Part two of the custom SOCOM 10/22 features a combat-inspired mini-carbine weapon system. It’s a modern evolution of a vintage, exotic style 10/22 of the 1980s. For decades, the configuration of this gun has been virtually unchanged. Its original features are still a formidable close-quarter arm by today’s standard. However, with the availability of better parts and accessories, its evolutionary stage goes on to suit contemporary sensibilities without compromising its timeless classic military beauty. The previously covered SOCOM I 10/22 build is geared towards creating a multi-purpose, compact rifle system complete with a dummy suppressor to lend an air of authenticity and good looks. On the other hand, the mod-2 design is tailored towards defensive capability in a formidable package offering maximum firepower (with various high-capacity magazines available), optics, railed iron sight, and shorter match barrels for accuracy. This rimfire battle gun comes complete with fixed and folding stock to suit specific needs and is bipod adaptable.

This build is an alternative to full bore battle rifles for those who are unable to control the recoil or can’t stand the concussion of a centerfire cartridge. Another advantage of rimfire is its cost-effective ammunition compared to centerfire cartridges. The extra savings amount to regular combat shooting practice and more time in simulated scenarios. There has never been more choice in .22 LR ammo than ever before; from target practice and hunting to pure defensive loads. In today’s economy, the value of .22 rimfire ammo is unbeatable. The market is flooded with all sorts of rimfire guns today – some good, some bad, and some in between, but a well-built vintage Ruger 10/22 rifle remains my top pick. The quality of this rifle (along with all the included companies’ product lines) is unsurpassed among its competitors when Bill Ruger still has total control of the manufacturing operations.

For example, 10/22’s that are manufactured during his time have displayed better quality inside and out. The anodized receiver feels smoother when you cycle the action compared to the new paint finishes. You only have to compare the parts made today with vintage guns and you can see the difference in overall quality, fit, finish, and workmanship. The majority of the investment-cast parts of the older models are beautifully machine-finished and rarely need additional work. Rarely, do any other parts of this gun break or need replacing except the firing pin, extractor, and their springs, when they wear out.

The SOCOM II retains the vintage Choate Zytel folding stock in a rare camo accent. The old-style metal folding stock assembly has been replaced with a more sophisticated combination of ACE folding stock mechanism and AR-style buttstocks. This new arrangement raised the position of the buttstock allowing the use of optics and receiver-mounted railed iron sights such as the versatile Nodak Spud NDS-22 sight set. The ACE folding stock mounting hardware is installed directly to the original cutout at the rear of the Zytel stock by two 12×1.5 pan socket-head tapping screws. The screw heads will require minor trimming to fit the ACE assembly slot. A one-inch-thick black polymer spacer (laminated wood can be used as a substitute) was added as a filler to the back to make the mounting space more proportionate. The mounting screws secure both the folding stock mechanism and spacer to the back of the stock. For best result, apply adhesive to the spacer before mounting it to the stock. Pre-drill the location for the mounting screw (use a drill bit that’s half the diameter of the screw) after positioning the ACE hardware in the right spot.

The front end of the stock needs to be shortened and the barrel channel widened toward its front section to accommodate the diameter of the heavy barrel. The front hollow section of the forearm after cutting was filled with J-B Weld then re-contoured after drying and spray painted with automotive crinkle-type finish to match the ventilated handguard. The handguard was fabricated from 1.5-inch aluminum tubing split in half. Skateboard tape was wrapped around the forearm for a non-slip gripping surface as a finishing touch. An optional side rail was added just below the ejection port for mounting extra accessories. A Magpul bipod mount is positioned at the front of the forearm for a Harris bipod attachment. A sling mount for an Uncle Mike’s sling swivel is positioned at the front-left side of the forearm to match the ACE folding stock mechanism sling mount.

The fixed stock version uses a standard Ruger polymer stock that is shortened on both ends for a more compact format. A rubberized material is used to plug the open end of the buttstock and is glued in place. Hardwood can be used as a substitute. The CAA adjustable cheekpiece (discontinued, but still available from Iron Eagle Tactical) is added for high-rise optics. After shortening, the open front-end section of the stock is also J-B Weld-filled and re-contoured once hardened. A Magpul 11-slot polymer rail is mounted to the bottom and right side of the forearm for tactical accessories such as a vertical grip, light, or laser. To accommodate a Harris bipod, an Uncle Mike’s sling swivel base is mounted over the bottom rail of the forearm.

Chosen for this setup was the Fabsports 10.5-inch threaded heavy barrel. This barrel was part of a batch of half-a-dozen barrels fabricated by the company from commercial barrel blanks as part of their Thompson 10/22 kit. This kit was to be marketed with a choice of the finned or semi-tapered barrel. After the Thompson kit prototypes were completed, it was followed by the FS-556 kit (only 50 of which were produced) and the full profile magazine cover (MACOV) for Butler Creek high capacity magazines a year later. Sadly, after a brief advertising effort by the company, the Thompson .22 kits did not attract enough interest to warrant the tooling cost while the FS-556 and MACOV barely sold all the units that were made. This eventually led to the closure of the small Montreal company years ago, unable to compete with more sophisticated U.S.-made kits for the 10/22. I acquired the last of the unmodified barrels from Fabsports just before the company closed its doors. This heavy barrel proved to be quite accurate and capable of 2- to 2.5-inch groups with 40-grain CCI Mini-Mags and Browning BPR ammo. The length of the shortened buttstock has been precisely measured and combined with the rifle’s barrel length so the gun’s overall length surpasses the 26-inch length needed to avoid a tax stamp without a muzzle device.

Overall, this highly upgraded 10/22 proved its value in every bit it was designed for. It has all the much-desired accouterments and ergonomics for a practical, highly effective little bore battle carbine that is worth keeping for many more years to come.

Introduced in 1964 as the Ruger 10?/22 carbine, this remarkable 54-year-old rimfire self-loader has achieved the feat of continuing to evolve unlike any other firearm in its class. Over 6 million units have been produced, without any apparent end in sight. What makes the ?? extra special among the others? The answer is quite simple—reliability, robust overall construction and adaptability to changing times. Perhaps it is the third element that truly counts, since there are other early models in this category that can also boast reliability and a robust overall construction, primarily those designed by John Browning in the early part of the post-war era and produced by well-known U.S. and European gun makers. However, as the decades passed by, most of these vintage classics lost their luster. They simply faded away and were forgotten, while the 10?/22 stood its ground better than ever.

Needless to say, as one of the millions of 10?/22 fans, it is difficult not to be lured in by this amazing little carbine and join in with the fun of creating the epitome of a modern-day tactical 10?/22. Many dress-up kits have hit the market in the past ten years, ranging from CNC-machined aluminum chassis to polymer clamshells. Among these entries, the Nordic Components (NC) AR22 (also used by Ruger on their SR-22 model) stands out for its aesthetics and acceptance of genuine furniture and accessories made for the AR-15 rifle. Its aluminum construction is very well made and finished; it is far superior in material and styling to any other chassis. The NC chassis is therefore the ideal candidate for this project, particularly when complemented by polymer furniture from Hera Arms and Magpul for the Ruger 10?/22, hence the term “NC HAMR” came to designate the ideal formula for constructing these project guns.

