American experience of the 5.56mm assault rifle use during the Vietnam War, despite all the setbacks of the early M16 and M193 Ball, did arouse curiosity and then desire to introduce a similar weapon on the other side of the Iron Curtain. In the mid-1970s the Soviets had finally introduced another generation of the Kalashnikov rifle and LMG called the AK-74/RPK-74.

The basic weapon of the new family was the AK-74 rifle – a thoroughly modified AKM chambered for the new 5.45x39mm caliber. The interchangeability between the AK-74 and AKM, despite the nearly identical appearance, is a mere 50% – and limited to non-essential internal parts like pins, retainers, screws, springs, etc. Although the barrel length of 415 mm was retained, the barrel itself was entirely new, designed from scratch and non-interchangeable with the older model. So were the gas chamber (initially fitted with oblique gas channel, then changed to a perpendicular one) and front sight post with muzzle thread moved from the actual muzzle to the front sight base body that the barrel just poked through. Onto this increased diameter muzzle thread a completely new, complex, multi-functional muzzle device was screwed on, exchangeable for the blank-firing attachment.

The muzzle device was the most identifiable feature of the new rifle. It was a combined flash-hider, muzzle brake (single-baffle type side openings), and muzzle jump compensator, all rolled in one, with additional asymmetric holes drilled in an initial expansion chamber, helping to stabilize the rifle in bursts. The receiver was also redesigned, with most changes concentrating within stock attachment, extractor and magazine well areas. The bolt carrier was lightened, as was the bolt, and plastic magazines were introduced enabling stripper clip loading. For the first time a compact model of the Kalashnikov rifle was fully introduced in 1979. The AKS-74U (in America also known as the “Krinkov” – for some obscure reason) took over most of the functions hitherto reserved for a submachine gun. The shorty carbine had a 206 mm long barrel with front sight post placed directly on top of the gas chamber. Here also the muzzle device was being screwed onto the thread placed at the mouth of the gas chamber body/front sight base. This one is also a multi-functional device, consisting of the cylindrical initial expansion chamber culminating in a cone-shaped flash hider. The new rear sight, a flip-over affair, was riveted to the top of the receiver cover, which was hinged, machine gun style – rather than separate like in all other AKs, including the AK-74.

Tantalean Ordeal, Prelude:
Poland’s Bumpy Road to Small Arms Independence

Shortly after that, Poland with all other Warsaw Pact countries started to prepare for the introduction of the new standard – a small-caliber individual weapon system. When Polish authorities inquired about the possibility to obtain the license rights for manufacturing of the AK-74, the price tag and export limitations were found outrageous enough to warrant a decision to circumvent the Soviets – and do it “my way”, as Frank Sinatra put it. And so the decision was made: the Polish soldier of the future would wield a similar – but not the same – weapon. In order to achieve that goal, Polish designers undertook an ambitious task: to build a rifle at the same time identical to AK-74 – and completely different.

Fortunately, they did not have to start entirely from scratch. As early as 1973 the Warsaw’s Military Technological University (WAT) design team created a new intermediate round of improved ballistics, the 7x41mm, code-named “Marszyt”. The bullet had a trajectory peaking only 240 mm high at 300 m, leaving the muzzle at 770 mps (2,530 fps), which given a 7.68 g (118-grs) mild steel-cored ball weight would give the muzzle energy in the 2,200 Joule region. As of 1976, the Osrodek Badawczo-Rozwojowy (OBR, or R&D Center) of the Radom’s “Works 11” (known to all civilians as the ZM Lucznik Mechanical Works, the country’s prime manufacturer of typewriters and sewing machines) undertook an ambitious task of creating a modular firearms system chambered for it, code-named “Lantan”. The modular weapon system was supposed to be based upon a common receiver, which by fitting different barrels, magazine-feed modules, belt-feed modules and/or stocks, would become a paratrooper carbine, an assault rifle, a designated marksman rifle, a light machine gun, a tank machine gun and a SAW-style machine gun (the two latter being belt-fed), just like it was the case with the Czech URZ or US Stoner 63 systems. Of course it was doomed from the start, for two reasons. One was obvious: objective in nature and common to all modular weapon systems of the 1960s and 70s, a short-barreled carbine with a sturdy machine gun receiver wasn’t the most successful combination, both weight and economy wise. The deciding factor was however, that the Soviets staunchly opposed the introduction of the 7mm round, even though it proved to be a nail-driver with excellent penetration capabilities.

Only two prototype rifles were ever manufactured, with a mere dozen thousand rounds of ammunition, mostly used up for testing. After Moscow said “Nyet” to the Lantan project, two regular AKMSs were converted to 5.6mm caliber, firing the early version of the Soviet small-caliber intermediate ammunition, the 5.6x39mm Running Deer “sporting” round. The 5.45x39mm was then still a secret, jealously guarded from friend or foe alike. Testing the 5.6mm AKMS of course lead nowhere – just like the Soviet testing of the AKM chambered for the same round ten years earlier, which led to creation of the 5.45mm round.

Then, in the late 1970s, after the Lantan project was forcedly abandoned, the Poles took another bid at improving the basic AKM “their way” and designed the AKMS wz.80 (M1980) with a three-round burst limiter. This three-round burst capability was one of the three ways tested then to improve the full-auto accuracy and hit-probability of the AKM. Two others were introducing a muzzle device similar to the one used in the AK-74, and reducing the rate of fire, following the Japanese way (as in the Type 64 rifle). Polish designers took apart and studied three-round burst mechanisms of the French FAMAS, Belgian FN CAL and Swiss SIG 540, and choose the simple and sturdy Belgian ratchet as a pattern. The modernized AKMS rifle fitted with a three-round burst mechanism was designated AKMS wz.80 – but never introduced into the inventory of the Polish Army. It differed from the original AKMS by having fire-selectors entirely separate from the safety function; even though combining them into one large side lever on the right side of the receiver was a salient feature of the original Kalashnikov design. The Polish AKMS wz.80 was different in having a separate safety lever on the right side, looking just like the original safety/selector, but now with just two positions left – upper, safe (“Z” or Zabezpieczony) and lower fire (“O”, like Odbezpieczony), instead of the original three (usually unmarked “Z”, “C” – for Ciagly or fully-automatic and “P” – for Pojedynczy, or semiautomatic). The fire-selector function was moved to a separate lever on the left side of the receiver, with three positions: “C”, “S” (for Seria, or burst) and “P”, in counter clockwise order. The trigger lacked the typical AKM hammer delay, and the semi-auto sear had a pin protruding out of it to cooperate with the burst limiter toothed arc. On the left inner side of the receiver a burst-firing mechanism pack was added. The actions of putting the rifle on safety, off safety, and shooting semiautomatically were identical to the old milled receiver AK-47 without a hammer delay. If the fire-selector was set to “S”, the semi-auto sear was held back by the two-toothed arc, set in motion by the hammer movements. After the third shot was fired, the ratchet no longer held the semi-auto sear, which is then freed to snap into place and catch the hammer. The firing ceases exactly like in semiautomatic fire. Upon releasing the trigger, the mechanism resets itself and the toothed arc snaps up against the semi-auto sear’s protruding pin, ready for another three-round burst. Unlike the American three round mechanism of the M16A2/M4, if the firing ceases after just a shot or two, the next burst would always be full three rounds long. Moving the fire selector lever to the left side of the receiver necessitated a slight undercut in the left folding stock strut to clear the lever while folding underneath the receiver.

Thus the stage was set: after two Warsaw Pact armies (East Germany and Bulgaria) were forced to purchase the pricey AK-74 licenses, Poland took the bumpy road, deciding to design their own cartridge (codenamed project “Cez”) and the new rifle – an indigenous circumvention of the AK-74, codenamed project “Tantal”.

Tantalean Ordeal, Act One:
Turning AKM into AK-74 “My Way”

The initial studies on the 5.45mm Polish rifle were undertaken at the Radom factory’s OBR R&D Center as early as spring of 1980. The AK-74 was an obvious choice for a pattern, but Polish designers wanted their rifle to retain a much higher degree of interchangeability with the AKM and use the freshly designed three round burst limiter of the AKMS wz.80. The receiver of the AKM (in America frequently mislabeled as a “stamped receiver AK-47”) was modernized only in the necessary degree, with ejector lengthened enough as to reach the much narrower bottom of the case. Another change was the new sight base, necessitated by the re-designed gas tube and upper handguard, eliminating the hitherto used gas tube latch on the battle sight base. The new gas tube latch was fitted to the opposite end of the gas tube, on the handguard ring. The new gas chamber had a perpendicular gas opening and a front sleeve around the barrel where the bipod was attached. The moving parts consisted of the lightened AKM bolt carrier and a modified bolt, with smaller diameter bolt face and open-sided extractor cutout (patterned after the AK-74). The brass hats envisioned fitting each of the new rifles with a rifle grenade capability with new generation bullet-trap rifle grenades. At the same time, the new rifle was to be fitted with a folding stock only – and that meant that the traditional bottom-swinging folding stock of the Kalashnikov rifles had to go. The sheet-metal stamped and riveted struts of the AKMS stock would never be able to withstand the level of recoil connected with rifle grenade firing. In the late 1950s experiments with AKS-47 fitted for rifle grenade firing proved that even the older pattern solid bar stock struts were giving way. So the new rifle had to be fitted with a new, more durable pattern of the central-strutted stock. The East German MPiKMS-72 was chosen as a pattern, with its simple loop-stock, called a “Pogrzebacz” (Ash-Poker) by the Polish soldiers.

