Every war is different. Every battleground has diverse characteristics. Each mission, whether a military role or civilian law enforcement detail varies greatly in its specific purposes. It seems almost impossible on the surface that a single weapon system could adapt and function in such a range of climates and missions, but the familiar M16 is still going strong. From a lightweight carbine to a heavy barreled LMG, the M16 weapon system has been fulfilling the role of America’s primary service weapon for more than 40 years and it doesn’t seem it will be replaced wholesale anytime soon.

The earliest history of the inception and design of the black rifle bas been chronicled numerous times and it is not the intent of this author to rehash this historical material other than a very brief and condensed historical summary. There are many credible sources for this information including The Complete AR-15/M16 Sourcebook by Duncan Long, The Black Rifle I by Blake Stevens, Black Rifle II by Christopher R. Bartocci and an extensive Colt M16 ID Guide in the Machine Gun Dealers Bible by Dan Shea. This article will focus on the versatility of the M16, the characteristics that have allowed the metamorphosis from the original designs to the current battle rifle of the 21st century and possibly beyond.

Although there are a countless number of model designations for these rifles from numerous manufacturers, for simplicity purposes in this article, the designation “M16” can be assumed to be a fully automatic rifle while the designation “AR-15” makes reference to the semiautomatic version.

A Very Brief History

While its initial roots are clearly in the Stoner designs of the early 1950s, like most designs, the multiple lug bolt head, lockup into a barrel extension, and gas system principle can be traced back farther. It was at ArmaLite where this all came together. The first heavy public exposure to the black rifle started in the wet and humid environment of the tropics with the earliest variations sent to US troops in Viet Nam. There were many positive responses at first, but after the ammunition/propellant change, the black rifles were plagued with an extremely lackluster initial impression and poor performance in the field. Problems were eventually minimized after several rounds of intense testing combined with numerous committee change recommendations. Many alterations in production were initiated including chamber dimensions, rifling twist ratios, firing-pin changes, redesigning the flash hider and charging handle, and (against the advice of many people) the addition of a forward assist assembly. Along with ammo and gunpowder refinement, proper maintenance, and problems addressed with early magazines, the early version of black rifle as we know it today was on its way to becoming the cornerstone of the modern American military arsenal.

As early as 1963, Colt started manufacturing this “new” rifle in semiautomatic only with the civilian population and the law enforcement community in mind. Sold as the AR-15 Sporter it was virtually identical to the M16 with the exception of the fire control group. With an early retail price of $189.50 it was marketed to the hunting and sporting community as a beacon of a new wave of manufacturing technology allowing it to be lightweight while remaining accurate and effective. Although several minor changes have been made to separate the function of the semiautomatic version of these rifles from their fully automatic relatives over the years, and to keep them from being easily converted to fully automatic, they remain wildly popular and an enormous civilian market thrives today. Numerous upgrades and model enhancements of the civilian line of semiautomatic variants have followed very closely to those designed for the fully automatic models keeping them on a fairly level playing field.

With the 1977 expiration of Gene Stoner’s patent on the M16 gas system, several companies sprang up and started manufacturing their own versions of this popular rifle. The trademark model name of “AR-15” was, and still is, owned by Colt, and they are still one of many businesses that manufacture this weapon system and its many configurations.

Modularity is King

At the heart of the black rifle is the versatile lower receiver. This portion of the firearm is the section considered by federal law to be “the firearm” by definition. The lower receiver is the portion of the firearm that contains the trigger group and the pistol grip as well as the magazine well. Also attached to the lower receiver is the buffer tube and stock. This is the part that requires purchase through a licensed federal firearms licensee (if ordered from an out-of-state dealer) and the paperwork that goes along with any other firearm purchase, depending upon the laws of the State of the buyer. Every other part of this firearm may be ordered directly by the end user and requires no federal licensing or paperwork. All other parts, including the upper receivers and the barrels are treated just like any other non-regulated parts.

The upper receiver plays an equally important role in the mechanism. The upper receiver is the point of attachment for the barrel and the housing for the bolt, bolt carrier and charging handle. It is attached to the lower receiver by two takedown pins that are operable without the aid of any tools. The upper and lower receivers may be separated and rejoined at any time without fear of losing any components under normal handling. This may be attractive for size considerations when breaking down for transportation or when changing the characteristics of the rifle for a specific task.

Several rifle configurations may be assembled on a single lower receiver simply by swapping out barreled upper receivers. Specific tasks may require features unique to that task but may not be desirable to others. This is where the real beauty of the black rifle comes in. Unlike most other firearms, the characteristics of the black rifle can be altered at any time, and reversed back again, just by changing upper receivers. It is indeed more than a weapon; it is truly a “weapon system” as it is often properly referred as.

For obvious reasons, an entry-type rifle may consist of a very short barrel and either iron sights or a zero-magnification dot-type sight. A varmint hunting rifle may be much more effective with a long barrel and high power telescopic sight. With a black rifle, both of these configurations are only a quick upper receiver swap away with no lack of performance in either field.

There are barrels ranging from the 7-inch* “Kitty Kat” barrel from DPMS (www.dpmsinc.com) to a 24-inch Varminter Extra Heavy Barrel from Bushmaster Firearms (www.bushmaster.com) and a multitude of lengths in between. (* Under Federal Law a rifle barrel has to be over 16 inches in length to be a legal Title I firearm. By purchasing or registering the rifle as a Short Barreled Rifle, the owner can use any barrel length at will. With registered machine guns, the barrel length is not a legal stipulation under Federal Law and any length barrel may be used). There are not many rifles that allow the flexibility of swapping out barrel lengths without the necessity of tools in less than 30 seconds like this system. Additionally, another major advantage is the sights are part of the upper receiver as well, so there is no need to re-zero after making this swap. If multiple barreled upper receivers are owned, they can all be sighted-in and swapped as desired with a complete return to zero with careful handling and the correct ammunition.

From Plinking to Protecting

If there is any one thing that can always be counted on in the firearms community, it is American Ingenuity and the desire to make something bigger and better. (Sometimes smaller and better, in this case.) Fortunately, this has proven to work well in transforming the once light .223 Rem. (5.56x45mm) rifle into something left only to one’s imagination and budget. With the ease of changing upper receivers, the transformation from the original caliber to a completely new round is almost as simple. Since the upper receiver holds the barrel, bolt and bolt carrier, this is the portion of the rifle where the caliber of the ammunition to be utilized is determined. Thanks to many able minded firearm enthusiasts, these rifles can be converted to almost any caliber ranging from .17 to .50 BMG with minimal (if any) temporary modifications to the lower receiver. From the luxury of plinking for recreation on a budget or additional training, to having the stopping power to assist our front line fighters in the War on Terror, the black rifle can be custom configured to suit every application.

One of the most popular subcaliber units among black rifle shooters is the “Atchisson” .22LR conversion manufactured by Jonathan Arthur Ciener, Inc. (www.22lrconversions.com). When utilized with the recommended ammunition, properly maintained and operated, they provide hours of plinking fun in semiautomatic AR-15s or full automatic fun when used in conjunction with a registered M16. On the opposite end of the ammunition spectrum is the .50BMG Upper Receiver from Watson’s Weapons Inc. (www.watsonsweapons.com). This upper receiver actually allows the use of the massive .50 BMG round when attached to your lower receiver. It functions as a single-shot rifle that must be partially taken down to be reloaded between shots.

One of the most popular pistol caliber conversions would include the 9x19mm (Luger) conversion. First introduced in 1985, Colt offered a 9mm blowback-operated submachine gun that worked quite well. Most of the characteristics were the same as the standard rifle, making operation simple for anyone who had utilized or trained on the 5.56x45mm rifle. A special magazine (both 20-round and 32-round) was developed for the much shorter 9x19mm round and a block was pinned inside the standard lower receiver’s magazine well to accommodate the smaller magazine while utilizing the same magazine release. A civilian version was soon to follow in semiautomatic only with a 16-inch barrel. Other than the upper receiver and bolt differences, only the buffer was changed to a heavier one, and a few of the trigger group parts were slightly modified. In the 1990s, the US Drug Enforcement Agency adopted a silenced version of this rifle. The Department of Energy also adopted a very short variation known as the Model 633, commonly called a “DoE Upper.” The 633 had a 7-inch barrel, collapsible stock and a front handguard to keep the operators hands from straying in front of the muzzle.

Several other companies started manufacturing these pistol caliber conversions with numerous types of feeding systems. While a few emulated the Colt style mag-well block and use the factory Colt 9mm magazines, others used highly modified magazines reworked to fit the interior portion of the factory magazine well. Although many of the modified magazines work very well, they are often expensive and the availability is less than desirable in most cases. Even though there are several manufacturers of aftermarket (any non-Colt) black rifles including several Caliber conversions, the pistol caliber most often encountered remains the 9x19mm.

Many different calibers in black rifle variations have been written about here in the pages of Small Arms Review over the last 10 years. While there are new caliber combinations coming out at an amazing rate, some of the latest ones we are familiar with include the Alexander Arms .50 Beowulf and 6.5 Grendel, (www.alexanderarms.com), .502 Thunder Sabre by Cloud Mountain Armory (www.bigborecanyon.net) and lastly the .45 Bushmaster (www.bushmaster.com). We will be testing the .45 Bushmaster for a future issue of Small Arms Review very soon. Some of the more common calibers include, but are not limited to: .308 NATO*, 7.62x39mm and 6.8SPC and can be found from multiple vendors. (*.308 NATO (7.62×51) requires a different lower receiver due to the longer interior dimension of the magazine well necessary to accommodate that particular round).

Feed Me, Seymour!

Like the hungry man-eating plant named Seymour in the 1960s cult classic film Little Shop of Horrors, a black rifle is always hungry and never seems to be fed enough. Firearms, especially those in a military role, are no exception. The earliest magazine design of the AR-15 was a 25-round magazine, which had problems due to being straight, and was immediately replaced with a 20-round magazine. The first ones were steel “waffle” pattern magazines, which were also immediately replaced with the standard aluminum 20-round magazine that eventually evolved into the 20-rounder so common today. In the mid 1960s, a 30-round magazine was manufactured with a slight curve and it seemed to work great in all new rifles but had a hard time feeding in some, including the earlier ones. This was corrected in part by keeping the top portion of the magazine straight like the 20-round version and starting the curvature at the bottom of the magazine well. These magazines still had a reputation for jamming if they were loaded to 30 rounds, and the SOP was load to 28 rounds. This was corrected later by stabilizing the follower with equal leg lengths.

In order to address this “need for feed,” Colt experimented with a belt-feed mechanism that operated with a modified upper and lower. With a 20-inch barrel this unit weighed in at almost 8 1/2 pounds without the bipod or ammo box. The belt fed M16 never made it to production.

Fast forward to the early 1980s and bring Jonathan Arthur Ciener back into the picture. A manufacturer primarily specializing in sound suppressors at the time, Jonathan took it upon himself to redesign and reintroduce the concept of a belt-fed AR-15 and M16 and made them available to the general public. When they were evaluated for the now defunct Machine Gun News in 1992, this writer had the pleasure of working on the article and spending some trigger time with these guns. We were provided with both a semiautomatic model and a fully automatic model. They were built on factory Colt AR-15 and M16 rifles, and like Colts early design the upper and lower receivers were both modified. The Ciener system had a few very interesting points. First, the belt-feed mechanism could be removed from the weapon and it would again accept factory magazines. Second, Ciener produced some of the belt boxes which locked into the magazine well, as in the original design.

We tested them under several conditions with many types of ammunition in semiautomatic and full automatic. We tested it in belt-feed and magazine feed. We tested it with and without the addition of a sound suppressor. In summary it performed excellently. The only drawback was that in the case of a jam it was a “4-handed” operation to clear it and have it up and running quickly, but with a little practice it could be done quite efficiently. It also used a proprietary, modified link that was quite expensive at the time compared to standard unmodified links. These were sold for a few years but were eventually discontinued due to the enormous amount of time necessary to manufacture them.

There are a few current belt-feed systems for the black rifle but nothing yet has reached a mass marketing level. In the March 2003 issue of Small Arms Review (Vol. 6, No. 6), the Shrike 5.56 from Ares Defense (www.aresdefense.com) was covered in great detail as it was due to be released en masse around the time of publication. To this date, it is still being manufactured, released and shipped in very small quantities due to several redesign upgrades and improvements. The great attraction to the Shrike 5.56 is the fact that it works in conjunction with a completely unmodified lower receiver. All attempts at a belt-fed black rifle in the past have required major lower receiver modifications. Like the Ciener, model it can be fired from belt or box magazine but in the case of the Shrike 5.56, when the belt is out, a box magazine is simply inserted, the rifle charged and firing is uninterrupted. There are no parts to take out or change over. We are anxiously awaiting mass shipments of the Shrike 5.56 and will certainly test the newest production model as soon as they are shipped.

Another interesting belt feed option for the black rifle is the XMG from BRP Guns (www.brpguns.com). The XMG34 is essentially an MG34 “upper receiver” designed for use on an M16 lower receiver. Currently in its 5th year of production this inexpensive alternative to an original MG34 has been receiving great reviews for years. Available in 8mm and in .308, they are popping up at ranges nationwide and are becoming more popular with every passing year. They will function in fully automatic when used in conjunction with a registered lower receiver and require only a small (nonpermanent) modification to function.

Seeing a need for a belt-fed black rifle that is inexpensive to feed, the master of the miniatures, Lakeside Machine of Tippmann Arms fame decided to design a .22LR belt fed upper receiver with a similar mechanism to the popular Tippmann 1/2 scale miniature machine guns. (www.lakesideguns.com). This upper receiver, available for both semiautomatic and fully automatic function, was tested in the April 2006 (Vol. 9, No. 7) issue of Small Arms Review. The only modifications required to the lower receiver in this assembly are the exchange of the factory buffer and the suggested replacement of the hammer spring.

Understanding the demand for more ammo capacity than the 30-round magazines were able to provide, the Beta Company, of Atlanta, Georgia (www.betaco.com) worked with Jim Sullivan of the old ArmaLite and the M16 design fame, the original inventor of the 100-round C-Mag. Sullivan worked as a consultant with Beta Company in the early developmental stages of the new Beta C-Mag and with the introduction and advances in plastic materials and its ability to keep tight tolerances the C-MAG as we know it today has developed into an extremely reliable system, all while keeping weight to a minimum.

Mounting Madness

We live in a market driven economy and combined with the simple truth that necessity is the mother of invention, some “solutions” have been presented to us for “problems” we may never have known existed otherwise. In the last several years there have been an enormous number of accessories manufactured for mounting on MIL-STD-1913 rails. Along with these accessories came a mad rush for mounting platforms, and the standard factory handguards on the AR-15 and M16 are quickly being antiquated and replaced with new and improved rail systems. There are several to choose from including the Knight Rail Interface System (RIS) and Rail Adapter System (RAS) (www.knightarmco.com), VLTOR VIS System (www.vltor.com), POF-USA Predator Rail System (www.pof-usa.com), LMT Monolithic Rail Platform (www.lewismachine.net) and many more. All of the aforementioned have been of excellent quality.

