When World War I ended, peace returned: but it was fragile. A strong political anxiety existed in Germany, Central Europe and Russia and a minor incident could quickly turn into a major conflict. Military staffs throughout Europe were worried and, drawing from the conclusions from the war, decided to rearm.

The 1921 Program

France was quite conscious that the armament of its infantry was growing old and obsolete and embarked on a vast program relating to upgrading and modernizing its army. France initiated its famous program of May 11, 1921, which not only defined the characteristics of the weapons to be replaced, but also those of the new materials that remained to be created. These included:

• a semiautomatic rifle,
• a light machine pistol,
• an automatic pistol,
• a medium machine gun,
• a heavy machine gun,
• a tripod for machine gun,
• an anti-aircraft machine gun,
• two anti-tank weapons of small gauge (smaller than 37mm): gun half-automatic and machine gun also being able to be employed for the shooting against aircraft,
• a grenade thrower.

The characteristics of the machine pistol were defined as follows:
The machine pistol is to be light weight, using pistol ammunition and capable of providing a strong density of fire out to 200 meters.

The weapon will have the general shape of a shortened rifle. Its weight will lie between 3 and 4 kg.

Its ammunition will have to be the same as that model of the gun that will be selected by the Army. While waiting for that model to be selected, the weapons to be presented will have to fire the 9mm Luger cartridge. This cartridges can be obtained by the designers on request addressed to the Ministry of War (3rd Direction – 2nd Office – 4th Section).

The weapon will fire from a 25-round magazine or more.

It will be able to deliver single shot and full-auto. The rate of fire will be from 400 to 500 rounds per minute.

The weapon will be rustic and simple, and will be well protected from mud. The principle of an open bolt operation is recommended because of its simplicity.

Shooting at the distance of 100 meters, accuracy will have to be smaller than 70×70 cm in the full-auto shooting mode by burst fire from 5 to 6 cartridges, and smaller than 100×100 cm when shooting a complete magazine. The precision of shooting in the prone position will be tested and will be considered in the appreciation of the weapon.

The rear sight will comprise only of notches for 100 and 200 meters.

To facilitate shooting in the prone position, the weapon will have to be fitted with a bipod, whose weight will be included in that indicated above. The presence of this bipod will not obstruct the use of the weapon in the prone position when it is not used.

The program is signed by General Rémond, Director of Artillery to the Ministry of War.

Doctrines on Employment
Studies were conducted on the doctrines of use of the new machine pistols. It was observed that the Germans had employed in each company six machine pistols used by a team of twelve men. There were thus a gunner and an ammunition carrier for each weapon. The maschinenpistole was regarded as a collective weapon.

In the offensive, the elements of the mashinenpistole trupp were directed in advance on the points where the counter-attacks appeared most probable; or during the engagements they were placed at the disposal of the section heads by the captain leading the company. In the defensive, they were joined to the sections of which it was advisable to increase the means of resistance.

In the French Army, the light machine gun was used as a support weapon and there was no question of replacing it by the machine pistol. The machine pistol had to remain an individual weapon intended for close combat and could be used in the offensive actions as to react against an attack. In artillery and the tanks, the machine pistol would be used for the defensive.

One plan was to equip some NCOs and specialists not directly involved in combat in variable proportions according to the units with 64 guns in each company of infantry, 140 guns in each artillery regiment and 1 gun in a tank or motor vehicle.

Ammunition
Initially, the 9mm Luger cartridge was retained for the semiautomatic pistol and the machine pistol. The reasons for this choice are explained by the fact that this cartridge represents an excellent weight/power relationship between the various models of cartridges available on the market and whose calibre spread from .32 to .45. Additionally, there were considerable stocks of cartridges taken from the Germans.

As for the distance of employment, the figure of 200 meters, which had been looked upon at the time of the program of May 11, 1921, is called into question by the soldiers who consider the use of the 9mm submachine gun up to 600 meters.

Involved Models
Initially, various prototypes are made:

• that of the Section Technique de l’Artillerie realized in the workshops of Saint-Thomas d’ Aquin in Paris (a former convent),
• that of the Commission of Experiment of the Infantry to the Camp de Satory close to Versailles,
• another one from M.A.S. in Saint-Etienne.

STA 1924
The Section Technique de l’Artillerie (STA) worked since 1919 on the project of a submachine gun in association with the Saint-Etienne gun factory (MAS). It had no difficulties in achieving its project goals and, in October 1921, a prototype is ready. It is followed in 1922 by three other models: each one progressively improving their presentation by replacement of the V notches for shooting up to 100 and 200 m by a rear sight graduated up to 600 m, and, after having tested magazines of 32 and 40 cartridges, it is finally a model with 32 cartridges that is retained. To reduce weight it will be made out of duralumin. Another eight prototypes were presented in 1922: four with a bipod and four others with a monopod.

The Châtellerault gun factory made the magazines. Copying the curved Revelli magazine, it is inspired for that by the charger bent by the token entry Revelli, whose posterior groove was removed and replaced by three holes intended to check the filling. The use of duralumin was unsuitable and returned to the use of steel sheet magazines.

Other suggested changes were the installation of a dust cover for the cocking handle slot, fixed V notches to be replaced by a tangential rear sight graduated up to 600 meters, a barrel jacket and a selector switch for single shot. Only this last option was retained. The presence of the bipod is faulted and the possible presence of a bayonet is unanimously rejected.

Finally the STA submachine gun was put in production with 300 guns being made in 1924 and in September they are put under tests by various troops: 150 by infantry (146th Infantry Regiment), 40 by cavalry, 80 by artillery, 10 by tanks crews, 10 for experimentation, and 10 are kept in reserve.

The regiments were asked to come to a conclusion about the doctrines for use of the weapon, its simplicity in the service and the accessories. They ultimately asked for various modifications which were too applied under the designation of M1:

• the hook cocking lever is replaced by a round button,
• lips of the charger are redrawn and soaked,
• recoil spring is larger, which causes an increase in the rate of fire,
• bipod is definitively removed,
• other improvements relate to the ejector, the closing flap for the magazine housing, and the rear stopper.

Tested in July 1925, the STA 1924 M1 submachine gun proved satisfactory and was adopted on August 11, 1925. A ministerial dispatch shows an ordering of 8,250 weapons, which the MAS factory could immediately put in production.

But the weapon was not yet completely perfect and an order of ten specimens of the STA 1924 M1 was given to MAS in March 1926. A short time later, on July 9, 1926, the 1921 program was modified and new specifications were established. The future weapon would have to fire the .30 Pedersen long cartridge, which became the 7.65 Long cartridge. The career of the STA 1924 was finished.

