Uzi!…. For years the mere utterance of the word has sent the heart pounding and the pulse racing in the minds of soldiers, Hollywood producers, and homegrown Walter Mitty types alike. This near mythical creation out of the brilliant mind of Uziel Gal (Galilei) has risen from the depths of despair of a nearly stillborn young nation, to its current status as THE defining image of at least three generations. There is almost no place on earth that the name, or image, of the Uzi Submachine gun cannot be found such that this universal familiarity has led to its being one of the most popular firearms on the collectors market today.

Available Guns

Unfortunately for the NFA weapons collector in these United States, the Uzi SMG is not as readily available as its worldwide status would suggest. Due to our controlling firearms laws and the market demands of past years, the collectible versions of the Uzi have come to be defined by three distinct variations.

Any fully transferable factory produced, foreign made gun (SMG) would have to have been imported prior to 1968 and the enactment of the Gun Control Act. In this category there exist two variations of the type: the Israeli/IMI produced originals, and the license built clones produced in Belgium by FN-Herstal. But before you start looking for one of those be aware that very few of either origin were ever imported prior to 1968 and they command a premium price!

The only other option for a Factory produced SMG is either the large number of dealer sample/law enforcement guns that were imported between 1968-1986 (which are restricted to acquisition by civilians who are Special Occupational Tax Payers only), or the US manufactured SMGs produced in the middle 1980s by Group Industries Inc. of Louisville, Ky. The Group guns are factory produced SMGs, accurate and exact in every detail, as they were manufactured on jigs and tooling obtained from FN, often using original FN produced parts obtained in the deal. They are also all fully transferable. Group guns are available for approximately less than half the cost of a Pre-68, fully-transferable, foreign produced, original gun and they are just as good as the originals. The differences are in finish only, and as a bonus the Group guns were offered from the factory in .45ACP and .22LR calibers, in addition to the standard 9mm caliber. It has been reported that very few of the non-9mm calibers were delivered from the factory as such. Group also sold caliber conversion kits as an accessory item. There have been a few problems with later Group Industries Uzis, mostly related to the bolts. Installing a factory Uzi bolt seems to alleviate the problems.

The last, and most common, version of the NFA collectible Uzi SMG are those guns that originated as Title I semi-auto carbines, and were later converted to select fire and registered with the NFA (National Firearms Act Branch of BATF) as transferable SMGs. These guns come in two distinct flavors. First is the “registered receiver conversion”, whose registration status allows the receiver to be modified to the factory original SMG configuration. The second is the “registered bolt conversion”, which employs as the registered item a special bolt that has been manufactured to fit and function in the receiver of a standard, unmodified, semi-auto carbine but in the select fire, open bolt, mode of operation. This type of conversion cannot legally employ some of the standard SMG features that would require receiver modifications, as discussed below.

These two types of conversion guns are our topic of investigation, as there are many variations. As with all conversions, there exist guns that were converted correctly and safely, and there are those that bear watching out for. A thorough understanding of the accepted practices used in a proper conversion of each type will allow the prospective buyer or current owner to gain maximum enjoyment from this gun, while avoiding a potentially bad experience.

The Semi-Auto Carbine

It must be first understood that Action Arms Inc., over the course of the years they were importing the semi-auto guns, imported two different versions the Uzi semi-auto carbine. These versions were officially known as the Model A and the Model B, and they were essentially identical mechanically, except for certain small differences, some of which were also being incorporated into the factory SMGs at this time too. The most noticeable difference was the arrangement of their sighting systems. On the Model A the sights are identical to the original SMG design, in which all adjustability for windage and elevation is accomplished by movement of the front sight elements. The rear sight is a fixed peep, adjustable only for two range settings of 50m and 100m. Part of the problem was not taking into account the change from a 10 inch barrel on the SMG, to the 16 inch barrel on the semi-auto. The Model B incorporated a new sighting system which allowed elevation adjustments on the front sight post, and windage from the rear sight peep, in addition to the range selections. The operational difference is that the Model B does not require any special tool to make adjustments, whereas the Model A requires a dedicated sight tool. Also, on the Model B, the front sling swivel rotates a full 360 degrees, while on the Model A it cannot rotate through a full arc. On early versions of the Model A the bolt face was also slightly different. Early imports had a full cartridge seating bottom rim, whereas later Model A (and all Model B guns) incorporate a relieved lower cartridge seat face to hinder easy conversion to full-auto fire. This became an important distinction when legally converting these guns, as discussed below. There is a perception that the Model A was a better candidate for conversions, as it was closer to the original SMG and could be converted more easily, in some cases. On a few of the very early examples of the Model A, the blocking rail was not adequately welded, which may be the root of that bit of MG Lore.

As an aside it must be pointed out, that while all Israeli manufactured semi-auto carbines were imported by Action Arms Inc., there was also a clone of the semi-auto carbine made by Group Industries here in the USA Group Industries started making SMGs and when the 1986 making ban occurred, they tooled up for the semi-auto guns, of which there are a small number about, but nowhere near as many as of the Action Arms imports. And though it has never been reported that the Group semis were available in time to be receiver registered, as transferable SMG conversions prior to the 1986 making ban, many have apparently been used as the host guns when installing NFA registered, conversion bolts. The design and quality of Group Industries guns rivals that of the Israeli originals, and there should be no hesitation in their employment as host guns for bolt conversions. For our purposes here we are only concerned with original Israeli-made guns, and possibly these Group Industries clones when used as the basis for a conversion with a Registered Bolt. It should be noted that there were imported at differing times, and by differing importers, unlicensed, cheap copies of the semi-auto carbine made by Norinco in China. These poor quality guns made it in under the name of “Officers’ 9”, long before the semi-auto import ban, and long before the ‘current’ rash of Norinco Uzi Carbine clones, imported as sporter rifles commonly seen with thumbhole, sporter style fixed stocks. Despite when (and under which name) these Chinese copies are encountered, it must be very clearly stated that they are extremely poor copies, with regard to metallurgy, fit, and finish. They are so poor as to preclude discussion here. Due to the timing involved, very few of the Chinese guns would seem to have been in-country and able to be registered prior to the 1986 making ban, but some may have been used for an SMG conversion with one of the many legally registered conversion bolts. Under no circumstances could this be recommended, as these guns are so poorly made as to be potentially impossible to make them function reliably with a conversion bolt installed.

What’s So Different About a Semi-auto Carbine?

Like other semi-auto derivatives of ex-military pattern machine-guns, the Uzi semi-auto carbine had to undergo a significant redesign from the SMG parent in order to pass the BATF’s measuring stick to allow importation and sale to U.S. citizens as a Title I firearm. Obviously, such changes are made with the intention of NOT allowing an easy conversion into a machine gun, and it is important to fully understand these engineering changes. A proper, safe, and legal conversion will have retained the inherent safety features of the parent SMG design, while rendering as close as mechanically possible a virtual copy of the SMG functionally and aesthetically. Israel Military Industries (IMI), unfortunately for the NFA collector community, went far beyond the absolute minimum changes required from the SMG design to allow importation and sale in this country. These extra semi-auto only features are the central focus of most of the complaints leveled at conversions of these guns, with regard to function and user-friendliness.

The differences between a functional conversion (one that merely duplicates functionally, full-auto only, or selective fire), and a complete conversion (one that virtually replicates the original SMG in all aspects including function, parts interchangeability, and appearance), are significant. They can cause extreme variation in the fair price range of differing guns. To gain a complete understanding of the selection and desirability of available guns out there, let’s first take a look at the basic mechanical differences between the SMG and the semi-auto carbine (as originally imported).

The single most important difference between the original SMG and the semi-auto carbine is in the respective methods of operation. The SMG fires from the open-bolt position using a fixed firing pin. The carbine had to be redesigned to fire from the closed-bolt position, utilizing a striker. This was solely to pass importation restrictions based upon a pending ruling prohibiting the manufacture of semi-auto Title I guns that fired from an open bolt. To this end there were several significant design changes made. The first was the installation on the rear upper right side of the sheet metal receiver of a long piece of rectangular shaped metal bar (known as a ‘blocking rail) that prevented the drop-in installation of the SMG type, fixed firing pin, Open Bolt. In order to accommodate the blocking rail inside the receiver the semi-auto bolt has a full -length notch cut in its upper right side to allow passage over the blocking rail. Since the gun could not use a fixed firing pin a striker mechanism was incorporated into the bolt group, which now comprised a slightly shorter Bolt with a full length hole drilled through its center to accommodate a moving firing pin, this pin came forward upon, sear release, to strike the cartridge primer. The bolt itself now merely reciprocated within the length of the receiver housing, with each shot closing upon the freshly chambered round. The the striker assembly stayed caught by the sear in the same rear position of the former SMG open bolt. The striker assembly itself comprised the long firing pin and square section of steel that had a sear holding notch cut into its bottom surface, along with a separate spring to provide the striking energy. The semi-auto now had two separate spring assemblies; the main recoil spring (attached in the familiar place on the bolt itself), and the smaller striker spring. There is an interconnecting slot cut into the left side bottom of the semi-auto bolt to mate with the long arm of the striker assembly. This assures proper alignment during movement. Due to the fact that the striker arm (contained the single sear notch) the right bottom ridge of the semi-auto bolt that would normally contain a sear notch in the SMG bolt is milled open from the rear of the ejection opening, to slightly ahead of it. The SMG bolt is solid on the top and side faces, except for the sear holding notch, and the ejection port opening. To finish out the bolt group changes, the SMG has a different type of extractor than the semi-auto bolt. The lip of the semi-auto extractor is considerably thinner and shallower than that installed on the SMG bolt, for unknown reasons. It is clearly desirable to have the SMG version installed in a full-auto gun, and probably any version of the gun. They are completely interchangeable. Lastly, a note is in order on the two different kinds of semi-auto bolts that were installed on the Model A guns, as this has an important bearing on how these guns may have been converted to the full-auto fire mode. When IMI first designed the Model A semi-auto bolt the bolt face was identical to the SMG open-bolt design (save for the deletion of the fixed-firing pin) in that it incorporated a full-circumference cartridge holding rim. This cartridge holding rim was designed to snap around the base rim of the cartridge and hold it in position as it entered the chamber, just prior to contact with the fixed firing pin. Later Model A, and all Model B, guns have the lower section of this rim machined off, as another disabling design feature, to preclude easy modification to full-auto fire, as will now be discussed below.

Now, with the mode of fire changed, the fire controls had to be similarly altered. All fire-control parts are contained in a separate housing attached centrally below the receiver of the gun, and which also comprises the pistol grip and the magazine well. The SMG fire-control assembly allows for three control positions, safe, semi-auto, and full-auto. The selector levers have a small right angle, finger-like, bent piece of metal which, in a SMG installation, moves forward and bypasses the disconnector function in the fully forward full-auto position. For semi-auto fire to occur it is placed in the middle position, where it can function the disconnector, releasing the sear after the trigger nose drops. To force the condition of semi-auto only operation, whereby the disconnector is activated continuously, it would be required to mechanically preclude the selector from moving forward past this point. The alterations were made to the semi-auto grip housing by adding a small block of metal inside the front center shelf of this housing to preclude the selector lever from moving forward enough to engage the full-auto position on the trigger nose, and by-pass the disconnector. The selector levers themselves are the same except for deletion of the third select position notch. Very early semi-auto selectors were identical to the SMG versions, and had all three control position notches already cut. Later versions deleted the third position. Concurrent with the changes in the semi-auto guns which resulted in their being redesignated as Model B, all versions of Uzi selector levers had a vertical safety tang added to the upper surface of the lever, which prevented the sear from dropping (by blocking the left underside sear finger, in the same mechanical fashion as the right underside finger is blocked by the vertical tang of the grip safety) until the selector switch was moved into one of the Fire positions.

The only other difference in the fire-control parts relates to the sear itself. The SMG sear is quite noticeably larger on the fingers that protrude up into the receiver to catch the bolt. In comparison, the semi sear, because it only had to restrain the much lighter striker mass, has smaller fingers. The smaller semi sear will work but is NOT recommended, as excessive wear can result. A proper conversion will have the sear projection holes in the bottom of the receiver milled out to the correct dimensions to allow the factory SMG sear to be installed and function. This was not always done, and on conversion guns utilizing a Registered Bolt it may be looked upon as an illegal receiver modification by BATF, unless the bolt was permanently married to the receiver by serial number on the transfer form. (A note on all Uzi sears: the sears, by design, are made to a less hardened surface treatment than the bolt so that when wear does occur, and it will, the comparatively cheaper sear can be replaced rather than the entire expensive bolt. A highly worn sear can allow runaway fire, in slips over the rounded, worn, sear fingers so always check the sear condition on regular basis!)