For those not needing the precision, or wishing to spend the amount of money those mentioned may cost, some simple handguard replacements have been introduced that incorporate rails into them and some rail adaptors have been manufactured that simply bolt on to the existing A2-type handguards. A few of those have been utilized for testing devices like vertical grips where a slight amount of movement was not detrimental to the system and they performed fine. Other applications like mounting optics or more “load bearing” accessories would probably not be recommended for the latter systems.

All the new configurations and types of intended deployments these systems are capable of bring the necessity of new support equipment. One area where a serious advancement has been made is in the sighting systems available. Electronic “dot type” sights are very popular for close-up work and there are many types and styles. A few extremely popular systems include the EOTech Holographic Sight (www.eotechinc.com), the Aimpoint CompM4 (www.aimpoint.com) and the Trijicon ACOG (www.trijicon.com). While each system has distinct advantages the author is very familiar with the EOTech model 552. It has several settings for use with a night vision monocular as well as the standard day settings. The Holographic Sight is placed in a forward position on the top rail and utilized as usual during normal daylight. During low light the monocular is mounted behind it so the operator can use it at night without having to re-zero the weapon.

Along with the popularity of low or zero magnification electronic sights, the demand for a well-made, high quality, Back Up Iron Sight (BUIS) has been high for use during a potential electronic failure. Several contenders on the market include the Troy Industries, Inc. Folding Battle Sight (www.troyind.com), the GG&G Flip-Up Sights (www.gggaz.com), and A.R.M.S. Inc., #40 Folding Sights (www.armsmounts.com). An interesting front sight is the POF-USA FTA2005 Front Sight. It is not a folding sight but a stationary sight that is hooded for an extremely fast target acquisition and has been found to be complementary to use in conjunction with “dot-type” sights or as a stand alone with the correct rear BUIS. Due to the great number of new sight requirements, many of the modern rifles are available with a removable carry handle. Once the familiar carry handle and rear sight is removed, a standard MIL-STD-1913 rail is exposed to be used alone or in conjunction with these new sights and rail systems.

Another interesting new front sight was recently introduced for the black rifle. It is made by KNS Precision (www.knsprecisioninc.com) and is actually a circular “peep” with a crosshair in it. Initial testing appears it is fast and accurate and we are anxious to spend more time with this new front sight as well as several more of their latest offerings.

As a Catch-22, these new mounting platforms that were spawned from new items in need of mounts have spun off their own items made to be mounted on this newly available space. There are several devices available for mounting on MIL-STD-1913 rails including visible lasers, IR lasers, and lights. optics, night vision, camera equipment and many more items. Some earlier available items that were designed to mount on standard handguards or directly on the barrel have even been redesigned to mount directly on a rail system due to the high proliferation on later models. A prime example is the new rail mount 40mm LMT M203 Grenade Launcher. This tried and true M16 accessory used to mount on the barrel of the standard black rifle and a special handguard replaced the factory A1 or A2 handguard issued with the rifle. With the new rail mounted version, no additional handguards are necessary and due to the nature of the mounting system there is no longer any stress on the barrel as it is allowed to free-float with many current rail systems.

AR Accessories

As mentioned previously, several companies exist today just to service this weapon system. A quick glance around the Internet or any large, stocking gun shop will uncover thousands of items geared toward users of the AR-15 and M16 weapon systems. A look at KNS Precision and their product line will unveil several components for the black rifle useful in simple preservation roles such as pins that are designed not to rotate and egg-hole the aluminum receivers at the thin section supporting the hammer and trigger pins. They carry a variety of sights for target, plinking, competition and tactical applications and even manufacture a set of Spade Grips so you can shoot the rifle in the same manor as a 1919A4 with butterfly grips or an M60D model. We tested these grips in the May 2007 (Vol. 10, No. 8) issue of Small Arms Review and we found them a blast to shoot, especially with a pintle mount and Beta C-MAG. They are well made and functioned flawlessly.

While you are in research mode, take a peek at some of the products in the Command Arms Accessories line (www.commandarms.com). Some of these accessories manufactured for the AR-15 and M16 weapon system look more like they came back from a fact finding mission from the 22nd Century than from Ivyland, Pennsylvania where they are located. With accessories and upgrades from buttstock to muzzle, the only part of the original weapon system that looks familiar is the distinct shape of the receiver section. Watch for a piece in an upcoming issue of Small Arms Review where we take a “Plain Jane” AR-15 and give it the complete CAA treatment while testing it every step of the way. We are looking for something that really enhances performance and not just cosmetics and we have been assured we will not be disappointed.

Back to the Future

There is one unique feature of the black rifle that is as controversial as all other designs combined. This would be the way the gas system of the firearm operates and whether changing it is considered an upgrade or downgrade by the user. The black rifle operates with a direct impingement gas system in the following manner. When the rifle is fired, the rotating bolt is in its locked position in the barrel extension. As the bullet passes a gas port located under the front sight, some gas is bled off into a gas port and directed through a gas tube to the rear. The hot gas pressurizes the gas tube and the rear end of the pressurized tube is the gas key located on top of the bolt carrier with the gas thus exerting rearward pressure on this movable part. This pressure starts the bolt carrier traveling rearward, unlocking the bolt via its cam pin in the cam path on the carrier, and initiating the extraction. The bolt carrier travels rearward, and the projectile exits the bore evacuating the pressurized gas from the gas tube, ending any rearward pressure from the gas system. That time under pressure is critical to reliability and is dictated by the amount of time the bullet is traveling in front of the gas port. As the bolt carrier passes into the buffer tube (concealed in the stock) the fired casing is ejected. Met with a forward amount of spring tension from the now compressed buffer spring, the bolt carrier is returned to the front, picking up a new round from the magazine, loading it in the chamber and rotating and locking the bolt to restart the sequence.

The problems with this particular system are multiple. It is dumping combustion byproduct – “dirt” – into the same place it feeds ammunition from. This leaves a lot of carbon buildup over time and can create function problems when not maintained regularly. The lower receiver and its trigger group are often heavily soiled from this gas system and it is compounded numerous times over when combined with the use of a sound suppressor. Due to the carbon, unburned powder and extra heat following the path of least resistance, the extra back pressure created with the use of a silencer leaves more debris than normal and blowback is often an unpleasant effect inflicted on the shooter. On top of the maintenance issue, which in the recreational shooting world should be a no-brainer, is an issue not often spoken about. As indicated before, the additional debris is carried back into the action of the gun and it is carried by very hot gas. It has been suggested by some people that the effect of these hot gasses under heavier than normal shooting conditions could cause metal temperament problems over time. A heavy influx of heating and cooling could create some structural problems with extremely heavy use.

There are several systems that now use a gas piston system in place of the direct impingement system and Small Arms Review has covered several of them in the past. In the last two years we have examined the HK416 System, the POF P-416 System and just recently, the Colt LE1020 Advanced Law Enforcement Carbine. Fairly recently, Ares Defense introduced their GSR-35 Black Lightning system, which is a drop-in piston kit that takes the place of the original gas tube and bolt carrier. Leitner-Wise Rifle Company (www.lwrifles.com) also specializes in a piston system however we have not had the opportunity to evaluate it yet. While the concept is certainly nothing new, (Colt experimented with a piston system in the 1960s, and there are many other examples pre-dating that) its time certainly seems to have come and it appears to be here to stay.

Other than a brief amount of time spent working with an early “Rhino System” in the early 1990s, of all the systems mentioned above, this writer only has an extensive amount of time on the POF P-416 system at this point. Other SAR contributors have extensive trigger time on the HK416, and will cover other systems in the future. On the POF system that I have tested, there are definite advantages that have been witnessed, primarily the number of rounds it is able to run with little or no maintenance with no malfunctions. The POF P-416 utilizes C.R.O.S. (Corrosion Resistant Operating System) where their major components are impregnated with silicon nickel creating an incredibly slick surface. After firing several thousand rounds, the surface easily wipes clean with only a dry cloth, and after almost 20,000 rounds in one particular test unit there is no visible wear on any of the coated parts.

During initial testing the system was fired in excess of 9,000 rounds with no maintenance or lubrication of any kind and when it was finally cleaned because we thought there was a single failure to feed, ending the endurance test, it was later found that it was a faulty magazine creating the feeding problem and not the gun itself. Another factor that assists the P-416 system in functioning so well under harsh treatment is the fact that there are no gas rings necessary since there is no actual gas pushed back into the bolt carrier. This seems to translate into a firearm that will operate in a harsher environment due to much lighter tolerances. Without the presence of gas rings creating a seal between the bolt and bolt carrier, everything moves much smoother and is less meticulous in its typically tight tolerances.

If there is an immediately noticeable advantage in this particular gas piston system it is durability. On top of the several thousand rounds fired with no maintenance except for the initial cleaning after the perceived stoppage, many of them have been in a succession so rapid that it would have been certain failure for a direct impingement system; melting the gas tube and ending the testing very early on. After years of testing black rifles, the author has a collection of failed gas tubes, many resembling spaghetti found lying on top of the barrel after reaching the point of failure. If there are any immediate disadvantages of this gas piston system over a direct impingement system, this author has not yet noticed them.

Now Left Can Be Right

A fantastic example of how the civilian market often takes its own direction and even has the potential to influence the military marketplace is a manufacturer from New Britain Connecticut named Stag Arms, LLC. (www.stagarms.com). Founded in May of 2003, Stag decided to cater to a percentage of the market who had been all but ignored for years. They completely redesigned the upper receiver, bolt and bolt carrier to eject from the left, specifically for left-handed shooters. Featured in the March 2006 (Vol. 9, No. 6) issue of Small Arms Review, southpaws will never again have to depend on a brass deflector keeping hot brass from hitting them or crossing their line of fire.

The Future

It is the versatility of the AR-15/M16 that has allowed it to adapt and thrive in so many differing environments and it is the modularity of the system that is a direct contributor to its survival and evolution. There are a few companies that are addressing this in ways that could never have been originally conceived 40 years ago and will lead the way into a long future for the black rifle.

MGI (www.mgimilitary.com) has been in the black rifle business for decades. Their upgrades have been chronicled in the pages of Small Arms Review several times including their Rate Reducing Buffer – May 2004 (Vol. 7, No. 8), The QCB Upper Receiver – December 2004 (Vol. 8, No. 3) and most recently The Hydra Modular Weapon System – May 2007 (Vol. 10, No. 8). With such versatility as a quick-change barrel upper receiver that requires no tools and works with original factory barrels, changes in length, style and caliber have never been faster, easier or less expensive. The Marck-15 Lower Receiver with interchangeable magazine wells, again with no tools, allows the correct magazine to be used to coincide with the caliber being fired. For example, if you are utilizing a 7.62×37 barrel and bolt, you can use the AK mag-well and utilize standard AK47 magazines. This ensures the correct feed and presentation rather than redesigning a new magazine around an existing space and angle. Mags are inexpensive, available and reliable. Next in the works is a 9mm SMG mag-well that will utilize the factory Colt 9mm SMG magazines. Several new offerings are in the pipeline, some certain to be out even before this magazine hits the newsstand.

Cobb Manufacturing (www.cobb50.com) has a line of rifles called the MCR (Multi Caliber Rifle) and it is based on the design characteristics of the AR-15, just a little bigger. The MCR is a semiautomatic, gas operated system that can be chambered in a long list of calibers from 9mm to 338 Lapua, designed originally for the SCAR rifle program. They are far from newcomers to the industry and have been dealing with such innovative firearms as the .50 BMG FA50 and BA50 for several years. Teamed up with top-line suppressor manufacturers their systems are well made and versatile.

With the “feeding” frenzy a constant issue as discussed previously, we expect to see upgrades and alterations to this portion of the weapon system as long as it is in use. Just before finishing this article the author received what is perhaps the latest offering to the high-capacity quest to evaluate for a future article. It is the CL-Mag from Armatac Industries, Inc. (www.armatac.com). Resembling the Beta C-MAG in shape, the CL-Mag is manufactured from aircraft aluminum and holds 150 rounds of 5.56x45mm. Finished in a hard coat type III anodized finish, it is intended to work in all AR-15/M16 variants. We are anxious to proceed with testing this new feeding system in the near future.

Conclusion

Since there is really nothing to compare the popularity of this unique weapon system to, with its longevity in both military and civilian applications, it is the opinion of this writer that the sheer ability to act as a chameleon and adapt to almost every environment is the life force behind its ever growing popularity. It has to be noted that many of the upgrades and enhancements are civilian based ideas with no military spec sheet giving them direction. Some of these ideas and items can be looked at as simply “fun” and that is an important aspect of shooting that some of us who are a little too hung up on being “professionals” tend to overlook a little too often. Not everything that is discovered or tested has to have an adrenaline soaked special operations application in mind. Some of the best gear for our professional applications stands a chance of starting out as a light-hearted civilian product, just because it is looked at and designed with fresh, new, untainted eyes. Some of the greatest design innovations this writer has witnessed have come from challenges from people who specifically stated that in their professional opinion something couldn’t be done.

With an ever-changing requirement for the ultimate weapon system in this unpredictable War on Terror, if any weapon stands the test of time it is the AR-15/M16. With a virtual flood of new accessories, upgrades, calibers, finishes, furniture and design enhancements being introduced at breakneck speed, this writer has a hard time even thinking of the day where the black rifle or some form of it is not going to be the basis for our primary service weapon for at least 40 more years.

Author’s Note: While this article started out to be a short overview of the AR-15/M16 and its longevity, it soon became obvious that it could not be done in just a few words. The system is too complex and the changes, alterations and upgrades are far too numerous to simply skim over and condense. Unfortunately, due to space constraints, it had to end somewhere and we were not able to include every single company that offers firearms and accessories related to this weapon system. They are far too numerous, and even a quick glance through the pages of Small Arms Review will reveal several more businesses who specialize in parts and accessories for the black rifle. It is not our intention to promote anyone in particular while leaving anyone else out, nor should either be misconstrued as an endorsement or lack of such in the latter case. We would be happy to put together a condensed Black Rifle Buyers Guide listing every business related to this system in the future, but had no room to so in this article.

• The introductory chapter also mentions that the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act of 1986 amended the NFA definition of “silencer” by adding combinations of parts for silencers and any part intended for use in the assembly or fabrication of a silencer. As most SAR readers know, the 1986 Act also amended the 1968 Gun Control Act to prohibit the transfer or possession of machine guns (18 U.S.C. Section 922(o)). Exceptions were made for transfers of machine guns to, or possession of machine guns by, government agencies, and those lawfully possessed before the effective date of the prohibition, May 19, 1986.
• An explanation of What Constitutes “Firearms” under the NFA are detailed in Chapter 2, the types of shotguns, rifles, weapons made from a rifle or shotgun, Any Other Weapon, machine gun, silencer, destructive device, explosive device, large caliber weapon, and Curios and Relics. Also covered are applications to remove firearms from the scope of the NFA as collector’s items or by modification/elimination of components.
• Chapter 3 delves into the Registration of NFA Firearms and explains the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, including registration by state and local agencies, registration by makers, importers, and manufacturers as well as registration to transferees. Also covered is how to determine the registration status of an NFA firearm, lost or stolen registration documents, and correcting incorrect registration documents.
  
