Death in Their Hands

This is the story of the pistol, from the very first rudimentary weapons - as likely to kill firer as target - to the sophisticated fashion accessories of the present day. It includes sections on the Browning, the Baretta, the Mauser, the Luger, the Colt and the Smith and Wesson.

Of all hand weapons, it is the rifle that has seen the greatest technological advances, as this episode demonstrates. From the times when rifles were little more than cannons on sticks to the era of the ultra-high powered snipers rifles. The programme also looks at the Brown Bess, the Martini Henri, The Lee Enfield, the Springfield and the Carbine.

The story of some of the most feared and deadly weapons on the battlefield from the very early primitive German mass fire machines to the modern MG3. This episode explores the stories behind such legends as the Sten Gun and the Owen.

For some 500 years following the invention of the gun, the rate at which one could fire has been limited by the time it takes to reload. With the invention of the machine gun, a gun's rate of fire went from two or three shots per minute to 100 shots per second.

Anti-tank weapons, rocket launchers, grenades, bazookas, mortars, flame throwers and rifle grenades - all of these have won a place on the battlefield as close support weapons during an infantry assault. This episode traces the development and deployment of those weapons.

To be one step ahead of your enemy in terms of the arms your soldiers carry can mean the difference between victory and destruction. The arms race has existed since the beginning of war and has consistently changed the face of society.