Lastly, on the fire control group, the axis pins that hold the lower receiver control group onto the upper receiver have two different size mounting pins/holes, again to preclude a direct swapping of the SMG group onto the Semi-auto receiver. The SMG uses a 5mm pins and receiver holes, while the semi-auto guns use 7mm pins and receiver holes. This prevents an SMG lower from being pinned on without enlarging the pinholes in the SMG trigger housing. You will still have to use 7mm pins to mount it. With the availability of parts kit guns now so abundant many people have chosen to install a real SMG lower, either for increased reliability, or just to get the Hebrew markings of the Israeli originals.

Jumping back up into the front of the receiver, we discover yet another joyous collection of maddening alterations that hinder our journey back to the world of the original SMG configuration. The two most often heard complaints about owning a conversion SMG relate to the barrel selection availability and mounting problems. IMI thoughtfully left no stone unturned when redesigning the Uzi for semi-auto sale in the U.S. Their most fondly remembered alterations prevent the installation and usage of cheap and plentiful SMG short barrels, instead forcing the owner of an SMG conversion that has not been fully SMG configured to resort to modifying and cutting down semi-auto barrels. Thankfully there are on the aftermarket barrels that will interchange. (It should be noted that possession of one of these short barrels that will drop into a semi-auto Uzi and the semi-auto Uzi itself would comprise possession of a short barreled rifle, requiring registration under Title II of the 1968 Gun Control Act). The semi-auto is different from the SMG as regards barrel mounting in two important aspects. First, the actual barrel trunnion, which forms the heart of the forward part of the upper receiver by being welded into place, has a smaller diameter passage hole for the barrel flanges than on the SMG. This prevents an SMG barrel from being slipped into the trunnion. On the front of the magazine well, inside the bottom of the receiver, is welded on both SMG and semi-auto versions a cartridge feed ramp to guide the nose of the bullet into the chamber of the barrel. On the original SMG version that is all that it is, a cartridge guide. On the semi-auto version it also contains a thick ring which serves to hold the rear end of the barrel in position on the feed ramp, but more importantly it prevents the larger rear diameter of a standard SMG barrel from being inserted and utilized in the semi-auto guns. By virtue of the SMG barrel flanges being of a larger diameter, they cannot be directly inserted and used in a semi-auto conversion that does not have these two features fixed. So one has to either cut and recrown the semi-auto barrels, or turn down the flanges on the SMG versions. A proper and complete conversion will have had the trunnion passage hole bored out to SMG spec, and the barrel ring milled off the feed ramp.

The last important difference between the SMG and the semi-auto carbine is in the design of the top covers. The SMG cover has an extra mechanism in the cocking track designed to prevent inadvertent discharge of the weapon if the cocking knob is accidentally released prior to full rearward travel being reached and sear lock-up of the bolt. This is commonly called a ratcheting top cover, due to the small ratchet mechanism which will catch and hold the bolt. This is only a feature in the open- bolt guns. It is not found, or needed, in a closed bolt firing weapon. The visible tip off to identification is the row of ratchet teeth along the side of the top cover bottom track. Semi-auto tracks are smooth for their entire length. There is also a slight difference in the length of the cut opening between the SMG and semi-auto carbine top cover tracks, which will be explained below. A proper conversion need not have this ratcheting top cover to function correctly, but anything designed, and available to the owner/operator, for safety reasons should be utilized. It is not possible to modify the semi-auto top cover for this ratcheting mechanism (for all practical purposes at least), so most complete conversions will have this entire assembly exchanged for a standard SMG unit. The other bonus benefit to this exchange of top covers is that the semi-auto carbine has a lengthy and annoying warning against illegal conversions stamped into the cocking knob slide, and since we’re discussing a legal NFA registered weapon, it’s only fitting to eliminate such aggravating visible verbage on the exterior of the weapon. (See Photo on page 73.)

There is one more aesthetic difference between the semi-auto carbine and the SMG. Both guns could utilize either a folding metal stock or a fixed wooden one. The folders attach semi-permanently in the same fashion on either gun, but on the SMG the wooden stock is provisioned for quick detachment by a release lever on the stock underside. On the semi-auto carbine, the wooden stock is semi-permanently attached. The SMG quick-detach wooden stock will interchange for those who so desire.

The Three Conversion Methods

Now, with an understanding of the various mechanical differences between the SMG and the semi-auto carbine, it is relevant to discuss the actual mechanical methods of conversion that will be found on a NFA registered Uzi carbine SMG conversion.

It did not take long after Action Arms Inc. began importing the first carbines to the USA in 1980. Before some very industrious minds began to figure out how to convert the gun into a full-auto firing (versions in full-auto only, and selective full-auto fire) submachine gun.

The first type of conversion took clever advantage of the design of the striker-fired, closed-bolt, semi-auto mechanism in spite of all that IMI had done to prevent easy conversion. In fact, some of the IMI changes actually facilitated this type of conversion! Recall from above, that the first Model A guns to come in were slightly different than all those that followed. IMI had forgotten a few very important details it seems! For the open-bolt mode of fire, the full-circumference rim on the bolt face, designed to guide the cartridge into the chamber prior to the fixed firing pin striking the primer cap, is critical. Without this lower rim on the bolt face the cartridge bottom rim will hang up on the firing pin, causing jamming as it enters the chamber. The cartridge rim will climb into the bolt face too soon. On a closed-bolt weapon there is no firing pin in the way, until sear release of the striker after bolt closure and chambering, so the elimination of that lower lip is of no consequence unless somehow, that fixed firing pin, or its equivalent, suddenly reappeares! That is exactly what those industrious minds figured out how to do. If the striker could be attached to the rear of the bolt it would act as an open bolt, with a fixed firing pin protruding at the bolt face. Even simpler, it was noticed that the striker spring was strong enough to carry the striker in place against the rear of the bolt during chambering, enough to cause reliable primer ignition! Now you were half way there. The earliest Model A bolts had the full-circumference cartridge holding rim already, remember? Two thirds of the way there. If you could somehow allow the selector lever (early Model A select levers had three detent notches) to move forward far enough to interrupt the disconnector function, the bolt would continue to reciprocate until trigger release…. full-auto (only)! Method one done.

In finer detail, these were mostly all registered receiver conversions for two basic reasons. Reason one, because at this time there was no economic reason NOT to register the whole gun as an SMG, and reason two, the ATF rulings which brought about the so-called “machine gun conversion parts” distinction was just beginning to get started with the “AR15 drop-in auto sear” mania and the like, with the Uzi conversion scene adding to the fire for the following reason. From the just discussed conversion method above, it becomes apparent that one could convert a semi-auto carbine to full-auto with no receiver modifications. If a new selector lever that bypassed the disconnector function could be made that could drop-in, and replace the semi-auto one directly. That was exactly what was done in some cases, with a “Conversion Selector Lever” being NFA registered as the machine gun itself, and either installed in a gun by a Class II Manufacturer or owner (on Form 1), or sold by itself. ATF promptly ruled this lever was a machine gun with the usual warning against unregistered possession, etc.

So, early Model As (with the full SMG style lower bolt face rim) can be found with this NFA registered lever as the only difference, but they will be able to fire full-auto only, not selectively. For later bolts with the lower rim machined off, it was necessary to reinstall that rim as in an SMG bolt face. This was usually done by welding a machine contoured ‘half rim ring’ back onto the bolt face itself. For the selector lever itself to NOT be considered a registerable part under the NFA, it had to be of the original design with the right-angle finger attached that engaged the disconnector (and blocking piece welded onto the front lower shelf of the trigger grip frame housing). Early Model A select levers with all three detent positions could be used just as a regular SMG part if the blocking piece could be removed, but doing so altered the ‘as manufactured’ status of the gun, and was disallowed by ATF, unless the receiver was NFA registered, and this was the only way to remain legal with a conversion of this type early on. The proper conversion method then had the blocking piece removed to replicate the SMG control housing function. Later semi-auto select levers were devoid of the third detent notch, so that had it to be reconfigured on later guns undergoing conversion. This describes the various NFA registered guns that can be encountered from the earliest conversions done. This phase lasted only about a year or so, and changed very quickly when those industrious minds went to work again, this time on the bolt itself.

Since to modify the relieved bolt face seen on most Model A guns required accurate welding and reheat treating of the bolt, it seemed easier to start with a bolt already manufactured in the full SMG configuration as regards open bolt firing requirements. If you started with a SMG type bolt the only major modification needed would be to allow placement inside the semi receiver with its blocking rail. A simple job of milling a slot in the correct location to mimic the design of the semi-auto bolt, and the gun would function in the open bolt mode. And so the now famous “slotted bolt” was born. The first versions sold openly were designed to accommodate the normal closed bolt recoil spring and buffer arrangement which was slightly longer in depth on the semi gun because the semi closed bolt did not need to reciprocate as far back into the receiver because of the striker assembly riding behind it. To this end, the cut track opening for the cocking slide in the top cover had a slightly shorter track, as the cocking slide did not need to be drawn as far back with the striker engaging the sear instead of the bolt. To retain as much of the original SMG operating characteristics as possible, it was soon seen that by replacing the semi recoil and buffer assemblies with a standard SMG version the slotted bolt could attain all the relevant dimensions of the SMG, save for the milled slot in the side. By increasing the length of the slotted conversion bolt to normal SMG spec it also restored the normal cyclic rate by virtue of the increased mass and recoil travel. The only down side to this bolt, and all future NFA registered conversion bolts of this description, is that it now required the full travel of the cocking slide to engage the bolt notch with the sear while cocking the weapon, such that it became necessary to now mill open the length of the cocking track opening to normal SMG specs too. It was often easier to just replace the whole top cover, with the added benefit of the SMG ratcheting mechanism coming along for free.

This all came to an immediate halt in mid 1982, when ATF ruled that such fixed firing pin, slotted bolts, like the drop-in selector or lever, were machine guns in and of themselves, so future manufacture, sale, and possession was to be in full compliance with the NFA. There were though a small number of legal registered receiver conversions made by using these unrestricted, restricted, conversion bolts prior to that ruling, and they were allowed (grandfathered), as they were previously lawfully, registered in full compliance with the existing laws, though the conversion bolt now needed to be married to that particular serially numbered receiver. If it ever needed replacement you were out of luck. With this restriction some of these registered receiver guns simply ditched (read: destroyed) the UN-registered conversion bolt and went ahead and finished the receiver modifications that allowed utilization of an original, solid SMG open-bolt, as these were the only bolts that remained legal for unrestricted sale and transfer after the ruling.

This is the basis then for the second most common method of conversion, that of using an NFA registered, slotted conversion bolt, in an otherwise unmodified Title 1 semi-auto receiver. These slotted conversion bolts were still made and marketed, but they now had to be individually NFA registered, and a lot of them were! The slotted conversion bolt” is operationally identical to the standard SMG open bolt, except for the milled slot in the right upper side face. All other relevant dimensions and operating characteristics are the same, with one small nod to the inescapable reality that it was to be used in an unmodified semi-auto carbine receiver. All semi-auto carbines incorporate the barrel modifications as described above such that a normal SMG bolt face, if used in an unmodified semi-auto receiver, would not properly close against the rear of the barrel chamber, as the restrictor ring which surrounds the rear of the semi-auto barrel would interfere. So, NFA registered slotted conversion bolts are slightly relieved at the forward upper bolt face to accommodate the normal semi-auto barrel and mounting setup.

With a registered conversion bolt installed, it was deemed acceptable by ATF to allow modification of the lower receiver trigger housing fire control unit any way desired, and most units were simply modified from the semi-auto to selective mode of fire, as described above. It is also perfectly acceptable to swap out the semi-auto unit for a standard factory original SMG lower, as long as the SMG trigger housing is modified (by opening up the mounting pin holes to 7mm), and not the upper receiver center block! Even with a registered slotted conversion bolt installed, upper receiver modifications are generally disapproved of by ATF, although the only specifically illegal modification is removal of the blocking rail on the right upper inside of the receiver. The caveat against modifying the lower receiver push pin mounting hole to bring it back to the 5mm SMG standard is that it may be viewed as evidence of intent to illegally convert the semi-auto upper receiver (by allowing pin-on conversion of an SMG lower housing combined with the first bolt modification method described above) if the NFA-registered bolt is ever separated. It is inadvisable to make this modification in light of that distinction. Guns found with the remaining upper receiver modifications, such as barrel trunnion and feed ramp alterations, are not illegal and add to the perceptible value of the gun if done in a professional manner. An SMG conversion using a NFA-registered slotted conversion, bolt is an excellent method of conversion as it does not overly hinder one in obtaining a near copy of the factory SMG original, and in most cases the absolute differences between a bolt gun and registered receiver conversion are merely aesthetic, with the spare parts scenario being the most common complaint. And, if you already have a semi-auto gun in your collection, the acquisition of an NFA-registered conversion bolt may allow an inexpensive changeover into the full-auto realm of the design, as it was originally intended.