To create the perfect and long-lasting tactical firearm of truly unique design, you have to build it yourself using the right components and accessories. Many 10?/22 owners probably own more than one and have tried dress up kits to make their pet gun stand out from their shooting buddies’. This is what makes personal builds more desirable and exciting: the combination of parts and accessories made by various companies to create an extraordinary firearm concept, either to broaden an owner’s gun-building expertise or simply as a pastime. Whatever the reason, there is no denying that customizing the 10?/22 is quite addicting.

Each NC HAMR project can be made unique with Hera Arms CQR AR furniture. After completing an article on the “Futuristic AR” featuring Hera Arms CQR furniture (SAR V21 N8 issue), the attention of this article now shifts to the possibility of adapting this furniture to the NC chassis, which has been perfectly tailored to accept AR furniture. Nonetheless, prior to installing the CQR stock into the NC chassis, we should ascertain whether it will actually fit. The CQR stock comes with an integral pistol grip, and the possibility that the stock, grip and grip screw will not line up properly with the chassis is a major concern. I have both the first and second (current) versions of the NC chassis. The CQR stock fits almost perfectly to the first version, with just a tiny gap between the top of the grip and the chassis. The grip screw lines up properly once the stock is fully seated. The grip screw was tightened, and no major problems were noted.

The second version of the NC chassis, however, is a different story. For some unknown reason, Nordic made changes to the dimensions of the chassis in the web area. This section appears to be wider, and the bottom of the chassis—parallel to the grip—appears to have been raised by a few thousandths of an inch, leaving a larger gap between the chassis and grip. The good news is that the grip screw still lines up properly. The drawback created by this gap is that it will force the seam at the back of the grip to open up when the grip screw is tightened. To remedy this issue, some fitting at the internal radius of the beavertail (where the web of the chassis will rest) is necessary to allow the chassis to seat properly, thus minimizing the chance of the beavertail section opening up when the screw is tightened. In addition to this fitting procedure (if you are using the current NC chassis or the Ruger SR-22), a cross screw (6-32 x 1 inch) must also be added just below the beavertail to prevent the back of the grip from opening up when the grip screw is tightened. The screw head should be flush fitted to the grip. The opening at the back of the grip is the result of the gap between the chassis and the grip. When the screw is tightened, the grip is pulled up, closing the gap between the grip and chassis, which in turn causes the reduced section of the grip (just below the beavertail) to buckle up and a seam to open below it. The installation of the cross screw in this critical area is a must to eliminate this problem.

One of the best design features of the Nordic chassis is the incorporation of a “forearm adaptor.” The adaptor allows the use of a wide range of one-piece or two-piece forearms, metal or polymer. Switching to various weapon configurations is quickly and easily achieved by acquiring spare adaptors with pre-assembled forearms. Adaptor and grip filler for the NC chassis is available from Iron Eagle Tactical. This allows preferred accessories from different brands to be combined with ease, maximizing the potential for the NC HAMR formula to create the epitome of a modern-day tactical 10?/22. There are dedicated dress up kits (mostly two-piece polymers) that can transform the 10?/22 into the P90 format. The CQR stock system, however, is more distinctive and practical; it still allows the host weapon to be operated in the same way but with much improved ergonomics. For the 10?/22, CQR furniture offers this basic advantage plus compatibility with other polymer furniture, such as that from Magpul, something not possible with other P90-style kits with one basic setup.

The CQR stock/front grip set is used in combination with the classic YHM four-rail pistol forearm to create a “Compact Carbine” format utilizing the Dlask Arms custom 9 ¼-inch heavy barrel. The CC version meets the minimum legal overall length of 26 inches when used with a fixed stock like the CQR. The CC will take virtually any high-capacity magazine made for the 10?/22. However, for the mini PDW type, the front grip was positioned closer to the magazine chute to mimic the placement of the P90 front grip. Moving the grip in this manner will require fitting its top rear section to match the contour of the forearm adaptor. In addition, the back section of the grip must also be trimmed down and the bottom loop removed until most available banana-type magazines can be inserted and removed freely. Trimming this section of the grip will expose the hollowed-out section inside and therefore require filling with J-B Weld epoxy steel resin. Once dried, the epoxy-filled section can be sanded clean and painted with the same color as the grip or, in this case, a two-tone black/OD green accent.

Naturally, not everyone fancies short-barreled guns or metal handguards. In this case, let us substitute a Magpul MOE polymer handguard. To complement the two-tone CQR stock with the addition of the Magpul ¼-inch-high cheek riser, the MOE forearm is also made two-tone (OD green and black combination), and the overall contrast is quite stunning. The riser fits snuggly to the stock; it is a perfect fit. Installation of the cheek riser to the CQR stock will require drilling and tapping of the stock all the way to the top wall of the aluminum buffer tube for a 4-40 socket head screw. The two holes for the riser screws must be drilled precisely at the center of the cross rib on each end of the riser underside, which is a beefed up section of the part. The screw holes at the top of the riser will be counterbored to allow the screw head to sit flush. The vintage M60 LMG flash hider and Fabsports full-profile MACOV with newly introduced magazine coupler is a great touch up for this ultimate rimfire tactical package. The 10?/22 is truly a phenomenal design that can readily adapt to changing times. From classic to hi-tech, it is a hands-down winner. Note: Parts or accessories mentioned or shown in the article but not listed in the sources section below can be purchased directly from Brownells.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

rugerfirearms.com
hera-usa.com
magpul.com
nordiccomp.com
wolverinesupplies.com
dlaskarms.com
fabsports.com
brownells.com
ironeagletactical.com

In the past few years, the resurgence of interest in takedown style 10/22 rifles was at its peak since Ruger introduced their long-awaited version in March 28, 2012. It was not Ruger who first came up with the idea of converting their best-selling .22 carbine to a takedown style gun; it was Ram-Line who first mass-produced in limited quantity a takedown kit back in the 1980s, about the same time their classic aerospace polymer folding stock hit the market.

The big difference between the vintage Ram-Line kit and the Ruger version is in the overall set-up. The Ram-Line takedown kit consisted of their folding stock and 16-inch Ultralight polymer-lined steel-lined barrel (the very first of its kind that became an inspiration to many ultra-light, steel-lined bull barrels we see in the market today). Completing this set-up was a replacement oversized polymer barrel “V” block with thumb-operated retaining screws and a large knurled thumb-operated takedown screw that would allow a no-tool assembly and disassembly of the action from the stock. When fully assembled, the complete gun is very light and can be fired quite easily like a pistol with one hand, with a 50-round double stack magazine, another Ram-Line innovation. Complementing the Ram-Line takedown kit was a light gym style bag with multiple internal pockets to accommodate the action, barrel, the V block unit and spare magazines. This vintage takedown kit was created by Ram-Line basically to compete with the then very popular Charter Arm’s AR-7 Explorer survival carbine utilizing the same basic multi-sub component assembly and disassembly procedure but with a different approach on the in-storage system.

Ruger, on the other hand, took the procedure one step further and truly revolutionized it by developing a quick detach barrel system mated to the separate forearm allowing a two-piece sub group for a more compact storage during transport. While the factory takedown model accomplished its main purpose in normal scenarios where the user has time to take it out from its case or storage and was able to snap the two halves together to deal with a situation, there may also be a time when seconds mean life or death wherein a fully assembled gun takes the edge. Naturally, a fixed stocked 10/22 is not the answer when what is required is a very compact rifle that is easy to carry and store without the bulk and weight of a full-size rifle but still meets the legal overall minimum length of 26 inches. This specification is perfectly legal in Canada for a non-restricted .22 caliber firearm assuming the barrel is not cut down but a regular production barrel. Dlask Arms in Canada had at one time marketed a limited number of non-restricted short-barreled DAR-22 (their 10/22 clones) using Dlask 8-inch heavy barrels and custom Barracuda style laminated stocks. Although the handiness of the DAR SBR can be appreciated here, it proved to be bulky and heavy as a practical Mini-Scout rifle but not suited as an effective multi-function survival tool. In the US, this weapon size may fall under the short-barreled rifle (SBR) category and requires special license and fee from the BATF.