Description
The STA 1924 submachine gun looks like a carbine with a stock and a short forearm. On the left side is a lug intended for the fixing of the sling. The oval buttstock is fixed by two screws and near the bottom an opening for placement of a cleaning rod.

At the rear of the frame is a key for take-down that resembles that which one finds on a shotgun.

The receiver frame is cylindrical and is sealed at the rear by a screwed stopper on which the stem-guide of the recoil spring is attached. On the lower part of the receiver is placed the trigger mechanism, which consists of a trigger and sear.

On the right side of the receiver is the cocking handle slot with the rear notched to put the weapon at safety when the bolt is in the rear position. A dust cover can be used when the bolt is at the forward position.

Also on the right is the ejection port. A cylindrical collar is installed at this location and its lower part receives the magazine housing. A flap can cover the magazine housing hole.

The bolt is directly inspired by that of the MP 18/1: a cylindrical main part with a hook cocking lever and a firing pin unit.

The barrel is 9mm calibre and has six right grooves. The muzzle end of the barrel is arranged in various manners according to the models. The front sight has two lower ears to receive the bipod on the prototypes. On preproduction models, a collar located before the front sight, receives the bipod and thread cutting is removed on the M1, because the bipod is discarded. On the prototypes, the bipod was made of stamped sheet metal. Later, the legs were telescopic and could be adjusted from 190 to 322 mm high.

The weapon is supplied by a curved magazine inserted in the bottom of the magazine well and holds 32 cartridges. The lips are arranged so that the cartridges of each column are presented alternatively. On the rear face of the magazine are three holes respectively marked 8, 16 and 32 to check the level of filling. A push through button retains the magazine.

The rear tangential sight has an eyepiece and is graduated from 100 to 600 meters by fractions of 100 meters.

The metal parts of STA 1924 are either blued or parkerized with black paint. Some specimens were zinc coated.

The marks on the weapon are the following: On the left side of the rear sight: STA 9m/m followed by the serial number. On the magazine housing, always of left side, M.A.S. – 1924. and on the barrel on a flat part machined in front of the chamber, the serial number.

The STA submachine gun is a simple weapon composed of only about sixty parts.

Operation

• Open the dust cover.
• Cock the weapon by pulling the lever to the rear.
• Open the magazine housing flap. Introduce a loaded magazine in the magazine housing.
• The gun is now ready to fire.

Disassembly

• Remove the magazine.
• Open the dust cover and clear the weapon.
• Turn the locking key to the right, which permits the frame and barrel unit to swing down.
• Unscrew the rear frame plug (1/8 of turn).
• Hold the plug as it moves to the rear, to help retard the recoil spring movement.
• Push the bolt unit to the rear.
• Remove the cocking lever.
• The bolt can be extracted from the frame.
• Remove the firing pin unit.
• Reassembly is carried out in the inverse order.

Accessories

• sling (is the same as the Mannlicher-Berthier carbine),
• cleaning rod, made of brass, it is carried permanently in the stock,
• crude leather cartridge pouches for soldiers contain three magazines. Each man who holds a submachine gun has to carry three magazine pouches (one on the right, one on the left and one on the back),
• crude leather cartridge pouches for troop, contains two magazines,
• Havana leather cartridge pouch for officer,
• gas cylinder brush for Hotchkiss machine gun was used to clean the barrel,
• oil can Model 1915,
• manual dated June 1924. (The manual examined carried the stamp of the colonel chief of the 146th Infantry Regiment and the handwritten date of reception: September 9, 1924.)

Eliminated from contention before it went into mass production, the STA 1924 submachine gun is an interesting weapon. It was the first one of long series of experimental weapons whose study is fascinating. Production did not exceed the 300 specimens produced and intended for testing by troops. The two specimens that we examined are held in military establishments and carry serial numbers 296 and 298.

It is possible that some of them were dispatched in Morocco, because their experimentation corresponds to the war in the Rif. Some others could have been kept in reserve and, perhaps, used in 1939-1940 when submachine guns were so scarce in the French army.

But these are only assumptions because no documents have been found that made it possible to find trace of their use in combat.

STA 1924
Operation: Open bolt blowback
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Overall length: 0.855 m (33.66 inches)
Barrel length: 0.226 m (8.9 inches)
Weight w/o magazine: 3.50 kg (7.73 lbs)
Capacity of magazine: 32 or 40 cartridges
Cyclic rate of fire: 350 rounds per minute

Except for those moments when suppressed weapons are given center stage when the line is hot, it is very loud. Those who have gone to Knob Creek several times, after a while, come to be able to identify certain arms by the sound of their firing. Not just the volume (loudness), but the characteristic sound of its cyclic rate. A classic German MG42, fast as they are, won’t be confused with a throaty burst from one of the several miniguns in attendance. And the steady, Hammer of Thor sound of the big M2 .50 BMG “Ma Deuce” is easy to pick out of the cacophony. Speaking of cyclic rate, that is the very thing when discussing the automatic weapons at Knob Creek. One might say that the recreational machine gunners are engaged in a kind of durability testing of their guns there. For many, the definition of fun is shooting the longest burst possible given the subject gun’s magazine capacity or ability to pull the weight of long lengths of belted ammunition. And why not? The main line at Knob Creek is as much as a proving ground of sorts, as it is a place to recycle ammunition back into the Earth on the 350+ yard range. Arguably, a fair amount of learning occurs on the firing line; things discovered, or rediscovered, about weapons, ammunition, and even how they were used. All based on the empirical information gathered while having fun.

All of this can be watched as closely as you please from behind the fence that separates the shooters from the spectators. There are even a few sets of small bleachers to sit in relative comfort. A popular spectacle is the night shoot, where, when weather permits, tracers, many with incendiary tips, are sent by the hundreds and thousands downrange in a glorious orgy of laser-like streaks of light and flame. Seeing this is impressive and also educational if you care to watch the incredible, crazy bounces and ricochets of the projectiles downrange.

Competitive Shooting
The main line isn’t the only shooting that goes on at Knob Creek. One of the most popular events is the subgun match. Competitive shooters from all over come to test their mettle against others, and the clock. Run quite professionally and safely by an experienced group of volunteers, the submachine gun shoot is actually just one of several contests offered. There is a practical pistol match, an assault rifle match, the old military bolt action match for the Luddites, a shotgun match, and the aggregate match that combines the assault, practical pistol and subgun matches.