• The Taxes Imposed by the NFA are the subject of Chapter 4 to include making, transfer and special (occupational) taxes, exemption from tax, and the exportation of firearms.
• Chapter 5 details Qualifying to do Business in NFA Firearms including license fees, standards, registration by firearms manufacturers and exporters with the U.S. Dept. of State, etc.
• Chapter 6 covers the Making of NFA firearms by Non-Licensees and explains the preparation of ATF Form 1 and other subjects, including the reactivation of a registered unserviceable NFA firearm.
• The Manufacturing of NFA Firearms is the subject of Chapter 7 to include qualifying for a license, engaging in business in multiple locations, makers of destructive devices, registration exemption for fabricating articles for research and development, and the ATF firearm classification process.
• Chapter 8 goes into Importing NFA Firearms and explains the necessary licensing, payment of special (occupational) taxes, importation for use as a model by a registered manufacturer, importation as a sales sample, and marking requirements.
• The Transfer of NFA Firearms is explained in Chapter 9 to include the forms used for transfers, as well as transfer of silencers for repair, distribution of estate firearms, manufacturers’ use of contractors to perform work on firearms, etc.
• Chapter 10 covers Collectors of NFA Firearms Curios & Relics, transfers, acquisition and dispositions, etc.
• The Exportation of NFA Firearms is the subject of Chapter 11 to include the Arms Export Control Act, firearms and firearm component parts subject to the AECA, license requirements for permanent and temporary exports of defense articles, etc.
• Chapter 12 covers Recordkeeping including the manner in which registration documents must be kept, custody of NFA firearms by employees of FFLs/SOTs, etc.
• The Required Reports and Notifications to ATF for NFA businesses are covered in Chapter 13.
• Chapter 14 details the procedures that must be followed when Going-Out-of-Business.
• Chapter 15 warns of the Penalties and Sanctions for non-compliance with regulations.

Spanning nearly 200-pages, the NFA Handbook is available from the ATF website (www.atf.gov) or a reprint may be ordered from the industry trade journal, The International Firearms Trade by e-mailing: INTLFT@aol.com. The cost from IFT is $55. postpaid. Customers outside the U.S. must add $10 shipping.

AG Gonzales Proposes ATF Reforms

U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales has announced the Violent Crime and Anti-Terrorism Act of 2007, a Dept. of Justice proposal. The bill provides greater flexibility in the penalties that could be imposed on federal firearms licensees who violate the Gun Control Act.

Specifically, the bill would establish additional, graduated sanctions for certain violations of the federal firearms laws, including suspension of federal firearms licenses and imposing civil monetary penalties. Such lesser sanctions will enable ATF to more effectively address violations of the Gun Control Act, the Justice Dept. has said.

Guidance on Post Office Box Addresses of Gun Buyers

ATF has issued an Open Letter to federal firearms licensees (dated June 7, 2007) advising on procedures to follow when a firearms purchaser presents an identification document showing only a post office box or rural route number as their legal address. Though the Form 4473 (Firearms Transaction Record) includes language stating that a post office box is not an acceptable residence address, it is possible to get a variance.

While the Form 4473 requires that the buyer’s residence address be provided, the term “residence address” is not defined in the law or regulations. Since non-licensed purchasers are generally restricted to their state of residence in acquiring firearms, ATF requires that the residence address provided on the Form 4473 be sufficient to identify the physical location of the purchaser’s residence in the event the firearm is the subject of a trace request. Persons in rural areas may have only a post office box or rural route number as their only legal address, but this does not necessarily mean that such persons are prohibited from buying firearms.

ATF says it wants to assist dealers in verifying the addresses of purchasers and will issue a variance to dealers (who request it) who may then transfer firearms to customers who can only provide a post office box or rural route number as their address. However, the following conditions must be met:

1. The FFL has information indicating the purchaser resides in a state where a post office box or rural route number is considered by the jurisdiction to be a legal residence address.
2. . The dealer has no reason to believe the purchaser is not telling the truth about his address.
3. The government-issued identification document of the prospective buyer must include a photo, date of birth and residence address.
4. After the variance is approved, the dealer must require the purchaser to indicate the actual physical location of his residence on the Form 4473.

FFLs may request authority to use this alternate method by sending a request in writing to: ATF, Firearms Programs Division, Room 7400, 650 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20226.

ATF Seizes Inventory of New Orleans Retailer

The owner and two employees of Elliot’s Gun Shop in the New Orleans area were arrested in mid-May by ATF and Secret Service special agents on charges of falsifying firearms records and aggravated identity theft. The store’s inventory and business records were seized.

Herman Eicke, 65, of Kenner, LA, the store’s owner, and employees Timothy Harris, 54, and Rebecca Zitzmann, 42, both of Jefferson, LA, were arrested without incident. Zitzmann was charged with falsifying federal firearms records and Eicke and Harris with aggravated identity theft.

The ATF investigation found that firearms purchased at Elliot’s had an extremely short “time to crime” – the time from the sale of the firearm to its recovery after use in a crime.

During the period March 1, 2002, to March 1, 2007, more than 2,300 firearms purchased at Elliot’s Gun Shop and its predecessor, Elliot’s Small Arms, were recovered by various law enforcement agencies in relation to crimes. Over 125 of these were related to murder investigations and more than 500 were related to crimes involving illegal drugs.

According to the criminal complaint, an informant and an undercover ATF agent posing as a ‘straw buyer’ were able to purchase a firearm from Elliot’s with Zitzmann’s assistance. Zitzmann illegally sold a handgun to the informant (according to the complaint), but allowed the undercover ATF agent to complete the ATF paperwork to make it appear that the agent purchased the gun.

In February 2005, ATF revoked a FFL held by Harris, who was operating the store as Elliot’s Small Arms. Prior to losing his license, ATF cited Harris on numerous occasions for failing to comply with federal firearms regulations regarding the sale of guns. Immediately after having his license revoked, Eicke, who had been an employee of Harris at Elliot’s Small Arms, obtained a FFL under the trade name of Elliot’s Gun Shop. An ATF undercover investigation reportedly revealed that Harris was still running the business even though Eicke held the license.

ATF announced it also uncovered an Eicke-Harris scheme that included forging law enforcement officers’ signatures and using a photocopy of their law enforcement credentials to purchase handguns from a distributor in New York at discounted prices to increase the store’s profit margin. Upon confirming that Eicke and Harris were “stealing” the identities of law enforcement officers, ATF invited the Secret Service into the investigation due to its expertise in identity theft and financial crimes investigations. The Secret Service has jurisdiction for crimes of aggravated identity theft.

Anti-Violence Activist Arrested by ATF on Gun Charges

The founder (and an allegedly “documented” gang member) of “NOGUNS-Networks Organized for Gang Unity and Neighborhood Safety,” an alleged gang intervention program, has been arrested on California state firearms charges.

During the investigation, an undercover agent was able to facilitate the purchase of a machine gun, three assault rifles, one handgun and two silencers from the founder of the group.

Hector Marroquin Sr., 51, of Downey, CA was held on charges for the illegal transfer/possession of the arms and conspiracy. Two others were also arrested.

CA Assembly Approves Micro-Stamping Bill

California Democrats are refueling a firearm micro-stamping proposal that has already passed the state Assembly. The measure, AB1471, would require starting in 2010 that all semiautomatic pistols sold in California contain a mechanism to stamp the gun’s make, model and serial number on the shell casing of the bullet every time the pistol is fired.

California state Department of Justice records reportedly show that about 2,400 homicides are committed each year and about 60% involve the use of a handgun. Moreover, about 70% of new handguns sold in California are semiautomatic pistols.

Last year, then-Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood, introduced a similar bill that passed several hurdles but came up two votes shy in the Assembly on the last day of the legislative session. The latest bill was approved by the Assembly in a 44-29 vote, largely along party lines. The bill now heads to the state Senate.

The primary difference in this year’s bill is that the measure requires the micro-stamping mechanism to etch the information from at least two different places in the pistol. Last year’s bill only required one and the firing pin was widely considered as the most logical piece of the firearm to stamp the information.

Opponents argued then, and now, that the firing pin can be removed and defaced, or simply replaced. That’s why this latest bill requires the etching to occur in more than one place inside the gun.

To negate the arguments of opponents that the proposal will greatly add to the manufacturing costs of handguns equipped with the technology, proponents of the measure have gotten the patent owner, NanoMark Technologies of Londonderry, N.H., to agree to give away the patents to gun manufacturers if the bill is enacted.

The proposal has also gotten the attention of the U.S. Congress. One of the leading proponents of gun control of all sorts, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D- Massachusetts, has said that he will craft a micro-stamping bill to be introduced in the U.S. Congress in the near future.

Denel Eyes New Ventures

South African arms manufacturer Denel has been holding talks with various overseas and local companies, as part of its strategy to unbundle the organization and make it more open to mergers and acquisitions, according to trade sources.

Bushmaster in Joint Venture

Bushmaster Firearms International, LLC (Bushmaster) and Iron Brigade Armory, Ltd. (IBA) have formed Bushmaster Custom Shop by Iron Brigade (BMCS) – a new joint venture to focus on premium AR rifle systems, and customized tactical precision bolt action rifle platforms, initially for law enforcement and military applications.

The new firm will be based in Jacksonville, North Carolina with Norm Chandler, Jr. as its CEO. Bushmaster will be the majority owner and will provide the initial funding for facilities and personnel. “The opportunity to work with IBA allows Bushmaster to extend our brand to the premium end of the AR-15 market place with customized solutions at lower volumes than our Windham facilities can handle economically, and is something that our customer base is telling us is important in addressing their needs,” stated E. Scott Blackwell, Bushmaster President and Chief Sales and Marketing officer.

Initially, BMCS will focus on custom AR-15 platforms based on the .223 and 5.56 caliber ammunition, with first products being available for sale in mid summer 2007. BMCS will also leverage the work done by Iron Brigade Armory and its founder – weapons designer and sniper author LTC. (ret) Norm Chandler, Sr. – to offer tactical precision rifles later this year.

Formed in 1994, IBA specializes in designing, producing and selling customized Sniper Weapon Systems (SWS). IBA’s focus is to provide field/combat reliable SWS that are capable of urban as well as long range operations.

Beretta has New Director of Sales

Beretta USA Corp. has promoted Rob Viner to Director of Sales/Dealers. Viner joined the company in 1997 as a Commercial Field Sales Representative. Most recently he held the position of South East Commercial Regional Business Development Manager. At the Beretta National Sales Meeting Awards Banquet he was recognized with the coveted Beretta Trident Ring for being named the 2006 Regional Business Development Manager of the Year.

Sabre Defence Has New Director of Commercial Operations

Sabre Defence Industries of Nashville, Tennessee has hired Michael Curlett as Director of Commercial Operations. Curlett will oversee all of the production, sales and marketing activities for Sabre’s Commercial Products in the U.S. He will assist with commercial, police and military sales in the international market.

Curlett comes to Sabre Defence from EOTech, a subsidiary of L3 Communications, one of the largest defense contractors in the U.S. As Director of European Sales for L3-EOTech, he worked to expand their sales and distribution channels throughout Europe and the Middle East

The author publishes two of the small arms industry’s most widely read trade newsletters. The International Firearms Trade covers the world firearms scene, and The New Firearms Business covers the domestic market. He also offers FFL-mailing lists to firms interested in direct marketing efforts to the industry. He may be reached at: FirearmsB@aol.com.

Crane Tactical Unveils ACS-50 (Advanced Combat Sight) for .50 BMG

There are few weapons that have withstood the test of time and have been as widely respected as the venerable .50 cal. Browning machine gun. Its superior ballistics and range of ammunition has allowed it to command the battlefield from the early stages of WWII to present day. Tomorrow’s battlefield however is changing, and so then changes the roles of those operating within it. It doesn’t take much observation to recognize the sighting limitations that prevent the .50 BMG from realizing its true potential in this new age of combat. The original “peep sight” has long since been ignored in the heat of battle and rarely lends itself useful except in training environments and fixed position applications. Twenty-first century warriors are on the move and likewise the .50 BMG is mobile and requires the ability to rapidly adapt to changing combat conditions. The ACS-50 offers the BMG the flexibility to meet the demands of this environment.

Feature Highlights

1. Rapid Target Acquisition apertures combined with front adjustable ghost ring sight provide for quick and natural sight alignment. Apertures and sight frame have integral “spider sight” stadia lines that aid in rapid alignment of sights on target.
2. The patented three range rotary aperture provides no lapse of target impact from point blank to 1,000 meters. These aperture ranges, based off of M33/M8 ballistic trajectories, optimize the most widely used ammunition within the most likely range limit of combat target engagements. (Based on SWAT weapon assessment reports.)
3. Aperture ranges are set at 400, 700, & 1,000 meters. Trajectories alone provide overlapping impact coverage based on military weapon qualification requirements on E and double E sized targets. Cone of Fire further enhances this overlap. The three apertures are a qualifying gunners’ dedicated course of fire, making the sight easy to use in a training environment.
4. Rear integral MIL STD 1913 scope rail is standard and provides simultaneous use of the iron sights with PAQ4 IR laser for night operations and/or co-witnessed EOTech, AimPoint, or similar optics. Front and rear iron sights can be folded and stowed allowing for dedicated use of the rail for night vision sights, PEQ2 IR laser or higher magnification scopes for longer range engagements and target identification; thus greatly reducing the potential of collateral damage.
5. Front sight has an M16 style post allowing an adjustment tool or tip of a 5.56mm/7.62mm cartridge to fine-tune the elevation of sights to individual weapons in theater. Rear sight is adjustable laterally for zero and windage requirements.
6. In addition to quality all steel construction and state of the art production, the revolving aperture is by design self cleaning in its motion. The rotation sweeps debris through the housing pocket and out the bottom drain hole.
7. Tri-aperture is easy to interchange, should special ammunition use require significantly different trajectory; e.g., SLAP.
8. Entire sight package is designed to utilize existing sight mounting provisions. Installation can be easily and quickly made in the field, requiring a few basic tools and approximately five minutes.

The ACS-50 is currently being evaluated by the U.S. Dept. of Defense and GSA who are the largest potential end-users. It will be available to private security operators and the civilian market as inventory allows. All sales and inquiries can be directed to Crane Tactical, LLC at (414) 640-7113 or (414) 640-7114 or visit us on-line at www.cranetactical.com.