While a folding stock 10/22 with a light 16-inch barrel may fill the bill in most cases, it is still heavy and cumbersome, and the stock needs to be deployed in order to make a quick accurate shot placement. A light ultra-compact 10/22 with a wooden fixed stock and a good set of iron sights with optional rail for mounting optic is the perfect candidate for this requirement. The overall design features of the MSG are the culmination of a classy vintage scout rifle but with the advantages of a modern tactical arm in its simplest form. It’s attractive, very compact, user friendly and effective for the role it is designed for. The perfect harmony of wood and steel in the classic tradition makes this gun truly adorable to handle and to shoot and less offensive to those who despise the so-called evil black guns and their derivatives. This is where the 10/22 takedown challenger project takes its inspiration not only as an experimental interlude for the advance tinkerer but rather as an evolutionary offspring for future 10/22 siblings in its purest form.

Creating the MSG required a bit of work most particularly with the factory wooden stock. Both the forearm and the buttstock required shortening and streamlining to trim as much weight as possible while improving its ergonomics in a slim-line format. To give the remodeled gun a nice touch, the original plastic butt plate was replaced with a surplus M1 .30 Carbine part. The 10/22 barrel band was retained to maintain the integrity of the assembly of the original design. To further complement its military-style heritage and to protect the operator from the exposed hot barrel above the forearm, the polymer MFT AK-47 upper handguard was utilized. The bottom section of this part was trimmed down to lower the height to line its top rail with the rail of the NDS-26 rear sight. The handguard is secured into position by a standard black #8X1 trim screw available from hardware stores. The NDS railed rear sight with matching front sight offers the best sight picture for the 10/22 and was the ideal choice here with the additional advantage of being able to accommodate varieties of red dots and rifle scopes. The NDS rear sight is mounted over the receiver making it higher than the factory sight. While the standard factory stock cheek rest is compatible when using the NDS iron sight, some higher mounted optics may no longer offer a comfortable aiming position. The CAA adjustable cheek piece is found to be the right accessory here; it is light, well-made, simple to adjust and easy to install, requiring only four small self-threading screws to mount it at the right side of the buttstock. The CAA adjustable cheekpiece and MFT AK-47 upper handguard complements the wooden stock perfectly keeping the overall format quite attractive, handy and streamlined.

Used in this set-up is the Dlask SR-22, 12.5 inches trimmed to the factory’s original standard barrel specs to fit the barrel channel in the stock and to further shave more weight from the semi-tapered 0.750 O.D. barrel to keep the gun as light as possible. The front end was turned to 0.610-0.611 O.D. to fit the matching rear sight (NDS-44). The Dlask barrel comes complete with 1/2 X 28 TPI to take any AR-15 muzzle devices which makes this set-up even more versatile especially when using hot, high-velocity ammunitions for defensive application in combination with ultra-high-capacity magazines such as the Black Dog 50-round and GSG 110-round drum magazines. To keep the minimum overall legal length of the gun to 26 inches measured from the end of the butt to the tip of the barrel (not muzzle device), complete with a muzzle device such as the DoubleStar adjustable comp and the NEAG flash hider with helical slots, three small funnel shape vent holes were drilled perfectly in line with the DS and NEAG slot at the top of the barrel pass the threaded section. This arrangement not only proved practical but very effective in muzzle control compensating its lightened barrel, producing excellent groups averaging 1 to 1 ½-inch groups at 50 and 75 yards with hot CCI HV .22 rounds to include Mini Mags, Stingers and Velocitors. Overall, the custom Mini-Scout Gun proved every bit a remarkable companion that can be effectively employed as a life saver with the right ammunition and accessories, be it in urban or wilderness environments.

SOURCES

www.ruger-firearms.com
www.dlaskarms.com
www.nodakspud.com
www.missionfirsttactical.com
www.doublestarcorp.com
www.northeasternarms.com
www.armsmounts.com
www.hi-luxoptics.com

I had the privilege of meeting the great gun inventor Maxwell G. Atchisson at his residence in Doraville, Georgia, back in the late 70s through Donald Thomas. Don was Atchisson’s business agent at the time and is also SAR’s archivist. Visitors to Max’s residence were received via strict invitation only, since it was also his private research, development and testing facility. His guest book (to which I had the honor of adding my name) contained the names of dignitaries and high-ranking military officials from around the world—proof of his status as one of America’s best in the 20th century. The lower section of the house had an indoor range facility where guests were allowed to shoot Max’s inventions (except guns in the prototype stages with patentable features), many of which had never been shown to the public before. Some of the guns he presented and tested were his Vietnam-era M16 rifle containing his .22 conversion kit and three .22 semi-autos he converted to select fire, namely the H&R Reising M65 “Leatherneck” rifles and Jager AK22 (just introduced to the U.S. market at the time). The biggest surprise of my visit was seeing and firing his revolutionary full-automatic shotgun with a 20-round drum magazine. I also glimpsed a prototype 40-round drum in the works but was unable to test and examine it. Although Remington did come up with a select fire conversion of their M1100 shotgun, which earned the U.S. military designation M7188, it was Atchisson who truly revolutionized the concept that inspired many of the modern combat shotguns we see on the market today.

Although Atchisson’s inventions were mostly geared toward military and police purposes, such applications proved quite elusive, including for his much-touted full-auto shotgun. His AR15/M16 .22 conversion kit, on the other hand, became a commercial success years after he sold the rights to others. It was one of the most copied devices in existence and constantly improved upon by others, primarily by CMMG, the leading producer of these types of kit, who came up with various set-ups and related accessories. Since its introduction in the early 70s by Military Armament Corporation (MAC), the Atchisson .22 conversion kits have been produced by various manufacturers, including Jonathan Arthur Ciener, Brocal Inc. (WAC), Spike Tactical, CMMG, Tactical Solutions, Tactical Industries, Stag Arms, Mega Arms and others. The kits were offered as drop-in or dedicated uppers. The drop-in type utilized a chamber adapter, while the dedicated type was normally a complete upper with a .22 rimfire barrel. For accuracy purposes, dedicated uppers normally perform better than the drop-in installed on AR15/M16 (.223 caliber) since its rifling specs are not for .22 caliber long rifle rimfire. When used in a .223 rifle, the kit will tend to clog the barrel gas port with lead after prolonged firing with rimfire rounds and can affect the operation of the gun once it is switched back to its original caliber. To minimize this problem, it is best to fire a few rounds of .223 for every hundred .22LR. This will help to keep the gas port clear of obstruction. However, the gas tube still needs to be scrubbed due to the build-up of lead particles.