The only remaining point to discuss about these registered conversion bolts is as regards their inherent value and weaknesses. All of these bolts were NOT created equal, either in materials or workmanship! If it is decided that a conversion bolt is the way to proceed a careful examination of the intended bolt is in order if you wish to maximize the usage and enjoyment of the converted gun. slotted conversion bolts were made from two distinct sources, each with its own pluses and minuses. The first and most obvious source was to simply take a factory original SMG open-bolt, and then make the two modifications to adapt it to conversion use in the semi-auto carbine, namely milling the clearance slot, and the bolt face relief cut for the rear barrel support ring. The main concern here is: Did the manufacturer of these bolts properly account for the re-heat treatment of the finished bolt. Since these bolts are normally hardened, it should have been annealed prior to machining, and then heat treated again to proper finish hardness. A finish hardness of at least Rockwell 55-56 on the C (hard, but able to be cut with a file) scale is desired to prevent premature wear of the sear holding notches and bolt face. A tungsten carbide-cutter mill may have been used instead of the heat treatment process (es), but this could lead to localized heat distortion damage (unlikely) during the milling operation(s) if it is not done very carefully. Closely examine any bolts that show evidence of stress risers, hairline cracks, crystallization or burring.

The second method involved new manufacture of slotted bolts, either from machined forgings, bar stock or investment castings. Both forgings and bar stock are common, and perfectly acceptable as base materials for a machine gun bolt, with a slight nod being given to the forged bolts as they duplicate the factory original manufacturing method, while having intrinsically better metallurgical properties. Lastly, some new manufacture bolts were made from cast steel and then finish machined. Investment cast parts are acceptable, providing that the proper manufacturing methods were employed during casting, and were to industry standards. The single most common problem found with cast parts relates to improper cooling practices which allow finished dimensions to stray from spec. All cast Uzi bolts were not created equal, and there are unfortunately cast Uzi bolts that are known to be off-spec due to a materials specification change which substituted a different alloy than originally specified. This material had a slightly different contraction rate, which caused it to cool to a finish dimension that was larger than tolerance. There ended up being a small lot of these poorly cast slotted SMG bolts NFA registered, and they are quite obvious by the fitting marks that were required to get them to function.

All of these bolts of any manufacturing method, should be heat treated for long-term service, so check the pedigree of the bolt in question and verify manufacturing specs if at all possible. As regards reported, known problems with these registered slotted bolts, it boils down to two areas. First, for the reasons above, some bolts exhibit an excessive wear profile in the sear holding notches which can lead to eventual failure to properly hold on the sear fingers. Potential dangers from run-away firing aside, this is not that serious of a problem to repair, though it entails welding up the sear notches in a jig and then re-machining them to spec (followed by proper re-heat treatment!). Secondly, some of the improperly heat treated bolts have had their fixed firing pin wear down from extended use to the point where there is not enough pin protruding to reliably cause primer ignition. The only acceptable method of repair here is to bore out the old pin and install a replacement fixed pin which can be heat-shrunk into place. These repair pins are rare items, and few people working around MG’s have any experience with doing this, but since we are talking about a registered part, repair is the only legal way to go registered slotted bolts should, of and in themselves, be of no particular concern as regards wear and longevity in an SMG conversion, as they have the full potential to meet a normal factory original parts life and utility span, if they were correctly manufactured in the first place. As with all conversion parts though, once the general design was in the public domain many different sources made and registered them and all were not created equal, so a close physical examination is advised. And if a well-worn, or even damaged or improperly manufactured, registered bolt should be found, do not discount it out of hand, as it can be repaired and restored to operational status by a competent professional. The price to be paid should reflect the overall condition, but with registered NFA items getting more valuable with time, any item with a registration paper/tax stamp is worth a close examination prior to purchase, if at possible.

“As a general rule, ANY bolt gun is worth less than a registered receiver conversion of comparable condition.”

The final conversion type is the so-called registered receiver gun. As most people understand the meaning of the term, it is qualified by one underlying distinction, the removal of the blocking rail inside the receiver to allow utilization of a standard, solid, SMG open bolt. Though we noted that there are a select few registered receiver guns, as described above, that were converted by other methods, these are not generally perceived to be of the same general class, as they still have the blocking rail intact and therefore have not been converted to SMG description. However, due to their receiver status they most certainly could be completed to full SMG spec at the owner’s discretion. The owner who wishes to do so should check with ATF Technology Branch first before doing so – and get it in writing. But for most registered receiver guns, their attraction lies in the fact that they can be fully converted to a near clone of the factory SMG, in both function and appearance. Due to the registration status, with no legal barriers to altering the receiver itself, we are free to return the receiver to its normal SMG description.

This complete conversion of the gun back to its near factory SMG description is accomplished as follows, though individual guns may exhibit various stages of completeness of the full conversion. The complete conversion is begun by removal of the bolt blocking rail in preparation for installation of a factory original SMG open bolt. The IMI design for the mounting of the blocking rail incorporated two extension tabs near each end, that located the rail by mating with opposite slots in the receiver sidewall, and then were welded in place and had the welds ground smooth prior to finishing of the weapon’s exterior. When altering the receiver for the conversion to a factory type SMG bolt it became necessary to remove the rail completely, flush with the receiver sidewall, a job best accomplished with a vertical milling cut, as the mill could be controlled to safely remove the rail flush with the receiver sidewall without causing damage. The problem with this is that the last section of the rail was installed too far back in the receiver channel to allow milling it completely free, so some ingenuity was called for. Most conversions were done by carefully milling off the rail as much as possible rearward then using a small torquing force, or shear force, to break free the remaining tab joint. Done carefully, this resulted in no damage to the receiver sidewalls, though many people apparently used alternate methods than a mill, or rushed the job or applied too much torque/shear force as twisted/dented rear sidewalls are one of the most common flaws in conversions. These sidewall flaws can be straightened, but it is a difficult job and best done by an experienced professional.

The other required major alteration to the semi-auto upper receiver, to render it a clone of the factory produced SMG, was the conversion of the barrel mounting points. The barrel trunnion through-hole needs to be opened up to the SMG factory spec diameter, and properly converted guns will have had this done by line boring to the axis though more commonly this was simply placed into a vertical holding fixture and a drill press was used. This can result in misalignment of the mounted barrel and may be a root cause of feeding troubles, and failure to be able to properly tighten the barrel mounting collar. The rear barrel holding ring/feed ramp assembly will also have to have the entire ring structure milled off flush with the upper surface of the feed ramp, duplicating the SMG ramp contours, to avoid bolt face contact. Once these two operations were performed, an SMG barrel could be simply replaced.

The selector lever block in the top inside shelf of the trigger housing frame was also installed by the same locating tab method, as employed on the blocking rail in the upper receiver. The correct method to remove it was a simple milling operation, though other torquing/shearing operations were commonly utilized. If the block was not fully removed flush, or if any remnants of the weld are left, there may be interference with the elongated right-angle finger of the selector lever that prevents smooth operation of the disconnector function and subsequent improper semi-auto functioning. So, to do a proper conversion, one must completely remove the select lever block, as some improper conversions merely attempted to notch, or cut out, instead of fully removing the block, and a sticking or troublesome selector lever can usually be traced to this. An SMG selector lever is the ideal way to complete a fully correct conversion, and this can be simply exchanged, although the majority of conversions probably used modified semi levers (note: there are two different SMG selectors available – later production ones have the safety tang, early military ones do not.). The semi-auto select levers were modified by adding the third detent, and these detents may give trouble if not properly done. Check for correct depth and spacing as compared to the original two semi-auto only control positions if the selector will not engage the full-auto position smoothly and firmly. A correct job will have the third detent milled, as the factory did, and not hand cut or ground out.

As discussed above the remaining operation to the trigger housing was remarking of the housing exterior for the third selector detent position after it had been milled, cut, or stamped into the housing exterior. The exterior of the trigger housing is where it is easy to tell the care and professionalism, or lack thereof, that went into the conversion. The remarking of the housing for the third detent position can vary from either indistinguishable from factory, to sloppy and badly mismatched. A cold chisel and hand stamp, held by hand and eyeballed, was often the preferred method. The best conversions will have utilized a professional stamping fixture with a font-matching stamp to duplicate the lettering already existing in the other two positions, combined with welding up of the old fire position F, and restamping of the now required R for the semi-auto detent position. Some conversions may simply have had the entire semi-auto unit replaced with a surplus factory SMG type trigger housing, which should be unaltered except for the required modification to the mounting pin holes of the SMG trigger housing. If the original semi-auto sear was exchanged for an SMG sear, with the full width fingers, the sear clearance holes in the bottom of the upper receiver will need to be enlarged to SMG spec for proper clearance. The difference is slight, and many were not properly enlarged as required. For reliable operation with the SMG sear it is necessary to enlarge the holes.

“..Group Industries guns were offered from the factory in .45ACP and .22LR calibers in addition to the standard 9mm..”

The top cover modifications, required for the SMG open bolt installation as discussed above, will most likely have been accomplished by a simple replacement and exchange of the semi-auto original cover assembly for a surplus SMG, ratcheting type unit. This would be considered the most desirable method for this assembly, though modified semi-auto units are also common and perfectly acceptable, though less military looking.

The final aspect of the conversion is the installation, a drop in job now, of an original solid face, SMG style open bolt and its attendant recoil spring and buffer assembly. This bolt should already come equipped with a wide-lip SMG style extractor claw, but if not it should be exchanged for one.

With a complete exterior refinish, this is the ideal state of conversion in a complete conversion of the semi-auto carbine into as near as possible a clone of the factory produced, select fire, open bolt, SMG original, save for the mounting pin holes for the lower trigger housing and the semi-auto model A/B markings. These trigger housing pinholes and the receiver markings could have been altered if a registered receiver gun was remanufactured by a Class II manufacturer, but conversions using registered bolts cannot alter the receiver or its factory markings. As can be readily seen, since there exist such a wide range of possible conversions out there, respective values also vary widely. Most desirable would seem to be a fully converted registered receiver gun exhibiting all the alterations to render a near perfect copy of the factory SMG. These guns, circa early 1998 prices, are fairly priced in the mid to high $2000s for excellent condition guns with a known pedigree originally done by reputable sources, to the low $1200 range for a no-pedigree gun with mechanical or major aesthetic problems. Value increases with higher content of SMG style parts, or modifications to accept those standard parts. Registered bolts are fairly priced from $500-$1000 alone, depending on manufacturer and condition, and materials and methods used for manufacture. A complete bolt gun will depend upon the host semi-auto guns inherent value and whether any additional allowable alterations exist. These could command as a package anywhere from the low $1000s to the mid $2000s. As a general rule ANY bolt gun is worth less than a registered receiver conversion of comparable condition. Though, if you happen to run across one of the few very early conversions, those that fall under the heading of anomalies, such as those that contain a NFA registered selector lever, or are a registered receiver gun with a grandfathered un-registered slotted bolt, judgment will have to be used as to value based upon overall condition and the wear and tear on the registered part(s). Negotiations are in order, as there is simply no definitive value basis.

Hopefully now, with an understanding of the myriad definitions extant of the Conversion Uzi, a clear picture can be drawn of the complex nature of this particular class of civilian legal NFA firearm and its convoluted path to the marketplace and firing lines across the country. While there exists a large variance in this class of guns, it is also nice to know that they represent a solid value for the collectors money, while being easy to shoot and service, as spare parts and accessories are abundant and inexpensive.

“The mechanical engineers have given us in various forms the means of enabling two or three men to deliver a fire equivalent to that of fifty or sixty rifles with deadly effect. The use of such an enormous power as this should not be the mere temporary occupation to which a few men and officers are assigned for a while. Rather it should be the life work of a machine gunner…” Maj. F.V. Longstaff -The book of the Machine Gun 1917

Once again, from eighty years ago, the words of the founders of machine gunnery speak clear and true. Men at arms have always known that training hard and the scholarly study of their art has yielded victory on the battlefield. Raffica would once again like to urge the powers that be in the military to allow ample ammunition for training, as well as encouraging marksmanship and excellence in the ranks of the machine gunners. When you need the skills, you really need the skills. If you have allowed them to atrophy, or to slip away forgotten, you may not be able to gain them back in time to meet a threat such as was encountered in World War II.