The Tantal stock hinge is fitted to the receiver by lieu of the upper screw and the pistol grip screw, going through the flat spring of the stock latch. The entire folding stock hinge can be replaced with an AKM wooden stock, if need be. The only wooden stocked Tantals ever to be assembled, however, were those illustrated in a manual and weapon training wall chart. Tantal was never manufactured nor used in such configuration. The flat latch spring at the same time acts like a hinge brace and is a significant detour from the GDR model (with separate wire spring), making the Polish design a more original one. The handguard and gas tube retaining ring, as well as the upper handguard and gas tube itself were a significant departure from both AKM and AK-74. The retaining ring latch is a crossbolt with a cutout, rotating in a perpendicular groove on top of the barrel. Each time the gas tube is to be removed for cleaning, the latch bolt has to be rotated so that the cutout clears the barrel and lets the ring be slid forward, freeing both handguards. The “kbk wz.81” (M1981 Carbine – in Polish military parlance all intermediate round chambered rifles regardless of caliber and barrel length are “carbines”) earliest variant of the Tantal had a screw-driver slot in the latch bolt. This defied the common sense approach of making field-stripping as easy as possible without the use of tools, in order not to distract the soldier, who has many more immediate problems in the field, from cleaning his rifle. Later on the screw slot was replaced by a lever extension. Unlike the AK, the Tantal upper handguard is not fixed to the gas tube. The gas tube is a separate part, wedged between the gas chamber flange and rear sight base, then topped with a plastic upper handguard doubling as a gas tube retainer, which in turn is held by the handguard retainer ring. This unusual feature’s sole reason was to enable the lower handguard dismounting without field-stripping the rifle. This was in turn required by the underbarrel wz.74 Pallad 40mm grenade launcher, mounted on the special mounting jig, replacing the regular handguard. This has to be seen as bizarre at least, unnecessarily complicating the weapon in order to mount an accessory issued at a one-per-squad basis, and never mounted or dismounted in the field.

In late 1981, with mounting political and social unrest in Poland in the last phase of the Martial Law preparation, the Tantal development program was suspended. On Sunday, December 13, 1981, in the early morning hours the military took to the streets, as the Polish Communist Party crushed the Solidarity movement, putting an end to the 16 months of the “Freedom Carnival” triggered by the Gdansk Shipyard strike, and Lech Walesa’s meteoric rise to fame and power. For a year and a half, until July 22, 1983, the country ground to a halt, with curfew, cut – then tapped – telephones and military patrols in the streets, punctuated by epic Solidarity demonstrations, ruthlessly suppressed with water-cannons, rubber batons and tear gas by the infamous ZOMO riot police.

Radom’s Works 11, itself a hotbed of Solidarity and the scene of the 1976 workers’ riot that led to the creation of the organized political opposition in Poland, was certainly not a secure place to develop a new weapons system. Nevertheless, the 5.45mm program continued on, and Skarzysko-Kamienna’s Works 21 ammunition plant (a.k.a. ZM Mesko, lawn-mower and coffee-grinder manufacturer) finally mastered the tricks of the 5.45x39mm ammunition manufacture in 1983. After the first experimental batch was tested positively, the ammunition source was at last secured, eliminating the need to buy it from Soviet Union. In 1984, the Ministry of National Defense’s Office of the Chief of Military Technology Research and Development issued an order for “developing of the 5.45mm automatic rifle”, for which in 1985 the Technical and Tactical Requirement document was issued. The new rifle was to be of “comparable measurements” with the AKMS, and not heavier than 3.3 kg (7.3 lbs). It was to fit into the existing firing ports of the armored vehicles (e.g. the BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, or the 2S1 Gozdzik self-propelled amphibious 122mm gun-howitzer) as well as standard AKMS rifle racks installed in military vehicles.

The Acceptance Requirements did not deviate much from the standard AKM procedures. A minimum service life of 10,000 shots was required, including 150 shots with dummy 300- and 500-gram rifle grenades. The reliability target was set at 0.2% jams (or 20 malfunctions in entire service life of 10,000 shots). The required accuracy was an extreme spread of a 5-round group, shot from a rest, prone, semiautomatically, at 100 meters to fit within 150 mm (5.9 inches).

The initial batch of the wz.81 Tantals was sent out for testing in 1986 and failed terribly, missing its chance to be introduced into the inventory of the Polish Army. The original test minutes are still confidential, so one cannot state what went wrong. Some things were obvious then: the length of the rifle with stock folded was too long for standard AKMS racks, which would necessitate rebuilding all existing racks built into each and every military truck, car, or armored fighting vehicle – thus the next model was shortened. The magazine was another problem. The one used with Tantal wz.81 had a top part taken directly from AKM, which enabled to attach a wrong magazine loaded with 7.62x39mm rounds to the rifle – while the Soviet AK-74 magazine could not, which prevented interoperability in the future liberation of the Western Europe.

Tantalean Ordeal, Act Two:
The Great Rifle Grenade Folly

The Polish Army was the first, and despite occasional experiments in other Soviet Bloc countries, the only Warsaw Pact military to design, manufacture and field rifle grenades in any quantity. Polish rifle grenades were fired with a special grenade blank UNM wz.43/60 from a 20 mm outside diameter grenade spigot screwed onto the muzzle thread of the specially modified wood-stocked milled receiver AK-47, called the “karabinek-granatnik wzór 1960 (kbkg wz.60), or carbine-grenade launcher M1960, with a specialized variant with detachable wood stock, the kbkg wz.60/72 for airborne troops (only 500 ever made). During the 1970s, taking the cue from the US Army, the kbkg wz.74 AKM rifle with Pallad 40mm underbarrel grenade launcher chambered for the 40x47SRmm fixed rounds, was designed to replace the rifle grenades. The rifle grenades were criticized by the military as awkward to handle, kicking like a mule, and dangerous in the event of failure to clear the weapon properly before ammunition change (from live to grenade blanks) prior to firing of the grenade. With a failure to clear the rifle, a live ball could be left in the chamber and grenade would detonate on launching if struck by the bullet. Several such incidents occurred, both in training with the Polish Army, and in combat, when Polish rifle grenades were fielded by the North Vietnamese Army and the Palestinian Liberation Organization. All militaries of the world were transferring from the spigot-fired rifle grenades to the 40mm (or so) barreled grenade launchers for anti-personnel work and shoulder-fired RPGs for anti-tank defense, as the AT rifle grenades were long ago insufficient against thick-skinned opposition. Tactical-grade commanders all knew that, and reported it to their superiors, but the higher brass of course knew better and insisted on having a new generation of the rifle grenades, with bullet trap, fired with a live ball round. A whole new design program was started, codenamed “Fosforyt”, to create these. As the energy of the small-caliber intermediate round was no match for the specialized grenade blank loaded with as much as 2.5 gram of the fast-burning P-125 powder (as opposed to 1.67 gram of the VUFL powder for a 7.62x39mm ball round), the new grenade had to have increased inner diameter, to give the gases more area to push against when firing. The tailboom of the new grenade was thus of the 30 mm inner diameter (as opposed to 20 mm in kbkg wz.60). This in turn necessitated a 30 mm sleeve on the 22 mm thick multirole muzzle device. This sleeve was deemed an integral part of the rifle – to the extent of turning down its muzzle end to accommodate the 6H4 AKM bayonet cross-piece ring. The early sleeved muzzle device can be identified by having three perpendicular grooves on the outside surface, as opposed to the later model one with much wider groove.

Tantalean Ordeal, Act Three:
Too Little, Too Late

The improved and partly redesigned (AK-74-compatible bolt carrier, bolt and magazines, shortened to match the AKMS overall length) prototype Tantal was factory tested by the end of 1987. A prototype batch of two was sent back for military testing, which took place between March and June, 1988. Both rifles had still utilized Soviet magazines (early orange plastic ones) and had wooden forends. Tantals were tested against the AKMS and Soviet AK-74, firing the Polish-manufactured PS ball ammunition and Soviet 7N6 tracer. 15,000 rounds were pumped through the first prototype, and in excess of 20,000 through the other, proving that just like the AKMS, the new rifles had much more service life in them, than the 10,000 shots required and expected. The dummy 350 g rifle grenade was clocked at 53 mps, giving it a 210 m range, a little short of the expected 250 meters. The heavier 500 g grenade achieved respectively 46 mps velocity and 180 m effective range. During the test some drawbacks were noted, especially while firing rifle grenades, e.g. increasing play of the barrel mounting block inside the receiver, falling out of the receiver cover and excessive, increasing play of the folding stock hinge. Modifications were ordered to remedy these, and the 30 mm sleeve was ordered to be removed from the muzzle device and incorporated inside the grenade’s tailboom.

The improved rifles were again tested early in 1989 and finally found fully compliant with the requirements, so the initial batch for troop testing was ordered and in 1990 actually handed over to the Army for troop testing. In 1991, the 5.45mm rifle came into series production and was introduced into the inventory of the Polish Army as the “5.45mm karabinek wz.1988 (kbk wz.88)”, officially dropping the R&D-phase codename of Tantal – even though it persevered as the popular name of the firearm.

It was however all too little and too late, as the November 1989 Fall of the Nations, set into motion by Poland’s June 1989 power changeover, swept Communist rule from Central Europe. In Poland, Solidarity resumed semi-legal activity in 1988, then it was re-registered and subsequent Roundtable talks with the Communists led to a peaceful change, following the June 1989 landslide victory of the Solidarity movement in the country’s first post-WW2 free election. Just as the Tantal was ready for series production, it suddenly became redundant almost overnight after Poland opted for full integration with the West and future membership in the Northern Atlantic Treaty. With plans like these, a brand-new rifle firing Warsaw Pact ammunition was useless and Tantal was dropped in 1994 after just a couple dozen thousand were manufactured.

Even over this short span of the production period, numerous design changes were introduced. The trigger mechanism was modernized, replacing the AK-style one-piece hammer-and-trigger spring with separate trigger and hammer springs. It gave one part more to detach during detailed stripping, but putting it back together was thus simplified. Now the hammer spring could be set on the hammer, short loose ends rested against the bottom of the receiver, and after the hammer pin was reintroduced, the hammer group was ready to work. This reduced the time and effort needed to put the rifle back from a detailed strip without the need to ply the long loose ends around the trigger mechanism’s pins and bits. (Only Soviet and Polish operator’s manuals trusted soldiers with a detailed stripping procedure of the rifle. All other Warsaw Pact OMs only dealt with field-stripping for cleaning; reserving detailed stripping for the authorized repair personnel only). Other changes included fitting a lever extension, instead of the screwdriver slot to the forend ring retaining cross-bolt, thus eliminating the need of tools for stripping. The finger extension was carried over from the late series Tantal into the 5.56mm successor, the Beryl. Another change was of mostly of cosmetic value: orange and tan (generally, but ranging from yellowish to deep brown) furniture were later on unified to flat black plastic, giving the rifle a much more uniform and serious look. The new-style black lower handguard was AK-74M-style ribbed to improve grip. Similar black plastic furniture was also developed for the Onyks shortie.