In the past 40 years, various .22 conversion devices for the AR15/M16 have been offered by such companies as Colt Industries, but the Atchisson device remains the undisputed leader. What makes the Atchisson device more attractive than others is its high capacity magazine (other kits normally boast 10-shot), available for both semi-auto and select-fire models and good reliability with the right ammunition. The Atchisson kit is a well-designed unit for its intended purpose. Just like its competitors, however, its reliability varies from one maker to the next, even though the parts (in most cases) are interchangeable. My first Atchisson kit, purchased 25 years ago, was marketed by Bro-Caliber and made by WAK Inc., followed by the Colt kit designed by Henry Into, Colt’s chief engineer in the 80s. Five years ago, these two vintage kits were joined by the Spike Tactical and CMMG version for my test and target practice. It has been noted that the old and new kits still share the following same basic malfunctions:

• Empty shell getting caught uderneath the charging handle groove and bolt during recoil with the top round loaded halfway.
• Failure to feed—normally a bent cartridge preventing the bolt from moving forward.
• Hammer follow and misfire—double or triple shots/light dent on the rim of the cartridge.
• Failure to extract the empty shell.
• Failure to complete cycle.

Among the five problems noted above, it was the empty shell getting stuck between the charging handle and bolt that proved to be the most bothersome to clear. This is especially difficult when, at the same time, you have a double feed with a halfway-loaded round locked with the round just coming out of the magazine. This malfunction also happened using the Colt kit on numerous occasions. Having experienced this problem with the WAK kit firing both standard and high velocity rounds on many occasions after acquiring it in the 80s, fixing the pesky bug became a priority. After some careful analysis and tinkering, the solution to the problem came into light. A drawback of this solution, however, was that it required disassembly of the gas tube each time the gun is fired with rimfire ammo. In addition, a plug to the connection port of the gas tube was required to seal the gas pressure in the barrel. This part is easy to make using a drill rod the same size as the gas tube, 2 inches long. Ideally, it is best to build a complete dedicated upper just for shooting .22 ammo using the modified charging handle. The modified charging handle will require filling in the underside grooved section. CMMG currently sells what they call an “anti-jam” charging handle made of glass-filled nylon for dedicated .22 conversion units. The usual deep underside groove was replaced with a shallow groove, but the front-end section for gas tube clearance for kits utilizing chamber inserts was unchanged. Since there is still an open space at its critical point, it may not completely eliminate the chance of empties getting lodged between the bolt and charging handle, but it minimizes it to the point that overall reliability is greatly improved. It is definitely a great improvement to these kits. Remember, the handle does not move with the bolt when it recoils, which leaves the open section at the front of the handle still exposed for the empty to get lodged at any given time. A better solution is to cover at least three-quarters of the charging handle underside groove starting from the front, leaving no gap for empties to get caught during operation. This requires obtaining a separate charging handle for this purpose and keeping the original when switching back to .223 caliber. You need not buy an expensive spare; get the cheapest you can—even a used one will do. To make a filler for the charging handle groove, you will need a 5/16 dia. steel or aluminum rod. Mild steel material is ideal here. Aluminum being softer can still be subject to faster wear, dings and scrapes. The steel material provides smoother operation and lasts longer. The minimum length of the filler required is 4 inches, but you can cover the full groove if you wish. A grinder and file are needed here. The thickness is .200 inches, with the top of the filler approximately .050 inches below the rim of the groove to compensate for the radiused section of the recoil spring housing, allowing the bolt to cycle freely with a minimal gap. The filler is pinned into place at the front-end section of the handle by a 1/16 diameter roll pin. The pattern of the filler used here has an extended section (reduced diameter) at the front that loops with the gas tube hole of the upper for better stability. This part will only work with the gas tube removed to allow the kit to seat properly into place. The modified handle will work perfectly with other dedicated .22 uppers without a gas tube.

Failure to feed can be associated with a faulty magazine follower and spring. A malfunction of this nature normally happens when the magazine is fully loaded and the top cartridge nose-dives while being pushed forward by the bolt. A simple test is to simulate a loading sequence by pushing out the loaded rounds with a small wood dowel and see if the cartridges are moving upward unimpededly. If not, check the follower and inside the magazine body for obstruction or mold overruns and polish them with medium-grade grit until the tightness is eliminated. Check also the spring for binding and straighten it up. If no binding is experienced during this test, check the feed ramp for roughness and sharp edges. The ramp should be polished smooth and the chamber must accept the cartridge without hesitation or tightness. The cartridge should go in freely and be released from the chamber freely. Another area to check is the looseness of the magazine when inserted into the gun. Looseness in fore-and-aft movement of the magazine is also very critical during loading. When the bolt moves forward to load theAtop round from the magazine, it will exert pressure and cause the magazine to tilt slightly forward, thereby causing the bullet being chambered to point toward the bottom of the feed ramp instead of upward toward the chamber. This would normally result in a jam, with a bent cartridge loaded halfway into the chamber. A quick remedy for this is to tape the rear upper section of the magazine to minimize the loose fit. Brownells’ vinyl-coated cloth tape is ideal for this purpose and comes in black and coyote brown color. Taping should prevent the magazine from falling freely but leave it loose enough to be pulled out easily when reloading.

Hammer follow is normally associated with using older units with a notched (Colt type) hammer, although this may vary from one make to another. This hammer will work fine in some ARs, while it won’t in others due to dimensional tolerances. For example, the old WAK kit will not depress the notched-type hammer far enough to engage the secondary sear on vintage models but will work fine with (most, if not all) newer ones. The underside of the bolt appears higher. When installed to vintage ARs, the WAK kit will not work reliably with the Black Dog magazines except the steel Ciener type. This is also the reason that this vintage kit is not compatible with a notched hammer. Hammer follow tends to create a dangerous runaway gun firing double, triple and even continuous full-auto fire (deemed illegal by definition, although unintended) followed by misfires with a very light dent on the rim. Misfires occur when the hammer hits the bottom corner of the bolt, not the back of the firing pin. If your AR has a notched hammer and is experiencing this kind of issue, the simplest remedy is to replace it with the (unnotched) MIL-SPEC type along with a reduced power spring kit (both available from Brownells). This will not only smoothen the action and lighten the trigger pull, but will also lessen the resistance to the bolt during recoil, which in turn permits the use of a stronger recoil spring for more positive bolt closure. In most cases, light recoil springs also contribute to misfires as they create a gap between the breech face and barrel chamber as the bolt tries to overcome the resistance of the extractor hook resting against the inclined barrel notch. To overcome this, some manufacturers resort to using a weaker extractor spring in conjunction with a lighter recoil spring to allow the bolt to close, which is a serious drawback that will result in extraction problems. It is best to keep everything strong and find the right ammo and magazine to work with it.

Failure to extract the empty shell normally occurs once the gun is heavily clogged up. However, if the gun fails to extract even before this stage, check the condition of the extractor itself with the following simple test. Place an empty shell in the breech face with the extractor holding it in place. With the bolt underside facing down, lightly tap the center point of the bolt on a table. If the extractor is good, the shell must not fall or come off. If it does, replace the extractor if the hook is worn out or barely engaging. You may gradually file the bottom section of the hook that rests over the bolt to increase the contact point of the extractor with the rim. The spring must also have enough power to positively activate the extractor. If everything looks fine with the extractor, focus your attention on the chamber itself. Some chambers may not be reamed or finished properly and could be tight and unpolished. It should also be checked that the notch for the extractor on the chamber adapter or barrel is cut properly. If the extractor hook is sitting high or binding when the bolt closes, it will likely miss the rim and will jam the action.