Civilian owners of the weapons should likewise train; not so much for war duty, but so that the skills are not rusty if they need to be called upon. It happened in 1950 for Korea. Besides, it’s a wonderful past time, and competitions can include who can pile up the most brass along with who actually is best at hitting the target areas…

On a “Support our advertisers” note; numerous people have asked me for sources for original transit chests for Vickers and Brens. Lots of times these boxes have been forgotten in the back corner of a warehouse, or unknowingly used for other purposes. I recently spoke with Don Bell from Omega Weapons Systems, and he has both Bren and Vickers / Lewis transit chests in stock at some pretty reasonable prices. Don has been one of SAR’s supporting advertisers from the start, and owns a good company to deal with. If you are one of the people who have been asking me where these can be purchased, give Don a call at (520) 889-8895 (Omega’s ad is on page 52)

Q1- I recently bought and took possession of an MP5. According to the paperwork this is a “Registered receiver” MP5. A friend of mine told me that registered receivers are supposed to have the swing down lowers. Mine has a clip on lower. It is an HK94 converted to an MP5 by Bill Fleming. I am wondering if I could be in any trouble, the paperwork is marked in section b as a machinegun and the serial number is the one stamped on the receiver. It was approved by the BATF. Secondly, since it is a registered receiver can I buy full auto components, like a trigger pack or another sear if this one should break? I understand that I can’t have it converted to a swing down lower, but can I put other types of lowers on it? Last of all, I am having some minor problems with it. When firing the trigger seems to have two positions. If you fire a short burst and let go of the trigger, the trigger repositions to its normal position full forward, however if your fire a burst and then release some tension in the trigger, the trigger seems to position itself somewhere in between. If you pull the trigger at this point the weapon will discharge most of the time, occasionally it won’t fire and looking at the round, it has a light primer hit as if the hammer follows the bolt. Most of the time the gun works fine but I would like to get it to work perfectly.

Stephen G.

A1- I’ll try and hit these in the order you gave them to us. Several manufacturers registered HK semi automatic weapons as fully automatic receivers before the May 19th 1986 deadline. Some were made into factory “Clones” by removing the front block and drilling a hole so that a factory HK machine gun trigger housing is used on the gun. These guns you can interchange all factory machine gun parts on. Others were made into “Clip-on” lower registered receivers. These are identical to registered HK Sear guns. The receiver has not been modified to accept the factory swing down lower; it has a machine gun style trigger housing that has been altered to fit on the semi automatic guns. The sear that is used in these guns is basically identical to a registered HK sear, but it is not the registered part. This sear, away from the registered receiver, is considered a machine gun by itself. Do not remove the sear from the proximity of the registered receiver. You are not allowed to finish the alteration of the registered receiver clip on lower guns to fit the swing down, so you can not use the factory parts. You can not make a replacement sear either. SAR will cover this more in depth in future issues.

You can use other lowers if the trigger grip housing is converted to use the original pack and sear that is on your gun. This generally precludes using the 3 shot burst type lowers.

On to your “Trigger” problem. This is really a “Hammer” problem, and it has more insidious ramifications than you might be thinking. Many of the hammers in these converted HK guns were converted themselves from semi automatic hammers. The notch on the hammer is an add on for the full automatic HK’s. Some of these were incorrectly placed. This can be a very dangerous situation. Not only will you experience the problem you have, but you may very well have an Accidental Discharge (AD) when chambering the first round.

Let’s keep it simple here. As SAR readers are aware, AD’s are considered “Bad”. People get hurt and killed. With any firearm, you should always chamber a round in a safe direction to begin with. Safety and proper handling are considered “Good”. The solution here is to get this fixed. You do this by getting a new hammer that is properly cut for the sear. Fred Volmer at F. J. Volmer (309-663-9494) has these in stock for about $40. If you have either a registered receiver clip on lower gun, or a registered sear conversion, you need to check this and see if you have a correct hammer. The problem ones will usually be obvious weld ups on the notch / axle end of the hammer. You can talk to the people at Volmer’s and they will help you ID the problem hammers.

Q2- I recently purchased some fifty-caliber ammunition that was kind of odd. It was on stripper clips, had a silverish tipped bullet, and the base has a large rim around it. Is this the spotter ammunition I hear talked about?

George K.

A2- First, the denizens of Raffica should be aware that I immediately bought this ammunition, after explaining what it was to George. I intend to shoot it, so there is not much point in either trying to bribe, wheedle, or mug me for this ammunition. What George had was .55 Boys ammunition. These are armor piercing rounds, designed for the 1937 model anti-tank bolt action rifle made by the British. The Mark I and Mark II models had short lived military lives, not being particularly useful against WWII armor. Boys Rifles are Destructive Devices under the NFA rules, and require registration as such. Many were converted to .50 BMG, which is somewhat less brutal on the shooter- and makes the Boys a regular Title I firearm as well. The first and most significant identifying feature of the cartridge is the heavy “Belt” around the base, noted at the arrow in the photo at the left.

Q3 I am considering the purchase of a Stoner 63 machine gun. Can I use the M249 linked ammunition that is available today?

Chris

A3- Stoner links are different from the M249 links. Even though they look the same, they are somewhat smaller- making the pitch different. Pitch is very important to the feeding process in machine guns.

The first production Stoner links were marked “S-63”, later ones were marked “XM27”. Links for the M249 or Minimi machine gun, are marked “M27” (See Above Photos) A new feed can can be made to utilize M27 links.
Questions to: Dan Shea C/O SAR

SADW is a monthly electronic publication from Nick Steadman Features. Nick, intrepid world traveling reporter for much of the arms industry, files this 40,000 to 50,000 word report once a month to his loyal subscribers. Those lucky ones pay a mere $50 (US) £32.50 (UK) per year for the privilege of getting the hot tips and insights from one of the industry’s insiders. Nick’s unique perspective is globally based, as is his wit. Each issue is full of insight and information for those with an interest in Small Arms, as well as his observations on world travel.

NEW WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT

DENEL BOLT-ACTION RIFLES

Now that the US/South African arms import/export spat is finally resolved, expect to see initial batches of Denel-manufactured Musgrave-style bolt-action sporting rifles appearing in the U.S.A. We’re told the barrels are particularly good.

H-S PRECISION M700 REM DETACHABLE MAGAZINES & NEW PISTOLS:

H-S Precision in South Dakota has finally introduced its long-awaited detachable magazine and trigger guard housing for Remington M700 rifles. The units are all-stainless and come in four-round short-action (.308” etc) and three-round long-action (Magnum case) versions. Retail price is $145. The company has also launched two Pro-Series 2000P single-shot bolt-action pistols, in Varmint (wide forearm) and Silhouette variants, both based on an H-S Precision stainless receiver, 15” fluted stainless H-S barrel, titanium firing pin and a composite H-S stock (also available separately) which retains the company’s integral bedding bar system employed in the US army’s M24 sniper rifle and Remington M700 Police & Varmint Synthetic rifles. Barrels & receivers are both Teflon coated.

Calibres are .17 Rem, 6mm PPC, .223, .35 Rem, .308, 7mm-08 and 7mm BR. Pistol price is $1,250 (stocks only $245). Tel +1(605) 341-3006, Fax +1(605) 342-8964)

FEDERAL AMMO INTRODUCTIONS

New 1998 ammunition lines from Federal Cartridge include:-
— reduced-recoil 12g & 20g Personal Defense shotgun cartridges (2.75”) with No 2 pellet load.
— reduced-recoil 12g (2.75”) Tactical 000 eight-ball copper-plated buckshot (1,140fps)
— reduced-recoil Tactical 12g (2.75”) Hydra-Shok one-ounce Slug (1,300fps) (also offered on civil market as the Premium low-recoil slug load)
— Premium Tungsten Iron No 4 shot 12g turkey loading (3”) (1,300fps). 1 3/8 ounce
— new Premium Barnes Expander Sabot Slug loads in 12g (2.75”) – slug is copper-plated HP, one ounce. Designed for rifled tubes. MV 1,450fps. Groups to 2.5” at 100 yds
— .223/5.56mm BallistiClean loads with non-toxic priming & lead-free zinc-core bullets. 40gr soft-point & stranded core versions offered, both suitable for police (& military!) training

.22RF KIT for SIG-SAUER P226

Deutsches Waffen-Journal (DWJ) profiled a prototype model of a new .22 rimfire training conversion kit for the 9mm SIG-Sauer P226 pistol and its German police P6 variant, developed by Schuetzenbedarf & Waffen in Offenbach, Germany. Projected price is DM 1,165. The kit comprises a new blowback Lothar Walther barrel, slide, recoil spring and 10-shot magazine, though our German sources said (at mid-Jan 98) the magazines were not yet available in production quantities. The front underlug of the slide forms part of the barrel in this kit, clearly a measure to boost felt recoil effects. IWM’s tester reported malfunction-free performance in all circumstances, except with some very weakly-loaded indoor practice cartridges (Zimmerpatronen), and recoil with high-velocity .22LR ammunition was not dissimilar to that of 9x19mm. 25 metre rested groups were under 50mm.

(Schuetzenbedarf & Waffen (Oliver Pfeiffer), Siemensstrasse 9, 63071 Offenbach, Germany)

.222 SSS RIMFIRE SYSTEM (MEXICO)

Industrias Tecnos in Mexico, producers of Aguila ammunition, have developed a new .222 SSS rimfire cartridge. One application (there may well be more) is for sniping out to 200 metres. The cartridge comprises a .22 Short case loaded with a long 60gr unplated solid lead roundnose bullet (not hollow-pointed) which brings the overall length of the round to that of the .22 Long Rifle. For sniping, the new round is intended for use in a suppressed .22 precision rifle with 30mm diameter 8x56mm scope. The .22 SSS will apparently penetrate 10-12” of pine wood at 200 metres.

This is not the first time we have seen suppressed .22 rimfire rifles proposed for short-range sniping, though they would not be most people’s first choice. Selection of a 60gr bullet is presumably a device to gain the maximum downrange energy within the limitations of subsonic operation. We guess a high-energy propellant is used to get the necessary results from the diminutive .22 Short case.

BARRETT LIGHTWEIGHT .50 MACHINE GUN

Having toyed with this idea for some years, Ronnie Barrett of Barrett Firearms has finally confirmed it is his aim to start cutting metal on a new lightweight, belt-fed .50 machine gun design of his own, weighing about 35 pounds, by Christmas 1998.

CZECH-MADE M6 SCOUT RIFLE

In West Virginia we briefly examined one of the Springfield Armory M6 Scout rifles nowadays made for the US supplier by CZ Strakonice in the Czech Republic. These are reportedly rather hard to come by just now. The M6 is a rather agricultural-looking weapon, a break-barrel, over & under design with (in our case) the upper barrel in .22 Hornet calibre and the lower in .410 shot. A .22LR/.410 version also exists. Upper or lower barrels are selected by respectively pulling out or retracting a round-headed catch above the external hammer. Spare ammunition is stored under a soft plastic cover in the buttstock. Sights comprise a rear aperture and a blade foresight. The trigger is a horizontal bar underneath the small of the butt, and trigger pull is pretty bad, but recoil is modest, bearing in mind the minimal weight of the gun. The M6 was not tested for accuracy, mainly since it was pitch black outside at the time!

Overall, despite its appearance, the M6 is clearly a useful tool for its intended purpose, and works well. It would be a valuable item to have in the emergency kit of any vehicle, boat or plane. Our hosts had removed the trigger guard on this Scout to allow the gun to be folded to a more compact package, as earlier versions could be. However, the long trigger bar is then in such an exposed position that should the external hammer be cocked before closing the gun there is a chance it could be fired when gripping the butt to close the action. We therefore caution at all times against cocking this weapon until the breech is firmly closed.

CHINESE LIGHTWEIGHT 12.7mm MACHINE GUN

Details have been received regarding the Chinese QJZ89 12.7mm machine gun, which is the result of a lightening exercise apparently earlier applied also to the Chinese Type 77 & Type 85 guns in the same calibre. This QJZ89, a short recoil design, is equipped as standard with day and low light (night vision) optical sights and customarily fires AP and APIT ammunition. New ammunition natures include AP-Fragmentation and saboted AP. Total weight of the system is 26.5kg, which is claimed to be 47% lighter than the Type 77 gun and 27% lighter than the Type 85. It is primarily a ground-to-ground weapon but is also intended for use against helicopters.