SureFire’s Outdoorsman Series Utilizes New LED Technology

SureFire, designer and manufacturer of high-performance illumination tools, has upgraded its Outdoorsman Series with new light emitting diode (LED) technology. The new, super-efficient LEDs used in Outdoorsman flashlights will generate higher light outputs, using the same power source. They also, at a given light output level, run longer than the LEDs previously used in SureFire E1L and E2L flashlights. The new, electronically regulated LED still utilizes a Total Internal Reflection (TIR) lens to help maximize light transmission and create a user-friendly beam with a bright center and gradually diminishing corona. The one-battery E1L now has a maximum output of 30 lumens (a 5 lumen increase) and a total run time of 10 hours; a 150% increase. The two-battery E2L now has a maximum output of 45 lumens (up by 15) and a 133% increase in run time – 14 hours of total useful light. Both lights are still made from aerospace-grade aluminum and hard anodized for a strong, durable finish. O-ring seals help keep out moisture, dust and dir, and a strong Pyrex window protects the solid-state LED from impact. The Outdoorsman series of flashlights feature stainless-steel pocket clips, convenient click-on/off switching, and patented lockout tailcaps to prevent accidental activation during transport or storage. The diminutive E1L measures only 3.3 inches long and weighs a mere 2.2 ounces with batteries. The slightly larger E2L is 5.25 inches long and weighs 3.5 ounces. MSRP for the E1L is $99 and the E2L is $129. Both lights are available through authorized SureFire dealers or direct from SureFire. Please contact them at SureFire, LLC, Dept. SAR, 18300 Mount Baldy Circle, Fountain Valley, CA 92708. Phone: (714) 545-9444. Fax: (714) 545-9537. Their website is www.surefire.com.

GG&G Introduces New Battle Hawk Tomahawk

GG&G has recently introduced the Battle Hawk, an extreme duty tactical tomahawk designed to excel in “Aggressive Use” situations. In the tradition of many elite units, most of which have carried tomahawks since colonial America, GG&G created the Battle Hawk to fill the requests of those in need of a superior breaching and entry tool. American handcrafted of top quality S7 Crucible tool steel, S7 was chosen for its outstanding shock and impact resistance. S7 also withstands chipping and breaking under the most adverse conditions even with demanding users. The Battle Hawk’s one-piece design with G10KG high density textured Micarta handle scales is a tool capable of any mission-essential task. A double contour handle provides long and short grip, assuring positive control in any size hand. The Battle Hawk dimensions are a comfortable 13.25 inches overall length with a head length of 8.25 inches. The 3-inch rear spike, in addition to the multiple cutting edge head design, will definitely get the job done. A Matte Black Kydex Sheath with Tek-loc fastener is included and the Battle Hawk is available powder coated in four colors: Matte Black, Matte OD Green, Matte Desert Tan, and Matte Combat Gray. A solid and effective 44 ounces and tempered to 56-58 Rc hardness, earned the Battle Hawk the manufacturers designation of Combat Utility Tool (CUT). To purchase the Battle Hawk and other fine GG&G products, please contact them at GG&G Inc., Dept. SAR, 3602 E. 42nd Stravenue, Tucson, AZ 85713. Phone: (520) 748-7167. Fax: (520) 745-7583. They can be found on the web at www.gggaz.com.

Nighthawk Custom Introduces Heinie Tactical Carry

Nighthawk Custom of Berryville, Arkansas, a manufacturer of high quality custom 1911-style handguns, proudly announces that they will be offering a new custom gun, the Nighthawk Custom Heinie Tactical Carry in collaboration with Richard Heinie. The Heinie name is one that needs no introduction in the shooting industry, as Heinie sights are known the world over and adorn some of the finest 1911s on the planet. His skill as a master gunsmith is so sought after that he has enough guns already on order to carry him into his mid-seventies. After extensive testing of Nighthawk Custom pistols, Heinie chose to work with Nighthawk Custom to build a signature pistol to his very demanding specifications. The Nighthawk Custom Heinie Tactical Carry will be the first in the partnership, and will be built exactly to Heinie’s specifications. Many tactical pistol enthusiasts are familiar with this package already. Each one will have a specially selected barrel, Heinie Solid Trigger, compete carry de-horn, Heinie Straight Eight Slant Pro Night Sights, and a very unique Heinie mag well that is affixed to the gun after altering the frame. This alteration affords the benefits of a larger opening in the well area without adding grip length like most available add-on magazine wells do. The result is a fast, easy to load, accurate fighting gun. The Nighthawk Custom Heinie Tactical Carry also sports a flatslide top with 40 LPI serrations. You’ll recognize the quality when you open the breech, look inside and see the mirror-like shine on the feed ramp and the barrel throat. This is a very special 1911 that is built to last a lifetime. For more information, or to order one of these outstanding handguns, please contact Nighthawk Custom, Dept. SAR, 1306 West Trimble, Berryville, AR 72613. Phone: (877) 269-4867. Fax: (870) 423-4230. Website: www.nighthawkcustom.com.

Laser Devices Announces New Double Tap switch for Operator

Laser Devices, Inc. (LDI), manufacturer of state-of-the-art visible and infrared aiming lasers, hand held and weapon-mounted tactical lights and small arms training systems is pleased to announce the release of its new Electronic Double Tap Switch (EDTS) End Cap for the popular Operator OP-6 Tactical Lights. Laser Devises’ most versatile tactical light, the Operator OP-6, now offers users even more options. The EDTS has a remote cable port to allow quick and easy replacement of a broken or worn out remote cable assembly as well as a local activation switch located on the side of the end cap housing. In addition, the EDTS provides the following modes: momentary, continuous on, dimmer mode and positive off. EDTS works with Operator OP-6 lights equipped with an incandescent high pressure Xenon lamp or with the blindingly bright 125 lumen high flux LED head. The EDTS end cap is interchangeable with any existing OP-6 end cap and is sold separately or prepackaged with the OP-6 tactical light. For more information, please contact Laser Devices, Inc., Dept. SAR, 2 Harris Court, Suite A-4, Monterey, CA 93940. Phone: (831) 373-0701. Fax: (831) 373-0903. Website: www.laserdevices.com.

There isn’t anyone in our community that has received a transfer that has not experienced the lightning speed in the processing of all NFA forms by the NFA Branch. Everyone from the new Customer Service group all the way to the licensing team has really stepped up to the plate and done a tremendous job of tightening up the procedure of processing all types of forms for our community. The efficiency is almost mind boggling. Form 4s, if filled our properly, are getting processed in about 20 days! Although the NFA examiners are still experiencing a lot of problems from our own ranks, including returned checks and the like, when you follow some rather simple instructions, the speed of turnaround is incredible.

All of the members of the NFATCA thought it was time we officially recognized members of the NFA Branch. We began our task by contacting our membership and canvassing feedback on specific ATF personnel that we wanted to recognize for their outstanding efforts since the move to Martinsburg. After receiving a lot of response from members of the NFA community, board members of the NFATCA made a visit to Martinsburg accompanied by Lew Radin, Assistant Director – Office of Enforcement Programs and Audrey Stucko, Chief – Office of Enforcement Programs. We met with the NFA staff and presented them with beautiful plaques and a letter of recognition for their outstanding efforts. We each spoke to the group about their accomplishments and made certain that they received the praise and recognition that they so well deserve. As Mr. Radin stated, “This is a first in our industry where our customers have stepped forward and made a point of recognizing ATF employees for making such monumental improvements in a process that really is all about customer service. We are grateful for the thanks and most importantly the true partnership that has evolved in the NFATCA working with ATF to improve the entire process that makes all of our lives easier.” Mr. Radin went on to thank the NFATCA and the entire community for the efforts we are making to work together to solve the problems that we both have experienced during the last few years.

Mrs. Stucko followed Mr. Radin’s remarks by unveiling Version 1.0 of the official NFA Handbook. The Handbook, being two years in the making, was the first version of a collaborative effort to join ATF and the NFA community in a common set of regulations that we can all agree on and follow. Following her remarks I joined Mrs. Stucko and mentioned that although version 1.0 provided a lot of needed information, we all recognized that there is still a lot of work to be done to improve on the information that was addressed in this first volume of our joint efforts. Within a few short weeks of making the handbook available we are already receiving some great feedback for our first revisions that will be made in late 2007. Those that have criticized the effort have yet to join the ranks of the NFATCA to help us improve the effort. We are still looking to strengthen our knowledge base with members that can make a meaningful contribution of information that we all need to be successful in our efforts with the Bureau.

Soon after the official ceremony, we all sat at lunch together and discussed the next steps that we can take together to further improve our processes and relationship.

Shortly after lunch with the NFA Branch, the NFATCA held the official kick-off meeting with the Firearms Technology Branch (FTB) to initiate the process of developing the FTB Handbook. This process will involve a lot of work. Our first meeting revolved around setting goals and objectives and selecting the team for the project, and the process for developing an outline for content. There will be more to follow on the specifics of developing the handbook in future articles. Once again we encourage the entire community to get involved and join with us in making this a successful effort.

It will be a busy year for us and we look forward to continuing to support the entire community. Come join us and make a difference with your knowledge, expertise and much needed experience. Contact us at www.nfatca.org for more information.

By Kevin Dockery

Few firearms manufacturers have proven themselves as successful as the Knight’s Armament Company (KAC). In just 25 years, C. Reed Knight, Jr. has taken his company from being a modest but skilled R&D shop into a unique modern military supplier. The structures that have held the shops and offices of KAC have changed from being a small two-story building in an orange grove to a sprawling complex of buildings, bunkers, and range facilities with the main plant having more than 400,000 square feet of work space.

The new location of the Knight’s Armament Company is in the old McDonnell Douglas Astronautics facility on Columbia Blvd. in Titusville, Florida. The Titusville plant is only a relatively short drive from central Florida and the huge convention center at Orlando. It is when the SHOT Show is at the Orlando center, such as it was this year, that KAC takes advantage of their facility’s location, and the invited guests of Mr. Reed Knight can take advantage of his own style of southern hospitality.

Even in the middle of January, central Florida can be a hot place, especially for writers and guests who have come down from the colder (much colder!) northern climes and countries. The well-upholstered and air-conditioned transportation put on by Knight’s made the afternoon trip to Titusville a quick and comfortable one. The crowds from the buses were filled out even further once at the plant by the number of people who arrived in their own vehicles. Any way you had arrived, the trip was well worth the time with what was waiting for everyone at Knight’s.

After a quick organization, and the filling out of the more and more common legal forms and releases, the writer community and dignitaries were invited to try out a number of products from both KAC as well as other manufacturer’s. It was trigger time again.

When the Shot Show was last in Orlando a few years ago, Reed Knight held his first open house at the Titusville facility. At that time, the primary guest of honor was General Mikhail Kalashnikov himself and an extensive demonstration was put on of the Knight Armament’s line of products. This year, the open house was a much larger affair and General Kalashnikov was unable to attend. Even the good general might feel that he missed out as instead of witnessing the Knight products, writers and others were invited to try them out for themselves.

Just moving around the huge facility was an event in itself with vans moving groups of people from one firing site to another. Part of the reason for this was the different ranges needed for the other companies that were also taking part in the KAC open house.

The first of the ranges visited was the close-in firing demonstration held by Lewis Machine & Tool Company of their M16 variations. One of the highlights at this position was a chance to fire the CQB version of their Monolithic Rail Platform upper chambered for the powerful 6.8mm round. Having seen combat with Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan, the 6.8mm round with its heavier bullet is proving to be a valuable asset, one worthy of further examination. With the radical rail system patented by LMT and machined out of a solid aluminum forging, the strength of the system is phenomenal, and the accuracy that comes with that strength is also world-class.

The LMT 6.8mm upper Close Quarters Battle specimen available for the demonstration was quick to handle while remaining controllable, even on full automatic fire. The future of the 6.8mm round is still vague at best. But no matter the caliber, Lewis Machine & Tool has a winner in their solid Monolithic Rail Platform uppers as well as their own line of receivers and complete weapons.

Transport took the groups finished with shooting at the first range to the next open range where a new line of rifles from Knight’s Armament were waiting for use. Even though we were all looking forward to examining the new weapons, it was hard not to be impressed with the layout and facilities of the Titusville compound. There were rows and rows of huge concrete and earth bunkers, leftovers from the days that McDonnell-Douglas Astronautics Company loaded up Dragon missiles on the site. The massive bunkers would hold up to the ignition of enough ammunition to satisfy the most jaded of SAR readers, while still leaving enough room to outfit a small country – or shoot up on a Knob Creek weekend. If there is an expansion into heavy ordnance in Knight’s future, the Titusville facility has more than enough assets on hand to take care of any job short of making solid-fuel space-shuttle engines.

At the next range were some very familiar weapons, with new twists that were not immediately apparent. The SR-15 series of rifles and carbines are upgraded AR-15 style rifles with a number of improved features developed by Knight engineers. On the table were a pair of SR-15 E3 URX (Upper Receiver Extending) carbines, both with KAC folding iron sights and attached Harris bipods. Inside, the carbines boasted dual extractor springs, redesigned locking lugs with increased strength, and a number of other new and patented features. The overall design of the SR-15 proved such and improvement over the original design that it was adopted as the basis for a heavy-barreled 5.56mm sniper rifle, the Mark 12 Mod 1 Special Purpose Rifle. The URX E3 carbines were to prove only slightly less accurate, and nearly two pounds lighter, than the GI Mk 12 Mod 1 rifle, but at the short range available to the shooters at that table, the guns showed themselves to be more than adequate.

It was at the last range that the wait was longest to fire the weapons, and the reason was obvious enough. To a long-gun shooter, the last range area held a real treat. On the benches were premier examples of the KAC engineers, and the lasting legacy of Eugene Stoner.

Seven years ago, the Navy SEALs adopted a modified version of the SR-25 rifle as their new semiautomatic 7.62mm sniper rifle – the Mark 11 Mod 0, a replacement for the venerable M14-based sniper weapons still in the racks. On the bench was a single example of a Mk 11 Mod 0 rifle, set up with both a sophisticated electro-optical sight and a long Knight-produced sound suppressor. The optics was a CS6000 thermal imaging sight capable of detecting human activity out to a range of 2,200 meters. All-in-all, a very serious weapons system.

Lined up next to the Mk 11 were the two newest versions of the SR-25, the recently adopted XM110 U.S. Army Semi-Auto Sniper Rifle System (SASS). The XM110 has a twenty-inch match grade 1:11 twist heavy barrel, as does the Mk 11. But the muzzle of the XM110 barrel is threaded to accept a flash suppressor. The trendy desert tan color of the XM110 rifles also made them stand out, but all the weapons shared the same basic characteristic – long range accuracy combined with a quick follow-up firing capability.