Failure to completely cycle during operation can also cause other malfunctions, such as failure to eject and feed. This can normally be attributed to weak ammunition in relation to the recoil and hammer spring resistance. This can be further improved by simply modifying the square bottom corner at the rear of the bolt to a radius and polishing it smooth to minimize hammer drag and resistance. The combination of parts and polishing on certain areas is quite critical if the gun is to be fired with various ammunition. With readily available parts for the AR, solving reliability issues such as these can be done right with minimal effort. If the procedures mentioned above are followed correctly, your .22 conversion kit should work with utmost reliability no matter what type or make it is. For parts and accessories requirements contact Brownells (www.brownells.com).

Just when we thought everything has already been explored and marketed when it comes to ideas on how to make the famous Ruger 1022 even better in terms of versatility, performance and good looks, there is always someone that comes along with a pleasant surprise. Not until the entry of such big names in the Canadian gun manufacturing industry in the likes of Para-Ordnance, North Eastern Arms, Dlask Arms and others, it’s not often we hear about a sensational gun related invention in Canada by small time operators. That does not mean average Canucks has not created any, it’s just many of these small time talents just simply did not have the means or know-how to promote or finance their wares to a more competitive level in the big league. One such talent in the name of Fabrice Nevue the founder and owner of Fabsports in Montreal, Quebec is a prime example that is worth the attention.

Fabsports is a solely focused on general merchandising of gun related accessories and tactical outfits as well as survival equipments. For a short time, the company imported the now defunct RB Precision Evolution 1022 tactical chassis in very limited numbers then tried to secure distributorship for the more modern Nordic AR22 when it first hit the market years back but failed the volume requirement imposed by Nordic due to limited financial resources. Fabrice was only able to import two samples of the AR22 chassis and is believe the only two that exist in the country with the exception of the SR22 version used on the Ruger production guns. It was from this set back that prompted this Canadian entrepreneur to explore other venues utilizing his own talent and expertise in CAD and CNC programming that leads him to design and create his own aluminum dress up kits for the 1022 for the Canadian market to include the M122 Thompson and the FS 556 based on the famed SIG assault rifle receiver platform. These kits are only made in very limited numbers and destined to be collector items.

Just very recently, Fabrice introduce another of his 1022 related innovation – the MACOV (magazine cover) system for various aftermarket 25-shot Ruger 1022 banana type magazines made by Butler Creek, Tactical Innovation, Black Dog Machine and Pro-Mag. At this point, there is no doubt the 1022 is the most technically refined rimfire self-loader in existence in terms of mechanics and good looks. While many of these aftermarket dress up kits are well made and quite authentic to the full bore weapon they emulates, the skinny type magazines simply lacks the profile necessary to maximize its facimily to the real thing, with the exception of the Pro-Mag G36 style polymer dress up kit called Archangel Nomad utilizing a standard 25-shot banana type enclosed by a full profile external housing. Full profile magazine for the 1022 is gaining popularity with another company coming out with their own version called BattleDyne also a 25-shot with a 10-shot version.

Unfortunately, both the Pro-Mag and Battledyne magazines only exhibit mediocre reliability and very finicky with certain type of ammunition that must be used just to try to make it work. The Pro-Mag has a wire spring sticking out of the feed lips that is suppose to prevent jams but most of the time contribute more to jams that actually preventing it- definitely needs more refining. The BattleDyne on the hand, although well made comes short in the reliability department due primarily to dimensional problem in its upper section that encloses the steel section. The design of the feed lips is less than perfect in its cartridge release point that occasionally causes stovepipe made worse by the undersize upper section that encloses the steel lips that is narrower than the factory made magazine. This dimensional flaw causes the BattleDyne to move side to side freely greatly affecting the overall performance and reliability of the device.

In designing his magazine accessory, Fabrice had chosen the Butler Creek 25-shot banana type magazine as its primary platform due primarily for its reliability and quality as compared to other similar devices in its class, but mostly primarily because to date, Butler Creek has already produced millions of them – something Fabrice had hope cashing in to reward the amount of work and effort he had put into his new innovation. Indeed, the MaCov system is quite unique, very well made and extremely attractive. The two-piece clamshell design is made of indestructible type polymer material same as those ones used in many high end full bore polymer magazine like Magpul, in fact even the exterior design has Magpul styling truly maximizing the bold exterior aesthetics of the accessory.

The beauty and versatility of the MaCov system did not stop from looks alone but also improved the overall reliability of the magazine itself by eliminating the unnecessary fore-and-aft and side to side movement with any stock used (wood, polymer or aluminum chassis) by simply adjusting the MaCov upward (with the magazine on the gun) before tightening the screws until there is bare minimum play (gap) between the underside of the stock and the magazine cover itself. Tactical Innovation incorporated four adjustment screws to prevent movements of the magazine that affects the feeding cycle of the magazine. The Macov system accomplished this task in a much simpler solution without the use of adjustment screws that must be set right in order to work properly.

The MaCov was tailored to fit the Butler Creek, Black Dog and Pro-Mag 25-shot banana type magazines, however; Tactical Innovation will require a rubber spacer (supplied with the kit) being narrower (side to side) as compared to the dimension of the other 3 brands. The MaCov is retained in place by 9 sturdy screws that clamps tightly unto the magazine body. Its width is comparable to a Magpul .308 AR magazine allowing it to be compatible to a .308 magazine pouch used in Magpul magazine. In summing it all up, The Fabsports MaCov is truly an outstanding magazine accessory for the 1022 for a total tactical upgrade in both aesthetics and improved reliability. The MaCov can be purchase directly from Fabsports. (www.fabsports.ca)

By J.M. Ramos

The Italian firm of Sites S.P.A. was founded in 1982 in Torino under the direction of Dott. Ing. Franco Manassero. The company specializes in the design and production of light weapons for modern warfare, particularly for anti-terrorism, counter-guerrilla and unconventional warfare. The design of the company’s first entry weapon, the Spectre, is the result of an analysis carried out by Sites research and development team based on the experience of 12 years of terrorism in Italy (1970-1982), as well as other terrorist’s activities and guerrilla warfare waged in various parts of the world.

The following are brief excerpts from the company’s analysis which led to the final design specification of the Spectre, a fourth generation submachinegun that truly posseses innovations that can be called totally new and radical since the introduction of the first submachinegun, the Italian Villar Perosa of 1915.

The question raised more often in combat or defence at close-range cannot be answered merely by technological research and development of weaponry and ammunition. The only adequate solution to a problem on which men’s lives or even the destiny of a nation is at stake, lies primarily in a careful analysis of the relationship between the weapon and his user as well as the result of their interaction. This analysis should not begin with the weapon, or ammunition, but the user himself. It is very important to understand the implications of close-range combat (40-10 meters). We must consider the psycho-physical reaction capability of a man under attack, the surprise factor, the effectiveness of training, the panic factor, the effect of panic on motion co-ordination, reaction time under extreme stress, reflex reactions and psychological conditioning. These findings can lead to the identification of the characteristics from which we can develop and create the mechanical aids (weapon and ammunition) as efficient as possible to overcome an aggressor or save lives.

The first pre-production model of the 9mm Spectre submachinegun was introduced at the 1983 AUSA convention in Washington. The actual production of the weapon did not start until 1985. It was designated the Spectre M2.