Further, there is the lower range to shoot at too. There, the visitor to KCR can shoot their own gun that they brought as well as renting some interesting guns, usually buying time by the magazine full or belt. Some renting is also available on the main line as well. The lower range is a nice feature as the waiting list to get onto the main line is currently 10-15 years.

Buy, Sell, Trade…Gawk!
Knob Creek is also one of the premier NFA related gun shows in the USA. For many, this is the primary reason to come. Not only can you shop for almost anything NFA related, but it is common to be able to try out your item of interest prior to handing over the cash: no small advantage these days. It is a thrill just to walk down the aisles under the pole barn’s roof. Museum quality pieces, whether for sale or just show, are often “right there”, in front of you. How often will the opportunity to stand directly next to a 37mm Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon occur? To gaze at its mechanism, see its five huge barrels waiting for a chance to fire again?

The significance of the gun show portion can be measured another way. It is not unusual for a company to premier a new product there. A couple of fine examples of this occurred last fall when U. S. Armament introduced their re-creation of the wonderful 1877 Colt Bulldog Gatling Gun while several feet away Allied Armament showed early prototypes of their 50-round drum magazine meant for the HK series of rifles (with alternate feed towers for other arms to follow).

Speaking of the pole barn, it was roughly two years ago when Knob Creek Range owner Kenny Sumner, along with his son Chad, expanded it yet again. First built over 15 years ago, the open-sided building has been the subject of many updates. For all of its simplicity, it provides a bit of a haven from the sun and dust and even a bit of the noise. It now covers more than 700 tables. Additionally, the driveway that wraps around the range house is rimmed with about 100 more tables and booths.

Important too is the fact that Knob Creek is often the best place to buy ammunition in quantity for very good prices as one converts money into noise. Some have argued of late that the twice-yearly event serves as an indicator of ammo availability and upcoming price changes. As volatile as the ammunition market is, they may have a point.

Lastly, don’t overlook the range house and store. Knob Creek Range has a full service gun shop inside. Well stocked with sporting, cowboy and military types of arms, they have a wide selection of accessories and factory ammunition. Between the dealers and the hosts, if you can’t find what you are looking for while at KCR, maybe you didn’t look hard enough.

Other Improvements and Plans
Recently, the main line had the shooting positions reworked. Gone are the old concrete shooting benches that were towards the back of the canopy, replaced with metal framed tables closer to the action. This makes much more room for working, cleaning or loading behind the tables, along with room to move about, all while enjoying the new concrete underfoot and the refreshed roof as well.

A sink hole that used to be where the entrance road ends near the uncovered firing positions was filled in and is now a gravel lot for added shooter and vendor parking. The shuttle for visitors to and from the parking area has been continuously improved over the years and now features a tractor pulling a double trailer filled with canopy covered bench seats.

For the future, Kenny has some more things coming. To ease some traffic flow inside, he hopes to have a second road around the backside of the range house. Lastly, he will soon also have a new dining area in place for everyone’s convenience.

Let’s Talk About the Weather
Whenever the Knob Creek shoot gets closer on the calendar the internet is abuzz with discussions about the weather. Will it be hot? Cold? Too dry for tracers? On and on it goes. For the October 2007 shoot, it could not have been better. Cool mornings turned into perfect days. Everything was great…until the wind shifted. Then the smoke and dust from downrange came back into the shooter’s and audience’s faces. But not to worry, after a few hours, the wind changed again and all was bliss, just in time for the night shoot too. However the forecast reads, in the long run, it matters not. It is all part of the Knob Creek experience.

Knob Creek Range is located at 690 Ritchey Lane, West Point, KY 40177. Telephone: (502) 922-4457. the Shoot website is www.machinegunshoot.com. Aside from hosting The Shoot twice a year, they are open year around and offer memberships, both individual and family, that entitle you to unlimited range time during regular business hours. For the shoots, primitive (no electric or water hookups available) camping spots are available on a first come – first served basis.

Smith & Wesson Introduces New Walther SP22 Sport Pistols

Smith & Wesson has introduced their new SP22 sport pistol from Walther. Designed with the flexibility and performance features needed for competition or plinking, the SP22 offers various expansion options through a four-model family. Each SP22 model is chambered in .22 LR and offers a variety of accessories for all levels of sport shooting. The SP22 pistols will be offered at multiple price ranges from entry level to high-end. The SP22 pistol is manufactured with a high-strength aluminum housing with all-steel internal components. The pistol will be offered in four unique models – the SP22 M1, SP22 M2, SP22 M3 and SP22 M4. The basic version of the new pistol is the SP22 M1. The M1 is equipped with a 4-inch standard barrel along with a two-stage trigger complete with adjustable trigger stop. The base model is manufactured with an adjustable steel rear sight and a three-width adjustable front sight. Medium sized polymer grips are standard on the M1 model with smaller grip sizes also available. For shooters wanting a longer barrel, the pistol is also available in a second model – the SP22 M2. Designed with the same standard features that are found in the M1 model, the M2 pistol is standard with a 6-inch barrel for increased velocity and accuracy. For competition shooters, the pistol is offered as the SP22 M3. The M3 model features a 6-inch match grade barrel along with an adjustable match trigger with trigger stop. The M3 pistol comes standard with removable Picatinny-style rails on the top of the slide and underneath the barrel for quickly and easily adding optional accessories. For quick loading and unloading during competition, the M3 is standard with an extended magazine release. The M3 pistol is equipped with medium sized polymer grips along with an adjustable rear sight and a three-width adjustable front sight. Also available to competition shooters is the SP22 M4. The M4 model retains the same standard features that are found on the M3 model but includes a medium sized adjustable wooden grip with hand support. Optional Picatinny-style rails can be added to the M4. Providing the ultimate in flexibility, the SP22 will be available with a variety of optional accessories to match each pistol. Allowing users to tailor the pistol to all shooting sports disciplines, the SP22 can easily cater to every user group from beginners to expert competition shooters. Accessories for the SP22 include: an interchangeable 6-inch barrel system, Picatinny-style rails for the 4 and 6-inch models, junior polymer grips, adjustable wooden match grips, TruGlo sport sights, laser sights and a variety of optics. In addition, the M2, M3 and M4 models can accommodate an under barrel weight that can be individually removed and positioned to suit user preference resulting in customized balance. For more information please contact Smith & Wesson, Dept. SAR, 2100 Roosevelt Avenue, Springfield, MA 01104. Phone: (413) 747-3286. Fax: (413) 747-3317. Their website is www.smith-wesson.com.

