Why rifle proofing is crucially important💥

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]You're not watching Mission Impossible, but part of a very important process.

[00:00:08]It ensures the arms our armed forces use are safe before entering service, and it's been happening here for nearly 400 years for good [music] reason. I have seen at the range a large caliber 30 mm cannon blow up, and that was extremely catastrophic. There were bits of shrapnel 40 m down the range from the barrel. So, when that happens, it's a a real reminder to us all why we're doing this. It's about finding and stopping any flaws before a weapon is delivered.

[00:00:41]Every firearm, whether it's for military use or not, has to go through something called a proofing process. It's a series of tests where they make sure that the weapon is not only made properly, but that it can withstand the pressure of modern-day ammunition. We've been given rare access to the world's oldest firearms proofing house in London. Every year, thousands of [music] weapons are tested before being sold to make sure they're safe to use. Not all of them pass the tests, and when it goes wrong, it goes very wrong.