FEATURES OF THE
SPECTRE MODEL-2
SUBMACHINEGUN:

The Spectre submachinegun represents the most radical close-quarter fourth generation submachinegun today. The weapon brings together a series of unique technical innovations, making it a revolutionary “new submachinegun” – more effective and safer than any weapon in its class. Spectre is the first automatic weapon in the world firing 900 rpm with three-action blow-back firing system.

Consequently, the weapon fires from a close-bolt principle assuring less mechanical distraction during firing as opposed to an “open-bolt” system incorporating heavy breech block mechanism. In addition, the three-action movement provides the weapon an exceptionally smooth firing cycle. The excellent stability results in an absence of climb with only minimal vibration during full automatic fire. The initial result from these advantages is extra-ordinary accuracy and the possibility of being able to fire the weapon accurately with one hand in the event of an emergency.

The Spectre offers maximum safety and instant readiness by eliminating unnecessary manually operated mechanism that would normally prevent accidental discharges in all type of combat scenarios. Similar classes of weapons may likely fail if dropped, jarred, hit etc. The incorporation of a unique double action trigger mechanism and a decocking lever, makes it possible to lower the hammer on a loaded round; allowing the weapon to be carried loaded with virtually no chance for an accidental discharge. The Spectre is truly an error-proof submachinegun. It fires only if and when the operator intends to shoot. The double action trigger mechanism assures instant readiness without having to manipulate separate safety mechanisms other than pulling the trigger. To complement its radically new trigger lockwork, the Spectre was designed with ambidextrous controls to accommodate both left and right handed users.

The Spectre features a patented four-file magazine using a single follower that is likely inspired by the 1931 Finnish Soumi submachinegun design. The Soumi system however has two separate rows of double column arrangement and individual followers separated by a center wall in the middle of the magazine tube. The Spectre magazine is only slightly thicker than normal double column type, but the same in length of 21 cm containing 50 rounds instead of 30. The advantage of maximum capacity in a weapon that fires 10-15 shot per second is self-explanatory.

The handiness of a submachinegun is one of its important features. For this reason, the Spectre’s thickness has been kept within 35 mm even with the metal stock folded. This makes the weapon one of the slimmest submachineguns in the world allowing total comfort and without hindrance of movement when carried or deployed into action.

An ideal submachinegun must always function in rain, dust, sand, in cold climates, in jungle or other severe climatic conditions. Simplicity is the main characteristics of the Spectre. The close-bolt firing system prevents the entry of dirt or any foreign matter into the action which in turn assists in reliable operation of the weapon when subjected to various climatic conditions.

Almost all fully automatic weapons suffer from overheating of the chamber during prolonged bursts of fire. To overcome this problem, the Spectre incorporated a unique forced ventilation principle. The system operates by the movement of the bolt and keeps the chamber and barrel temperature down. The result is extraordinary, even after prolonged full auto fire the barrel can still be touched. This design advantage also minimizes or eliminates the possibility of dangerous cook-offs normally associated with closed bold arrangements.

The Spectre utilized a barrel featuring sinusoidal rifling. This type of rifling has no sharp corners, this prevents the incision of the bullet which passes with minimum of friction. With this rifling system, it is possible to use for the barrel lead steel that is self-lubricating and guarantees a smoother passage of the bullet in the bore. This also protects the barrel from wear from a weapon that is primarily designed to deliver high rate of fire in rapid successions.

As early as 1988, Sites begun to further refine the design characteristics of their original production Model 2 that can be characterized as functional and structural improvements. While the new Model 4 retained most of the basic features of the Model 2, the following changes was undertaken in order to further enhance the versatility of the original Spectre submachinegun design.

1. The original metal cocking handle with center spindle “U” notch “UZI type”, has been replaced by a flat sledge type handle using high-impact polymer material. This eliminates the possibility of the handle’s notch as a rear sight during fast aiming. The new design also strengthened the metal folding stock that no longer required the long slot to allow the movement of the cocking handle during operation while the stock is folded on the top of the receiver.

2. The lever shaped fire selector mechanism was replaced by a quarter-circle pattern in order to allow faster fire selection setting by the shooter’s thumb. The original had two separate levers that required separate activations.

3. The assembly and disassembly procedure has been changed with the newly re-designed interlocking components. The weapon now can be field stripped in less than 8 seconds without the use of any tools. Re-assembling is as easily accomplished. The weapon does not require any lubrication and rarely needs cleaning.

4. Stock configuration has been improved. The angle is lowered to allow a more comfortable aiming. Additional stiffening ribs have been added to maximize its strength.

5. The shape of the bolt and hammer has been re-designed. The new shape is patterned exactly like the internal form of the upper frame so that the air-pump effect is considerably increased. This allows for better cooling of the barrel and mechanical cleaning of foreign matters that may build up inside the action.

6. The front sight has been modified in order to allow elevation and windage adjustments.

7. The new design of the M4 allows for quick barrel removal that permits easy substitution of a longer threaded barrel for silencer requirements for use by clandestine operatives.

8. Sintered parts like the M2 selector and de-cocking levers are replaced by metallic inserts bedded in high impact polymer which are much stronger and more comfortable to activate specially in extremely cold temperatures.

9. The shape of the magazine catch has been modified to allow faster and more accessible operation during quick magazine changing.

In addition to the Spectre Model 2 and Model 4 submachineguns, Sites also produced semi-auto variants for the civilian market. These include the Spectre pistol and Spectre Carbine both chambered for the 9mm parabellum. The Spectre pistol utilizes all the submachinegun features and uses the same magazines but fires semi-auto only and without a stock. Only the decocking lever for the double action trigger lockwork is mounted in the frame.

The Spectre Police Compact Carbine (PCC System) has all the innovative features of the submachinegun version except its semi-auto functioning. It features a 420 mm long barrel and the usual metal folding stock of the submachinegun model. Like the pistol model, only the decocking lever is mounted in the frame. The semi-auto model fires approximately 200 rpm (approx. 3-shot per second).

In conclusion, Sites is one of the very few arms producers in the world who manufacture their wares starting from the user’s need; interviewing law enforcement personnel and undercover agents who survive terrorists attacks, trying to understand the physiological results of panics from which the encounter is drawn (pressure, adrenaline, stress, flow, etc.). From these experiences the Spectre weapon system was incepted. The technical solutions are examined and incorporated not merely improving the accuracy of such weapon at 300 meters, but to give the user a safe, rugged and reliable instrument which he can do his task more efficiently and effectively. The Spectre submachinegun is patented world-wide and currently in use by numerous agencies around the world. Limited numbers of Spectre semi-auto carbine and pistol variants were briefly imported into the U.S. market by F.I.E. in the late 1980’s during the heyday of paramilitary weapons market. These guns are now one of the most sought after by military subgun collectors which will no doubt only increase in value as such class of weapon is hard to come by. The author tested both the submachinegun (police sample) and semi-auto civilian models in late 1990’s and found all models to be exceptional in both accuracy and reliability.