At the same time the long-time magazine furnisher to the Radom Works 11, company from Lódz called Wifama, had gone bankrupt and the Radom factory had to introduce their own plastic magazines instead of the hitherto sheet-metal ones, used for AK, AKM and Tantal. Bodies and followers were molded out of the black fiberglass reinforced polyamide, which reduced their weight and price significantly, at the same time improving their reliability and mechanical resistance. The Tantal design is protected by the Polish patent PL 160959 of 1993, issued to Krzysztof Styczynski, Bohdan Szpaderski and Boguslaw Bialczak.

The 5.45mm wz.88 rifle is an automatic, gas-operated weapon with long-stroke piston. The bolt turns to the right for locking. An automatic sear prevents a discharge before the bolt is fully locked. Ammunition is fed from a 30-round staggered column, double-position curved box magazine, initially of full-steel design, then with plastic body and follower. Open, mechanical sights comprise a tangent rear sight with U-shaped notch for firing at distances from 100 to 1,000 meters at 100 m increments with a fixed battle-sight position “S”, enabling a torso shot up to 440 meters. The front post sight is of the typical AK design, set on top of the high carrier, inside the slider for windage setting and can be screwed in and out for elevation. Tritium night sights are standard on all rifles. (It is interesting to note that it was Poland that pioneered radioactive tritium lit sights on the eastern side of the Iron Curtain: all other Warsaw Pact countries from USSR down used just phosphorous paint for night shooting.) The rifle has a right side folding monostrut stock, enabling firing and reloading of the weapon with the stock folded.

There were two weapons developed from the wz.88 Tantal: the wz.89 Onyks carbine, and the 5.45mm kbkg wz.74, or Tantal with Pallad 40mm grenade launcher. A limited series of the very early series-produced Tantals were fitted with a mounting rail on the left side of the receiver, meant for the NSP-3 and then for the indigenous Polish improved NV sight, the PCS-5 Gabro from Warsaw’s PCO company. Fitting these rails impaired the function of the fire-selector lever, which extended only 2-3 mm past the edge of the deployed NSP-3. It was also planned to use this version as a DMR (designated marksman rifle) by fitting a GDR manufactured ZFK 4×24 optical sight, utilized with the similar night variant of the East German license-manufactured rifle, the MPi-AKS-74N. Nothing transpired out of it, as the GDR was re-unified with West Germany before any quantities of the sights were ordered. Even with all the changes made to barrel, muzzle device, stock, bolt carrier and bolt, return spring assembly, trigger mechanism, magazine, gas tube and forend, the wz.88 Tantal is still more an AKM, than the AK-74.

The 425 mm long barrel is cold-forged, hard-chromed, with 4 RH grooves of 200 mm pitch. The multi-functional muzzle device has an external diameter of 22 mm to exclude fitting an old style rifle grenade without bullet trap. The initial expansion chamber of the device has got three openings drilled through, 120 degree one of the other. The Polish muzzle device is much longer than the Soviet as it also doubles as the rifle grenade spigot. The initial wz.81 Tantal had an integral bipod, but after it was nearly broken off by the recoil of the rifle grenades firing, a new detachable bipod was fitted, patterned after the M16 “washing clip”. This is being fitted to a special sleeve incorporated into the gas chamber body, with cleaning rod (carried in the usual AK way under the barrel) inserted into a special opening of the bipod serving as a tilt stop.

The single-strutted stock is folds to the right, along the right side of the receiver. The stock strut has its rear end hammered flat, then folded into a triangular buttstock, with a rubber block inside the upper corner to avoid scratching the receiver side. The stock hinge latch, enabling folding of the stock, is placed on the left side of the stock hinge assembly and doubles as the stock retainer in both positions. One has to depress the stock latch with one hand and only then fold or open the stock strut with the other. To avoid loosening of the receiver cover, common during the rifle grenade firing, a manual latch was added to the return spring guide, borrowed from the kbkg wz.60, enabling to lock the cover after the rifle was put back from a strip.

Tantalean Ordeal, Interlude:
A 5.45mm Onyks wz.89 Carbine

After the wz.88 Tantal rifle was ready in late 1987, the OBR team started designing a compact version, a Polish clone of the AKS-74U. In late 1990, the first prototype was ready for testing, which took place in early 1991. The tiny carbine passed the tests with flying colors, but then a decision was made to fully unify the receiver with the rifle, which necessitated a thorough redesign, as the first prototypes had a Krinkov-style hinged receiver cover. The redesign took a while, and it only reached series production in 1992 – to be discontinued after just 200 were made. Officially it was rejected by the Army because the flash-hider was not efficient enough, but it was the politics that really polished it off, along with the older brother. Earlier on, two prototypes of the 7.62mm carbines based upon AKMS met with the similar fate.

The “5.45mm subkarabinek wzór 1989 (subkbk wz.89)” is basically a chopped-down Tantal. The chop-job improved the handling abilities at the expense of the shorter barrel, bayonet and bipod. Strangely enough, the carbine retained the rifle grenade capability though being the world’s one and only rifle-grenade capable shortie. The Onyks has much more parts common with the standard rifle than the AKS-74U. The barrel length was reduced to 207 mm, also the gas tube and both handguards were chopped – but the latter are still retained with the same retainer ring fitted with the old style slotted crossbolt, even though the Tantal was already upgraded to a finger lever. The Onyks gas chamber is a copy of AKS-74U’s one, with muzzle thread at the cylindrical portion of the front sight base body. A muzzle device doubling as a grenade spigot or BFA can be screwed onto that thread. The sight base of the Onyks is of an original design. The first prototypes had an AKS-74U ear-protected flip-over sight and a likewise hinged receiver cover. A decision was made, however, to unify the receiver and discontinue the hinged cover, replacing it with the ordinary detachable one, like on the full-length Tantal. To retain the proper sight radius, a cantilever sight rail was riveted on top of the barrel attachment block reaching back over the receiver cover. On the side of that rail, a mounting bracket for the laser sight was added. In 1990 tests, that arrangement was found insufficient and thus it was again redesigned. The new sight cantilever is almost double the length of the original, and an attaching rail for the PCO-made CWL-1 red dot sight was added to the top of the cantilever. The Onyks’ rear sight is a flip over with two U-notches (100-200 and 400 m) and the front sight is an AK-style windage-adjustable screw-in screw-out post. Some carbines were fitted with tritium night sights.

Tantalean Ordeal, Epilogue:
5.56mm Tantal and Onyks

Radom’s ZM Lucznik wasn’t waiting for the Warsaw Pact to tumble down with hands neatly folded. Even as the Tantal and Onyks were coming into series production, it was obvious that a 5.56mm version would be needed – if not for the Army, then for export now that the USSR did not hold an iron fist upon each export contract. As early as 1990 both Tantal and Onyks were redesigned for the 5.56x45mm round, and designated respectively “5.56mm kbk wz.90” and “5.56mm subkbk wz.91”. These were almost indistinguishable from the original ones, if not for the uniformly black furniture: these were in fact the first all-black Radom rifles, setting the new trend for all other products. Changing of the ammunition increased the muzzle velocity and energy just slightly, from 880 to 900 mps and from 1,316 to 1,620 Joules for the rifle and respectively from 700 to 710 mps and from 857 to 1,010 Joules for the carbine. Despite the early success, the 5.56mm weapons were soon discontinued – only to be re-started a few years later from scratch as a project codenamed “Beryl”, leading to adoption of the 5.56mm kbs wz.96 Beryl – but that’s another story.

Summing up

The Tantal was by far the most original of all 5.45mm Kalashnikov clones ever manufactured. It was the only one with rifle grenade capability and the only one fitted with burst limiter. Were any of these really needed and useful? That’s still open to debate, but it had them both, nevertheless. It is without doubt that projects connected with small-caliber rifle and cartridge (Tantal, Onyks and Cez) gave the Polish defense industry priceless experience and self-reliance, which proved invaluable after the Warsaw Pact fell down, and a head start which enabled a fast changeover to the 5.56mm NATO round – several years before Poland was accepted into the Alliance. However, there were several wasted chances mostly in the ergonomics department and sighting systems. Redesigning the AKM into a small-caliber rifle was the best chance to get rid of the complicated and expensive tangent sight in favor of a peep. Most of the many sighting distances marked on the tangent sight leaf are simply abundant. Who would ever pick a target vulnerable to the .223 bullet at 1,100 yards, much less be able to aim at it with U-notch and pin-sized front post sights? With modern flat trajectory rounds the battlesight zero setting “S” (“Staly” or permanent) enables the shooter to engage a torso target at distances up to 440 m (5.45mm) or 460 m (5.56mm), which in modern combat is perfectly enough for individual fire. What are all the other distances marked for? God only knows, really, and since painting rifles in camo patterns became a fashion also in the Polish Army, one can see with a naked eye that most sliders on these leaves were never moved – the paint on the leaf edges was never cracked. Besides, in these days iron sights are mostly of BUIS (or backup for the optoelectronic sight) value anyway.

Nowadays Tantals are history in the Polish Army. After the ammunition stocks were used up the rifles were withdrawn from the units and stored; replaced with either AKMS or Beryls. The last unit to utilize these was the Polish contingent of the UNIFIL, United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon, where these were basic individual weapons as late as 2004.