Ruger Introduces
the 22 Charger Pistol

The Ruger 22 Charger Pistol delivers the fun, versatility and reliability of the time tested Ruger 10/22 in a handgun. The 22 Charger features a 10-inch precision-rifled barrel mounted in an ergonomically designed, warp-proof, laminated stock. The adjustable bipod that ships with every 22 Charger pistol provides added control and stability on the range or in the field. A new extended magazine release allows easy removal of the legendary Ruger 10-shot rotary magazine. Whether you prefer a high magnification scope for long-range varmint shooting or a red dot sight for quick and sure target acquisition, a combination Weaver-style and “tip-off” sight mount allows your choice of optics. Either way, it is a great new pistol for long-range target shooting. The Ruger 22 Charger pistol has an overall length of 19-1/4 inches and weighs 3-1/2 pounds, without the supplied bipod. The matte black finish compliments the black laminate stock and completes the weather-resistant package. It comes with a gun rug bearing the Ruger logo. For more information please contact Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc., Dept. SAR, 1 Lacey Place, Southport, CT 06890. Phone: (203) 259-7843. Fax: (203) 255-5201. They can be found on the web at www.ruger-firearms.com.

Lone Wolf Distributors Unveils New Glock Accessories

Lone Wolf Distributors’ SIDERLOCK is the new security trigger for use with all Glock pistols. This unique cross bolt security trigger replaces the original Glock trigger providing an infallible stop to any rearward trigger movement.

SIDERLOCK works under a simple concept: Quick, positive deployment of a cross bolt safety pin that allows simple and fast displacement in either direction. Pushing the safety on restricts rearward trigger movement and pushing it off allows the trigger to work as intended. Easily installed or removed, it works for left or right hand use and provides additional assurance avoiding any accidental discharge. There is a lifetime guarantee on materials and workmanship. Also available from Lone Wolf is their new Custom Slide Cover Plates featuring basically most anything you want. Let your imagination run wild. They have thousands of images, names, and numbers to choose from. If they don’t have what you want, they can do it with custom engraving available for an additional fee. They also have a full line of Glock accessories as well as trigger work and barrel porting. If you need anything for your Glock, contact them at Lone Wolf Distributors, Dept. SAR, 57 Shepard Road, P.O. Box 3549, Oldtown, ID, 83822. Phone: (208) 437-0612. Fax: (888) 279-2077. Their website is http://www.lonewolfdist.com/

In a continuation of SAR’s coverage of the annual ATF & the Imports Community regulatory meeting held last August, in this issue we present a statistical chart containing the most recent details on NFA Weapon Types in Each State as of March 20, 2007

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. Visit www.FirearmsGroup.com. He may be reached at: FirearmsB@aol.com.

Arizona Class Three dealer Tom Stewart had always wanted a Colt Thompson submachine gun. Unfortunately, this “trench broom” envisioned by General John T. Thompson in 1917 and later invented by Auto-Ordnance Corporation engineers Theodore H. Eickhoff and Oscar V. Payne has become one expensive piece of weaponry. Tom decided to take the plunge in late 2006 when he answered an advertisement on Subguns.com concerning a Colt Thompson. Tom was just like many other Thompson enthusiasts; he was familiar with the history of this famous American invention and he wanted one. The story of Tom’s purchase has uncovered for Thompson collector’s around the world a piece of Thompson history that has been heretofore unknown – a Colt Thompson with a 15,000 serial number. Only 41 Colt production Thompsons bear a serial number in the 15,000 serial number range.

The Model of 1921 Thompson submachine gun was manufactured by the Colt Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company and was the first commercial production of this now classic firearm. The initial production run by Colt, under contract to the Auto-Ordnance Corporation, New York City, was for 15,000 Thompson Submachine Guns.

The first serial number used when manufacturing began was No. 41 and this first Colt Thompson was delivered to the Auto-Ordnance Corporation in March 1921. The last serial number used on this initial production run was No. 15040 manufactured in July 1922. Tom’s Thompson, No. 15025, was not the last Colt Thompson as fifteen other Colt Thompson submachine guns have a higher serial number – but none are currently known to be on National Firearms Act (NFA) Registry. However, it is the highest serial numbered Colt Thompson known to exist in the United States at this time.

The original 15,000 Thompsons manufactured by Colt were all Model of 1921. The commercial marketing of these firearms was less than successful. In the ensuring years, Auto-Ordnance modified the Model of 1921 Thompson in hopes of finding something that would be more marketable. The Model of 1923 Thompson was the first modification – an attempt to make the Thompson into something similar to the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). Several variations of this Model of 1923 Thompson were built, but in the end this effort was a complete failure. Only a handful of authentic Model of 1923 Thompsons exist today and all retain the original Model of 1921 markings.

The adoption of the Cutts Compensator for the Thompson in 1926 could also be termed a modification. Even with the added cost, the compensator was a very popular accessory when offered on the Model of 1921 Thompson.

The next modification was the Model of 1927, converting the Thompson submachine gun into a semiautomatic carbine. This met with some limited success in that a small number of these Thompson carbines were built from existing stocks of Model of 1921 Thompsons and sold mostly to prisons as guard guns. These are easy to distinguish because the “Model of 1921” and “Thompson Submachine Gun” markings were removed and re-stamped “Model of 1927” and “Thompson Semi-Automatic Carbine.”

In 1928, the most popular Thompson modification was adopted by Auto-Ordnance and resulted in the best selling Thompson to date. This modification is known as the Model of 1928 Thompson, commonly referred to by collectors as the Navy model or the 28 overstamp. At the request of a good customer, the United States Marine Corps, Auto-Ordnance designed a heavier actuator that resulted in a slower rate of fire. During this same time period, the U.S. Navy took note of the Marines effective use of the Thompson in the jungles of Nicaragua in 1926 and began procurement of the Thompson. This heavier actuator along with a new recoil spring and guide, horizontal forearm, sling and Cutts Compensator later became the U.S. Navy, Model of 1928. Thompsons were taken from inventory and the 1921 markings were changed with the stamping of the number 8 over the number 1. This overstamping appears to many as the letter B, but it signifies a Model of 1928 Thompson. The words “U.S. Navy” were not added to every Model of 1928 Thompson. No. 15025 is a Model of 1928 Thompson; the number 8 stamp over the number 1 is very distinct but there are no US Navy markings present on No. 15025.

No. 15025 has a unique marking on the receiver. The letter “A” is stamped beside the overstamped 8 thereby making the model nomenclature read Model of 1928 A. The purpose or reason for this “A” marking and who applied it to No. 15025 is unknown. Gordon Hergistad, renowned Thompson researcher and author of the excellent reference book, Colt Thompson Serial Numbers, reported that he has never seen a Colt Thompson with only the “A” marking after the model nomenclature. Mr. Hergistad has observed five Colt Thompsons with “U.S.” markings before and “A1” markings following the model nomenclature. These markings were applied by the United States military when the Army adopted and procured this gun in very limited quantity.