While the double action pull is a bit heavy at 10 lbs., its intended purpose is safety. It’s like carrying a double action pistol like the Walther PPK or P-38. After introducing a round in the chamber, the hammer will remain in cocked position. Depressing the slice mounted lever will drop the hammer but will not fire the weapon due to its built-in firing pin block. To fire the gun, simply pull the trigger via heavy double action pull. The recoil will automatically recock the hammer for the next shot that will result in a lighter 4-5 pound pull. If you wish to stop shooting and like to return the hammer in “safe” forward position with a loaded chamber, simply depress the slide mounted lever to once again drop the hammer for double action trigger pull. The Spectre trigger lockwork principle works in the same manner except it uses a small metal block that travels behind the bolt rather than a pivoting hammer. The decocking lever rest is above the grip in the Spectre, while its fire selector lever is positioned just forward of it. Its single action pull provides a smooth and crispy 4 pound pull and is virtually consistent each shot. Quality of workmanship is excellent; something to be expected from a well organized research and development division of a very resourceful company. The Spectre is indeed one of the most technologically advanced SMG in the world, loaded with features that very few if any will ever equal or exceed.

The war in the Balkans has dramatically shown arrays of interesting small arms carried by foot soldiers on both sides. NATO’s infantry, consisting of armies from various countries around the world, are equipped with mixed class of hardware. From the U.S. M-16 to British and French Bullpup assault rifles, the battlefield is decorated with hi-tech weaponry which are likely to stay until the next century. Yugoslavia on the other hand, borrowed much of its small arms technology from the Russians, most notably the Avtomat Kalashnikov weapon system which consisted of combat rifles and light machineguns.

On sub-machinegun development, Belgrade’s arms factory once again copied from previous designs. The army’s M-49 and M-57 are based from the Soviet PPSh-41 submachineguns. There are however differences primarily in construction of components. The Soviet weapon relies heavily on stamping technique, while the Yugoslavian factory constructed their version with machined components and drawn tubings. The barrel jacket has drilled circular holes rather than the stamped elongated slots on the PPSh guns. The push button safety is located in the forestock above and forward of the trigger guard. The safety mechanism on the Soviet gun is built into the cocking handle in the form of a sliding block which when pushed in towards the receiver locks into the cocking handle travel slot whether the bolt is in closed or open position. An interesting buffer assembly was also added in the later M-57. It is comprised of an independent buffer spring and split rings, positioned at the rear of the recoil spring guide. This buffer system was originally used in the Beretta M38A designed by Tullio Marengoni of Italy. The fire selector arrangement are identical on both the Soviet and Yugoslav submachineguns.

Their second generation M-56 and M-65 submachineguns are direct descendants of the famed WW II German MP-40 with the provision for a bayonet attachment. The M-56 fires the old Soviet 7.62 mm pistol cartridge and has a curved magazine. The M-65 utilized the standard 9mm Para and uses a straight magazine. Both weapons fire from the open bolt and have a selective fire capability. Magazines contained 30 rounds on both models.

In l984, the Yugoslav arms factory of Zavodi Crvena Zastava, expanded their line of small arms production with the addition of the 7,65 mm M-84 machinepistol. In the past, arms factories in Yugoslavia took time to improve battle tested SMG designs of post and WW II patterns. However, their version of Model 84 was a direct copy of the Czech M-61. It was produced under licence from the Czech Ordnance factories which originally manufactured it as the infamous “Skorpion” machinepistol, a weapon of choice among European political assassins. The Skorpion earned its notoriety back in the 70’s and 80’s with the assassinations of many top political leaders and military attaches in France, Italy, Belgium and other part of central and Eastern Europe, many of which became front page news around the world.

In order to understand what is so special about this unique but very lethal pocket machinegun, we must briefly look at the very interesting developmental background on how the Skorpion machinepistols came into being. In the later part of l950’s, the Omnipol, a state agency who controls Czechoslovak’s arms productions, pushed for rapid development of new generations of small arms to replace their near obsolete post war weapons. The M-52 is the first production pistol to utilize a roller-lock locking system and fires the powerful Russian 7,62mm bottleneck cartridge. This service pistol was superseded by a new class gun which can be employed as a dual purpose weapon. The new gun is neither a pistol or a submachinegun in laymans term. It falls in between having the capability of fully automatic fire but yet small enough to be carried on a hip holster like a service pistol.

Such class of pistol was introduced earlier in the form of the German made Mauser Schnellfeuer of the “Broomhandle” genre and Astra Model 903, basically a Broomhandle clone with internal mechanical variation. Both the German and Spanish selective fire pistols became a favourite among Chinese warlords and were also used extensively by the Chinese army that was in short supply of submachineguns against the Japanese during the early stage of the second world war. The term “machinepistol” as we commonly used today to describe service type handguns capable of full-auto fire can be awarded to Astra and Mauser with their early first generation selective fire Broomhandles. The Czech Vz-6l therefore can be classed as a second generation machinepistol with more modern styling. The exterior format of the Czech gun however is influenced by the Broomhandle with the magazine still positioned infront of the trigger guard.

Machinepistols that followed are compact and sleeker service type handguns redesigned to fire fully automatic. The earliest of such class are the l930 Spanish Star machinepistol, a l9ll clone. Colt also experimented with machinepistol prototypes of their famed .45 automatics before and during WW II. In l95l Beretta produced a limited number of their 9mm Brigadier machinepistol and called it the M-951A. This was followed by the more sophisticated M-93R in the later part of the l980’s. The M- 93R is based from the current M-92F service pistol with the addition of a three shot burst, a folding front grip and a detachable folding metal stock. The M-93R is one of the finest modern day machinepistols ever made.

During the Vietnam conflict, a prolific gun designer from Studio City, California named Gordon Ingram created the all stamped M-l0 and M-11 machinepistols which was produced by Military Armament Corporation (MAC) in Marietta, Georgia. The Israeli Military Industries (IMI) also made their own version called the Micro-UZI which is a scaled down version of their legendary UZI submachinegun. The MAC and IMI guns are also produced and marketed in semi-auto versions for civilian market. These guns can be considered oddballs among the machinepistol contenders although short in length, they are wider in general and they utilize double column submachinegun magazines.

The German firm of Heckler & Koch also develop such a weapon in the form of the VP-70 using futuristic polymer technology for VIP security and police market. This gun is based from their VP-70Z double action striker fire pistol, which met with very limited success. What the VP-70 failed to achieve however was filled up by the later and more sophisticated MP5-K machinepistol. In l995, the Steyr company of Austria joined the race to develop a more advanced machinepistol utilizing space age polymers pioneered by H&K and came out with what they called “Tactical Machine Pistol” (TMP) chambered for the 9mm Para. A civilian version of the TMP was also offered and was designated SSP. Both weapons are externally identical except for the additional forward pistol grip on the full auto model. A new polymer machinepistol contender from Austria was introduce in the Police market not too long ago. This was the highly secretive Glock-18, a selective fire derivative of the very popular Glock pistol series capable of semi or three-shot bust auto fire via slide mounted fire selector.

The soviets also have their own version called the APS machinepistol designed by Igor Yakovlevich Stechkin. The “Automatic Pistol Stechkin” (APS) has a 20-round double stack magazine and a detachable shoulder stock which also doubles as a holster. There are many more experimental machinepistols, SMG’s and ultra-compact assault rifles and underwater guns developed by the Russians in the last 40 years. Lately, more of these highly secretive weapons are starting to be known in the west with more classified informations being leaked by defectors and black market traders who smuggle them out for profits.

