I am joined today by Cy Hudson, to take a look at the early prototypes of the Hudson H9 pistol – nicknamed the Brick and the Boat Anchor – and to discuss the development process of the gun from the initial sketch in MS Paint to the final production guns that are coming off the production line now. This is a fantastic rare opportunity to get a real firsthand account of just what is involved in designing a new firearm, and I’m excited to share it with you!
If you would like to know more about the Hudson, make sure to check out the Q&A with Cy and Lauren Hudson that Karl and I have posted over on InRangeTV today:
Haven’t seen the video yet, but I hope you and Karl sort out whatever upload problems you’re having on Full30. Aside from your Improvised Weapon roundtable, nothing you’ve posted in the last 48 hours is available.
Thanks for the end depth look at prototypes that will be on RIA or Julia one day for thousands of dollars. I have been interested in this since the first Shot Show you did but I will never be able to afford one.
ARGH! I don’t think I’ll be able to afford a production model of this gun. Maybe I’ll have to wait a few years…
From first to second prototype, trigger, dismount and barrel locking systems seem very much improved through a level that, as if the changes were made by different designers hired for the cause the unsufficiençy of the starting people and even in the last making, the given workmanship, seems at a level which can not be manufactured in a reasonable price range.
They almost appear different guns to me, the shaped surfaces face in different directions. I think it still isn’t quite finished this pistol, but since they are selling it, if it functions correctly and the low bore axis/high grip lark works out… I suppose you could say job done.
Well they are actually, as he says in the video my bag. I kinda think the front bit is a leftover though, it might act as a weight to help reduce muzzle flip… But it does seem somewhat superfluous, when I first saw this pistol I was expecting to see some sort of interesting mechanism in it as oppose a void, or slide mass initially I thought it was a .45 probably the 1911 pistol grip/the reviewer mentioning a striker fired 1911, when I saw daylight appear beneath the frame and slide I was somewhat disappointed. Seems to shoot good though, so that’s the main thing, maybe it has a sort of Robocop aesthetic to it: Which may help sales who knows.
Sounds like Ian has the start of “McCollums’ Finest Mini Pattern Room”
Also: It’s great to see/hear discussion of design for manufacturability. To do a thing is so often much more difficult than to think a thing, and I wish more people appreciated that whilst still being inspired to think, and do!
You can certainly tell it takes a lot of work.
Synonym for iteration needed.
I’ve watched a few reviews on this pistol, with it being new. It’s the low bore access which is the point of it “one review suggested it was the return spring position” the return spring is low because it has to sit under the barrel stop thing. Does it drop out of locking though, or tilt; The Webley dropped, this tilts but is that mainly to do with feeding with that propriety modified S&W mag. When the author disassembled it, he said you had to keep the barrel in position- otherwise it drops, or raises… Have to watch it again, that was before it tilted though I think because the slide was forward.
(The low bore as an anti muzzle flip measure) It seems to have achieved a low bore for a locked design, compared to the 1911. Nice gun, seems to be some trepidation about it’s price. Whatever happened to that Russian gun with the swing arm Borchardt locking thing, that had a low bore axis but it was a funny shape, suppose this is in away.
https://www.full30.com/video/bb43ca9e6375e9e6b1b8c4656efc68aa
Arsenal strike 1: Is the “Russian pistol” in the link above, and it was Bergmann as oppose Borch’etc.
Would having the return spring that low help, in regards reducing muzzle flip out interest? Just thinking you could “tuning fork” shape the barrel stop thing, and run the guide rod through it possibly: Might affect the tilty’ness, when compressed but I wouldn’t imagine it would prevent it- Aim lose the unconventional shape, which appears to essentially just be a housing for said enlarged barrel stop thing with the spring below.
Suppose it might, for example if you made one with the recoil spring inline with the bottom of the pistol grip you can imagine the recoil of the slide being distributed somewhat in that direction so kinda down… Or an impulse, of the recoil, heading that way.
That lever arm is superfluous, don’t reinforce it, remove it. I don’t like that flange it’s to long and smells, the recoil spring needs to come up to penetrate the flange properly… Missionary style.
Ian pre-reviews a future Forgotten Weapon!
Early Colt autos, with swing arm dropping barrel. Maybe they shoot, low. So raising the sights/optics may help.