As of the 1970s, Polish small arms projects are assigned names of chemical elements, mostly metals – Wanad (vanadium), Cez (cesium), Beryl (beryllium) for codenames. Unfortunately, the anonymous civil servant, whose eye scanning the Mendeleyev Periodic Table for a fitting codename caught the name of the Group 5, Period 6, Block d metal “tantalum” with the standard atomic weight of 180.9, proved to be a prophet. The history of the Polish first small-caliber rifle reflects the ordeals to which Tantalus, mythical king of Lydia, was condemned by Zeus for feeding his son’s meat to the gods. For his crimes he was to suffer the unceasing dread of being crushed by a huge rock which hung suspended above his head; he standing up to the throat in water, possessed of a terrible thirst that he could never quench, and a gnawing hunger that he tried to assuage with the tempting fruits that hung above his head, but withdrew as soon as he reached for them. Likewise, the designers of the Tantal were ever so close, yet their success was denied to them. It took them just a year to build the rifle – but then each time they thought the goal is within reach, something happened to push their target further still. And when they finally caught up with it and perfected it – then no one needed it anymore.

Perhaps the final lines of Paul Anka’s famous song sung by Frank Sinatra would sum it up nicely: “For what is a man, what has he got? If not himself, then he has naught. The record shows I took the blows, and did it my way!”

1 August, 2007, Dayton, NV

David Edward “Dangerous Dave” Cumberland was born 18 November, 1932 in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He married his wife Elsie in 1955. Dave was Interarmco’s man in Thailand in the 1950s and one of the early machine gun and cannon dealers in the US. His company, The Old Western Scrounger, was renowned for helping shooters around the world get their odd ammunition needs filled. This author has known Dave for thirty years, and we caught up with Dave at his home in Nevada, where he was pleased to sit down and recap many of his experiences for SAR’s readers. A lot of Dave’s experiences interact with a number of our other interviews, and help “fill in the blanks.” In Part I of The Interview, (SAR Volume 12 Number 9) Dave takes us on his journey through Southeast Asia with the military and as Sam Cumming’s man on the ground in Thailand, atomic bomb tests, the French evacuation of North Vietnam, evacuation of the Nationalist Chinese troops, the AR-10 program in Thailand, and his coming home and starting his gun business. In Part II, we take up where Dave is running the Old West Gun Room, and then meets with Dolf Goldsmith and starts in heavier on machine guns. But first we touch upon a few historical stories…. – Dan

SAR: Korea – you ran into more interesting firearms than we have discussed, didn’t you?

Dave: Hell yeah. When I was in Korea for a year, I’d located an ordnance area up there where they kept stuff that they captured or was turned in one way or another. That was the Army’s First Cavalry Division area. There was everything you could think of and more piled up. One thing that really caught my eye was over in the corner of the room, there was an original Gatling gun that had been converted to 7.62x54R, the Russian caliber. It had a tag on it that said, “Aberdeen Proving Ground.” I’ve always wondered where that ended up. I’m pretty sure that was one of the Russian contract Gatlings, but I didn’t know enough about them at that time. That was probably the neatest gun I saw over there, plus there were some really interesting Winchester Model 1895 rifles in caliber 7.62x54R that appeared to be leftovers from World War I.

SAR: Did everything run smoothly in the Old West Gun Room?

Dave: Of course not. We had a great time, lots of interesting stuff, but like the Chinese say, we were “Living in interesting times.” I had a scary run-in with the predecessor to the ATF once. That was in 1965, when I was running the gun store at the Old West Gun Room. A guy came in and sold me a Dewat (De-activated War Trophy) Reising submachine gun. Back then, they didn’t need to be registered, they were just wall-hangers. This Reising Model 50 looked like it had crossed the Atlantic on a rope underneath the Queen Mary. It was just all rusted to hell and beat up. It didn’t work and it was missing parts. All I had to do was call in to the ATTU and they would have issued the registration paper for me and I would not have gotten in trouble with the law. But, I was broke at that time and I needed money, so I took the non-functioning Reising and sold it to a guy for $50. About two months later, I was in the store one night. That guy came in and said, “I’ve got that Reising you sold me here.” I said, “Oh, you have. Why are you bringing it in to me?” He said, “I want you to take a look at it.” So, he opens up a paper sack and the damn thing looked brand new and had a Thompson magazine converted to work in it. I thought to myself, there’s only one guy I know in this area that’s good enough to do that. Bud Matthews was his name, and he made a left-hand action at one time for bolt-action rifles. That guy was a helluva machinist and he was crazy on machine guns. When he pulled that thing out of the bag, I looked at it and I said, “Somebody’s been working on this, this isn’t what I sold you.” Right then, the doors open up and the cops came in from three different ways. They put me in binders, threw me in the back of the car, and dragged me to the Oakland jail to check in for the night. I was bailed out the next day. They were trying to say that I sold this gun as a functional weapon, because at that time, a machine gun had to work; otherwise they couldn’t get a conviction. I said, “Well, this thing has been modified considerably and I didn’t do that.” I ended up having to hire an attorney, which I couldn’t afford. We went to court in San Francisco; the main courthouse. I didn’t know this at the time, but there was a local FBI agent who knew me. I didn’t know that he’d gone to the ATTU and also to the FBI to speak on my behalf that I was a good guy and that I was helping him from time to time, which I was, acting as an expert witness on several cases. He didn’t believe the ATTU testimony picturing me as a true SOB, who would probably sell dynamite to children and that I was as crooked as a snake going over a washboard. The ATTU agent kept on about what a bastard I was and a danger to society. The judge finally said, “I want you all to come into my quarters.” They’re all standing there and the judge said, “Mr. Cumberland, I realize that you know that you’ve broken the law but that, under the circumstances, you didn’t have any idea that this would turn out this way or you would never have sold it.” I said, “That’s right, Your Honor.” He said, “Well, I’ve got to make a ruling now. You are on two years probation. You have nothing to do with machine guns during that time period.” It was just after that when I got together with Dolf. That’s the only problem I ever had with the government.

SAR: At the time, deactivated guns didn’t require registration, and someone had taken it and made it into an active, live gun, to set you up? Scary. How was the business in the Mid-1960s?

Dave: The Old West Gun Room was in the second building by that time. I moved the business three times. The last time I moved it I bought the property, which we still own. It had to be like 1967 or ’68 or so. It was during the time of the civil riots and there was rioting in Richmond. In fact, we had a situation occur where the police called me up one night. They said, “We just got it from one of our informants they’re going to hit your store about midnight. Take all your stuff, put it in the walk-in vault and lock the door.” I said, “They’re going to burn me out or something. I could lose everything I’ve got.” He said, “Well, that’s the way it is. You don’t want to get shot.” I had a different opinion; I didn’t want to lose my livelihood and was in a position to defend it. I called three or four buddies of mine. We had just gotten in a bunch of Model 97 riot guns. I had about a dozen of those and six or eight G3s that had just come into the country secondhand. Four guys came over. We each took a shotgun and a G3 – these were the semi-auto only Golden State Arms guns, no full autos. I put one guy on the roof of the lumber yard across the street so he could cover the front door. The back door was bolted shut with steel bars so they couldn’t get out once they got into the ambush. I said, “If anybody looks like they’re going to set anything on fire, just shoot them.” When we were ready, I called the Richmond Police Department and explained the whole thing and the sergeant says, “Good Lord, don’t do that. We have enough trouble now.” So I said, “Then, get your ass down here and protect my gun store.” [laughter]

SAR: I take it there was no problem at all with your store? Nobody tried to burn it down?

Dave: No, I guess the bad guys got wind of our planned response and thought better of visiting us. We also had a bit of other local “insurance” against troublemakers. The Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club were all good customers of mine. Their President, Sonny Barger, was well-known to me. In fact, I saw him in Reno not too long ago, and he was talking to some newscaster type. I walked over to him and I said, “Sonny, do you remember me?” He looked close and said, “Course I remember you and the Gun Room.” He had a body guard by the name of Big Red who collected Model 70 Super Grades. I got him a 7mm Mauser, which in that model is a rare rifle. Sonny came in one day and he said, “You know, we spend a lot of money with you.” I said, “Sonny, I do appreciate that.” He said, “I think that you ought to give us a discount.” I said, “Sonny, I don’t give my own brother a discount. I just simply won’t do it.” He reflected for a moment then said, “You know, we can make you do it.” I stated plain as fact, “No, you can’t.” He thought about it for a moment then smiled, chuckled and said, “Well, I know you’ve been fair with us, ah, just forget it.” They also bought all the Nazi memorabilia I could get my hands on, and were really big into collecting the daggers and the accessories. Sonny Barger didn’t buy any guns. I don’t know if he had a record at that time. Mostly his interest seemed to be in shotguns, doubles, pumps, .45 automatics and Lugers. In one particular interest, there was one pattern that had Swiss script that came down and had the little knob on it like the regular Luger has. It also had the squeeze safety on it, and instead of a skinny barrel, it had a 6-inch standard-rate barrel like on a Navy model. They made 100 of those and they’re rare as hell. I found one the other day at my old gun store down in El Cerrito. He wanted $1,100 for it. That’s a good buy.

SAR: Still watching for the deals, Dave? You did some work with Hollywood, right?

Dave: Of course I’m always looking for deals, it’s in the blood. On the Hollywood sales and rentals, we did a pile of work for movies. The first call we ever got was from Ellis Mercantile – they later became Ellis Props & Graphics. I sold them a bunch of ammunition first, and Bert sold them a couple of guns. Pretty sure Bert was still with me at that point in time, you know Bert broke off on his own. He decided he wanted to fool around with machine guns a lot more than I did, and he and Dolf decided to go that route. That worked out better for them. We all did really well. We were out on the East Coast looking for things, and on the West Coast we were the people to see if you wanted to buy anything up to an artillery piece. We had all kinds of stuff. We had a 4-1/2 inch Howitzer, just about anything you could imagine. I did get one of Val Forgette’s 1895 brass Maxims from the Argentina deal. Got it the same time as when I bought the gun store. Dolf was working with us later and he loved those Maxims. As Dolf tells it, one day he just waltzed in the shop and saw a couple of us messing around with the ANM2s and Brownings. Bert wasn’t having much luck with them, and Dolf jumped in and got them together. He was a Browning armorer among other things. Dolf started doing a lot of business with us and working at the Gun Store. Since I wasn’t that into the machine guns, that was fine with me. As far as that brass Maxim went, I paid $150 to Val for it. He lost a pile of the other ones to the government confiscating his and he never got ’em back. Rumor is that the government handed them out to museums, and some got dumped in the Atlantic. Those brass Maxims were pretty much all Dewats, and you can tell today if one was dewatted by Val. Take off the fuzee spring cover on the left side of the receiver. Slide a hacksaw blade between the barrel extension rails and the left sideplate, and see if it is blocked. What they did was drill a hole through the left side of the receiver under the fuzee cover and welded a rod on the inside rail to the plate so that you couldn’t move it. If you took that hacksaw and went down the inside, you could hacksaw that weld out and the Maxims worked just fine. If you take the fuzee cover off of any of the 1895 Argentines, you’ll see a spot of different colored metal there where those were repaired but the hole was hidden under the fuzee cover.

