPONS.

THE AMERICANS ARE ESSENTIALLY IN LOVE WITH WEAPONS.

MASS SHOOTINGS IN SCHOOLS

HAVE IGNITED DEBATES ABOUT CONTROLLING FIREARMS,

AS A RESULT, SOME STATES HAVE CHANGED THEIR LAWS.

BUT THE NUMBER OF ACTS OF VIOLENCE HAS NOT DECREASED.

SAMUEL COLT'S INVENTION OF THE REVOLVER ALSO CONTRIBUTES

TO THE UNITED STATES' CURRENT ISSUES WITH GUN CONTROL.

BY THE 20TH CENTURY, THE MILITARY REPLACES THE REVOLVER

WITH SEMI-AUTOMATIC SELF-LOADING PISTOLS.

TODAY, THE REVOLVER IS PRIMARILY POPULAR

WITH COLLECTORS AND MARKSMEN.

SPEED IS STILL A DECISIVE FACTOR IN WARFARE.

HOW FAST WILL WEAPONS OF THE FUTURE BE?

HAVE WE ALREADY REACHED THE LIMITS OF WHAT'S POSSIBLE?

A U.S. NAVY DESIGN COULD OPEN UP A NEW CHAPTER

IN THE RACE FOR HIGH-SPEED WEAPONS,

A LASER GUN THAT CAN DESTROY A TARGET PRECISELY,

WITHIN MILLISECONDS.

INITIAL TESTS DONE BY NAVY SHIPS

IN THE ARABIAN GULF HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.

AN INVISIBLE LASER BEAM THAT COMES OUT OF NOWHERE

AND STRIKES AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT.

IS THIS THE FUTURE OF WAR?