Firing some of the best weapons available might prove enough for most to spend an afternoon away from the Shot Show. But Reed Knight’s rendition of southern hospitality required that he offer much more. Underneath huge tents in the parking area near the main building were set up long rows of tables, just what were needed to partake of the excellent barbeque served up by the caterers. Keeping with the overall country-western theme of the day, Reed Knight, along with his staff and sons, were wearing western outfits, complete down to Colt single-action revolvers riding in low-draw holsters. In the background was both a mechanical bull for the more adventurous among the guests, as well as a much safer Country-Western band, the Bama Band, who were twice nominated for the Academy of Country Music’s Band of the Year Award and were for 20-plus years the touring band for superstar Hank Williams, Jr., that fired up their music in the sunset hours.

But it was the tour of the KAC main plant that really drew the crowds. On the plant floor were Mazak machining centers – quarter-million dollar chunks of computer-controlled precision. And there were rows of the big machines stretching out across the plant floor. Each machining center is capable of turning out identical parts for as long as needed, and then they can be reprogrammed to produce other components with a minimum of fuss, given skilled staff. And Knight’s Armament has 300 personnel making up that skilled staff manning the 400,000 square feet of floor space.

To help the production machines make their parts at KAC is a new Fanuc robotic arm. The bright yellow arm was twisting and turning through a complicated measuring protocol, dancing the same moves over and over for the on-looking crowd.

On the production floor, rack after rack was filled with parts in various stages of manufacture. The area was quiet for the open house, but the bins and racks of parts stood in mute testimony of the demand for Knight’s components and assemblies to aid the United States and the Global War on Terrorism.

There is something to be said for the success of a design when you see hundreds and hundreds of parts to make up the Knight Rail Adapter Systems (RAS) that are seen on many of the weapons serving in the hands of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The basic idea for the RAS came to Reed Knight when he watched footage of our troops in Grenada back in 1983. A long-time competitive shooter, Reed saw the guns in the hands of our troops with flashlights duct-taped to the forearms. Knowing that there had to be a better way to secure the illumination and aiming devices desired and needed by the troops, Knight and his engineers came up with the rail system, now used in every branch of the service.

Other components for successful Knight designs filled the bins on the floors and tables, but it was the second floor that held the crown-jewels of the tour. The Knight firearms library holds an extensive collection of weapons for study, many of them museum-class specimens in their own right. Taken as a whole, the library of firearms can easily compete with a number of large weapons museums around the world. Only these weapons are for study to help develop new designs to keep American arms technology in the lead for many of the world’s militaries. The Knight Working Reference Collection is incredible to experience.

The large number of guests at the open house had to be broken up into smaller groups to go through the plant and finally visit the collection. Since a number of unauthorized photographs of part of the collection have been posted on the Internet, cameras are strictly forbidden for the visitors to the collection. For the readers of SAR, Reed Knight graciously allowed this writer to bring a camera into parts of the collection to illustrate this article.

In the hallway leading up to the main room housing the bulk of the library, glass walls show the interiors of two side rooms housing two very special collections.

With justifiable pride, Reed Knight stood in front of the E. M. Stoner Memorial Gallery. Not just any firearms were contained in the gallery, it was a tribute to the firearms genius and hard work of Eugene Stoner, a designer and engineer well known to any who study the art of modern weapons. On the walls of the gallery were unique specimens of Stoner’s designs, most of them one-of-a-kind prototypes.

Opposite of the Stoner gallery was another room holding the examples of the products and weapons made by Reed Knight and his people over the years. A centerpiece of the KAC Shot Show booth was 6x35mm KAC Personal Defense Weapon. On the walls of the gallery were specimens of that weapon along with a number of others. When Reed was asked which of the pieces was his favorite, he reached over and pulled down a Mk 11 rifle, a particularly beat up and badly damaged piece.

The reason for Reed’s pride in that particular rifle? It had taken its damage in combat, serving in the very capable hands of a Navy SEAL.

SAR would like to thank Reed Knight and his son Trey, as well as their staff, for the wonderful opportunities they have afforded the small arms community in the past years, and to salute their commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and future development in small arms. The Knights have helped countless designers, writers and researchers over the years, and the readers of many firearms magazines, especially Small Arms Review, have benefited from this commitment to academic research. During the event at Knight’s, over 1,400 people experienced the hospitality and received a good old fashioned Barbecue in addition to their test firing demonstrations and tour of the plant and the Knight Collection. Those who toured the Collection were treated to explanations and anecdotes from Reed, Trey, George Kontis, Col. David Lutz and other employees of Knight’s, and SAR’s Dan Shea was also drafted/volunteered to serve as a guide for several tours as well. It was clear that everyone involved was proud, and indeed humbled, to help the attendees experience the amazing depth and focus of the Knight Collection. Again, SAR would like to thank the Knight’s for their generosity in sharing the history and knowledge they maintain in their Collection, and indeed, for keeping the torch alive in an age when political correctness has threatened our national security by chiseling away at our martial knowledge.

By Paul Newhouse

Since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom, most everyone have heard or seen news reports about the employment of RPGs by anti-Coalition forces; or what are referred to as “Rocket Propelled Grenades” by the news media. While the weapon shown is almost invariably the RPG-7, with perhaps an odd RPG-2 thrown in, there’s a lot more to the RPG story than those one or two familiar systems.

Perhaps we should start with a bit of etymology. While “RPG” has had three different meanings in the past 65 years, the acronym has never stood for “rocket propelled grenade.” Indeed, all the early RPGs had no rockets of any kind incorporated into their design, and the ubiquitous RPG-7 fires grenades both with and without rocket assist.

The first RPGs were simply shaped charge hand grenades. “RPG” in their case stood for Ruchnaya Protivotankovaya Granata – Hand Antitank Grenade. (The author wishes to apologize in advance for any improper transliterations of Russian, though his spellings are more or less phonetically correct.) The two best known examples were the RPG-43 and RPG-6. While resembling stick grenades or “potato mashers” with large heads, their method of operation was rather more complex. Upon pulling a safety pin and throwing, a safety lever on the handle separated, allowing a stabilizing drogue chute to deploy, ensuring that the grenade impacted top down. A later version produced by the Russians was designated RKG-3, with the “K” standing for Kumulativnaya – shaped charge – to preclude confusion with the later kinds of RPGs. This design was copied by Yugoslavia as the M79. These grenades remain effective against all but the most modern armored vehicles. In fact, the US Army in the 1980s reverse-engineered an East German design. Their fatal flaw is their short effective range, approximately 30 meters.

The first of the weapon systems to resemble today’s RPGs was the RPG-1, development of which started at the end of World War 2. In this case, “RPG” stands for Ruchnoi Protivotankoviyi Granatomyot – Hand Antitank Grenade Launcher. Despite Russian protestations that it was developed independently, the RPG-1 clearly owes much to both the German Panzerschreck rocket launcher (for the design of the warhead) and the Panzerfaust recoilless launcher; particularly the late-war reusable versions. The RPG-1 utilized the Panzerfaust’s simple launch tube, and as a result had to employ a black powder propelling charge that produced a very low muzzle velocity. The RPG-1 was not produced in large numbers.

The first widely produced RPG was the RPG-2, introduced in the late 1940s or early 1950s, coincidentally at the same time the AK-47 was beginning to enter service. This again utilized the Panzerfaust-type straight tube recoilless launch system, but now the PG-2 (Protivotankovaya Granata – Antitank Grenade) grenade bore a very obvious resemblance to that of the Panzerfaust 150, with a conical nose, cylindrical mid-body, and tail boom with wraparound fins. As the RPG-2 was thoroughly described in a previous issue of SAR (Vol. 10, No. 3), no further description is offered here.

Both the RPG-1 and RPG-2 were tactically comparable to the US “Bazooka” and British PIAT, being different systems capable of operation by a single man, but normally served by a two man crew. At about the same time as the RPG-2 was introduced, a heavier anti-armor weapon system also came into service. This was the 82mm SPG-82 (“SPG” stood for Stankovoi Protivotankoviyi Granatomyot – Mounted Antitank Grenade Launcher), development of which also began late in World War 2. Unlike the RPG-1 or RPG-2, this was a rocket system comparable to the US M20 3.5in “Super Bazooka.” Despite the smaller caliber, the SPG-82 was heavier and longer than the M20, with a large shield with wheels provided for the two man crew. The SPG-82 may be considered almost a general purpose infantry support weapon, akin to the early US recoilless rifles, as it had both PG-82 antitank grenades and OG-82 (Oskolochnaya Granata) fragmentation grenades. Both of these “grenades” were of course rockets.

At this point it may be wise to digress a moment and differentiate between infantry antitank weapon systems that are rockets, and those that are recoilless guns. Most frequently the majority of such weapons are described as rocket launchers, but this is glaringly inaccurate. The well-known M136/AT4 single-shot weapon in widespread use by the US Army is in fact a disposable recoilless launcher. The infamous RPG-7, despite firing rocket-assisted projectiles, is a reusable recoilless launcher.

One supposes the key distinguishing feature is where the pressure, built up by propellant combustion, occurs, and where the pressure drop which produces the propulsive force occurs. In a rocket system, the propellant combusts entirely within the rocket itself, and the pressure drop which produces the propulsive force occurs across the body of the munition. This may best be illustrated by considering the case of a rocket like that from an M72 LAW being ignited outside its launch tube. The rocket would travel just as far as if it were fired normally; the tube only provides for initial aiming, and does not contribute to the propulsive process.

In a recoilless weapon, the launch tube is an integral part of the propulsive process, and incorporates a chamber for the propellant to burn at a relatively high pressure, and a nozzle to create a constriction that vents the high pressure gases rearwards, usually at an accelerated velocity, whose momentum is then used to balance exactly the momentum of the projectile leaving the muzzle. If one were to ignite the propelling charge of a PG-2 or a PG-7 in the open, it would simply burn. The grenade would not go anywhere. Without a chamber to allow burning at a high pressure, no propulsive force is generated.

It’s also worthwhile to take a brief look at the physics of recoilless weapons. Simply put, recoilless guns work by expelling a projectile from the front in the usual manner, and a countermass out the back of the gun. The earliest recoilless guns were the Davis Guns of WW1. These used a central propelling charge to fire a projectile out of a forward-pointing barrel, and a solid countermass of equal weight out a rearward pointing barrel of identical length. While solid countermass recoilless guns have been in use since then, and a few still are, in most applications a solid countermass is a nuisance at best and a danger to one’s own troops at worst. Between the wars it was found that it was only necessary to match the momentum (mass times velocity) of the countermass to that of the projectile. Thus, a very light countermass, such as propellant gas moving at a very high velocity, can have a momentum equal to a heavy projectile discharged at a lower velocity.

Most recoilless guns using a propellant gas countermass feature a prominent nozzle or nozzles at the back of the weapon. These are sometimes called venturis (acceptable) or “blast cones” (incorrect); more on these below. But one can’t help but note that the Panzerfausts and the RPG-2 had simple straight-tube launchers with neither constricting orifices nor conical venturis. So how did these weapons function, without simply venting the propellant gases out the back at low pressure? The answer lies in the fluid mechanics of compressible fluids. Most of us are aware that passing a fluid through a constriction will raise the velocity of the fluid. (Simply take your garden hose and constrict the water stream with your thumb, and watch how the water speeds up.) The higher the upstream pressure the greater the downstream velocity. But in gas systems, this only happens until a condition called choked flow is reached. At that point further increases in upstream pressure do not cause further increases in downstream velocity. The result in a recoilless weapon is a rise in pressure sufficient to launch a projectile. While this principle is the basis for most recoilless weapons, in straight tube launchers it has substantial performance limitations.

The outlet velocity of the propellant gases in a straight tube launcher remains subsonic. And to achieve a choked flow situation quickly, very fast burning propellant is required; in the RPG-2 fine granular black powder is used. But this fast propellant in turn causes a rapid pressure rise in the area of the propelling charge. The maximum pressure must be limited to remain within the strength limits of the tube. So there’s a limit to the weight of propellant that can be used, which in turn limits the mass of propellant gas available to form a countermass. As already mentioned, the gas velocity is limited in this system as well, the result is a relatively low available counterrecoil momentum. The final result of all these limiting factors is a very low muzzle velocity for a projectile of useful size. This was readily apparent in the early Panzerfausts, whose effective range was severely limited, at first to only 30 meters, by their low velocity and resultant highly curved trajectory.

Since gas velocity and tube strength impose limits on available counterrecoil momentum, the only way to really improve this system’s performance was to add additional propellant (and thus additional gas for the countermass), and since increasing the charge attached to the projectile would only increase the local pressure to unacceptable levels, the only solution available was to apply the maximum operating pressure over a greater length of the launch tube by distributing the propelling charge. In the later, longer-range Panzerfausts this was achieved by adding a secondary propelling charge approximately in the middle of the launch tube. The charge at the base of the projectile was initiated in the usual way, and this in turn ignited the secondary charge, boosting muzzle velocity and thus range, up to 100 meters and more.

The RPG-2 uses a rather more ingenious solution, with the black powder propelling charge subdivided into 6 increments by means of cardboard tubes and discs, the latter with flash holes to foster ignition. The primer in the base of the PG-2 grenade ignited the first increment, which burns rapidly, creating pressure and pushing the remaining four increments back down the tube. After a few inches of travel, the second increment is fully ignited, then the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth. The result is high pressure over a greater length of the tube, rather than merely at the base of the projectile, and a greater volume of propellant gases for both propulsion and countermass.

But even with this technique, there were limits to the performance of a simple straight tube launcher. One attempt at improvement was the Yugoslav M57 launcher, which incorporated a partial solid countermass in the form of a quantity of sand. However, this represented at best an incremental improvement over the simple straight tube launchers.

But back to the RPG story! While the PG-2 grenade performed well enough in terms of armor penetration (and remains a threat to all but the most modern armored fighting vehicles), the weapon’s fatal flaw was its very primitive recoilless launcher. While its simple cylindrical tube was easy and cheap to fabricate, its lack of a chamber and nozzle, and resultant low pressure combustion, as described above, severely limited the velocity of the PG-2. This made range estimation very important at all but the shortest ranges. Additionally, the low velocity meant a longer time of flight. Both factors limited hit probability against both stationary and moving targets. An interim solution was found in the RPG-4. While this fired purely ballistic grenades, which resembled PG-2s albeit with increased standoff for the shaped charge, the 45mm diameter launch tube incorporated a larger diameter chamber and a venturi, or nozzle, at its rear end, causing it to greatly resemble its successor the RPG-7. The RPG-4, developed in the late 1950s, was not produced in quantity.

A brief description of the physics of the RPG-4 and RPG-7 is in order. These weapons incorporate the features seen in other, larger recoilless systems: a chamber of larger size than the propelling charge, and a convergent-divergent nozzle incorporating a constriction and a divergent (outlet diameter larger than inlet diameter) conical section. The constriction sets up the choked flow condition described above, albeit without the need to use a very fast propellant. The conical divergent nozzle in turn accelerates the propellant gases to supersonic speeds. Thus, in this type of system, there is much more counterrecoil momentum produced, both from burning more propellant over a longer time and from expelling the gas countermass at a much higher velocity. In the case of the RPG-7, this allowed the launching of projectiles heavier than PG-2s at velocities in some cases approaching double those of the older system.