After briefly going through the various models that fall under the category of the machinepistol class that were produced or introduced since the early part of the century to its present status, we can now proceed to cover the deadly Czech and Yugoslavian Skorpion machinepistol family. In addition to being used by the Czech military, the Vz-61 as originally designated, was mainly manufactured for the export market. The weapon was first produced in 7,65mm (.32 ACP) followed by the Vz- 63 in .380 ACP, Vz-64 in 9mm Makarov and the Vz-68 in 9mm Parabellum. The Vz-68 utilized a straight type box magazine while other versions used the more common curved patterns. In the early part of l997, the firm of Ceska Zbrojovka (CZ) started advertising three new models based from the original Skorpion series including a semi-auto variant called the CZ-91S. This pistol was offered in caliber .32 ACP (10 & 20-shot mag), .380 ACP (12, 24 & 30 -shot mags) and 9mm Makarov (12, 24 & 30-shot mags). The new machinepistol designations are Model 83 Skorpion (.380 ACP) and the original Model 61 Skorpion (.32 ACP). The M-83 utilized 12, 24 and 30-shot straight magazines while the M-61 uses the older 10 and 20-shot curved magazines. Interestingly, in addition to producing the new Skorpion series, CZ also now market a new machinepistol based from their very popular CZ-75/85 combat pistol in caliber 9mm Para. The regular thumb safety had a three-position index, SAFE (uppermost), SEMI (middle) and FULL (downward) positions. A special catch was added in the front section of the receiver in front of the trigger guard to snap a spare loaded/unloaded magazine into place to function as a front grip for maximum control when firing the gun in fully automatic mode.

Although the gun covered in this write-up is the Yugoslavian M-84, I am also quite fortunate to having examined and tested the original Czech Vz-61 back in l979 for comparison. The Vz-61 was designed by Miroslav Ribarzh. It utilizes l0 and 20-shot curved magazines. The gun also came equipped with a tan coloured cowhide belt holster and a separate dual magazine pouch made of the same material and stitching. Mag pouches are available for both the 10 and 20-shot magazines in dual format. A shoulder holster, reminiscent of the old G.I. fighter pilot l9ll pistol shoulder holster was also made for the Skorpion and was issued to tank commanders. In addition, a simple but rather large suppressor was also developed for the Vz-61 for clandestine operation. An experimental detachable wooden stock was also tested for the Vz-68 9mm Para version but was not produced commercially.

In comparing the older Vz-61 and newer M-84 made under licence after having examined and test fired both in twenty year time interval, I found no differences in mechanical and external design with the exception of the plastic grip color and decorative grooves. The older models can be found with either wood or light brown plastic grip with four vertical grooves of equal lengths. Both the back and front of the grip also featured vertical grooves of the same size and length. The Yugoslavian M-84 version as well as the newly introduced Skorpions by CZ featured similar grip design using black plastic grips. The original four vertical grooves of equal length at the sides of the grip is being retained except that the last groove at the rear is now shorter. The older vertical grooves at the front and back of the grip is now being replaced by horizontal groove patterns for better gripping provision. CZ offers a wooden grip with the old style vertical grooves in the grip as an option for collectors.

The M-84 being an exact clone of the original Vz-61 Skorpion have many interesting mechanical features. It utilizes a wrap-around bolt similar to that of the UZI SMG pattern. Although the UZI popularized the use of the wrap-around type bolt in SMG design, it was the Czechs who pioneered it. The bolt system was first used by the Czechs in their ZK-476 SMG designed by the Koucky brothers working at the Brno factory in the later part of WW II. The light bolt mass on the Skorpion operating on a straight blow-back short-recoil generates excessive rate of fire on full auto which required the addition of a spring loaded cyclic rate reducer. The reducer temporarily hooks the bolt to the rear during each cycle thereby keeping the cyclic rate down to approximately 840 r.p.m. Without the reducer the weapon will easily fire in excess of l000 r.p.m. in full auto.

The bolt is powered by twin recoil spring arrangement positioned on both sides at the top. A unique dual side-by-side cocking knobs with circular grooves locks in to the front end section of the bolt. The ejection slot was cut at the top of the bolt. A matching slot is also stamped at the top of the bolt cover. When the bolt is closed, its rear end section (solid part) lines up with the ejection slot of the bolt cover thereby preventing dirt entry. An automatic hold-open device was incorporated thereby holding the bolt open after the last round has been fired. To release the opened bolt, simply pull the cocking knobs to the rear as far as it will go to then release to recoil forward after a fresh loaded magazine is inserted to the gun. If the weapon is not to be fired, remove the empty magazine and pull back the knobs and release forward. A push button magazine catch was incorporated and is located on the left side of the receiver.

The gun operates from a close-bolt utilizing a pivoting hammer. During full auto fire, the hammer is held and release by an automatic sear, which is actuated by the bolt cam as it reaches its full forward stroke. The trigger mechanisms have inherited some features from the AKM, however use a compression type spring to power the hammer rather than the usual multi-strand coiled wire in the AK tradition. The trigger pull is light (approx. 4 lbs.) consistent and crisp. The fire selector is positioned to the left side of the receiver where it is easily accessible by the thumb of a right handed shooter. It features three-position indexes. Rear (1) semi-auto, middle (0) Safe and forward (20) full auto. The Skorpion is a true machinepistol in all respect. It can be easily fired from one hand with the wire stock folded. For more precise shooting, the stock can be unfolded and used as a shoulder rest. The length of the stock is somewhat short and shooting with it is a bit uncomfortable. The wire stock is of very good arrangement however somewhat undersized at the butt and length and a bit wide for comfort. The locking index is solid and simple to operate. To unfold the stock, simply rotate until it stops. This will automatically lock the stock in the extended position. To fold the stock back to the top of the gun, press the left side base until the lock is clear then rotate upward till the movement stops and locks into place.

Shooting the both the Czech Vz-61 and the Yugoslav version M-84 is a pure delight. Recoil with the .32 ACP is almost non existent. It shoots and feels like a .22 cal. pistol. Accuracy at 25 yards is very good both in semi and full auto averaging 3-4 inch spread using Winchester ammo. Unfortunately, I was only able to shoot this brand of ammo during the test of the M-84 because most of the gun stores I visited no longer carry the .32 ACP. However, I did fire over 500 rounds of mixed brands with the original Vz-61 in l979 and found the weapon to be extremely accurate well beyond its 75 meter setting using the wire stock and resting the muzzle on a tree branch, shooting milk jugs filled with water.

Field stripping of the M-84 for cleaning is identical to the Czech Vz-61. The procedure is extremely simple, fast and requires no tool. Clear the weapon and remove the magazine. The procedure starts by first making sure that the wire stock is on the extended position to allow forward movement of the upper receiver. Next, move the selector to the fire position (semi or full auto setting). Pull the takedown pin head located on the left side forward of the magazine well out to the left as far as it will go. Now pull the upper receiver forward by about 3/l6 inch then swing the muzzle down to open the action. Retract the bolt fully to the rear and pull the cocking knobs out to the sides after the knobs lined up with the enlarged section at the end of the long slots. Pulling the recoil spring base at the rear will also raise the bolt out of the opened action. No further disassembly is required for routine cleaning after firing the weapon. The base of the grip is in the form of a vertical cylinder which doubles as an oil container. A spare recoil spring can also be looped in the tubing cap dipper and stored inside the cylinder.

The overall workmanship of the M-84 is superb, definitely comparable to the original. There were no manufacturing shortcuts noted. Except for the stamped bolt cover and moulded plastic grip, the majority of the components are beautifully machined and finished. While many may consider the Vz-61/ M-84 family of machinepistols obsolete by today’s standard, make no mistake about it, these Skorpions of the Balkans are as deadly as any stingers could be.