An examination of No. 15025 reveals the upper receiver and lower frame have matching serial numbers. The first noticeable exception to No. 15025 is the misalignment of barrel alignment markings. This is because No. 15025 was dewated (deactivated) in the past and later activated with another Colt barrel. A close inspection of this replacement barrel reveals the letter “H” to the right of the barrel alignment marking. This “H” marking makes for the second unusual letter stamping on No. 15025. The replacement barrel appears to have a modern Auto-Ordnance Corporation, West Hurley, New York, compensator that has been pinned. Fortunately, Tom has acquired the original dewat barrel, and more importantly, the original Cutts Compensator. The buttstock has the upside down anchor marking indicative of the correct buttstock, but the pistol grip and vertical foregrip may not be original to this Thompson. Tom has reported all the internal components appear to be original Colt parts. The rear sight is of special interest as it has the very rare “METER” markings, an indication No. 15025 may have been originally prepared for sale to a foreign government or customer. The right side receiver markings show the 1922 patent dates, something only found on Colt Thompsons with serial numbers over 14500. Aside from the past dewat/rewat and re-barrel procedures, this Thompson only shows the normal signs of scratches and wear. Tom believes No. 15025 still retains the original finish.

Tom filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on No. 15025 to learn more about the history of this historic Thompson. From the redacted documents provided by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, we learn No. 15025 began life on the National Firearms Act (NFA) Registry via a Form 2 (Notice of Firearms Manufactured or Imported) dated June 30, 1939. It appears No. 15025 was one of the last Colt Thompsons sold by General Thompson’s Auto-Ordnance Corporation. On July 21, 1939, the Auto-Ordnance Corporation became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Thompson Automatic Arms Corporation with J. Russell Maguire firmly in control of the Thompson.

Deciphering redacted government forms is at best a guessing game. However, it appears No. 15025 may have belonged to a governmental agency until 1969 or 1971 when it was acquired by a Class III dealer in Michigan. It was deactivated sometime in 1971 or 1972 and then transferred to a private individual on September 1, 1972. It remained with this individual until February 2006 when it was sold to another Class III dealer. It was re-activated in August 2006. The transfer of No. 15025 to Tom Stewart was approved on January 12, 2007.

Recently, Gordon Hergistad discovered another Colt Thompson with a slightly higher serial number than No. 15025, outside the United States. Gordon will report on this discovery in the next edition of his book.

Many years ago the author was talking to then noted Thompson expert Roger A. Cox about Colt Thompsons with serial numbers in the 15,000 range. Roger told the author that his examination of some very poor condition Auto-Ordnance sales records revealed only one in the United States. Roger would not reveal the location because he was going to attempt to acquire this Thompson. In Roger’s now classic book, The Thompson Submachine Gun, he references No. 15036 as being sold in the United States by Federal Laboratories. Is it possible No. 15036 never made it on to the NFA Registry? Could No. 15025 be the only 15,000 serial numbered Colt Thompson in the United States on the Registry? Or could another one or two be hidden away in a police department gun vault or private collection? Only time will tell.

Whether a troop, a cop or a civilian, magazines are the key to the weapon’s reliability and knowing which magazines to buy will keep your rifle firing reliably when you need it most. The magazines we will examine here are magazine that have proven themselves through time and service. One is relatively new to the market but may prove to be the leading polymer magazine.

Capacity

Military magazines generally come in 20 and 30-round capacity. When the AR-15 first appeared in the early 1960s, they were equipped with a steel 20-round magazine known as the “waffle” magazines due to the pattern of the magazine. These magazines were quickly replaced in Vietnam with the aluminum magazines. The steel magazines would corrode and cause malfunctions amongst many other problems. These magazines are rare and often found in the hands of collectors. These magazines should not be used for defense purposes.

Soon after the weapon went into service, the aluminum 20-round magazine was introduced and remains in government inventory to this day in limited quantities. These magazines were manufactured by many different companies and came anodized in a grey, silver and green finish utilizing aluminum magazine followers. The base plates were locked in place by a leaf spring. Common practice was to only load them with 18 or 19 rounds due to them being difficult to load into the rifle with a full capacity if the spring was fully compressed. By removing one round, the follower/ammunition stack could lower into the magazine body enabling the magazine to be easily inserted with the bolt closed. These magazines worked well but their problem was they only held 20 rounds compared to the AK47 rifle’s 30-round magazines.

The standard aluminum 20-round magazines introduced in Vietnam are reliable and are still in use by military and law enforcement professionals; although now they are preferred by operators firing prone or off a bench. Newer 20-round magazines use a plastic follower. The longer profile 30-round magazines can cause difficulty when trying to remain low to the ground. These magazines are used with the SOCOM Mk12 special purpose sniper rifles. These magazines have been out of production for some time so any magazine should be tested before being used in a duty weapon. The feed lips on the 20-round magazines are more easily damaged than the 30-round magazines as the feed lips on the 30-round magazines are supported all the way to the rear of the magazine. Most of the 20-round military magazines will be manufactured by Colt, Adventure Line and Universal Industries.

The 30-round magazines were introduced during the middle of the Vietnam War and did not really see wide distribution until the end of the war. This higher capacity magazine was requested due to the fact the enemy AK rifles had 30-round magazines. These remain the standard issue magazines. The 30-round magazine is curved for a reason. If you were to lay fifteen 5.56mm cartridges, one on top of the other on a table, you would see they will curve. This is their natural position and they feed more reliably this way.

Colt does not manufacture magazines in house. They subcontract them out primarily to Okay Industries of New Britain, Connecticut. Okay Industries has manufactured 30-round magazines for Colt going back to the 1970s. This is a precision manufacturer who is the primary U.S. Government contractor producing more than 140,000 magazines a month as of their recently completed contract for the military. Current production Okay Industries magazines can be identified by their CAGE code appearing on the left side of the magazine, 33710 and underneath a month and year code. This will be found on magazines regardless if they have Colt or Okay Industries floor plates on them. Based on a U.S. Army report, during the Global War on Terrorism, the Army restricted magazine issue to troops in theater to only use Okay Industries/Colt magazines due to production problems with other subcontractors. Okay Industries make them off of the Colt Technical Data Package and are held to Mil-Spec standards that insure their quality. Okay Industries, by DoD request, has made magazines for the FNMI as well. The military has had difficulty in quality control with many of their sub contractors and have rejected many lots. These are what are commonly found at gun shows. There are no surplus magazines. These rifles are in service and the government gets all the magazines they can get their hands on. Okay Industries/Colt magazines are among the most reliable in the industry and are often the magazines chosen by law enforcement and military. They are also the most difficult to get.