SAR: Did you keep it?

Dave: Everybody wanted it. George Repaire, the gent I bought the Old West Gun Room from, he wanted that thing in the worst way. I didn’t want to sell it to him and he finally said, “Look, Dave, I’ll send the $150 right now and you can buy another one.” I didn’t know that all the rest at Val’s had been confiscated. George knew it, because he had tried to buy one and they wouldn’t sell him one as they didn’t have one to sell. He didn’t tell me that. In the end, I sold him my brass Maxim for what I paid for it and I never got around to getting another one. When I did get around to trying to order, it was too late. There were lots of characters around the machine gun business, though. In Southern California, it was mostly Ed Faust and ARMEX: they did a lot of business. One day we had a strange guy come into the gun store. This was during our machine gun business time. His wife was with him. He had on white cotton gloves, he wanted to see a couple of guns but he wouldn’t talk to us. He would talk to his wife and she would talk to us. He would just stand over there against the wall and he’d wipe his hands. He was Bill Thoresen. His wife eventually shot him, and wrote a book about their crazy travels and machine gun deals.

SAR: Louise Thoresen’s book “It Gave Everybody Something to Do.” Dolf makes sure we all read that book. There’s a lot of speculation about who was which character that she used pseudonyms for. “Orval Lee” was supposedly J. Curtis Earl. Curtis never indicated to me, either way on that. I do know Curtis traveled across country with them buying machine guns though.

Dave: Yeah, that’s the book! Thoresen was really odd, a very strange person. He spent quite a bit of money but she always made the deals. He wouldn’t physically touch anything, he wouldn’t talk with us, and he made her do it all. Thoresen was apparently hoarding up some legal but mostly unregistered machine guns, anti-tank guns, and tons of ammunition. There was supposedly 72 tons of it when the government got them. We got into a deal with the ATF on that. The government had confiscated everything he had. We went up to his mansion on Nob Hill in San Francisco. It was a very nice place. Then we had to go up to Marin County at the old Navy/Coast Guard base, I guess it is. They had bunkers up there and the government had moved all the ammunition and guns up to store and sort. We went in there and I never saw so much ammunition in my life. We bought 280,000 rounds of 8 mm Mauser and about 100,000 rounds of it was APIT. Very neat and fun to shoot. He had a couple of machine guns in there that were so rare that I’d only seen pictures of them. I never have seen one in my life and I can’t remember what they were today. One was a Swiss machine gun. None of that stuff was for sale, of course, because it was all illegal or had become illegal. The ammunition got sold. I knew Curtis Earl, and we outbid him on the ammunition. My group got 1,600 rounds of 25 mm Puteaux. Thoresen had bought out everything Interarmco had left in Puteaux ammo, that’s the reason it disappeared in a hurry and was so dried up. Bert, Tom, George H. and I split the Puteaux ammo. I sold mine to George for around $3 a round. If I’d known he wasn’t going to shoot it I wouldn’t have sold it to him. From what he says, he has yet to fire a round of it. He’s in his 80s and when he decides that should hit the market, it’ll be the biggest pile of desirable ammunition that’s been around for 50 years. Among other things, he’s got one of those Swiss 24mm anti-tank guns that has a toggle action on the side. They’re pretty rare. I remember he had two Solothurn S18-1000s, one of them on the wheeled carriage. A bunch of Lahtis, and a 3 inch Navy deck gun which is actually that cute little thing they used in the movie The Sand Pebbles. It had a little short barrel on it, maybe 5 or 6 feet long. Some of these neat collections go on, and on.

SAR: Speaking of interesting collections, you were working on the Stembridge Gun Rentals collection; you did the inventory there.

Dave: That was 1973. Stembridge wanted to value it, and sell it off. They wanted $600,000 and much as we tried, we couldn’t find that much value there. Dolf valued the machine guns and worked on counting parts, bayonets, etc. too, with Tom Phair and Hal Ross. They were pretty much working for me on that. That was one huge pile of stuff, well you know, you bought all that.

SAR: No, we appraised it then brokered it all off. LMO did the Class 3 and assault rifles, I brought in J.R. & Diana LaRue and they handled the Title I. Collectively, we sold off five major Hollywood inventories. Altogether about 14 000 firearms.

Dave: There weren’t near that many when we did the appraisal. We couldn’t see $600,000 for the pile back in ’73, went for a heck of a lot more than that in the 1990s, I’ll bet. One thing I noticed is when the guns came in from rental use, like a bunch of single-action Colts and some 1892 Winchesters that were all original, they were pretty nasty. “These things are filthy, don’t you clean them?” I asked. They said, “Yeah, we know they are, but they’re just rental guns.” There was every imaginable gun there, some really rare stuff. We had other deals of great interest. The San Francisco art museum, the Golden Gate Museum, used to have a collection of World War I memorabilia and a Renault tank. They had a 150mm German field piece, a truly big gun. There was a 75mm Italian gun that was the first gun ever made to have a split trail on it. Then there was an Italian 150mm Howitzer complete with a limber that was just gorgeous. It weighed 10,600 pounds. These were all in excellent condition because they’d all been indoors in that museum for 50 years: no rust, no rotten wood, just in really nice shape. When they took that display out of there and put it in storage in Southern California, they decided nobody’s interested in this old garbage anymore and they were going to sell it. They went to a local auction outfit, the Raben Brothers. That guy could sell vacuum cleaners to Eskimos with dirt floors. He really could, he was talented, and a great auction place. We went down there, Bert and I and Tom. We got a paddle and bought all the cannon except the French 75mm. We had agreed not to bid on that because someone wanted it for the museum in Los Angeles. I said, “That’s a fair deal. Let them have it, we won’t bid.” When it got around to that Renault tank, we saw that it had taken a round in the engine compartment on the left rear. Other than that it had World War I paint on it: that camouflage paint. It was restorable. It had the wooden drive wheels up front instead of the steel or metal ones. We bid on it and at $600 the bidding stopped. I was at $600. The auctioneer looks around and says, “Ladies and Gentlemen, I can’t believe that this extremely rare piece of ordnance from the First World War, so rare that the Smithsonian doesn’t even have one,” (which was probably true), “and you’re going to let this man steal this valuable artifact for a lousy $600.” One guy shouts, “Hell no, $700.” Then $800, $900, and up, and it was gone. [laughter]

SAR: That’s such a sad story, Dave, you didn’t get the tank.

Dave: No, sadly, we didn’t get that, but we sure did get a lot of good cannon. That tank now belongs to Hayes Otoupalik. He’s been around for almost fifty years in this business himself. Guess I was involved in most of the cannon deals around the US. I ran the Old West Gun Room for around 20 years, and I got more and more into cannons. Sold over 50 Lahti 20mm 1939 anti-tank guns. Thousands of other pieces and over 15,000 rounds of Lahti ammo. Had a few Gatling guns as well. About eight years ago I had this Model 1903 Gatling, it was an experimental, in .30-40 Krag. There’s a radio show and people call in and ask questions. One day this guy called in on the program and said, “I got this old Gatling gun. How do I find out more about it?” The radio guy says, “Call Dangerous Dave.” The owner calls me up and I asked what he wanted for it. He said he didn’t know. I said, “Well, you’ve got to have some figure in mind.” He says, “It’s yours for $25,000.” I said, “Sure, I’ll give you 25 grand for it. I’ll send you $10,000 right now and I’ll pay you the rest when I get there. I can’t come out for three days; I’m busy.” He said, “You don’t have to send any money. Your word’s good enough.” I got on a plane, rented a car and trailer and drove up into Massachusetts. We walked in his living room and there it sat; a beautiful 1903 Gatling. I gave him the $25,000 and drove off with it. It was later sold at Butterfield’s Auction and brought $58,000.

SAR: You had that nickname “Dangerous Dave” for a long time, and the company was called The Old Western Scrounger. When did you start that company?

Dave: I would say it was about 1975. The reason was that people would come in and always ask for something unusual, and we didn’t have a source. “Where can I get ammunition for a 43 rotary rolling block, or a Spencer or this or that or the other thing?” Of course, there isn’t any available. There’s nobody left that makes these odd calibers. I got thinking, “Hell, there’s a market here for this stuff.” I started out with making odd caliber ammunition, had a couple of guys custom-making it for my store. I made a deal with RWS for the exclusive right for the entire United States for their set of rifle and pistol cartridges. I was the distributor for the whole country for that. That’s how we really got the Old Western Scrounger started. We’d make custom ammunition for customers that couldn’t get it any other place.

SAR: I can remember buying 8mm Nambu from you and some weird Italian cartridges that I needed way back in the ’70s. Everyone I knew bought from “The Old Western Scrounger.”