SILVA’s FIGHTING KITE

Soldier magazine reveals that military compass suppliers Silva (UK) Ltd have come up with a new survival gizmo – the 2 square metre Skystreme inflatable kite, made from metallised fabric which is radar-reflective. It can also be illuminated using a Cyalume Light Stick, and comes with a 50m cord. When not required in its primary role, the kite can be worn as a thermal vest or inflated to act as a splint. It compresses into a pocket-sized package when not in use. All in all, it sounds as if Silva has come up with a winner here. But perhaps they should have made it edible too? Silva (UK) Ltd, Tel (01784) 471721. US Distributor is BE Meyers (1-800-327-5648). Manufacturer is Skystreme – http://www/skystreme.uk.net/

INDUSTRY & FOREIGN NEWS

UK LARGE-CALIBRE RIFLE TRIALS MOVE TO AUSTRALIA

Soldier magazine in the UK carried an item about the British army trials of .338 and .50 Browning weapons in pursuance of the UK’s Long-Range Large Calibre Rifle (LRLCR) programme. It showed the .338 and (for the first time) .50 rifles from Accuracy International, the .50 PGM Hecate II from France and the .50 Barrett M82A1 semi-automatic, all in snow and temperatures of -30 degs Celsius during Alaskan trials, courtesy of the US army’s Cold Region Test Center.

The report said the weapons (which strike us as a very limited selection) had already been tested in Kuwait, Brunei and the UK; they would now be going to Australia for final trials. We assume these are all locations to which RAF transports already fly at no extra cost. Likely role for the LRLCR, destined to equip the UK’s Joint Rapid Deployment Force, was described as ‘defensive’ – it was most likely to be used in circumstances where indiscriminate fire was out of the question……which sounds like a roundabout definition of a long-range countersniper weapon.

Clearly, since the army already uses smaller-calibre Accuracy International sniper rifles, there will be a product-loyalty thing going in respect of that producer’s new .50, though if rapid repeat-fire capability is required, the Barrett semi-auto would seem the only answer. But for pure portability the Barrett M95 bullpup would be even better.

BOZ .224 UPDATE

Further to our initial report on Civil Defence Supply’s BOZ .224 cartridge, based on a 10mm case necked down to 5.56mm, we understand that the company’s supply of Carl Gustaf 5.56mm AP bullets is now assured, so CDS will not need to produce its own. The Glock pistol is no longer being pursued as a host for this cartridge, because of difficulties ensuring satisfactory functioning, even with a light alloy slide. The recoil spring also has to be weakened, plus the striker spring, and this produces unreliable ignition. Instead, CDS is going for what it describes as a wide-frame M1911-style pistol frame allied with a linkless camming barrel and SIG-style lockup at the ejection cutout. Jungle wisdom actually suggests the name Tanfoglio. This pistol will be hammer-fired, with DA/SA trigger and decocker. Prototypes are now being made.

Fast rifle powder is still being used in the BOZ round; this provides the precise firing characteristics CDS is after, and faster-burning (pistol) powders would generate excessive backthrust. As at end-Jan 98, Heckler & Koch had yet to provide MP5/10 SMGs for BOZ conversion, but Bar-Sto in the USA will be making the .224 barrels. The testbed weapon for the BOZ conversion of the Colt Commando/SMG has already been seen – it has a gas block relocated nearer the breech plus a new magazine. Both the new pistols and the SMGs are also still to be chambered for .40 S&W. And CDS is still tinkering with a .40-based BOZ cartridge which would have wide applicability, but this is clearly a second priority.

DUAL STANDARDS

UK Prime Minister Blair is convinced of the efficacy of the UK handgun ban in making the nation a safer place. Or is he? An item in the Police Guardian reportedly states that a special team of 28 armed police bodyguards, issued with all the latest weaponry and day/night sighting systems, has been formed to protect Blair plus his home back in his Durham constituency 24 hours a day. By our reckoning that’s a whole platoon in army terms. The guy must be really popular.

BROLIN ACQUIRES MITCHELL ARMS ASSETS

In answer to the frequent question at the 1988 SHOT Show “Where is Mitchell Arms?”, New Gun Week says that Brolin Arms acquired the Mitchell Arms assets and is to offer Mitchell products itself, with Don Mitchell acting as a consultant.

UK MINE DISPOSAL TO BE ACCELERATED

At the end of Jan 98 the UK Defence Secretary announced an accelerated programme to destroy British stocks of one million anti-personnel mines, which will leave the UK forces with just 4,000 samples, to be used in EOD training. The minister, George Robertson said (and note our italics):

“Getting rid of these evil weapons is one of our main priorities. The Convention allows us four years to destroy them, but I am determined to show our commitment by reaching the target in less than half that time; two years from now. Our action today demonstrates how the UK has set its face against the use of these evil weapons which continue to cause suffering and distress to thousands of people around the world.”

Funny how what were formerly regarded as essential components of the army inventory are suddenly, in politico-speak ‘these evil weapons’, once there’s an international ban in place. Could it be a ‘holier than thou’ contest is upon us?

WHITE BOX 9MM MISFIRES

A professional trainer running shooting courses out West in the USA reports an unexpectedly high misfire quotient with current Federal ‘white box’ 9mm military ball ammunition used in Glock pistols, both new and well-used weapons.

UK SUPPORT WEAPON REQUIREMENT ANNOUNCED

The UK MOD has formally announced its requirement for replacement or enhancement of its 7.62mm NATO GPMG inventory in the Sustained Fire (SF) role, and is now seeking expressions of interest’ from industry by no later than 11 Mar 98. As we have reported before, the MOD is presently looking at MMGs, HMGs, lightweight cannon and automatic grenade launchers, but also welcomes additional ideas. It will require mounts, sights, ammunition and tools with any purchase. Something like 1,000 weapons are planned, to be in service by 2004.

(Contact Contracts Branch CB/ELWS2c, Tel (0117) 913-1375)

AUSTRIAN ARMY TO SHRINK BY 50%

Jane’s News Briefs noted that the coalition partners in the Austrian government had agreed that by the year 2000 the size of the Austrian army would be halved. Presumably this will throw up sizeable surpluses of AUGs.

THE FULL ULSTER TOLL

Gleaned from the Royal Ulster Constabulary statistics for deaths & injuries stemming from ‘The Troubles’, 1969-97

Killed – 3,234 (including 654 Army/UDR/RIR* and 2,279 civilians)
Injured – 40,652 (including 5,983 Army/UDR/RIR* and 26,144 civilians) (from 1968)
Shootings – 35,458
Bombs exploded or defuzed – 15,003
Armed robberies – 20,199 (from 1971 only)
Persons charged with terrorist offences – 17,802 (from mid-1972 only)
Firearms recovered – 11,395
Explosives recovered (kg) – 114,544
(Road deaths 1969-97) – 6,658
(Road injuries 1969-97) – 263,153

*(nb: UDR/RIR – Ulster Defence Regiment/Royal Irish Regiment)

The figures may help demonstrate to non-UK readers why Britain tends to look at the terrorist question in a rather different light from the rest of Europe – and particularly the USA – where those few domestic attacks that do occur are taken as a national affront and generate major public panic. However, the Ulster traffic accident data does help put even The Troubles in perspective.

30mm AGS-17 BARRETT ADAPTATION

Ronnie Barrett mentioned recently that he had in the past considered adapting his .50 M82A1 semi-automatic rifle, or something very similar, to fire the Russian 30mm AGS-17 grenade-launcher cartridge, but had not proceeded with the idea.

INDONESIAN INSTABILITY THREATENS AUSTRALIA

Asian Age ran an AFP report which said that Australian defence chiefs were considering changes to their regional strategy to take into account the possibility of Indonesia’s President Suharto being deposed in a popular uprising. Hitherto Indonesia had been seen by Australia, its closest neighbour, as a bastion of regional security, but the growing political unrest, levels of violence and the ongoing effects of the Asian financial crisis on the economy there could not be ignored.

EURO ARMS CURBS ATTACKED

Radio & press reports, including an AFP item run by The Asian Age, cited reactions to initial European Union discussions on the Anglo-French draft uniform code for approving arms exports. A key provision is the clause seeking to ensure that no EU country approves exports to a destination declined by another without first consulting the other state, but this is diluted by other terms which allow countries to do pretty much what they like in their own political or economic interests. Also, though the code seeks to deny arms exports to recipients who might use them for ‘internal repression’, there is another letout allowing sales of kit to protect security forces – a pretty wide definition.

Some human rights organisations would prefer there to be a presumption that goods will not be exported, with sellers having to make a persuasive case to prove why this presumption should be overridden, however this seems unlikely ever to fly. Press reports noted that the USA, unlike the UK, has since 1994 denied supplies of small arms and riot control equipment to Indonesia, and that loose European policies were at odds with US efforts to bolster controls.

M16s KILLED TURKISH GALIL DEAL?

Jane’s Foreign Report said that Israel lost the chance of selling the IMI Galil rifle to re-equip Turkish forces when visiting military staff from Turkey spotted that Israeli troops they met all still had US-made 5.56mm M16s.

THANKS FOR THE GUNS, BOSS

An AP item run by The Asian Age said that 243 prisoners at a jail in Honduras escaped, armed with stolen Kalashnikovs, after rioting and overpowering their guards. Sounds like a very good argument for not storing large quantities of firearms in prisons.

SINGLE 30mm GUN MOUNTING REPAIR CONTRACT

The UK MOD is to invite tenders for the repair of spares & sub-assemblies for the Single 30mm Gun Mounting. Dates still to be advised. Contact phone number (UK) is (0117) 913-9611.

FMS ON THE WANE

Defense News produced statistics to show that the US DoD’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme was shrinking steadily as more and more countries were resorting to direct purchasing instead.

CALCUTTA – POLICE WEAPONS UNSERVICEABLE

The Asian Age said that police in Calcutta have such a poor choice of weapons that they are vulnerable to terrorists active in this Indian city. The police were described as equipped largely with WW2 ‘muskets’, most of which are ‘beyond repair’ and a danger to the users. There are also a few rifles in each police station, plus Webley and S&W revolvers. Officers visit the range just once a year.

COLOMBIAN BODY ARMOUR BOOM

In a previous issue we highlighted the £8.6m set aside by Colombian politicos for 1998 to provide themselves with ballistic vests, armoured vehicles & bodyguards. Business Week has since profiled the ballistic protection business in Colombia, where violent deaths are running at 30,000 a year and there are thousands of kidnappings. One firm, Miguel Caballero Ltd, specialises in stylish armoured fashion clothing with concealed ballistic panels. It designs and armours all its own garments, which come complete with holsters, if required.

Caballero’s products are composite-armoured, using Kevlar & Twaron combined with Spectra to achieve weight savings of up to 50%. Prices range up to $1,000 for rifle-level protection. They also do minefield boots and apparently even had a query concerning armour to wear under a monk’s habit (is nothing sacred?). The company’s sales reportedly rose from $90,000 four years ago to $440,000 in 1996, and could hit $1m in 1997. Exports have boomed, with garments going to the USA, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Russia & South Korea.

FIRE FROM COVER WITH CLAWS

Jane’s Defence Weekly spotlighted the Compact Lightweight Armoured Weapon Station (CLAWS) developed by Kollmorgen and ordered by Turkey for trials on amphibious APCs. The system allows top-mounted weapons to be fired remotely via a CCTV monitor, with the operator remaining under cover. The report says CLAWS can be used to mount the .50 M2HB HMG, the 7.62mm NATO M60 GPMG, the 40mm Mk19 automatic grenade launcher and other weapons, including cannon. A photo was shown of a 40mm Mk19 with CLAWS on a Turkish APC. If required, the mount can also be stabilised independently of vehicle movement.

BULGARIANS MAKING DRAGUNOV

Our east bloc advisers tell us that Kazanlac Arsenal in Bulgaria is now making the Dragunov SVD sniper rifle, only in the original 7.62x54mm calibre.

NAGAS HAVE CATHOLIC SELECTION OF ARMS

A photo from India run by The Asian Age showed members of the Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) forces toting an RPG, an AK, M16A1s, an M1 Carbine, an unidentified belt-fed GPMG plus an SMG bearing quite a close resemblance to the 9mm Uzi.

NO PISTOL TRAINING FOR MARINES

A letter in the US Navy Times from a USMC captain complained that Marines are not taught anything about the 9mm pistol either in boot camp or during combat training. He guesses this might have some bearing on the high incidence of negligent discharges, wounding and deaths from mishandling of pistols. We guess he’s probably right.