Colt 30-round magazines went through an evolutionary change with the development of the M16A2. A new follower was introduced commonly referred to as the “green” follower. This follower was designed as a reliability enhancement for the M16A2 by the Marine Corps. Due to the cyclic rate, it was possible for the nose of the projectiles to be pushed into the front of the magazine and the bolt to push the round forward causing the bullet to impact the front of the magazine and subsequently push the bullet into the cartridge case. To remedy this, the green follower extended the legs on the front of the follower to prevent the follower from coming out of alignment with the magazine body. All GI magazines are now produced this way for the U.S. military. A sure bet to see you have a newer produced mil-spec magazine is to look for the manufacturer CAGE code.

Heckler & Koch High Reliability Magazine

Not a company you would expect to design a M16-type magazine, the famous German firm probably manufactures the finest magazine in the world for the M16-family of weapons. The High Reliability magazine stemmed from H&K’s attempt to fix the horrendous deficiencies in the British SA80 (L85A1) rifle program. As previously stated, the M16’s weakest link has always been the magazine, normally due to abuse and reusing over and over again when they were not intended to. The H&K magazine is designed precisely with constant use in mind. As with most German engineered weapons, the magazine is over designed. It is the sturdiest magazine of the lot.

The High Reliability magazine is made of steel instead of aluminum and coated with a special maritime finish to keep it from rusting as well as having self lubricating properties in the inside of the magazine that aid in feeding. The feed lips have the same strengthened design as the standard 30-round magazine. The profile of the magazine is somewhat different from the standard magazine that has two bends. The magazine has a constant curve to it, which H&K claims is another improvement in the reliable feeding of the magazine. The follower is made of steel as well. The follower is 100% anti-tilt inside the magazine body. H&K has used this magazine with their HK416 weapon system. Additionally, a rubber plug was inserted underneath the magazine, behind the floor plate. The purpose of this plug was to prevent unintentional release of the floor plate when firing the M203 grenade launcher without any rounds in the magazine.

Without doubt, these are the Cadillac of the magazines available anywhere. But along with that goes the price. They are normally 3 times more expensive than the standard magazines. You do get what you pay for. However, is it worth it? Well, it depends on your funding. In an ideal circumstance, this would be the best combination but when the funds are not there, the standard magazines are just as reliable when used as intended – they are just not as durable over the long haul and rough handling. H&K provided two of these excellent magazines for testing. More than 600 rounds were fired through each of them with no malfunctions at all in a Colt M4 carbine. Most of the fire was fully automatic.

Diemaco (Colt Canada) Polymer Magazine

Most early testing has shown that polymer magazines are not nearly as reliable as the standard aluminum magazines. Many attempts have been made. The first successful attempt was by the Canadian firm, Diemaco, now called Colt Canada. In the initial stages, the magazines did not fare too well and were, in fact, rejected by the Canadian forces in favor of the aluminum magazines. Not too long after that, Diemaco completed the design and worked out all the bugs producing the first combat reliable synthetic magazine. These magazines are identified by the maple leaf on the side of the magazine. Depending on the die, it could appear on either side. This should not be confused with the after-market look alike. They may look the same but they are not where it counts. These magazines have been sold too many other nations militaries by Diemaco including Denmark and the Netherlands. They have been used in many theaters of operations throughout the world. They are also in service with many Canadian Police Agencies. The only catch is that they are not available in the United States. While some may find their way south of the Canadian border, they are not sold directly into the U.S.

The Lancer “Green Magazine”

The Lancer magazine was developed in part by using the Colt M4/M16 magazine technical data under a technology license from Colt Defense. The prototype Lancer magazine examined is made of green translucent polymer but could be made in smoke, tan or any other color. There are labels marked “20” and “30” to let the shooter know how many rounds are in the magazine and when it needs to be changed out. The magazine uses the mil-spec green magazine follower. Metal feed lip inserts are molded into the polymer on the magazine. Disassembly is accomplished by use of a plastic tool that pinches the sides of the floor plate, releasing it. The floor plate, spring and follower are then removed. This will increase the maintainability aspect in sandy environments. Initial testing has yielded positive results in terms of reliability and durability. These magazines are manufactured by Lancer Systems, a manufacturer of plastic and composite products for military markets.

MagPul PMag

Although very new to the market, the PMag has a bright future ahead of it. Of all the polymer magazines examined, the PMag is the most sturdy and solid of the lot. As of this writing, the first production magazines are being shipped. They debuted at the 2007 SHOT Show. The factory reps were throwing the magazines on the ground, stomping on them and grinding the heels of their boots into them to show the durability of this magazine. The PMag will withstand any drop test. One of the supplied magazines was dropped from 6 feet with the magazine feed lips striking concrete. The feed lips were not damaged and functioned normally through a Colt Law Enforcement carbine (LE6920).

Currently, there are two different versions of the magazine. The other model is the model with two witness windows showing the number of unfired cartridges. This magazine has a magazine spring that is colored orange on a specific coil. When the orange is shown at the top of the window you are either out of ammunition or just about out of ammunition.

MagPul is offering their PMag in some different colors as well. The traditional black magazine, the new trendy earth tone as well as forest green. Additionally, they will be offering a completely clear magazine with a smoky tint to it.

Another innovative feature of the PMag is the introduction of a cover that fits over the top of the magazine. This does two things; first it protects the feed lips from damage and dirt. The second and most important, when installed, the cover pushes downward on the top cartridge, releasing tension from the top cartridge pushing upward on the feed lips. This gives a long storage life to a fully loaded magazine. The PMag is also designed to be a 30-round magazine which can be inserted easily into a rifle with a closed bolt. Some magazines are so stiff on the 30th round that it is difficult to insert the fully loaded magazine in the rifle. The PMag also has a proprietary magazine follower that is 100% anti-tilt. This is a major reliability enhancement. The alignment of the cartridges are straight and supported preventing failures to feed. When looking at standard GI magazines, you can push the front of the follower into the magazine body and it will stick. The PMags will not do this.

MagPul provided 5 sample magazines for testing. Of those, 4 were taken out to the range and more than 1,000 rounds were fired through those in a Colt Mk18 Mod O 10.3 inch barrel. Of those, most of the rounds were fired fully automatic. No malfunctions were experienced with the magazine or weapon. The fully loaded magazines were easily inserted into the weapon with a closed bolt. MagPul is currently working on a shorter 20-round PMag for use by bench shooters/snipers as well as patrol carbines.