Dave: It was a helluva good deal for everyone. People got the cartridges they needed; we made money and made the business grow. One of our specialties at the Old Western Scrounger was something that many SAR readers will be very familiar with, that’s the Rock Crusher Loading press and our reloading for artillery pieces for recreational shooters. I designed it in about 1974. I had taken a .55 caliber (14.3x99mm) 1937 Boys anti-tank rifle, and converted it over to .50 BMG (12.7x99mm). I couldn’t find any good ammo for it, and reloading for .50 was almost unheard of. I made the Rock Crusher for this to start with, and ended up adding calibers and ability as we went along. Eventually, we got it up to 37mm Short for the US 37mm Model 1916 Trench Cannon. No problem at all. It takes 960 grains of FG together with machine gun primer, one fuse and fill her up with black powder. We used original brass on that. Then, there’s the Two-Pounder, 42mm, we can load for. The Rock Crusher could load for 20mm Lahti (20x138mm) and load for any 20mm. We turned conical projectiles out of bar stock. (Dave starts holding up brass from his cartridge displays.) You know what gun Teddy Roosevelt took to Cuba? He took a “Dynamite gun.” The Zalinski Dynamite Gun used a black powder cartridge to fire a captive piston down a tube to compress the air, which was then released and tossed a dynamite charge for a long distance. Here’s the blank case for the Zalinski gun.

With the uncertainty of the current political scene and economic times, ammunition of all calibers has been flying off shelves and, when available, it has been higher in price than it has ever been. With the price of military style firearms rising to very high levels and coupled with an even worse availability due to the unprecedented demand, recreational shooters have been waiting for something positive to affect the market. American Tactical Imports (ATI) has stepped forward to address all of these concerns with their GSG (German Sport Guns) line of firearms and their timing couldn’t be better.

Designed as a high-quality rimfire version of the extremely popular H&K MP5 family of firearms, the German-made GSG-5 has hit the ground running and its popularity only seems to be increasing. Since its introduction at SHOT Show 2008, it has developed a huge following and is now offered in several configurations. Other than under close examination, the GSG-5 guns are almost identical in aesthetics to their full-size counterparts and all share the feel and basic function of the originals.

The models available from the manufacturer include the following configurations:

• GSG-5 Carbine – Resembles the MP5A2 with full-stock and non-functioning suppressor.
• GSG-5P Pistol – Resembles the MP5A2 with no stock and short barrel.
• GSG-5PK Pistol – Resembles the SP-89 (or MP5k) with no stock and short barrel.

Several accessories are available directly from the manufacturer and include slings, stocks, mounts, magazines and optics.

Rimfire Rampage

With the GSG-5 guns, chambered in .22 LR, the ammo is far less expensive and much more available than almost all centerfire offerings. Rimfire rifles designed to emulate full-size “tactical” counterparts are not new. The difference with the GSG-5 series of .22 rifles is that it has been designed as a rimfire military-style firearm and not a “sporting rifle” simply wearing new clothes. From the packaging, to the ever-growing list of accessories, the GSG-5 is a quality military-style gun strait from the German factory.

The handling, the weight and the controls of the GSG-5s all painstakingly resemble their centerfire cousins. While the internals are completely different, the fit and function is immediately familiar to the shooter. From the ambidextrous selector/safety to the paddle-and-button magazine release, the feel is close enough to the original to make a low-cost training aid that is already in use in some circles already.

Aftermarket Configurations

Just like the original MP5 family of firearms, it seemed to take about 35-seconds before ingenious entrepreneurs started developing and offering Title-II versions and related accessories to make these new guns even more attractive to the Class III community. The GSG-5 Carbine and GSG-5P soon turned into SBRs (Short Barreled Rifles) with collapsible stocks, resembling an original MP5A3. The GSG-5PK also quickly made the SBR transformation with a folding stock to resemble the MP5K/PDW. Both sport either (or both) 3-lug suppressor adapters or threaded adapters for the popular 1/2×28 accessories on the market. To date this writer has seen no less than 10 different configurations from the 3 basic models.

Range Time

We were able to test several versions of the GSG-5 for Small Arms Review and all ran great and without any hesitation. Several types of ammo were utilized, as you will see in the chart that accompanies this article, and muzzle velocity and accuracy were measured and reported.

The two versions we spent the most time testing were both registered Short Barreled Rifles. They were converted by Kennebec Outfitters of Winslow, Maine, using standard parts available from Gordon Miller of HK Specialists in SC, (www.hkspecialist.net).

The first gun was an original GSG-5P with a collapsible stock. With a barrel length of 9 inches and an A3-style stock, it strongly resembled a standard “Navy” MP5. The second gun was an original GSG-5PK with a side-folding stock and Gemtech (www.gem-tech.com) 3-lug adapter. The third gun was an original GSG-5PK in the factory pistol configuration and was not used in any major capacity as the function and specifications were identical to the SBR version we were already testing.

Ammo utilized during live fire exercises included 40-grain Federal Champion, 40-grain American Eagle, 40-grain Federal Premium Gold Medal, 40-grain Wolf Match Target and 60-grain Aguila Sniper Subsonic.

All ran without malfunction of any kind until we got heavy in testing with the GSG-PK after firing in excess of 1,000 rounds with no cleaning. At that point, to be certain the malfunctions were only due to the heavy, thick sludge in the well-used gun we swapped to a new GSG-PK and continued firing with no malfunctions whatsoever. All ammo ran excellent, with the faster velocity rounds showing less sensitivity to the dirty gun.

The first tests were to measure muzzle velocity. This was accomplished with a PACT MK IV XP Timer and Chronograph. We used the upgraded infrared screens, placed 8 feet from the muzzle. The SBR GSG-5P was tested first. Having a 9-inch barrel, the fastest average muzzle velocity recorded was with the Federal Champion at 1,173fps. The most consistent ammo was the Aguila Sniper Subsonic with an extreme spread of only 16fps. With the 4.685-inch barreled GSG-5PK the fastest average muzzle velocity measured was with the Federal Champion at 1,081fps. The Federal Champion also proved to be the most consistent ammo with an extreme spread of 42fps. The third round of muzzle velocity testing was a repeat of the previous GSG-PK with the addition of a Coastal Passport silencer. Due to the short barrel leading to the inability to properly stabilize the heavy 60-grain projectile, the Aguila Sniper Subsonic was purposely omitted from this phase of testing so we would not have the potential of a baffle strike. With this firearm/silencer configuration the fastest average muzzle velocity was recorded with the American Eagle ammunition at 1,082fps. The Wolf Match Target provided the most consistency with an extreme spread of 35fps.

Accuracy testing was completed on a portable bench at a distance of 25 yards. All guns were tested using a single shooter and the factory open sights. No optics on any kind were utilized for these tests. Given the probability that the sights were designed more to match the cosmetics of the factory HK sights than to be utilized as a serious target sight, we were somewhat impressed with the groups the guns were capable of recording in the configurations described. Testing for accuracy was only recorded with the unsuppressed firearms.

The GSG-5P had the best 5-shot group when used in conjunction with the Wolf Match Target 40-grain ammo. The best group we recorded measured 1.070 inches. When dropping to the shorter GSG-5PK, the Wolf Match Target also had the distinction of the tightest 5-shot group measuring 1.190 inches. While the guns were fairly consistent with ammo by typically opening up a little as the barrel got shorter there were a few noteworthy abnormalities. First, the Federal Gold Medal actually shot a little tighter with the shorter barrel. The best 5-shot group with the 9-inch barrel was 1.640 inches and the best group 5-shot group recorded with the 4.685-inch barrel was 1.490 inches. This was the only “flip-flop” where a shorter barrel produced a tighter group. The other significant finding was with the 60-grain Aguila Sniper Subsonic ammo. With the 9-inch barreled GSG-5P we recorded an impressive 1.425-inch 5-shot group. Once we started shooting with the 4.685-inch barreled GSG-5PK the 5-shot group enlarged to a massive 5.272 inches and upon inspection it was revealed that some of the projectiles tumbled and impacted the target sideways.

Conclusion

Every model, version and style of the GSG-5, even those heavily modified from the original factory intentions, has functioned at or above the expectations of the author. Given the “more aesthetic than accurate” style of open-sights, the GSG guns proved to be very suitable plinkers and definite training aids to those wishing to shoot on a budget. The appetite for rimfire ammo, ranging in quality and price “from budget to bench-rest” was one of the most amazing attributes of the system. Many experienced shooters who have fine-tuned specific rimfire rifles can attest to the fact that .22 LR ammo has the potential to include manufacturing specifications all over the spectrum, and many guns are finicky of particular ammo brands. The GSG-5 series guns we tested ate everything we stuffed into the magazines and only after an enormous amount of ammo was fired did we experience any type of malfunctions at all. These were immediately rectified with a quick cleaning with no adverse effects. After spending some time with the GSG-5 guns it became obvious why so many people are adding these to their collections as these guns have the look and feel of the HK MP5 family of guns so many of us have come to enjoy. They are cheap to shoot and have an enormous number of accessories making the potential configurations almost unlimited. Even if we looked past the practical applications of training on a smaller ammo or equipment budget, and looked at the fun factor alone, this writer would wholeheartedly recommend the GSG-5 series of firearms to the readers of Small Arms Review magazine.

Registering your own Short Barreled Rifle

Most of the configurations of the GSG-5 we tested in this article are “Short Barreled Rifles” and require prior registration with BATFE. If you would like to own one, there are a few avenues you can use. The first option is to purchase one already registered from a Class III Dealer or Title II Manufacturer. Gordon Miller of www.HKSpecialist.net sells them all done, and he can be contacted through his website for pricing and to walk you through the purchase process. The other option you have is to register the pistol as a SBR yourself by filling out a BATF Form 1, and upon its return and approval, you can add the stock and other desired accessories.

For those of you not familiar with “making” an NFA firearm, here is a condensed version: The process is almost identical to the paperwork you do when buying any NFA firearm from a dealer. When you buy from a dealer you fill out both sides of a BATF Form 4, mail it in with a check for $200, a few passport pictures, a few fingerprint cards and a Certification of Citizenship form. After the item is approved you can pick it up. The only thing different when you register the item yourself is that you already own it in its Title I configuration, and you send in a BATF Form 1 instead of a BATF Form 4. Once it is approved you can acquire the parts to complete the conversion and assemble it. Do not buy or have in your possession the parts that would constitute the Title II firearm until the application to manufacture (BATF Form 1) has been approved.