ASIAN SLUMP WILL HIT ARMS SUPPLIERS

The Observer reported that Western arms manufacturers were getting worried at the implications of the widespread Asian slump, which was already reflecting in cuts to defense budgets in Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines & Thailand. Clearly this is a major potential blow to those arms-producing countries who have been relentlessly pursuing Asian customers to make up for the Cold War ‘peace dividend’ and the reduction in Middle East business. Maybe they should have been equally attentive to their clients’ long-term ability to pay?

SOUTH AFRICAN NTW-20 FIRES 40mm GRENADES TOO

A simple single-shot conversion now allows the South African NTW-20 anti-materiel rifle to fire the 40x53mm high-velocity grenades used in the Mk19 automatic grenade launcher. Recoil is said to be similar to that of the 20x82mm cartridge round which the rifle was designed. The full list of calibres the NTW-20 can fire is now 20x82mm, 14.5x114mm, 12.7x99mm, 12.7x108mm and 40x53mm. The conversions reportedly take less than 30 seconds to effect.

NANKOU (CHINA) SHOOTING RANGE COMPLEX

Foreign press reports focussed on the various delights offered by the China North International Shooting Range, an ex-army facility an hour outside Peking. Here, during the last ten years, 80,000+ visitors – both Chinese and foreign – have been able to hire and fire weapons in all calibres from pistols, rifles (they have M16s too, as well as AKs) & SMGs through to GPMGs & heavy machine guns. Prices for using all but the ‘exotics’ are said to be very modest. Additional attractions include anti-aircraft and anti-armour launchers. The reports said there are plans to open a laser combat range and to allow visitors to fire weapons from armoured vehicles and aircraft. Whatever the Putonghua expression is for “Take Cover!”, we guess it’d be an idea to memorise it before going, once those trigger-happy turistas get airborne. You can just see the headlines now – ‘Salt Lake senior Wilbur (78) levels Forbidden City’.

USMC OFFICER ARGUES FOR RIFLE CHANGES

Writing in the Marine Corps Gazette, one Capt. Robert Gibbs argues that the time has come to consider some changes to the design of the combat rifle. Using the M16A2 as his case study, he singles out for criticism its iron aperture sights, mechanical trigger mechanism and overall dimensions.

Gibbs, listed as a competitive shooter and match coach, describes the aperture & post aiming procedure as ‘contrary to human nature’ and suggests optical devices such as the Aimpoint, Ultradot and the screen-based Bushnell Holosight would be preferable, the last having the added benefit of eliminating the tunnel vision aspect of squinting down a scope tube. As to triggers, Gibbs suggests an electronic triggering mechanism might be a way round the problem of poor trigger control, which he says is responsible for missed shots. To overcome potential electrical problems he considers there might still be a backup mechanical trigger.

Talking about weapon size, Gibbs says the M16 is excessively long, and points to the Steyr AUG bullpup as a better all-round solution. This apart, he suggests that novel rifling profiles and faster-burning powders could give better performance from shorter barrels even in conventionally configured rifles. Gibbs highlights the acceptance of a need for change already embodied in the ongoing CQB (compact) Weapon and Modular Weapon projects in the Marine Corps, both involving the addition of extra facilities for ‘bolt-on goodies’. He suggests that the simplest solution is for improved triggers and provision for optics to be absorbed into existing programmes such as these.

In fact, it would appear that most of Capt. Gibbs’ points are already being addressed. Flat-topped, short M4A1 carbines already exist with US SOCOM, designed specifically for use with scopes & reflex sights. As to triggers, we are not persuaded that electronics would make very much difference in combat shooting, where shots will inevitably be snatched anyway, and much firing is in short bursts, with ‘accuracy’ in bullseye-shooting terms a consideration well secondary to just hitting the target – with something.

M240Bs to 82nd AIRBORNE

Army magazine in the USA reported that the 7.62mm NATO M240B (a locally-made variant of the FN MAG 58 GPMG), which is the US army’s official replacement for the Saco M60, had been issued to infantry battalions (on a scale of 18 guns each) of the 82nd Airborne Div at Ft Bragg. The item said that whilst the complete M240B equipment with tripod weighed ten pounds more than the M60 with similar accessories, the M240B tripod has a recoil-absorbing gun mount and a universal sight rail. Barrel changes are also claimed to be easier.

As will be evident from the limited scale per battalion, the M240B is intended to be employed in what the UK calls the Sustained Fire role (US – Medium Machine Gun), i.e. as a true machine gun. US infantry squad automatic fire support requirements are the role of the 5.56mm Minimi (M249 SAW). The same source said that the 30mm M230 cannon already mounted on the Apache is to be fitted to some of the US army’s 160 Special Ops Aviation Regiment MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. A new Black Hawk M230 mount has been developed by Picatinny Arsenal’s ARDEC research centre.

The Second Chance Combat Shoot, held outside the small Michigan town of Central Lake each year, is the premier bowling pin match in the world. It is famous for the number of bowling pins smacked, splintered and shattered with .45 autos, magnum revolvers, and 12 gauge shotguns loaded with double and triple ought buck. Second Chance, which begins the second Friday in June each year and runs for eight days, is also one of the centers of full auto shooting in the Midwest . Central Lake is about 40 miles northeast of Traverse City, in some of the prettiest country in the state.

According to Richard Davis, developer of Second Chance body armor, head of the Second Chance Body Armor Company and Numero Uno of the Second Chance Shoot, all the full auto events at the shoot came out of a joke he stole from Mel Brooks.

In The History Of The World, Part I, Mel Brooks looks around and says, “We Romans have a god for everything except premature ejaculation—and that’s coming quickly.” Richard looked around at the 1984 shoot and amended the joke to fit Second Chance and sub guns. In 1985 the Premature Ejaculation Event (PEE) was held for the first time. In 1997 there were four main submachine gun events, and the Spray and Pray event on the practice range.

The most venerable of the full-auto events is the PEE. It has changed over the years, but it always includes multiple targets, gun movement, and a target that must be shot last. The course isn’t difficult to understand, or shoot. (For the last few years it has also been shot with semi-auto handguns.) What is difficult is shooting it fast enough to do well. Winning times, with either handgun or subgun, hover around three seconds. The PEE subgun record is held by Tim Crosno with a 2.85 time. The handgun PEE record, also set in 1994, is held by Pat Sweeney. He shot the course in 2.94 seconds.

When I first shot the PEE, in 1989, there were falling plates, bowling pins and a pop up target of a felon with a shotgun for a stop. I used a Mac 10, a Thompson and an M3. I was most comfortable with the M3. With the combined slow rates of fire, however, I never got to the pop-up target in time.

One year Richard decreed that everyone would use .45 Reising subguns, and that the amount of ammo left in the gun after all the targets were down would be deducted from the time according to a complicated formula that I’ve forgotten. I tend to shoot in short bursts, so I did my best that year.

The biggest recent change has been the disappearance of the bowling pin from the PEE. For the last few years everyone has fired at eight self-sealing plastic plates. There are seven white targets and a red stop plate. Most shooters start on the left and take four or five targets down. They then swing to the last target on the right, take it and the target next to it, and then swing back to the center for either the middle target and the stop plate, or the stopper alone, if it is all they have left.

I’ve seen the PEE event won with a Thompson. The man who won had his own. He shot the course as many times as he was allowed, and had his wife sit on the grass behind him loading magazines. The gun of choice now is usually an MP5. The cyclic rate is high, the recoil is minimal, and the sights are good. I prefer one with a fixed stock. The folding stocks seem too short, and MP5s with them don’t get on target as fast for me. Other shooters, including some who have placed in the PEE, have also said that they prefer the standard stock.

Next to the PEE is The Ball Buster. This event debuted in 1996. According to Davis, it depends almost totally on luck. The shooters mount a 10 foot tower, (Davis sometimes calls it “The Tower Of Murder” with appropriate movie announcer voice effects) and grasp a fully loaded MP5. Then they hose the 30 rounds in the magazine into a tank of water in one burst. The tank is a four foot cube and does a good job of soaking up the bullets. The object, besides making noise and throwing water all over, is to blow out of the tank, or sink, all 30 ping pong balls floating in a small plastic ring in the middle of the tank.

Jerry Miculek usually finishes high in the Ball Buster standings. The famous professional shooter, formerly of Team Smith & Wesson, now shooting for Clark, told me he had figured out a plan for shooting the event. He didn’t tell me exactly what it was. The only plan I’ve been able to come up with is to make sure I don’t let up on the trigger until the gun is dry. The event seems to take no time at all, and too long at the same time. After the first shot or two hits, there is so much water flying that locating targets is difficult. I’ve always thought I was doing fairly well, because there were very few balls left in the ring. Unfortunately most of the balls are still floating inside the tank when I come down off the tower. I often wonder if I aimed right in the corner of the ring at first, alot of the little suckers would jump out onto the grass.

Second Chance competitors get several letters from Richard Davis during the year. These often contain information about new events scheduled for the next Second Chance Shoot. I don’t remember any notice of the newest full auto event before Second Chance ’97. As soon as the full auto range opened up, I heard something different going on. I found it was an event called Raptor Road. Shooters used Reising submachine guns owned by Davis to shoot down ten steel “popper” type targets. The targets had been painted with stylistic predatory winged creatures. The paintings didn’t last long. Along with much of the black base paint, they were blown away by blast after blast of Cor-Bon .45 hardball.

Raptor Road was supposed to be shot in one burst and to get a score, all the steel targets had to be knocked down. The Reisings could be emptied in about 2.5 seconds, so shooters with quick reactions would have an edge. There were two or three Reisings available but shooters couldn’t hold out for one with a faster than average cyclic rate. Instead, they had to rotate from one gun to the next. This was done to minimize damage to the Reisings from overuse.

The event started with the Reising touching a waist-high rail. It wasn’t long before competitors decided short loading the magazine would help make good times. Crouching behind the rail so the Reising only had to be moved a short distance to the targets was also a technique adopted by many shooters. Competitors I spoke with were loading as few as 22 rounds into the 30 round magazines to try and cut their times. Of course, even from a crouch the targets had to be hit to count. I saw several shooters who had the form down, but neglected to hit all the targets. I stood up and shot off my hind legs. Running the Raptor five times, the best I did was to leave two targets standing.

I talked to Richard Davis late in the match. He said that Raptor Road was going to be a fixture of Second Chance, but that there would be changes. One thing he said he might do was add targets, and subtract rounds. Since it would be almost impossible to get all the targets, the score would be the number of targets a shooter knocked down. The event would continue to be fired in one burst.

An eagerly anticipated part of Second Chance is the Wednesday night Propane Blast. Davis gets a lot of leaking propane cylinders, stands them shoulder to shoulder on the back range, and lights them up with incendiary ammunition. Davis usually starts the party with his suppressed .50 BMG rifle, made from a World War I German anti-tank rifle. Now and then he uses his M2. For the last few years machine guns of various types have been set up on the back range to add a little more blast. A lot of these guns are loaded with tracers, so while the propane tanks are cooking green and red tracers streak into the smoke and flame.

Second Chance Body Armor and shoot head Richard Davis is a machine gun dealer, along with his other activities. The shoot attracts other dealers each year, too. For as long as I’ve been competing machine guns have been available to shoot on a pay-as-you-blast basis. I often make the mistake of waiting until I’ve spent a lot of money on side events, custom gun work, and memorabilia before trying to decide what I can afford to shoot. Assault rifles, machine guns, and other weapons I have managed to scrape up the cash to fire include the M16, the FN D, and a full-auto Ruger 1022.

There are usually non-commercial full-auto and other exotic weapons on the line too. In 1997 one man was having a lot of fun with a Bren. In other years I’ve seen watercooled Browning machine guns, a Colt Potato Digger, several BM59s, and a 9mm Gatling. The ground where the shooter with the Gatling sat was nearly ankle deep in fired brass.

I’ve gotten on talk radio, gone to town meetings to speak to politicians, and done writing workshops for pay, but one of the best bits of talking I ever did was the time a few years ago when I convinced a shooter on the back range at Second Chance to let me fire his Mauser Schnellfeuer. Experience with a semiautomatic Broomhandle had left me rather suspicious of the breed. The Schnellfeuer, with its 20 round detachable magazine, was easier to manage in loading, and, once I got the working of the selector button explained, a lot of fun in full auto. The shoulder stock was too short, of course. I had to crane my neck and move my head back and forth to find the sights. Once that was taken care of the Schnellfeuer was rather impressive. I even noticed a certain amount of recoil while firing three and four round bursts of .30 Mauser. I haven’t seen that guy at Second Chance again, but I keep my eye open for him each year.

The Second Chance Combat Shoot is known as handgun event, even though people attend each year with the basic intent on competing with shotguns or rifles. It is also one of the few places in Michigan where shooters can compete in full auto courses, and see and shoot many different machine guns. I haven’t missed Second Chance for the past nine years. I would go if it was limited to handguns, but the full auto events are also a big reason I attend.