The magazines are the heart and soul of any firearm. Care should always be taken to protect them. The standard GI magazines are extremely reliable but do have a service life. When used in the field, attention should be given to be sure the magazines are not dropped on the feed lips nor stepped on. With the recent controversy of the performance of the M16/M4 series weapons under scrutiny, the main problem is, and always has been, the magazine. This is not due to a design flaw. It is a design intent versus application issue. When Gene Stoner first developed the AR-10 with lightweight magazines, he designed them to be lightweight and disposable enabling the soldier to carry large numbers of preloaded magazines. But the key word is disposable. They are not designed to be loaded an indefinite amount of times and left loaded for months at a time without cleaning and inspection. The main issues coming back from the Gulf from the small percentage of troops who had problems all described their problems as double feeds, bolt over base and failure to feed. All of which are due to damaged magazines. The other issue brought out was failure to extract, which is caused by sand getting in-between the cartridge case and the chamber. Any weapon with this scenario will experience the same failure. The same soldiers interviewed claimed to be issued old magazines out of bins in some depot and carried them throughout his entire tour. The magazines were never gauged or checked for bent feed lips or magazine bodies and he never received replacement magazines. Many soldiers interviewed brought personally purchased magazines from home or ordered them through catalogs to insure reliability. The Army has had difficulty re-supplying troops with new magazines on a regular basis. Part of the way the Army is combating this is to have Colt Defense provide seven new magazines with every M4 they ship to the Army. Troops also do not clean the magazines at regular intervals to prevent the followers from seizing with sand. This type of detailed disassembly is really unique to the desert environment. Users need to keep in mind the design of these magazines as they are a disposable commodity. They should be replaced as often as possible and every magazine should be tested prior to it going in an ammo pouch. This will insure you do not find out you have a damaged magazine in a firefight.

With the advancements in synthetic materials, these are just as, if not more, reliable than the standard aluminum ones. However, the synthetic magazines (PMags, Canadian military and Green Magazines) offer some incredible improvements. Most troops will not notice a damaged aluminum magazine until they put it in their rifle and try to shoot. With the synthetic magazine, immediate signs show damage. The feed lips would be broken off and cartridges falling out. These new plastics are stronger than the aluminum ones and will not bend or dent. The magazines will be less expensive to make as well. All of the synthetic magazines examined in this article are simple to maintain and the MagPul PMag and Canadian magazines are proving themselves in combat. The Army has issued a magazine improvement program. This program calls for improved followers such as the ones MagPul is manufacturing which are 100% anti-tilt. The program calls for synthetic magazines as well as a standard go/no go gauge. Many defense contractors as of this writing are developing synthetic magazines though it is expected that the MagPul PMag will be the standard in synthetic magazines.

I would like to thank Matt Nassar (H&K Defense), Colt Defense, Matt Kirkpatrick of Colt Canada, Drake Clark from MagPul and Okay Industries for all their assistance with this article.

By Frank Iannamico

The fall of the Berlin Wall in November of 1989, and subsequent collapse of Communism, had little initial impact on U.S. firearm enthusiasts. However, soon many former ComBloc firearms, rarely seen in the United States, would become available and at bargain prices. Many machine gun parts and part sets that had sat idle in warehouses for decades became available, all to the delight of collectors.

In the last few years, Kalashnikov AK rifles have experienced a revival in popularity due largely to availability, low pricing and an abundance of inexpensive ammunition. Formerly unobtainable rifle part sets, magazines and accessories from a number of former Warsaw Pact and Soviet satellite nations have now been imported. This availability has spawned a new compilation of AK clones and a new generation of AK enthusiasts with many inspired to duplicate the original rifles down to the smallest detail and many going as far as using the correct style of rivets as used by the original factory for assembly. Along with this renewed AK popularity came a strong market for accessories. To help sustain their companies, many former military contractors began to offer their products to the civilian market, exposing U.S. collectors to military-quality equipment previously only seen in photographs.

As long as there are no more than 10 foreign made parts in an AK rifle, it is 922R compliant and legal to have many of the features that had been previously banned. A number of U.S. companies began the manufacture of both stamped and milled AK receivers and components to make the rifles compliant with federal laws. AK part sets that had become available now allow collectors to build or purchase an AK clone from the country of their choice. Many of the new generation AK rifles being made are including an optics rail riveted onto the left side of the receiver to mount a night vision or other type of optical device.

In prior conflicts, optical devices to enhance accuracy were limited to purpose-built weapons to be fielded by highly trained marksmen. This trend has changed drastically with many U.S. combat troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan having optical devices mounted on their service weapons to enhance their effectiveness. Although a variety of sights are currently being fielded, one of the most effective designs for quick and accurate target acquisition has been the red-dot. Red-dot sights are far different from the traditional military sniper scopes that magnified the target and used cross-hairs to achieve accuracy.

Modern red-dot designs use refractive or reflective optics to generate a collimated image of a luminous or reflective reticle. This collimated image appears to be projected out to a point at infinity, which makes the image of the reticle appear to the user to be projected onto the target. A huge advantage of the collimated image is that the scope can be placed at any distance from the eye without distorting the image of the target or reticle making red-dot sights readily adaptable for use on a variety of small arms. However, red-dot sight designs do not provide for any magnification of the target image. Magnification is impractical because such a feature would make it difficult to hold the weapon steady enough for quick target acquisition, which is the primary function of the red-dot design. The lack of magnification also permits the operator to keep both eyes open when locating a target. The shooter’s eye that sees the reticle image will automatically superimpose that image with the image from the other eye, giving the shooter normal depth perception and full field of view.

Most red-dot sights are designed to compensate for the natural parallax effect created when the shooter’s head moves in relation to the sight, allowing the reticle image to be close to the actual point of projected impact even if viewed at an angle.

The Russian Kobra Collimator Sight
The Kobra sight is an open collimator combat optical device that has been fielded by the elite Russian Spetsnaz Special Forces and the Russian Internal Police. The Kobra uses laser technology to generate a red-dot, or several other reticle patterns, superimposed onto a clear filtered lens mounted on top of the weapon. The heads up display (HUD) of the Kobra was designed to be used with both eyes open. Kobra scopes have been continually improved and upgraded from feedback gained through combat experience in Chechnya. Early variations like the EKP-1S-01 utilized standard AA batteries that limited use of the device before the power supplied by the batteries would be expended. A new generation of the scope designated as the EKP-8-02 was designed. The new model has a redesigned frame and sight body and uses an easily obtainable CR series 3-volt lithium long-life battery for power. The earlier rubber sight hood has been replaced by a new plastic design formally only available for military use. In addition to the standard Russian side rail mount system, a new model has also been introduced for attachment on the popular Weaver and Picatinny type mounts that have been fielded on M16 and FN FAL rifles.