To obtain the forms necessary to register your own NFA firearm (individuals may manufacture any NFA firearm or device except machine guns) you can contact your local BATFE branch office or order them on line at: www.atf.gov/forms/5000.htm. You will need a duplicate copy of a form ATF F 5320.1 (Form 1) – Application to Make and Register a Firearm, A form ATF F 5330.20 – Certification of Citizenship and some BATFE Fingerprint Cards. All are downloadable except the fingerprint cards.

If you have any questions you can find almost every answer at the BATFE website in the Firearms section. The home page is www.atf.gov.

GSG-5 Specifications (As new, unmodified)

GSG-5P
Classification: Pistol
Caliber: .22 Long Rifle
Method of Operation: Semiautomatic, recoil operated
Feed Mechanism: Detachable magazine 10-rds or 22-rds
Barrel length: 9 inches
Rifling: 6-groove, 1 twist in 16 inches
Overall Length: 18.6 inches
Overall Weight: 5.89 pounds
MSRP: $549.99

GSG-5PK
Classification: Pistol
Caliber: .22 Long Rifle
Method of Operation: Semiautomatic, recoil operated
Feed Mechanism: Detachable magazine 10-rds or 22-rds
Barrel length: 4.685 inches
Rifling: 6-groove, 1 twist in 16 inches
Overall Length: 15.275 inches
Overall Weight: 5.20 pounds
MSRP: $549.99

Sources:

GSG-5 Rifles and Pistols & Accessories
HK Specialist
146 Ashlan Woods Court
Greer, SC 29651
Ph: (864) 590-8570
Fax: (864) 877-8811
E-mail: Gordon@hkspecialist.net
Website: www.hkspecialist.net

GSG-5 Silencer Adapters
Gemtech
P.O. Box 140618
Boise, ID 83714
Ph: (208) 939-7222
Fax: (208) 939-7804
Website: www.gem-tech.com

The Auto-Ordnance Corporation spent nearly twenty years trying to market the first production run of 15,000 Thompson submachine guns. Unfortunately, no one customer wanted enough of this new type of weapon at any one time to deplete the inventory. In 1939, two very important events transpired: the rumblings of another world war began in Europe and a new management team took over an almost failed Auto-Ordnance Corporation. The new president, J. Russell Maguire, had a fresh vision for Auto-Ordnance and the foresight to place the Thompson back in production – even before the old inventory of Thompson guns manufactured years ago by Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company were sold. A deal was struck in December 1939 wherein the Savage Arms Company, Utica, New York, became the second subcontractor to manufacture the Thompson. The first Savage manufactured Thompsons rolled off the assembly line four months later for delivery to many new Auto-Ordnance customers.

When long time Thompson enthusiast Mike Wank first examined Savage Thompson submachine gun S-15043, he knew immediately the serial number was almost too good to be true. Serial number S-15043 was recorded on the ATF registration Form 4 and the numbers on the upper receiver and lower frame matched. Mike recognized something was probably amiss with this serial number; however, he purchased S-15043 because he found exactly what he wanted – a Tommy Gun at a good price.

No documentation has been uncovered that tells exactly what serial number Savage Arms used when Thompson production began. It is believed by many Thompson experts the serial numbering started exactly where the Colt manufactured Thompson’s stopped: No. 15041. To support this belief are documented Savage Model of 1928 Thompsons in the 15,000, 16,000 and 17,000 serial number ranges. The earliest production Savage Thompson known to exist is S-15651. Actually, it is the only Savage Thompson found by this author to exist in the 15,000 serial number range. As were many of the early Savage Thompsons, S-15651 was apparently sold to the British Purchasing Commission as evidenced by the British Broad Arrow markings on the left side of the receiver by the magazine well. The extreme need for guns by the British in early World War II may well explain why there are so few surviving examples of early Savage Thompsons. It is very likely many of these early guns were probably used until they could be used no more and discarded or simply just lost in battle.

If Savage started production at serial number S-15041, then S-15043 would be the third Savage Thompson manufactured. Could Mike have purchased the third Savage Thompson? And as a shooter!

Early production Savage Thompsons have a few characteristics that are quite different from the later production Savage Thompsons. The most common known difference is the New York, N.Y. U.S.A. address on the right side of the receiver. The great majority of Savage Thompsons have a Bridgeport, Connecticut U.S.A. address. Many Thompson enthusiasts have never seen a Savage Thompson with a New York address. The exact point where the address markings changed is unknown. Frank Iannamico’s excellent Thompson reference book, American Thunder II, places the address change somewhere between the 75,000 and 84,000 serial number ranges.

The second characteristic of early Savage production Thompsons is not so well known; it involves the patent markings on the right side of the receiver. Early Savage Thompsons have patent date markings that are identical to the markings on the late serial numbered Colt Thompsons. These are the patent date markings with the 1922 dates (identical to Colt Thompsons from serial No. 14500 to the end of the Colt production at No. 15040). The patent markings commonly found on the great majority of all Thompsons, including Savage Thompsons with a New York address, are patent numbers. As with the different addresses, above, it is also unknown at what point the patent date markings changed to the patent number markings. Research by the author has documented Savage Thompsons in the 25,000 and lower serial number ranges with the patent date markings; and documented Savage Thompsons in the 26,000 and higher serial number ranges with the patent number markings. Somewhere in between this range of serial numbers appears to be the change-over point – approximately 10,000 guns into production. However, this research was somewhat limited in scope because there are not a lot of very early Savage Thompsons to examine. As with all war time manufactured firearms, exceptions undoubtedly exist and will surface as research continues.

It is important to re-emphasize Savage receivers were still being marked with a New York address when the patent date markings changed to patent number markings. There are three known variations of address and patent markings on the Savage Thompson receiver:

• The very early first type Savage receiver marked with a New York address and patent date markings (seldom encountered).
• The second type Savage receiver marked with a New York address and patent number markings is the most commonly found Savage receiver with a New York address. The patent numbers were positioned in the same location as the patent dates.
• The third type (and most commonly encored) Savage receiver is marked with a Bridgeport address and patent number markings.

A quick inspection of Mike’s Thompson revealed a Bridgeport, Connecticut address and patent number markings and is definitely a late production Savage receiver. Careful examination of the serial number area revealed some handy work by an enterprising person or company.

The matching serial number on the lower frame of S-15043 looks to be original. There is a very slight misalignment of the numbers, but this is common on Savage lower frames. Most important, all the numbers on the lower frame are machine stamped and appear unchanged and unaltered.

Mike filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on S-15043 to learn more about the history of this Savage Thompson with the unusual serial number. From the redacted documents provided by ATF, it can be determined S-15043 began life on the National Firearms Act (NFA) Registry via an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 2 (Return of Firearms Manufactured, Imported, or Received by Manufacturer, Importer, Dealer (Other Than Pawnbroker), and Pawnbroker, under Chapter 25, Subchapter B, Internal Revenue Code), dated December 1, 1951. This registration date explained the reason for the handy work on the receiver and also told the exact origin of this Thompson. December 1, 1951, is believed to be the date George Numrich of The Numrich Arms Company (NAC) registered approximately 95 class three weapons that were included in the Thompson assets purchased from Frederic A. Willis and three of his associates on October 23, 1951. The class three weapons involved in this sale included Thompson submachine guns, prototype Thompson guns, Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) submachine guns, a .30-06 machine gun and a sufficient quantity of parts to assemble complete Thompsons. The small number of Thompsons registered by Numrich Arms Company in 1951 has come to be known by many in the Thompson community as the “NAC” or the “crate” Thompsons – because the complete Thompson business was packed away in crates when purchased by George Numrich. Continuing research has revealed several other NAC Thompsons also began life on the NFA Registry on December 1, 1951, with a documented transfer from former Thompson owner Frederic A. Willis to Numrich Arms Company.

Fortunately, the buttstock of S-15043 retained a property tag of one of the previous owners, The Village of Liberty. Internet research revealed such a city in the State of New York, very close to Mamaroneck, New York, the location of the Numrich Arms Company in 1951. Review of the FOIA redacted IRS/ATF forms indicated S-15043 had not been owned by a governmental agency for many years. A call to the police department located a retired officer who was for many years in charge of the Village of Liberty Police Department Firearm Training Division: Lt. Doug Lindsley.

Doug Lindsley began his career at the Village of Liberty Police Department in early 1971; he retired with the rank of Lieutenant in June 1995. Three times a year he attended the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) firearms training at Camp Smith, New York, and also assisted as a firearms instructor for the FBI special agents. In 1979, he was invited to attend the FBI’s annual qualification, barbecue, and competition shoot at Camp Smith. The shoot lasted three days and when the smoke cleared, Doug had finished first, ahead of the 186 FBI agents and 44 different state agency officers. Unfortunately, he could not accept the first place award because the competition was only for the agents… but he did manage a big smile for a long time afterward. The Thompson was used in many different phases of training at Camp Smith, but this only lasted for a couple of years. Doug recalled the Bureau began phasing out submachine gun training and started emphasizing the use of shotguns for the many small towns and rural areas in the State of New York. There are no known photographs of S-15043 while it was at the police department or any record of it ever being fired in the line of duty.

S-15043 was at the department when Doug became a police officer. A 50-round drum and two 20-round magazines accompanied the gun. Some excellent detective work by Doug produced a copy of the original IRS Form 5 (Firearms) tax exempt transfer document. This form shows August 15, 1952, as the date of transfer for S-15043 between the Village of Liberty Police Department and Numrich Arms Company. It is signed by “George R. Numrich, Jr., Individual Owner, 505 Halstead Avenue, Mamaroneck, New York.”

Doug believed S-15043 was sold back to Numrich Arms in the early 1980s and the money used to purchase shotguns. He was half-right; obtaining shotguns for the Liberty Police Department was the reason S-15043 was sold. But the purchasing dealer was Selective Fire Limited, a well known Class Three dealer now located in Marietta, Georgia.

The police patch shown in this story was the official department patch when S-15043 was in service with the Village of Liberty Police Department. Doug believed this patch should always be with S-15043 and proudly provided it to Mike.