The Second Chance Shoot, Inc., can be contacted at P.O. Box 579, Central Lake, MI 49622. Or call 1-800-253-7090 for information and entry forms.

Born in the ash and flame of one of those inexplicable cleansing fires that painfully occurs from time to time, SAR had a ninety-day launching platform. We had thirty days to learn the mechanics of scan and layout. We improvised, overcame, and adapted. With the exception of the January Ice Storm incident, SAR has hit the presses on time each month. We could blame El Nino for that one delay.

In this, our eighth issue of the Small Arms Review, we are starting to come into our own. SAR is starting to look and feel like the magazine we have wanted to do- the balance of articles seem to please most of the readers who call in. Advertisers are piling on- evident more each issue. Distribution is falling into place. Our exposure in the gun community is getting better every day.

I am personally very happy with where the magazine is right now- because I know that it is getting better each issue. I can see the issues that are in our future. We presently have over 65 writers preparing to submit articles on such diverse issues as Vickers guns and Sniper rifles from Finland. The Identification Guides are being planned to include the semi automatic “Assault rifles”. Our legal writers are on the cutting edge- keeping us all informed of the newest developments. We are inside the world’s museums as well as the newest ordnance factories.

So, what’s missing? You. We need more of your input. Since it’s inception, SAR has been about the readers and their diverse interests in military firearms. We need you to tell us what you want to see more of. Don’t be afraid to hold back on telling us what you don’t like either (Not that this is usually a failing in the firearms community….).

We need to keep setting our course into the next phase of growth. It is our intention to keep the focus on machine guns. Readers have requested in-depth studies of locking mechanisms, triggers, firing pins, and recoiling mechanisms. We have plans on major series on disassembly and maintenance of different firearms. Before we embark on these studies, we want to hear more about what you, the reader, want from the magazine. Tell us what features you think are of the most interest to you.

SAR is here for those of us who get left out of the general media, including much of the firearms related press. In today’s world, we are politically incorrect by the nature of our common interests. That’s just fine with me. Let us know where you want to see SAR headed in the future. We are listening.

– Dan Shea

Dear SAR,

Many of us have wondered what that little Colt marked tool is that comes with the Colt R6920 14.5” M4 Upper Conversion Kit and the R6920 16” M4 Upper Conversion Kit. After numerous calls to Colt (on their toll-free number, of course) over a period of two months, I finally got the answer today. I guess that Joe, a new guy in Colt’s customer service, hasn’t been there long enough to know how to blow off such questions. He actually dug up the answer and called me back!

The little tool, with a small screwdriver on one end and the other end being a “V” shaped tool of some kind, dates back to before the Gulf War. Before the war, Colt was supplying the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with Colt rifles (they said they cannot sell them rifles any more). The rear sight on these guns was not the standard Colt rear sight. It had a special, idiot-proof windage adjustment system and this end of the tool was for adjusting it.

Colt said that they had no use for these tools and figured the purchaser of the M4 upper would need a screwdriver so they throw one in with each M4 upper conversion kit.

Little ‘r’ rambo

Dear rambo,

Thank you for the interesting fact. You have certainly answered a question that has had fellow gun enthusiasts scratching their heads for a while.

Dear SAR,

I want to thank you for a fine magazine. I just love it. However, with my January issue the magazine was late and had been opened. No big deal, I thought, it was probably ripped and opened during shipping.

So when my February issue finally arrived on the 8th, it too was opened and had evidently been checked out pretty thoroughly. Pages were bent and dog-eared. I think we have a sneaky “Look-e-Lou” I have changed my post office delivery box to my home address in hopes of getting my copy around the 1st of the month instead of 7 to 8 days after. I also would like to look at my magazine FIRST.

So, I was wondering, have any of your other readers had any problems similar to mine that you’re aware of?

Thank you for the magazine and your time.

Sincerely,

Bob Maxwell

Dear Bob,

We are getting calls once in a while from subscribers with the same concerns as yours. These cases do seem pretty isolated, and are being reported less and less as time goes on.

We obviously have no control as to what happens to the magazine once it is in the hands of the U.S. Post Office but we have tried to come up with an alternative for those of you who live in problem areas.

For an additional $20.00 per year, those of you who live in the continental USA can have your magazine delivered via First Class Mail, in a rugged envelope. This seems to be satisfactorily solving those problems you addressed.

Dear SAR,

It is unusual to get your money’s worth in this hard hearted old world. Small Arms Review is a refreshing exception. The business advise alone is well worth the price of admission. Add to that the really excellent legal columns and of course your well written features, it is an amazing rag.

I am going to make a point of dealing with every business that advertises with you.

JW

Dear JW,

The kind words are certainly appreciated. We are pleased that you are enjoying the magazine and we will work very hard to improve it each month.

As we are sure you know, our publication is greatly enhanced by our advertisers. We have some great companies on board and we certainly encourage all of our readers to do business with them. The more responsive our readers are to the advertisements, the greater number of advertisers we will be able to bring to you. In order to help them track their advertising, please be sure to let them know you saw their ad in SAR.

It is our intention to be an educational and enlightening tool, as well as entertaining. We have some very talented writers submitting features and columns and firmly believe this is an important service to provide to our readers.

We are always open to suggestions that can help us improve. Thank you for taking the time to write and you can rest assured that we take all suggestions into consideration.

BATF: Machine Gun Manufacture, Exportation Rose In 1996

During 1996, both machine gun manufacture and exportation showed increased activity compared to 1995, the latest available Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Report issued by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms shows. Rifle manufacturing also rose slightly during 1996. However, U.S. manufacturing of both pistols and revolvers – as well as shotguns, continued in a downward spiral during the year. Manufacturers produced a total of 22,020 machine guns in 1996, compared to 9,185 in 1995, and 10,248 in 1994. A total of 410 “Any Other Weapons” (which can include such products as pen guns, wallet pistols, smooth bore revolvers) were made in 1996, in comparison to 110 in 1995, and 572 in 1994. Machine gun exports climbed to 33,875 in 1996, up from 19,259 in 1995, and 16,729 in 1994. Any Other Weapon exports rose to 223 in 1996, from just 27 in 1995, and 56 in 1994. The total exported “miscellaneous” firearms grew to 6,055 in 1996, from 2,495 in 1995, and 3,222 in 1994.

Total pistol production decreased to 985,533 during 1996, from 1,195,266 made in 1995, and the 2,014,336 produced in 1994. Revolver production dropped to 498,944 in 1996, from 527,664 in 1995, and 586,450 in 1994. The total number of shotguns manufactured in 1996 amounted to 925,732, down from 1,173,645 in 1995 and 1,254,926 in 1994. Rifle production climbed to 1,424,319 for 1996, up from the 1,331,780 produced in 1995, and the 1,349,116 made in 1994.

Handgun Caliber Comparisons

By caliber category, pistols chambered for cartridges in the 9mm segment continued to lead the pack in 1996 with 319,696 being produced, as compared with 398,467 in 1995, and the whopping 752,801 manufactured in 1994. Pistols in the .50 caliber segment came in at second place with 233,364 made in 1996, in comparison with 283,693 units in 1995, and 350,580 in 1994. Diminutive .22 pistols were produced in a total number of 204,819 in 1996, compared to 260,059 in 1995 and 456,490 in 1994. Pistols in the .380 range dropped further to production of 165,789 in 1996, from 182,802 in 1995, and 313,915 in 1994. Pocket pistols in .25 caliber went down to 41,156 in 1996, from 51,025 in 1995, and 110,732 in 1994. And .32 caliber pistol production came in at 20,709 units in 1996, in comparison to 19,220 in 1995 and 29,818 in 1994.

In the revolver segment, the .357 Magnum category lead the way with 134,910 produced in 1996, compared to 210,379 in 1995, and 170,856 in 1994. Wheelguns in .22 caliber came in second with 127,119 made in 1996, compared to 99,578 in 1995, and 133,990 in 1994. The .38 Special came in third with 115,432 such revolvers made in 1996, in comparison to 92,913 in 1995, and 146,630 in 1994. Production of revolvers in the mighty .44 Magnum category totaled 80,456 for 1996, while in 1995 the total was 90,144, and for 1994, 89,713. The .50 caliber revolver category showed 27,944 units made in 1996, compared to 30,269 in 1995, and 36,101 in 1994. Finally, .32 caliber revolver manufacturers made 3,083 guns in 1996, compared to 4,361 in 1995, and 9,160 in 1994.

Export Figures

All categories except the aforementioned machine gun, Any Other Weapon and “miscellaneous” firearms, showed export declines in 1996. Pistol exports dropped to 64,126 in 1996, from 97,969 in 1995 and 95,036 in 1994. Revolvers declined to 90,058 being exported in 1996, from 131,634 in 1995, and 78,935 in 1994. Rifle exports went down to 74,555 in 1996, from 89,053 in 1995, and 82,226 in 1994. Shotgun exports decreased to 97, 173 in 1996, from 100,894 in 1995 and 146,524 in 1994.

The top three pistol exporters in 1996 were led by Smith & Wesson Corp. with 45,462 units, versus 66,689 in 1995, and 57,442 in 1994. Much of S&W’s pistol production, particularly that of its Performance Center, is exported to Germany. Colt’s Manufacturing Co. finished in second place in 1996 with exports of 4,078 pistols, compared to 10,351 in 1995, and 12,890 in 1994. Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. finished as the third place pistol exporter with 3,935 units shipped overseas, in comparison to 6,399 in 1995, and 5,185 in 1994. Other pistol exporters included: 502 units by Arcadia Machine & Tool, compared to 487 in 1995, and 533 in 1994; Taurus International Manufacturing’s 546 units in 1996, compared to 917 in 1995, and 1,637 in 1994; and, Springfield, Inc.’s 1,158 units in 1996, versus 1,695 in 1995, and 2,424 in 1994. The top three revolver exporters in 1996 were: Smith & Wesson Corp. occupying the lead position registering 74,851 units, having shipped out 113,899 in 1995, and 56,980 in 1994; Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. in second place with shipment of 7,268 wheelguns in 1996, versus 8,636 in 1995, and 9,383 in 1994; and, Colt’s Manufacturing Co., Inc. in third place with shipment of 4,012 units in 1996, in comparison to 5,388 in 1995, and 5,105 in 1994.

The top rifle exporter during 1996 was Remington Arms Co., Inc., with shipment of 19,452 examples during the year, compared to 32,315 in 1995, and 26,973 in 1994. Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc., came in second with exports of 18,226 rifles in 1996, versus 22,503 in 1995, and 18,764 in 1994. The Marlin Firearms Co. finished third with 18,181 units in 1996, compared to 22,951 in 1995, and 14,174 in 1994.

Top Pistol Makers

The top pistol makers in 1996 included Smith & Wesson Corp. in the number one position with 179,899 units in 1996, compared to 241,906 in 1995 and 269,549 in 1994. Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. finished in second place with 134,791 pistols in 1996, as compared to 197,486 in 1995, and 299,647 in 1994. Beretta USA Corp., came in at third place with 89,702 pistols produced in 1996, in comparison to 158,858 in 1995, and 201,517 in 1994. Manufacturers of lower-priced pistols, who had been negatively affected by the Brady Law’s imposition of a five-working-day wait on consumer purchasers as well as the gun buyer background check fees charged in some localities on gun buyers, continued to experience diminished sales demand and consequent lower production.

For example, industry leader Lorcin Engineering made 87,497 pistols in 1996, up from the 83,463 manufactured in 1995, but still a far cry from the total of 151,208 it produced in 1994. Bryco Arms, produced 47,316 pistols in 1996, compared to 56,727 in 1995, and 227,924 in 1994. Davis Industries made 39,093 units in 1996, down from the 45,171 made in 1995, and the 85,124 produced in 1994.

Top Revolver Makers

The top revolver maker in 1996 was Smith & Wesson Corp. with 225,491 units, compared to having made 258,223 in 1995, and 255,216 in 1994. Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. finished second with increasing wheelgun production of 166,123 units in 1996, in comparison to 148,439 in 1995, and 136,394 in 1994. Third place honors go to North American Arms, Inc., with the manufacture of 39,832 of its fine .22 caliber mini-revolvers in 1996.

Other higher volume makers include Colt’s Manufacturing Co., Inc. with 27,582 revolvers, Heritage Manufacturing, Inc. with 28,075 and H&R 1871, Inc. with 8,772 pieces.