The RPG-7 recoilless launcher, introduced in 1961, reverted to the 40mm tube diameter of the RPG-2 while retaining the chamber and nozzle design of its precursor the RPG-4. As the RPG-7 and its ammunition have already received a thorough treatment in the pages of SAR (Vol. 10, No. 3), no further description of the system will be given here. A brief observation on the function of its ammunition will be made in the hope of finally putting to rest the absurd “rocket propelled grenade” name. The RPG-7’s principal munition is one of a series of PG-7 antitank grenades. All of these incorporate a rocket motor. As the RPG-7 is a recoilless launcher, the PG-7 may be considered a rocket-assisted projectile; calling it a rocket would be incorrect. The reason for adoption of a recoilless-launched, rocket-assisted antitank munition of greater-than-average complexity is simple: it increases the munition’s velocity and thus reduces its trajectory and time of flight, without imposing any additional penalties on either the launcher or its user. The result is greatly improved hit probability against both moving and stationary targets. In a 1970s study the US Army deemed the RPG-7 the best solution to hitting armored vehicles out to 300m. Better than pure rocket systems and better than pure recoilless systems. But what would happen if the rocket motor in a typical PG-7 failed to ignite 10-15 meters from the launcher like it’s supposed to? All that would happen is that the grenade would follow a purely ballistic trajectory to the target, take longer to get there, and impact below the desired aimpoint. The shaped charge in its warhead would function just as well as if the rocket motor had fired, since the VP-7 fuze is independent of the rocket motor.

Another heavier system was introduced just after the RPG-7, the 73mm SPG-9 smoothbore recoilless gun. Though it filled a similar tactical role as the earlier 82mm B-10 and 107mm B-11 recoilless guns, it is a significantly lighter and handier weapon, which may explain its “SPG” nomenclature. Like the SPG-82, the SPG-9 fires two natures of ammunition: the PG-9 antitank grenade (which is rocket assisted for the same reasons the PG-7 is), and the OG-9 fragmentation grenade (which is an unassisted, purely ballistic munition).

A less-well-known weapon system, whose intended employment is also not as well known, is the RPG-16. Although its nomenclature may lead one to believe it was a replacement for the RPG-7, it really isn’t. The RPG-16 has a bore size of 58mm, and as it does not use an overcaliber warhead, its antiarmor performance is significantly less than more modern versions of the PG-7. At the same time the RPG-16 is significantly heavier than the RPG-7. So rather than looking at the RPG-16 as a successor to the RPG-7, it may be more appropriate to consider it as a subcompact derivative of the SPG-9, for use in those situations where the larger and heavier SPG-9 may be unsuitable. One Russian source mentions that the RPG-16 was developed primarily for airborne troops; its two piece takedown design, similar to that of the RPG-7D, seems to bear this out.

The third meaning of “RPG” is Reaktivnaya Protivotankovaya Granata, applied to a number of disposable pure rocket systems similar to, and likely inspired by, the US M72 LAW. “Reaktivnaya” is awkward to translate; some sources say jet, others rocket, and others “propulsive.” (Perhaps the best way to think of it is as “reactive propulsion,” in other words, a rocket). Also note that the whole system together is not a Granatomyot (grenade launcher), but a Granata (grenade).

The earliest such Russian system was the 64mm RPG-15, which was produced in only limited numbers. This was followed by the very widely produced 64mm RPG-18, also previously covered in the pages of SAR. The RPG-18 was augmented, but not really supplanted, by the 72.5mm RPG-22. Both of these systems employ rocket motors and folding fins inspired by the M72 coupled to warheads essentially identical to those used in PG-7s.

There are newer RPGs which have been designed and produced by the Russians: the RPG-26, 27, 28, and 29. The first three are single-shot weapons, while the last is a long and somewhat unwieldy reusable launcher. All feature larger diameters for improved armor penetration, and some feature tandem warheads for improved effectiveness against reactive armor. But as these systems have not been produced or fielded in large numbers, they will not be considered further.

Finally, there are two additional systems called “RPGs,” produced in Warsaw Pact countries, which have nothing in common with any of the RPGs previously mentioned, but which are so novel that they must be mentioned, if only in passing. While the grenade of the single-shot Polish RPG-76 Komar (Mosquito) resembles a small PG-7, in fact the RPG-76 is a pure rocket system; the rocket motor ignites upon firing, and its PG-7-like nozzles direct the exhaust gases away from the firer. Even so, it must be quite disconcerting to fire this weapon. The launcher is simplicity itself, consisting of a short tube with a folding shoulder stock and crude sights and trigger mechanism.

The single-shot Czech RPG-75 is as finely finished as the Polish weapon is crude. While its light launch tube may lead one to believe that it’s a rocket system, in fact it’s a smoothbore recoilless high-low pressure launcher, the only such weapon ever fielded, successfully combining the two novel gun propulsion technologies pioneered by the Germans and others in WW2. Because the RPG-75 has a separate high pressure chamber, the launch tube does not need to be as heavy as in a conventional recoilless launcher. Finally, the RPG-75’s projectile is neither fin nor spin stabilized, but uses a rear spoiler for stabilization. The only other application of this stabilization technique the author is aware of is in the 120mm M831A1 practice cartridge fired by the M1A1/A2 Abrams tank.

Now that you know the history of the RPG family of weapons and munitions, try not to cringe as the author does upon hearing or seeing the term “rocket propelled grenade!”

There were originally two separate Marine Corps museums. One was located in Washington, D.C., the other at Quantico, Virginia. The Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum that was located on the Quantico Marine Base featured displays documenting the Marine’s achievements on the ground and in the air during World War I, World War II and many other campaigns. The museum itself was housed inside one of the early World War I aircraft hangers. The Marine Corps Historical Center and Museum was located forty-miles north of Quantico at the U.S. Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. At this facility there was a standing exhibit that chronicled Marine Corps history from 1775 to modern day with uniforms, weapons, photographs and documents.

On 13 November 2006, after many years of careful planning and hard work, the new National Museum of the Marine Corps opened its doors to the public. This new ultra modern facility is situated on over 135 acres adjacent to the Marine Base at Quantico, Virginia. Currently, the display area inside of the museum building covers approximately 118,000 square feet, with a planned future expansion of over 181,000 square feet. A 210-foot iconic spiral protrudes from the roof of the facility and is clearly visible for miles on Interstate 95, especially when lit-up at night.

The word to describe the new museum is “impressive.” The facility and displays are all first-class, using state of the art multimedia technology to replicate the sights, sounds and even the temperature of being there. When you first enter through the museum doors you will encounter the Leatherneck Gallery. The stainless steel base of the 210-foot spire rises from the center of the gallery and its design was inspired by the famous raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima during World War II. On the walls surrounding the display area are the portraits of eight Marines and overhead are four Marine aircraft representing different eras: from the 1920 Banana Wars, a Curtiss JN-4 Jenny armed with a Lewis Gun, two Corsair fighters from World War II and an AV-8B Harrier VSTOL (Vertical Short Take Off and Landing) jump jet that saw action during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. On the ground, an LVT-1 (Landing Vehicle Tracked) armed with a .50 caliber Browning machine gun breaches defenses on a Pacific Beach. Across the room a Marine machine gun crew with a M1919A4 Browning, disembark from a Korean War era Sikorsky HRS-2 helicopter to take up positions.

The visitor with a critical eye will notice that careful attention has been given to all of the weapons and equipment in the displays to insure the correct configurations for the time period depicted.

The next gallery on the tour is Making Marines, which conveys the anxiety experienced by recruits during basic training. The display features a Marine Corps bus, from which voices of nervous recruits can be heard, and on the ground are the famous yellow footprints. There is even a military barbershop to bring back memories for visiting veterans. One of the more pleasant displays in the gallery is an M16 laser rifle range where visitors can test their marksmanship skills. In the Marine Corp despite your job description, “Every Marine is a Rifleman.”

The Legacy Walk captures the more than 230 years of Marine Corps history featuring displays of the earliest Colonial Marines atop sailing ships. On a wall above, two-time Medal of Honor recipient Marine Dan Daly struggles with an opponent during 1900 in Peking, China. From World War I, a Marine engages a German soldier in hand to hand combat. During World War II, a Navy Corpsman attends to a wounded Marine. Displayed overhead is the actual UH1E Iroquois “Huey” helicopter that Medal of Honor recipient Marine Major Stephen Pless flew during the Vietnam War. Life-like figures, aircraft, photographs and artifacts create a Marine history timeline from 1775 to the modern day.

World War II Gallery

The story of the U.S. Marines in their Pacific island-hopping campaigns is told with displays of tanks, artillery pieces, aircraft, small arms and personal items that belonged to individual Marines. Highlighted are Marine innovations in tactics, equipment and special units. An excellent display is a Marine aiming his water-cooled .30 caliber M1917A1 Browning machine gun at enemy aircraft. Weapons fielded by the Japanese Imperial Army are also displayed.

One exhibit briefs visitors for an assault landing on Iwo Jima before boarding a Higgins Boat for the hazardous trip to the beach. Sound and video combine to provide a realistic experience. One of the most historically important artifacts in the museum is the actual flag that was raised by Marines atop Mount Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima and photographed by Joe Rosenthal. The resulting image is the most famous and inspiring photograph of World War II, with the image almost immediately becoming a Marine icon. The World War II Gallery honors the sacrifices and accomplishments of America’s Greatest Generation.

Korean War Gallery

This gallery documents the Marine’s involvement in the Korean War that took place from 1950 to 1953. After World War II ended both the Marine Corps and U.S. Army had been drastically reduced in size. On 25 June, 1950, at approximately 4 a.m., a rainy Sunday morning, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Army (North Korea) invaded the Republic of Korea (South Korea). At 11 a.m., North Korea announced a formal declaration of war. An unprepared United States military scrambled to train and deploy troops to Korea. Korea was the first combat action of the cold war era.

Included in the Korean Gallery is a display of Marine positions near the infamous Chosin Reservoir. The temperature in the display area is twenty degrees lower than the rest of the museum, the sky is dark, and voices of approaching Chinese troops can be heard; all contributing to an eerie feeling felt by the visitor. Other displays include a machine gun position in a sandbagged bunker, and a LCVP landing craft representing General MacArthur’s bold plan for an amphibious landing at Inchon to get behind the enemy and cut off his supply lines.

Another display depicts a U.S. Pershing tank moving through the streets of the war-torn capital city of Seoul, about to run over an abandoned Communist 12.7mm DShK machine gun position.

Vietnam Gallery

Marine units were first deployed to Vietnam in 1965, unaware that this would be the longest engagement in their history. Visitors are taken into the fight through a series of displays featuring both enemy and Marine uniforms, weapons and equipment. In one display, a Marine armed with an M79 grenade launcher peers around a wall. Behind him is a rare Marine Ontos tracked anti-tank vehicle armed with six 106mm recoilless rifles. During its service in Vietnam, the Ontos often fired fleshette filled “beehive” rounds to clear paths through the dense jungles. Another display depicts a Marine armed with an M14 rifle patrolling past a series of hooches lead by a German Shepard. Next, one enters a hot landing zone on Hill 881 through the fuselage of a CH-46 helicopter. The floor of the aircraft vibrates and sounds of rotor blades and weapons engulf the visitor’s senses. Scanning the landscape reveals Marines assisting wounded buddies and attending to a dead comrade. One of the many weapons on display in this gallery is the actual 7.62mm M40A1 Remington sniper rifle used by Marine Lance Corporal Benjamin “Chuck” Mawhinney. Corporal Mawhinney scored 103 confirmed enemy kills and 216 probables during his 16 months in country.

Global War on Terrorism

By using combat photographs, art, maps, and text, this gallery features images from Marines serving in ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Most of the photographs in this exhibit were taken by any one of the 400 personnel serving in the Marine Combat Camera Units today. This gallery was designed to help the families of deployed servicemen and women understand why their loved ones have been called to serve.

When the National Museum of the Marine Corps opens its second expansion phase, it will feature a permanent gallery that highlights Marine contributions during the Persian Gulf wars, and the continuing Global War on Terrorism.

USMC Combat Art Gallery

The Corps’ early association with combat art began during World War I when Colonel John W. Thomason, Jr. drew a series of battlefield sketches. Since that time, art has been used to help convey Marine Corps history. Works in the museum’s display are those of both Marine and civilian artists and illustrators and represents a small sample of the nearly 8,000 pieces in the Marine Corps art collection.

Semper Fidelis Park

Overlooking the Marine Corps National Museum is a three-acre park dedicated to honoring all Marines who have served their country. Throughout the park are many monuments honoring the accomplishments of various Marine organizations. The walkways through the park are lined with special commemorative bricks that have been purchased and donated by family members and friends of Marines.

This article has described but a few of the displays of weapons, vehicles, aircraft and artifacts fielded by both the Marines and their adversaries featured in the museum. This is a tremendous museum with much more to see and experience in a first-class facility and is definitely worth a trip to see.

A special thank you is in order to Al Houde, Ordnance Curator of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, for his valuable time and assistance.

Directions to the Museum

The National Museum of the Marine Corps is located near the town of Triangle, Virginia just off I-95, 36 miles south of Washington, D.C., and 76 miles north of Richmond, Virginia. From I-95, take the VA-619 exit 150 toward Triangle/Quantico. Merge onto VA-619 East. Turn right onto the Jefferson Davis Highway/US-1. Travel approximately 1/4 mile and turn right into the National Museum of the Marine Corps parking lot. Parking is free and there is no admission charge to visit the Museum. The National Museum of the Marine Corps is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day except Christmas.

National Museum of the Marine Corps
18900 Jefferson Davis Hwy.
Triangle, VA 22172
(877) 653-1775
info@usmcmuseum.org

Wikieup is an Indian term for shelter. It is also a place, located in a small unincorporated community located on US Route 93 in the western part of Arizona. Just north of Wikieup is the home of the bi-annual Big Sandy Shoot put on by MG Shooters, LLC, billed as “The Largest Machine Gun Shoot in the U.S.”

Wikieup is the place to shoot whatever you may have, or may want to shoot or see. From suppressed pistols to artillery, antique to modern and just about everything imaginable in between, it can be found on the quarter-mile long firing line. The Big Sandy shoot typically has around 200 registered shooters with some two million rounds being expended. Shooters, vendors and guests all get to experience the camaraderie of the event.

The Big Sandy not only hosts a large machine gun shoot but they have many specialty events held simultaneously that include Thompsons and other submachine guns, BARs, Service pistols, and Garand competitions, as well as “bloop gun” (40mm) and belt fed exercises and a long range artillery shoot.

Due to the remote location, radio-controlled aerial targets are provided and present an exciting and different challenge to the shooters. Additionally, over 1,500 reactive targets are set up for the shooters to test their skill on at varying ranges.