The sight is constructed for rugged military use from aluminum alloy and steel with a non-reflective flat black finish. A rotary style on-off switch is located on the left side of the unit to power up the reticle. There are four different reticle patterns for the operator to choose from: a dot, chevron, chevron with a dot or a T-bar. These are easily selected by simply pressing a small button that allows the operator to scroll through the patterns. The brightness of the reticle can also be easily adjusted as ambient light conditions warrant. To keep the scope reliable, a glass lens is used to protect the laser exit port.

The sight is fully adjustable for elevation and windage. These adjustments are made by two separate wheels that are positioned on the top and on the right side of the unit. Both of the wheels are numbered from 0 to 7 in each direction. The adjustment wheels cannot normally be turned past the numeral 7, but if additional adjustment is needed to zero the scope, the tool provided can be used to loosen the slotted adjusting screw allowing the wheel to be removed from the stud and repositioned. Each number on the dial represents 3.1 centimeters at a distance of 100 meters, which translates to approximately 1.1-inches at 100 yards. Once the sight is zeroed, the wheels can be adjusted to read 0 for reference so that after subsequent adjustments the sight can be returned to the operator’s original zero adjustments. Adjustments to the reticle as it appears on the lens are virtually impossible to detect with the naked eye.

The Russian designed receiver mounted RSSAMS (Russian Standard Small Arms Mounting System) optics rail system and clamp system provides a solid mount for the scope allowing removal and reinstallation with no loss of zero once the sight has been adjusted to that rifle. The scope mount will fit on virtually any AK equipped with an optics rail. The sight’s mounting clamp is adjustable to allow for manufacturing deviations in any particular rail. If your AK isn’t equipped with a side rail they can be obtained from a number of sources. There are several designs on the market that are secured by rivets and others are available that can be secured to the receiver with screws.

SAR recently received one of Inter-Ordnance’s new STG-2003-C rifles for testing that had the Soviet-pattern optics rail riveted to the left side of the receiver. The STG-2003-C is a replica of the short-lived East German Wieger AK rifle that was chambered for the West’s 5.56x45mm (.223) NATO cartridge. It was decided to mount the Kobra scope on the STG-2003-C to see if it lived up to its reputation. The scope slid perfectly onto the rail and locked tight with no adjustments to the clamp. After firing several boxes of Wolf’s Classic Military 5.56x45mm cartridges to get the scope zeroed, we were ready to resume the evaluation.

The first thing one finds when using a red-dot scope of this type is getting acclimated to keeping both eyes open while aiming. At first this seems unnatural, but with some practice it is easily mastered and the effort is well rewarded.

Using the red-dot scope at a range of 50 meters, a target could be engaged and hit approximately 1.2 seconds faster than aligning the standard iron sights and aiming. Equally fast follow-up shots could be fired. As long as the red-dot was on the target, the bullet would strike where the dot was, even when the shooter’s eye was not perfectly aligned with the sight. If the dot was on the target, firing the rifle would score a hit and there were no parallaxes or eye relief problems. The reticle could be easily seen even in bright sunlight.

Also on hand for future test and evaluation by SAR was a highly modified AK provided by Mark Krebs of Krebs’ Custom. This rifle, chambered in 7.62x39mm, was fitted with a MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail used to mount the Weaver/Picatinny screw-mount model of the Kobra. The scope fit perfectly and after sighting it in gave the same performance as the rail-mount Kobra.

The Kobra scopes are manufactured in Russia by Izhevski Motozavod, Axion Holding Company, associated with Izhmash small arms works, and marketed in the U.S. by Kalinka Optics Warehouse. These are true mil-spec scopes made for the Russian military famous for insisting on simplicity, ruggedness and reliability. The Kobra has been battle tested by Russian Special Forces in Chechnya and is the perfect accessory for any AK owner interested in enhancing their target acquisition time.

The Kobra package includes the sight with integral clamp, lithium battery, adjusting tool, instruction manual, sun shield, lens cloth and Russian camo pattern storage/carrying case with belt loops. The Kalinka Optics Warehouse also offers a full 12-month factory warranty and 15-day, money-back guarantee.

Special thanks to: Kalinka Optics; Mike Eros at Kalinka Optics; Inter-Ordnance. Inc.; Mark Krebs at Krebs’ Custom; and Val Shilin

Kalinka Optics
254 Junco Circle
Longs, SC 29568, USA
http://www.kalinkaoptics.com/

• Designer of the Maxim Machine Gun
• Steam engineer, had heavier than air plane before Wright Bros
• Invented the light bulb and many electrical systems before/concurrent with Edison (lots of dispute on that dateline), contemporary of Edison and Tesla. Invented a menthol inhaler for bronchitis sufferers, and of course, a common mousetrap still in use today.

Hiram Percy Maxim, Sr.

Born 2 Sept 1869, died 17 Feb 1936

• Son of Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim
• Credited as “Father of Amateur Radio” as the co-founder of the American Radio Relay League in 1914, also founded the Amateur Cinema League in 1926.
• Credited as the inventor of the silencer for firearms – 1909 Patent on the Maxim Silencer
• Invented some muffler systems for cars
• Wrote two books; A Genius in the Family: Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim Through a Small Son’s Eyes (a quite humorous rendition of growing up with Sir Hiram and his sense of practical humor), and Horseless Carriage Days which discussed his experiences in the early days of automobile design.

Hudson Maxim

Born 3 Feb. 1853, died 6 May 1927

• Brother of Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim
• Inventor and patent holder regarding various explosives and especially smokeless powders.
• Wrote four books; Defenseless America was his call to arms in 1916 where Hudson described America’s need to prepare for a coming war; The Science of Poetry and The Philosophy of Language was Hudson’s 1910 book on his scientific analysis of language and how good poetry always followed certain rules that were related to science; Dynamite Stories in 1916 about his work and experiences with explosives and The Rise of an American Inventor (his autobiography).

Hiram Percy Maxim, Jr.

Born —, died Nov. 1992

• Son of Hiram Percy Maxim
• Built suppressors with his father in the 1920s
• Was the resource for J. David Truby’s focus on the Maxims
• Father of Hiram Percy Maxim III