Top Rifle Makers

Sturm, Ruger & Co.,Inc. emerged as America’s number one rifle maker in 1996 with 417,310 units, compared with 407,785 in 1995 (also the top rifle producer in that year), and 354,355 in 1994. Holding second place in 1996 for rifle manufacturing was The Marlin Firearms Co. with 350,897 units, in comparison with production of 396,215 in 1995, and 358,372 in 1994. Coming in at a close third place was Remington Arms Co., Inc. with 319,628 rifles in 1996, versus 242,706 in 1995, and 204,496 in 1994.

Other notable makers in the rifle segment in 1996 included Weatherby, Inc. with 16,360 units, Colt’s Manufacturing Co., Inc. with 15,903, US Repeating Arms Co. with production of 119,105, and Savage Arms, Inc. with 87,115.

Top Shotgun Makers

Among shotgun manufacturers in 1996, Remington Arms Co., Inc. finished the year as the top producer with 307,803 units, compared with production of 426,442 in 1995, and 403,012 in 1994. Remington has held the number one position in shotgun production for each of the three years under study. The second place position for shotgun manufacture in 1996, was held by O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc.’s 286,033 units, versus 339,881 in 1995, and 373,512 in 1994. However, if Mossberg’s Maverick Arms Inc. division’s 1996 production of 46,355 scatterguns is counted together with Mossberg’s total, the figure makes O.F. Mossberg the number one shotgun maker in 1996. Third place shotgun honors for 1996 go to H&R 1871, Inc. with production of 167,584 units, in comparison to 165,813 in 1995, and 216,360 in 1994.

Of note in the scattergun category is The Marlin Firearms Co. with 4,093 units, US Repeating Arms Co.’s production of 84,229, Savage Arms, Inc.’s manufacture of 4,198 units, and Sturm, Ruger & Co.’s manufacture of 10,634 examples.

B.M.G. 50 CALIBER SIMULATOR SYSTEM

Just introduced is a new .50 caliber simulator for military reenactments, military vehicles or aircraft or just plain fun. The new simulator is actually a Browning .50 cal. M-2 look-alike. The non-firearm “gun” is a very good replica and “fires” belts of spent .50 B.M.G. casings. The spent casings (empty brass) are linked loaded, “fired”, ejected and the links disintegrate; all with the use of 50-65 lbs. of compressed air. The unit uses a 3lb. bolt which gives it a simulated recoil feel. An optional report, read that “muzzle blast” can also be added by means of propane and oxygen or a sound card in a personal computer. Every part of the simulator is hand made with no actual military or Browning parts. As such the unit has been approved by the BATF. Also on the drawing board are other models for different automatic weapons. For more information contact:

Alan C. Heinze,
Dept. SAR , 806 Bussey Court,
Streamwood, IL 60107.
Phone: 1-630-830-4128.

MODEL 2000 M/P .50 CALIBER BOLT ACTION RIFLE

A new .50 caliber bolt action rifle is now available from JCM Fabrication & Machine, Inc.. The new rifle features a receiver made of 4340 aircraft quality steel with a corrosion resistant, matte black finish. Other features include a two-stage trigger designed specifically for .50 caliber guns, a very massive bolt with a lock time of 200 milliseconds and a one piece firing pin. A 30 inch target grade barrel with a “fish gill” muzzle brake gives the gun outstanding accuracy. The barrel is also quick-detachable. (Author’s note: I examined this gun at this years SHOT SHOW and the quick-detach barrel mechanism is one of the best I have seen.) The gun is fed from a 10-round box magazine, two of which are furnished with each 29.5 lb. gun. For more information contact:

JMC Fabrication & Machine, Inc.
Dept. SAR, Firearms Division
396B Gus Hipp Boulevard
Rockledge, FL 32955.
Phone: 1-407-636-1943
Fax: 1-407-632-1040. You can also contact them on the World Wide Web at www.safefuel.com/bfg.

AKU-94 CONVERSION SYSTEM

Now you can convert your existing AK, AKM, AKS AND other variants into a truly compact AKU-94. If you’ve wanted an AK-BULLPUP but didn’t have the $1500 to $2000 dollars extra to spend for one, now you can own a comparable firearm for a fraction of that cost. The AKU-94 from KVAR, Inc., is an add-on stock conversion kit for the AK variants listed above. The unit reduces the weapon’s size to 10 inches shorter than original rifle configuration. It also reduces the weapon’s weight by a full pound. The unit features advanced ergonomic design and rugged high tech composition, both of which greatly improve balance and target acquisition. The stock is easily installed with basic tools, no gunsmithing is involved. The stock’s parts set does not alter the function or the action of the host firearm. If has been BATF approved to be assembled on any pre or POST-ban AK. All metal parts are made of high grade, machined steel and the furniture is made from rugged, injection molded high impact polymers, not flimsy plastic or fragile resin. KVAR claims that you can actually drive a truck over their stock without damaging it! The kit can be ordered in either green or black. I will be doing a full test and evaluation on one of the kits in a future issue of SAR. KVAR also carries a full line of AK as well as H&K parts. For more information contact;

KVAR, Inc.,
Dept. SAR, 815 South Central Ave
Suite 26
Glendale, CA 91204
Phone: 1-818-243-0151
Fax: 1-818-243-0664.

The Grassroots Division of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action offers programs especially designed for legislative and political action. The following excerpts are from the NRA GRASSFIRE! Newsletter, April, 1998. For more information call 1-800-392-8683

LUNGREN DECIDES GUN CONTROL IS OUT, GUN CONFISCATION IS IN

In Rocklin, California, Mr. William Doss presented his SKS Sporter rifle to local law enforcement for confiscation — a firearm previously expressly deemed acceptable by California Attorney General Dan Lungren(R). In the Spring of 1995, Mr. Doss, a Florida resident, contacted California Department of Justice (DOJ) inquiring whether his particular rifle would be legal in California. In a letter dated on April 5, 1995 California Department of Justice wrote to Mr. Doss and informed him that indeed his rifle was legal in California. Mr. Doss moved to California and received a letter dated November 24, 1997 from the DOJ informing him that his rifle was now illegal and would have to be surrendered for confiscation. During a press conference, Tanya Metaksa, Executive Director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) stated, “The anti-gun agenda is on display in California and it is a profoundly radical agenda. We are no longer debating gun control. We are defending NRA members against gun confiscation.”

FREE 1998 “NRA-ILA VOTER REGISTRATION KITS” NOW AVAILABLE

1998 is going to be a critical election year for gun owners, and we have to ensure that all of our voices are heard loud and clear on Election Day ’98. Our vote is our voice, and if we don’t use it, we stand to lose our gun rights. NRA-ILA has free voter registration materials we will make available to you so you may assist in your community with the ever-important task of registering our supporters. Primary elections are already underway in many states, so now is the time to act. To obtain your free ‘NRA-ILA Voter Registration Kit’, that will include items of specific interest for your state, call the Grassroots Division at 1-800-392-8683. Remember, if you are not registered to vote, you may find yourself registering your firearms.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

127th National Rifle Association Meetings and Exhibits will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia from June 5th through June 7th. In conjunction with this annual meeting the NRA-ILA will be holding a Grassroots/Clubs and Associations Workshop. The focus of the meeting will be on how to prepare over the summer to ensure we elect pro-Second Amendment lawmakers to office this fall. The meeting is free and open to all NRA members who attend the Annual Meeting. To reserve your seat call the Grassroots Division at 1-800-392-8683.

Instant Check Is a Bad Check

by Larry Pratt Executive Director, Gun Owners of America

I recently had the opportunity to debate the Majority Whip of the Alabama House of Representatives, Rep. Jack Page.

If you have never heard of him, please do not ignore what some state version of U.S. Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) has to say just because he may not be from your state.

First of all, Rep. Page is no Diane Feinstein. He was sponsoring an NRA-backed gun control bill. Secondly, the legislation is being promoted all around the country.

You see, Rep. Page was sponsoring an Alabama version of the Brady Law. Now admittedly the bill would do away with the state’s waiting period. But that relief is more than overcome by the Brady instant registration check that would be imposed if the bill were to become law.

Gun registration and the instant check

Rep. Page’s Alabama Brady Bill requires the state to share with other federal and state law enforcement agencies “any information in the files of the [Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center] which will aid these agencies in crime fighting.” The prohibitions in federal law that keep bureaucrats from storing that information are not that effective as we have seen in Ohio, Georgia, Texas and other states. This is so, according to the Government, because they are not keeping a list of names and address from the federal forms that gun buyers fill out and which federal law prohibits being used to compile a registration list.

One of the arguments in favor of passage of the state version of the Brady Law is that it is preferable to have Alabama bureaucrats check us out than to have the Federal Government do it. The thinking seems to be that if I am oppressed by somebody with the same accent, it is less oppressive than federal oppression.

But, as we have seen, the information gets to Washington anyway, and having a state Brady Law is no fire wall keeping the feds from getting the information. Lists of gun buyers names will be sent to Washington for “crime fighting”. Moreover, any check that is done that does not result in a denial of purchase at the state level will then be done in Washington to give them a chance to deny the gun purchase. In other words, 99 percent of the background checks will end up being made at both the state and the federal level.

Moreover, through such computer programs as FIST, the U.S. Justice Department has given software to local law enforcement allowing them to build a data base of gun purchasers. The feds get monthly reports from local law enforcement agencies on the disposition of Brady checks. While the local computer is connected to Washington, the federal computer can “lookback” (computerese for looking into the local’s computer) and copy the entire data base — all the names and address and firearms of gun purchasers. The City of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University were caught setting up just such a program and stopped in court. But FIST is alive and well and quite capable of supplying the feds with a national registration list.

California’s current travail illustrates the way governments use gun registration to violate the Constitution and break faith with the people. Ugly guns that were registered in the past are now being confiscated because Attorney General Dan Lungren decided to reclassify them as illegal guns that had been “permitted” to be legal.

Smile, big brother is watching you.

Greetings and salutations. First a quick re-introduction. The Internet is an invaluable source of information for each and every one of us. We basically have the resources of the entire world at our fingertips, and we would like to use this column as a means of assisting one another in our search for information. We are gladly soliciting tips from those of you who have some helpful hints for other web surfers in our audience. We would like to hear from some Sysops who may have ideas on proper internet etiquette for some of the newer internet users as well.

Other data we will accept in this forum could include new hardware we should be aware of, new firearms related software; including programs related to testing and evaluating ballistics, CAD software that may be of interest to our Title II’s, compendiums and data bases of related interests, and so on.

It is our intent to make Net News a regular column, and the amount of input we receive from you will dictate it’s frequency. If you have anything you would like to contribute to Net News, you will find our contact information at the end of this column.

We have been getting quite a few requests to run a list of gun related web sites and that is exactly what we are going to do this month. The following are just a sampling of the sites you have sent to us and we will list more as they come in. We have not had time to check each individual site, so the following listing is not any type of endorsement by SAR. We are simply passing your requests along. At a later date, we will actually get you some interesting updates on cool sites that we recommend, and hope to have a “Hall of Fame” and a “Hall of Shame” listing.

Mongo’s MG Board
http://xpointcgi.digiweb.com/cgi-bin/users/3081/wwwboard/wwwboard.html

Tom Bowers Board
http://www.subguns.com

F.U.N. Supply NFA
Firearms Board
http://www.tecinfo.com/~jayhawk/wwwboard/wwwboard.html

Vollmer’s Board
http://www.fjvollmer.com

Long Mountain Outfitters
http://www.longmountain.com

Big Jim’s Machine Gun
Sanctuary
http://www.tiac.net/users/bigjim/HTML/wwwboard/wwwboard.html

Small Arms Review
https://smallarmsreview.com

Impact Tactical Weapon
Systems
http://www.impactguns.com

Hiram Maxim
Historical Society
http://www.hirammaxim.com

Trader’s Den Message Board
http://www.centuryarms.com/forums/trader/trader.cgi

Dalphon – Military Weapons Sale Board
http://www.dalphon.com/wwwboard.html

Heckler & Koch
http://www.heckler-koch.de

Behind The Lines Magazine
http://www.behindthelines.com

Soldier of Fortune Magazine
http://www.sofmag.com

Gem Tech
http://www.gem-tech.com

National Rifle Association
http://www.nra.org

Knob Creek Gun Range
http://ww03.imall.com/stores/the_creek

Ultimate Weapons Systems
http://www.uws.com

B.A.T.F.
http://www.atf.treas.gov

Second Amendment Mall
http://www.2ndmall.com

Contact us at:

Small Arms Review
C/O Net News
223 Sugar Hill Road
Harmony, Maine 04942
Phone: (207)683-2959
Fax: (207)683-2172
E-Mail: SAReview@aol.com