The night shoot is truly something to behold. Tracers, star shells, reactive targets and RC airplanes with lights on their wings produce an awesome light show extravaganza that is second to none.

In the spirit of civic mindedness, they hold a raffle at the shoot with half the pot going to and benefiting the local Owens Whitney School in Wikieup.

New this year is the First Annual Cannon Shoot and Swap Meet. Scheduled for September 29-30, it is sure to be a hit with cannon lovers and owners with new artillery, old artillery and odd artillery and everyone will be sure to have a “booming” good time. Competitions will be held for muzzle loaders and modern cartridge guns. Awards will be given for the oldest gun present and the most unusual.

The autumn 2007 Big Sandy Shoot will be held on October 19-21. Call them or check their website to confirm dates and details.

Under the watchful eyes of Ed Hope and Kenton Tucker, Wikieup is a safe and professionally managed range to see and shoot Class 3 and DD weapons, particularly for those people living in the western half of the US. Whether you are a shooter or spectator, Wikieup is the place to be.

MG Shooters, LLC
P.O. Box 5672
Scottsdale AZ 85261
(602) 327-7933
www.mgshooters.com

The key to the effectiveness of the RPG-7 and similar weapon systems is the employment of a shaped charge warhead. Unfortunately, while the basic configuration of a shaped charge is well known to many, its actual function is misunderstood by equally many. Indeed, a prominent researcher in the field, Donald R. Kennedy, once quipped that nine out of ten descriptions of a shaped charges are inaccurate! This brief article will attempt to set things straight.

First, nomenclature. The author prefers the term shaped charge, but the term hollow charge is equally acceptable. The Russians use the term kumulativnaya, which translates as “cumulative.” For this reason, translations of Russian material by those unfamiliar with munitions can be confusing. In the US and many Western nations, munitions employing shaped charges are designated High Explosive Antitank (HEAT).

Briefly, a shaped charge consists of a mass of explosive, typically cylindrical or approximately so, with a cavity at its front end. The cavity is usually conical; variations include hemispherical, tulip (cup shaped), or trumpet (self-explanatory). The cavity incorporates a liner of a ductile metal. Note that the liner is not necessary for the shaped charge effect to function, and indeed the effect was discovered while using unlined charges, but military shaped charges invariably use a metallic liner. The charge is initiated by a base fuze of several different types.

Upon functioning of the base fuze, the detonation of the main charge progresses directionally, and the shock wave impinges upon the liner, causing it to collapse. The collapse of the liner results in a jet of metal moving at extremely high velocity, on the order of 30,000 feet per second at its tip. It’s important to note that the velocity of the jet varies throughout its length, with the tip moving faster than the base. This phenomenon is what causes shaped charges to be ineffective at long standoff distances from the target: the jet continues to elongate until it literally breaks up, and the resulting jet segments have greatly diminished penetrative power. At the base of the jet is a larger diameter section called the slug, also composed of liner material, but moving at much lower velocity, and contributing little to penetration. Depending on the design, the slug may pass through the hole made by the jet, or may simply lodge in the opening of the hole.

So how does a shaped charge defeat armor? Many descriptions talk of a jet of molten metal, or even a plasma, “burning” its way through armor. In fact, the jet penetrates by means of kinetic energy, and the penetrative process isn’t that different from a high velocity armor piercing fin stabilized discarding sabot long rod penetrator. Both rely on the principle of concentrating a heavy, high speed mass of metal onto a small area of the target. The jet’s mass and velocity result in a pressure that exceeds the yield strength of the material of the target, and thus the jet pushes its way through. The jet is consumed in the process of penetration, with the result that the diameter of the hole decreases with depth in the target. The jet, by the way, is neither a molten liquid nor a plasma. While the temperature of the jet is higher than the melting point of its material, the pressures it is subjected to leave it in a solid state, often described as a “warm solid.” The jet does, however, behave in many respects as though it were a liquid when it’s under these pressure and temperature conditions, which has aided in computer modeling of shaped charge warheads.

As previously stated, the liner is made of a ductile metal. Copper has turned out to be the best choice, as it offers a combination of density and ductility that make it ideal. Steel has been a common substitute, often for reasons of economy, but its lesser ductility means that a steel liner will penetrate less than an otherwise identical copper liner. Another material of choice is aluminum, as used in the M136/AT4 antiarmor weapon. Its performance is markedly less than with copper or steel, but the resultant hole is larger, causing greater behind-armor effects. In the case of the AT4, the designers deliberately accepted the fact that their round would not be capable of killing the most modern tanks, but would instead be much more effective against the more numerous lighter armored vehicles found on the battlefield.

The explosive fillers used in shaped charge munitions should have as high a detonation velocity as possible. The PG-2 used a mixture of 50% RDX and 50% TNT, similar to the Composition B (60/40) used in early US HEAT munitions. This offers the advantage of being a castable filler, but did not provide maximum performance. The PG-7 uses a filler designated A-IX-1, being 94% RDX and 6% wax, again similar to a US filler, in this case the Composition A series. More recent PG-7 munitions use OKFOL, derived from the European term for HMX, octogen, chemically related to but more powerful than RDX; OKFOL is 96% HMX and 4% wax.

Shaped charges are sensitive to a number of factors. The liner must be of very pure and uniform material. Its uniformity of thickness is critical, such that a distinction is made between more or less “standard” shaped charges and “precision” shaped charges. The contact between the filler and the liner is also crucial. When the early cast fillers were used, the normal shrinkage of the explosive as it solidified would occasionally cause it to pull away from the liner. The result would be that instead of piercing a foot of steel, it would make a hole an inch deep.

There should also be as little between the liner and the target as possible, as this can degrade formation of the shaped charge jet. One notorious early counterexample was the British PIAT, which in effect used a wooden pushrod to initiate the base element of the fuze, right down the middle of the charge. On the subject of fuzes, while all shaped charge munitions are base detonating, the method of initiation may vary. The PG-2 used an inertia-type base fuze, wherein target impact caused a weighted element to slam into a firing pin. The PG-7, as described previously, uses a piezoelectric point initiating base detonating fuze, wherein impact crushes a piezoelectric crystal in the nose of the fuze, sending an electrical impulse to the base element. Another type, used in many early Russian tank and artillery HEAT munitions, was of the “spitback” type, wherein impact set off a small charge in the nose that propelled a small slug through a passageway in the center of the liner, detonating the booster at the base of the main charge.

One crucial feature of shaped charge munitions is called standoff. Basically, upon detonation of the filler, the shaped charge jet needs space in which to properly form. This standoff is expressed as charge diameters, a unitless quantity which the author hopes is self-explanatory. For non precision shaped charges, the standoff should be around 3 charge diameters, while for precision charges it is somewhat more. As stated previously, excessive standoff will result in the breakup of the jet and a reduction in penetration.

Spin is a major factor in reducing the performance of shaped charges. This is intuitively obvious, since while the detonation of the charge is forcing the liner inwards to form a jet, the centrifugal force from spin is trying to spread it out. It’s for this reason that the early US 57mm and 75mm recoilless rifle HEAT projectiles performed so poorly. Today, the problem is commonly solved by using fin stabilized projectiles. But one earlier technique involved what’s known as a fluted liner; the flutes result in a rotational component of jet collapse opposite in direction to that of the spin. This technique is used in the 30mm M789 HEDP projectiles fired from the AH-64 Apache’s M230 Chain Gun, and also in many 40mm HEDP grenade cartridges.

So assuming everything is put together properly, what kind of performance can be expected from a HEAT munition? The earliest shaped charge munitions achieved no better than 2-3 charge diameters penetration, with some, such as the PIAT and US recoilless rifle rounds previously mentioned, getting even less due to poor design. A good, modern, non-precision shaped charge should be able to defeat 5-6 charge diameters of steel armor, while the best precision shaped charges can penetrate 10 or more charge diameters.

Finally, in light of the timing of this publication, let’s look at the special case of hemispherical or shallow cone liners. While they may resemble Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFPs), they are in fact true shaped charges: they form a jet whose tip is moving faster than its base, though the jet is both shorter and wider than in a conventional shaped charge. The US Marine Corps has just adopted a weapon with such a warhead, in the form of the M72A7, a modern version of the ubiquitous 66mm M72 LAW. In this case, the warhead isn’t going to make much impression on a tank, but will make usefully large holes in bunkers, buildings, and other such structures encountered in today’s fighting, and its higher explosive content gives it a better multipurpose effect than earlier versions of the M72.

The author hopes that those who made it through to the end of this article have shed their misconceptions about shaped charges, and now have a better understanding of this type of munition.

(Editor’s Note: SAR is taking a different approach this year in presenting coverage of the National Defense Industrial Association’s annual Joint Services Small Arms Systems Symposium. This prestigious gathering of top names in weaponry from industry, government, military, and law enforcement offers up so much information and hardware that an entire issue would be required to do it justice.

Military Affairs Correspondent Robert Bruce’s assignment was to find and report on what’s new and exciting then shoot as many photos as possible covering all aspects of the event. The pictures appearing here have been carefully selected from more than 160 submitted.)

“Achieving a secure environment for the American people requires a strong resolve in the diplomatic arena and a stronger fortitude to back it up. Facing terrorist forces from MOUT to the open battlefield, American forces, both military and law enforcement alike, require the best equipment available. Only through the efforts of government and industry focusing together on the immediate needs of current operations and ‘lessons learned’ and applying the emerging advanced technology and system integration approaches will the tools necessary to support our warriors now and in the future will be realized.” Objective Statement – NDIA Joint Services Small Arms Systems 2007 Annual Symposium, Exhibition and Firing Demonstration

It’s all here for “warriors now and in the future.” NDIA Small Arms Systems is once again hosting what is arguably the most exciting, most exclusive and most important annual gathering for those whose purpose in professional life is to arm the free world’s defenders with the best that men can build and money can buy. Technical presentations, hardware exhibits and thundering live fire demonstrations are jam-packed into three days at the Virginia Beach Convention Center and on the ranges at Blackwater USA.

Symposium Schoolhouse

Formal presentations are essential to the event, providing an opportunity for hundreds of attendees to get the latest information on major government initiatives, military want lists and industry solutions.

Briefings by members of the Joint Services Small Arms Synchronization Team were perfectly scheduled to kick off the first day’s symposium. JSSAT’s mission is to harmonize as much as possible the often divergent needs of all five branches of the US Armed Forces as well as Special Operations Command.

When these men talk, everyone listens closely. Some even rush outside to call the office with breaking news.

We learned that the Army still officially loves the M4 carbine, further dampening the hopes of advocates of piston-driven upper kits, SCARs, XM8s and such. Big Army is well along in improving reliability of the M249 SAW, lightening the M240, moving toward a QCB M2HB, and has been directed by Congress to “green” its ammo. This presumably so that the environment outside enemy bodies will not be contaminated by lead.

Oh, and it may field a better handgun and/or Personal Defense Weapon in the next few years. For more on this go right to the USAF section. The Navy is phasing out obsolete M14s in favor of more M16s, as well as sometimes troublesome Miniguns in favor of twin-mounted M240s. The crunch in full scale range real estate is driving a move to use of more electronic simulators, supplemented by live fire training on shorter ranges with reduced-power ammo.

Its partner, the Marine Corps, is leading the charge toward an Infantry Automatic Rifle, lighter than the current M249 SAW and holding the line until LSAT (see sidebar) is fielded. The Corps, considered by many to be the most serious about cutting red tape to put good stuff in the hands of grunts, is also looking for new Long Range Sniper weapons and solutions to “emerging requirements TBA.”

Alternative caliber and weapon advocates leaned way forward to catch each word about the Leatherneck leadership’s plans to “evaluate alternatives to 5.56mm ammunition and weapons.”

Don’t make the mistake of looking at the Coast Guard as harbor cops. Coasties are America’s first line of defense against seaborne terrorism at home and many places abroad. Armament upgrades continue, most notably in transition to new .50 cal Barretts and 7.62mm MK11s from Knight’s. They don’t need a new handgun because almost all their puny 9mm Berettas are overboard now, replaced by hard-hitting .40 S&W SIGs.

Airmen are directly involved in more ground combat than ever before. USAF Security Forces are growing by leaps and bounds in weapon requirements and quantities, filled mostly by Army standard hardware like M16 rifles, M240 machine guns and M9 pistols. However, the AF apparently takes sidearms seriously and now has the lead in the search for JSSAP’s on-again, off-again Future Handgun program.

Colonel Charles Beck explained that the program is funded and underway now, looking for an off-the-shelf pistol chambered for a “readily available military cartridge” that is “non-expanding” but yielding a “wound channel increase.” So, the race is on again for all those hopeful manufacturers who had lined up last year for the USSOCOM trials that never happened.

SAR’s readers can sit in free at this and other notable presentations by accessing proceedings on Defense Technical Information Center’s website at www.dtic.mil/ndia/2007smallarms/2007smallarms.html where slides from most of the briefings are posted.

All are organized in chronological order and grouped by specific themes including Individual Weapons, Ammunition, Joint Services Small Arms Program (JSSAP) Update, Activities in NATO, Crew Served Weapons, Modeling and Simulation, as well as Less Than Lethal Systems.

Exhibits

The opportunity to pick up and examine cutting edge hardware is essential to the conference mix and more than 80 exhibitors were on hand with the latest in guns, gear and ammo. In stark contrast to the more commercial trade shows, NDIA Small Arms is where attendees will most often find the men and women who are directly responsible for creating what’s on display.

Curious about the new barrel coupling system for the Army’s new M110 Semiauto Sniper Rifle? Talk to Dave Lutz at the Knight’s Armament booth. Tantalized by just a sneak peek at Magpul’s Masada rifle at SHOT? Rich Fitzpatrick and Drake Clark were giving muzzle to butt plate tours.

What’s with that trailer toting a big and heavily armored weapons station replicating that of a US Navy warship? Special Tactical Services’ Jerry Hurd will explain how the firm supplies full spectrum training and innovative hardware support for maritime and ground combat operations.

How about the latest hardware in use by Navy SEALs and others in Special Operations Command? Talk to NAVSEA Crane’s Barry Gatewood about Miniature Day/Night Sight developments or Jason Davis about on-weapon Shot Counters.

Customary exhibits from ARDEC/JSSAP/PM Soldier Weapons, collectively the 800 pound gorilla of small arms development and fielding, were conspicuously absent this year. A spokesperson explained that budgets are tight right now so money is better spent in direct support of war fighters – a decision that we understand and endorse.

Not to worry, much of what would have been in the Army’s display could be found elsewhere in the large hall. Some examples include HK with the XM320 grenade launcher, General Dynamics with the QCB (Quick Change Barrel) M2E2 and convertible XM312/XM307 .50 cal./25mm machine gun, and show star LSAT at the AAI booth.

Range Day

After two and a half days of formal presentations and exhibit hall booth hopping, the opportunity to get out on the range is essential to maintain a real world perspective. Sal Fanelli, NDIA SA’s perennial volunteer Rangemeister, now with USMC Program Manager Infantry Weapons, was ably assisted this year by Jim Schatz, the long term HK veteran now enjoying his role in semiretirement as an independent industry consultant and Small Arms Review contributor.

With all military ranges in the greater Virginia Beach area fully booked with intensive GWOT training, Fanelli was fortunate to secure permission from Blackwater USA to utilize three of the dozens of ranges on its sprawling 6,000 acre complex, an hour’s drive south in Moyoc, North Carolina.

A notable downside of this arrangement was Blackwater’s necessarily strict OPSEC (operational security) rules that protect the identities of employees and trainees, many of whom are part of ultra-sensitive domestic and overseas operations. Most prominent was the near total ban on photography and all attendees got a stern warning to leave their cameras on the bus.

(Editor’s Note: SAR sends Fanelli a big thanks for certifying Military Affairs Editor Robert Bruce as NDIA’s “official range photographer” and to Blackwater’s Allen Livingstone for turning him loose on site with confidence in his promise to carefully avoid showing details of facilities and identities of non-NDIA personnel.)

Again by special arrangement, SAR got there early to observe industry teams as they prepared for the afternoon’s live fire demonstrations. This is invaluable for close-up photography of significant hardware in a way that doesn’t block spectator viewing and an extended period of relatively low stress to talk with the shooters.

Extended coverage of JSSAP’s LSAT is a prominent example for these reasons, providing ample time to discuss the finer points of the system’s experimental weapon and ammunition with AAI’s team leader Paul Shipley and his crew. Then, observing within an arms length the test firing for function and zero.

Other teams from FN, Knights, HK, Milkor, Colt, and the like were spread out along Range 5’s 30 meters of firing line, popping away with modular assault weapons, PDWs, and grenade launchers (sorry, dye marker rounds only).

On Range 4 next door, Remington’s Greg Baradat rehearsed door breaching with a stubby 870 MCS shotgun, and TDI’s Tim Lindsay conducted an invitation-only VIP demo for the KRISS submachine gun. Glock’s team searched the gravel in vain for an extractor lost from its crowd-pleasing Model 18 selective fire machine pistol. No problem, plenty of other Glock’s to show and shoot.

With a hour or so before arrival of the main body of event attendees, we took a somewhat leisurely stroll up the road about half a mile to Range 19. This is a KD (Known Distance) range with a 1,200 yard limit and suitable safety fan so the event’s sniper rifles and heavy machine guns could be accommodated.

This provided a look at a half dozen of Blackwater’s various specialized live fire training stations including multi-weapon CQB, an elaborate MOUT complex and K-9 facility.

All were bustling with activity and plenty of lead was flying. No comment on what organizations the trainees represented, but George Orwell’s oft-quoted observation comes to mind that, “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” Amen.

Arriving at the KD range we found Armalite’s Mark Westrom zeroing his Super SASS while some other guy was mounting a mean looking .50 cal. atop a camo painted honest-to-goodness GI HMMWV (not a silly civilian HUMMER) incongruously sporting Wisconsin license plates.

Turned out to be Ed Haywood, creator of Central Wisconsin Armory’s formidable new Dragon M50 high rate of fire machine gun, characterized by modifications allowing the gunner to select open or closed bolt operation utilizing the spade grips. This burly former Navy Gunners Mate had made the very long trip to Virginia in his personal war-surplus HMMWV, no small feat of endurance for man and machine.

Back at the main area chartered buses had deposited hordes of event attendees who, after a catered lunch, were gathering around at Range 4 for the handgun, submachine gun and shotgun demonstrations.

When the time came to move one range over, Jim Owens of FNH USA set the tone for several of the subsequent industry presentations by doing a quick briefing on the SCAR family of weapons but deferring live fire to later. The show, tell and sometimes shoot moved down the line in roughly five minute increments, ending with HK Defense’s Wayne Weber inflicting the always crowd-pleasing full immersion water and sand torture on an unstoppable HK 416.

Then the smorgasbord of small arms opened for business with attendees lining up behind their favorites for live fire action. Bragging rights aplenty come with hands-on time with exciting new and unusual weaponry like the 7.62mm FN SCAR Heavy, TSSI’s shoot-from-cover ParaScope, and Karl Lewis’ 40mm M203 pistol. Life doesn’t get much better than this with free ammo, expert coaching and somebody else has to clean the range and the weapons afterward.

Particularly noteworthy this year was the absence of any heartbreaking mechanical failures or heart-stopping safety violations by demonstrators or others. No rounds fired directly skyward, no commando rolls with loaded weapons and no recalcitrant robots. A big round of applause, please.

NDIA’s Joint Services Small Arms Systems

SAR strongly supports the work of the National Defense Industrial Association, readily accessed on the web at www.ndia.org. Make plans now to be at the 2008 Small Arms event in Atlantic City, New Jersey, May 12 to 15. The customary live fire demonstrations will be held at nearby Fort Dix and are likely to include some of JSSAP’s most interesting cutting edge hardware. Industry demonstrators will, no doubt, keep in mind draconian restrictions on transport of weapons and ammunition imposed in the Peoples Republic of New Jersey. Good luck guys!

Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT)
SAR Spotlight by Robert Bruce

SAR’s intense and sustained interest in the Joint Services Small Arms Program’s LSAT initiative was once again handsomely rewarded as government/industry team leaders Kori Spiegel and Paul Shipley charted a number of significant developments since last year’s presentation to this NDIA symposium.

While all combat infantrymen are overburdened, the problem tends to be particularly acute for SAW gunners in Army and Marine rifle squads. In addition to standard body armor, water, rations, and gear, these men carry a 17.5 pound M249 with 200 rounds of linked 5.56mm ammo (6.5 lbs.) and two extra 200 round bandoleers (13 lbs.).

While the SAW’s firepower is critical in many combat scenarios, the system’s weight has a decidedly detrimental effect on the speed and endurance of most gunners who carry it.

However, it will require something approaching a 50% reduction in combined weapon and ammo weight before the SAW gunner will have mobility on a par with his brother riflemen. How close to this ambitious goal can they get without sacrificing this essential weapon’s firepower, range and lethality?

While a definitive answer is several years away, parallel experimentation with both cased and caseless ammunition is progressing well, JSSAP’s Spiegel explained, and a prototype weapon, firing plastic cased telescoped 5.56mm ammunition, has been demonstrated in both laboratory and field firing.

The experimental demonstration weapon and its rapidly evolving ammunition were working so well in fact, that program officials were taking the calculated risk of conducting the system’s first “public” live fire demonstration at this event.

Traveling to Blackwater USA early Thursday morning in advance of the scheduled industry demonstrations, we caught up with LSAT industry team coordinator Paul Shipley of AAI and crewmembers Dennis Trump and Tim Livelsberger on Range 5. This was the perfect time to take a close look and get some photos of the weapon and ammunition.

The prototype light machine gun they brought was tried-and-true Serial Number 1, which has fired more than 3,000 rounds so far, starting with the initial “Spiral 1” cased telescoped ammo and has recently been converted to fire the reduced size “Spiral 2” cartridge.

Its gas piston driven operating system has a cartridge rammer instead of a bolt and features a highly unusual oscillating chamber with push-through feed and ejection. While this is called a “rotating chamber” in program documentation, it doesn’t spin, but moves back and forth in an arc of approximately 90 degrees.

Program officials are understandably wary of disclosing too much technical detail, but official promotional/informational materials include simplified diagrams and evocative wording that might guide a reasonably knowledgeable person to informed speculation as follows.

Think of a clock face with the chamber (viewed from the rear of the weapon) at rest in the 12 o’clock position and the barrel waiting at 9 o’clock. The gunner cocks the action by pulling back on a charging handle and a spring loaded rammer is poised to push the first round forward into an empty chamber.

M249 SAW gunners know this as “open bolt” operation, essential “thermal management” to avoid problematic cookoffs.

Pulling the trigger releases the rammer to chamber a cartridge and this releases the chamber mechanism to rotate counter-clockwise down to the 9 o’clock position where it locks in line with the barrel. A conventional firing pin is released to initiate the primer, igniting the propellant powder. The plastic case is fully contained and supported in the cylindrical chamber so chamber pressure and resultant muzzle velocity equate that of conventional systems.

As the bullet passes the gas port inside the barrel some of the follow-on propellant gas is vented downward into an expansion tube where it meets the head of the piston. Kicked rearward, it causes the chamber mechanism to unlock and swing back down with the empty case in line for push-through ejection when the next round is fed.

“Dwell time” – milliseconds delay allowing the cartridge to deflate for ease of extraction – occurs during the chamber’s movement. Links are pushed out of the feedway as each new round moves into position.

In full auto burst fire, the action automatically repeats at a cyclic rate of approximately 650 rpm, similar to that of most conventional belt fed guns.

LSAT Heritage

Those who know about the Advanced Combat Rifle program circa 1990 will recognize some useful mechanical design principles carried forward from the ARES entry. This strikingly configured magazine fed bullpup featured a separate, moving chamber and push through feed and ejection of its lipstick tube polymer cased telescoped 5mm all-tracer cartridges.

The radically new ammo was developed back then in partnership with Olin. It is no coincidence that this famous firm, now known as St. Marks Powder, is now a prominent member of the new LSAT team.

Superior synergy, of course, as ARES is the program partner responsible for the launching platform and currently offers the TARG (Telescoped Ammunition Revolver Gun), a .50 caliber weapon firing caseless ammo from multiple chambers.

Institutional knowledge is invaluable and decades of direct experience plus engineering know-how at ARES and St. Marks – along with the rest of the program’s team – are no doubt saving plenty of time and money.

For example, the layout and lines of the prototype gun are unmistakably influenced by the Stoner-ARES Light Machine Gun, a more conventional 5.56mm SAW featuring a box receiver with in-line buttstock and under barrel piston gas system.

A follow-on inquiry to ARES, answered by Drew Kurtis, their top engineer on the LSAT project, revealed another specific aspect of Gene Stoner’s work on the earlier LMG that has been wisely utilized.

“The recoil scheme Mr. Stoner used in this gun is adapted to the LSAT,” he explained. “Feedback from the people who have fired it…has been extremely positive and feel the weapon is very controllable, especially given the light weight.”

LSAT Muzzle to Buttplate

The Cased Telescoped (CT) Weapon SN1 we observed at Blackwater has a 16.5 inch long smooth (unfluted) rifled steel barrel tipped with a standard GI birdcage flash suppressor/muzzle compensator.

The gas block (an interim configuration, Shipley says) is topped by a dovetail for a front sight if needed, and has what appears to be a conventional expansion chamber surrounding the piston.

The forward end of the receiver has stylishly angled multiple cooling slots on the sides above lengths of MIL STD 1913 rail used to mount various accessories. Another underneath serves as a sturdy anchor for an adjustable bipod. Hard mounting to test fixtures and tripods is facilitated by a pair of tubes attached underneath the receiver.

The pistol grip/trigger housing mechanism is of standard ergonomic design and the left side selector lever moves by downward thumb pressure in an arc with its indicator pointing in turn from SAFE to 1 (semi) and A (automatic).

Feeding the plastic linked polymer cartridges takes place on the left side from an assault pouch attached underneath. On top is a hinged feed cover, roughly the size of a cigarette pack, which swings open to reveal a pair of conventional feed pawls that move the belted ammo in line with the chamber.

Ridges on the feedplate and inside of the cover provide low drag support to the ammunition. Stripped links drop out the right side as each round is rammed forward and another moves in line with the chamber.

A charging handle protrudes from its channel on the right side of the receiver, automatically returned to forward position by a coiled spring and guide rod and does not reciprocate on firing. A prominent rectangular port in front of the feedway allows ejection of spent cases as each is automatically pushed forward and out of the chamber by a new round.

Its skeletonized buttstock features a hinged shoulder rest on its butt plate and a good gripping surface up front for the nonfiring hand. It telescopes in the manner of an M4 carbine to adjust for body armor and different sized shooters and body armor.

A length of Picatinny Rail rigidly mounted to the top rear of the gun’s boxy receiver will accept most any type of sight. Trijicon’s Bill Taggart had thoughtfully provided a new piggyback combo sight to use in the demonstration, the company’s entry in the Army’s Rifle Combat Optic Program trials.

Based on extensive USSOCOM use, it features Trijicon’s 4 power ACOG TA31 Rifle Combat Optic fitted with distinctive honeycomb anti-reflective cover and laser filter. On top is a Docter red dot for fast CQB shooting, shielded by protective wings.

Livelsberger quickly clamped the combo’s A.R.M.S. Throw Lever mount in place and proceeded to achieve a suitable zero with just a few single shots. Nothing unusual was observed about the weapon’s muzzle blast sound level, propellant smoke or flash.

CT Ammo

While representative caseless telescoped (CT) ammunition may be seen in LSAT program literature and shown in actual sample cutaways, Shipley was not at liberty to allow detailed photos of the actual “Spiral 2” live rounds on hand for the demo. Agreeing to avoid close shots of the primer end, we were rewarded with the opportunity to photograph from the side and front the translucent polymer tubes with black plastic links.

Most notable are the copper-clad tips of conventional 5.56mm M855 ball projectiles seen behind black plastic end caps that retain and center each one, surrounded by granular propellant in the cylindrical case. Waterproofing has to be problematic but Shipley indicated that a configuration with molded in place end seal is nearing completion.

A ridge on the end cap at its junction with the case serves to position each featherweight and flexible plastic link. The combination is neat, compact and strikingly unusual.

It should be noted that team member St. Marks Powder recently completed development of a special reduced flash propellant tailored for LSAT that will replace the off the shelf powder in ammo used for the demonstration. A laboratory test video shown in the symposium briefing showed a dramatic decrease in muzzle flash in a darkened room.

Live Fire Demo

JSSAP’s LSAT team chief Kori Spiegel arrived and we spoke briefly with her about what she had in mind for the demonstration. She explained that the team was proud of the speed and scope of recent progress and it was time to show peers in military and industry what the system could do.

Ever mindful of “Murphy’s Law,” we asked about calculated risk. This produced a smile and a confident nod. “We’ll see,” she said.

When their turn came during the industry demos, Shipley introduced the weapon and its ammunition to a crowd of NDIA attendees, briefly explaining features, benefits and progress to date. On cue, Livelsberger loaded a forty round belt then took an offhand shooting stance, popping off several semi auto shots before extending the bipod and dropping to prone.

So far, so good. A deft thumb flick moved the selector to AUTO and he began a series of short cadenced bursts, ending in a twenty round sustained fire belt runout. All had been fired without a hiccup, prompting enthusiastic applause from the crowd and probably a considerable amount of relief to the LSAT team.

SAR sends congratulations to JSSAP and its LSAT industry partners AAI, ARES, ATK, Battelle, Omega, and St. Marks Powder for a job well done! And best wishes for success with the many challenges ahead on the long road to fielding in the not-too-distant future.