Is Mike’s Thompson the third production Thompson submachine gun manufactured by Savage Arms Company in 1940? Yes and no. The receiver was definitely not produced in the early months of 1940. It is a late production Savage receiver that was probably surplus or rejected for some unknown reason and then never needed because production changed in 1942 from the Model of 1928 Thompson to the Model M1 Thompson. However, the lower frame appears to be original and at one time part of the original Savage S-15043 Thompson. Interviews of several former owners indicated S-15043 may have been parkerized after it was sold by the Village of Liberty Police Department. It is not hard to imagine how the original third Thompson manufactured by Savage could have been used in early quality control type testing that ultimately may have led to the receiver being destroyed or discarded. There is no doubt the lower frame of S-15043 was retained by Savage Arms (and later by Auto-Ordnance Bridgeport) and ultimately made its way to the Numrich Arms Company when George Numrich purchased the Thompson in 1951.

Review of other known “NAC” Thompsons with Savage receivers show the same serial numbering handy work as S-15043. The reversed numeral three in the serial number is just another example of the rudimentary Numrich Arms Company early markings. Careful examination of the receiver revealed what may have been a “NAC” or “NU” (for Numrich?) marking below the Numrich Arms Company stamped serial number; this marking was probably removed when this Thompson was refinished. Numrich Arms Company had to mark the serial numbers on the Thompson receivers in 1951 before registration with the Internal Revenue Service or the government would assign a serial number. The lower frame of S-15043 was obviously found in among the many Thompson parts and mated with a Savage receiver. A decision to mark this Thompson with the serial number of the lower frame was made and a new “NAC Thompson” was born. What happened to the “first” Savage S-15043 will probably never be known; however, the lower frame of this third Savage Thompson continues to live on as part of this “NAC” or “crate” Thompson.

Background Information Muzzle flash occurs when partial combustion products from the propellant emerge from the muzzle of a firearm and ignite in the atmosphere. The combustible products consist of hydrogen and carbon monoxide from the deflagration of the fuel-rich nitrocellulose propellant along with partially consumed propellant particles. These gases and particles are expelled from the muzzle at high temperatures and pressure. Like any fuel, they must reach a satisfactory air-to-fuel ratio before they can be ignited. Flash suppressors interfere with this mixing process. Some additional factors dictating the presence or absence of muzzle flash and its character include barrel length, propellant type and chemical composition, the effectiveness of any flash retardants in the propellant, flame temperature, muzzle pressure, gas volume generated by the propellant, exhaust gas products and by-products and adequate mixing of these products with air. This mixing usually takes some time and distance. Consequently, photographs of muzzle flash from most small arms often show a non-luminous space between the fireball and the muzzle. Any small amount of flame present in or at the muzzle is likely due to the primer.

The size, character and color of muzzle flash can vary greatly ranging from virtually no visible light in front of the muzzle to a very large fireball. Color can vary from a dull to bright red, yellow-orange to yellow to nearly white with a slight lavender hue. The presence of muzzle flash is, of course, a serious problem in firearms intended for military and law enforcement.

Over the last 50 years, manufacturers of military firearms such as the M14, AR-15 and other similar rifles have developed muzzle attachments that attempt to reduce or even obviate muzzle flash. Flash suppressants in the propellant are also an important constituent of nearly all military and law enforcement ammunition. Nearly 20 chemical additives have been listed in the literature as flash suppressants. The most common are potassium sulfate, potassium nitrate and potassium chloride in amounts up to about 2% but the presence of a flash suppressant is seldom if ever noted on canister propellants or, for that matter, on boxes of commercial ammunition.

Test-Documentation Procedures

The U.S. military under the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command has a Test Operations Procedure (TOP) for evaluating and measuring muzzle flash for a variety of small arms and larger weapons systems. TOP 3-2-045 (December 1983) contains a rather archaic procedure calling for the open shutter cumulative recording of twenty (20) shots with a 4×5 film camera positioned 4 to 5 feet out from the muzzle of the test firearm. A particular film speed and f-stop are also described. The testing is, of course, to be carried out in darkness. Strangely, no mention is made of the ammunition to be used or its composition or propensity to produce a muzzle flash with or without a flash suppressor attached to the firearm. This procedure not only seems awkward in the extreme but also self-defeating if one wants a realistic view of muzzle flash and some idea of its shot-to-shot consistency and reproducibility.

Contemporary digital cameras and a few chosen selections for f-stop and ISO settings comparable to those described here, along with a standoff distance on the order of 3 to 4 feet, provide the reader given to scientific testing a means for documenting and comparing muzzle flash.

While not absolutely necessary, a mechanical gun rest of some sort makes a very desirable addition to any set up since it keeps the rifle at the same standoff distance from the camera and area of interest immediately in front of the muzzle centered in the camera’s view. An outdoor location free of ambient light except for a full moon was chosen for the majority of this work. Alternatively, a small camp light placed on the ground and behind the camera will provide sufficient working light and will not interfere with the photographic process.

The authors used a Nikon D100 digital camera for the tests illustrated in this article but most any camera with a bulb setting or a built-in timer that will hold the shutter open for at least 4 to 5 seconds will accomplish the same end. If the bulb setting is to be used, a cable release will also be necessary and the cameraman will have to count off 4 or 5 seconds of exposure. The camera was positioned on a sturdy tripod so that it viewed the test rifle in profile from a distance of 4 feet with the test gun at the right edge of the frame. The remainder of the frame was reserved for any muzzle flash produced by the test shot.

The exposure time was set at 4 seconds, with Auto White Balance, an ISO setting of 400 and an aperture of f/5.6. With a little practice, this time interval allows for a strobe to be flashed followed by the discharge of the test rifle. A hand-held strobe was held near the camera and at such a position so as to properly ‘burn-in’ the pre-discharge image of the rifle. The rifle was then fired and any muzzle flash is added to the previous image. The immediate playback on the rear screen of the digital camera also allowed for the confirmation of a suitable image. A minimum of three shots with each rifle/flash suppressor/ammunition combination was carried out as a test and documentation of reproducibility.

It is important to realize that in this method all visible light is captured and integrated into the final image. The duration of a muzzle flash is on the order of 0.01 to 0.03 seconds and even less in some cases whereas the average duration of an involuntary eye blink is about 0.1 to 0.4 seconds. This means that it is possible that an eye witness looking directly towards a nighttime gunshot will not see the muzzle flash even though other witnesses see it and subsequent testing shows that the gun-ammunition combination consistently produces a large, bright muzzle flash.

Firearms

The first series of tests employed the following firearms:

• Olympic Arms MFR – 20-in. barrel
• Bushmaster XM15E2S – 14.5-in. barrel
• LAR15 Rock River – 7-in. barrel

All three of these firearms possessed a 1 in 9-inch twist

Ammunition

Two sources of .223Rem./5.56mm ammunition loaded with 55-gr FMJ-BT bullets were used in these tests. These consisted of Norinco .223Rem ammunition (Chinese manufacture – no lot number – headstamps “C J 8”) and Federal brand XM193 ammunition bearing the Lake City headstamp “LC 07”.

Flash Suppressors

The flash suppressors tested were as follows:

• A1
• A2
• Phantom A1
• Phantom A2
• Vortex
• Early Vortex

Test Considerations and Results

The essence of the Scientific Method in any testing protocol is to only change one variable at a time. The combined use of six flash suppressors and three barrel lengths allows a number of comparisons to be made. For example, one can isolate barrel length and ammunition (hold barrel length and ammunition constant) and study the effect of the six flash suppressors as well as the total absence of a flash suppressor. Alternatively, the effect of barrel length can be isolated by holding ammunition and flash suppressor constant. Finally, any difference due to the ammunition used in this study can be assessed by inter-comparing the appearance of any muzzle flash where the ammunition is the only variable.

Observations and Interim Summary – Phase 1

• 1. With only a few exceptions, muzzle flash, when present, was consistent and reproducible in appearance and size for each ammunition-barrel length-suppressor combination.
• 2. The muzzle flashes with both sources of ammunition were consistently yellow-orange in color. They invariably possessed a non-luminescent space between the muzzle and the actual fireball.
• 3. The Federal ammunition appears to contain a more effective flash suppressant than the Norinco ammunition (based on the results of the 20-inch rifle without a flash suppressor).
• 4. As expected, barrel length played an important role in the presence or absence of muzzle flash. The longer the barrel the less the muzzle flash, keeping the other variables of ammunition and flash suppressor constant.
• 5. Of the six flash suppressors employed in this study, the Vortex units far exceeded all other makes and models in their ability to suppress muzzle flash.
• 6. This technique or some simple modification of it will allow the reader to record and study muzzle flash. For those involved in ammunition selection, the inclusion of a scale at the gun position will allow quantitative measures of muzzle flash and criteria to be established for large quantity ammunition purchases. It also provides a means to study and compare the effectiveness of other existing or future flash suppressors.

Results and Observations According to Barrel Length

• 7. The Federal ammunition only produced a significant muzzle flash in 1 out of 3 shots with the 20-inch Olympic rifle without a flash suppressor. All of the flash suppressors were effective with this rifle and ammunition combination.
• 8. The Norinco ammunition produced a large muzzle flash with all 3 shots with the 20-inch Olympic rifle when this rifle lacked a flash suppressor. All of the flash suppressors were effective with this rifle and ammunition combination.
• 9. The Federal ammunition produced a large muzzle flash for all 3 shots with the 14.5-in. Bushmaster rifle without a flash suppressor. All of the flash suppressors were effective with this rifle and ammunition combination with the exception of the A2 suppressor that failed to totally suppress the muzzle flash for one of the three shots.
• 10. The Norinco ammunition produced a large muzzle flash with all 3 shots with this rifle when it lacked a flash suppressor. All of the flash suppressors were effective with this rifle and ammunition combination.
• 11. The Federal ammunition produced a large muzzle flash for all 3 shots with the 7-in. LAR15 rifle without a flash suppressor. The A1, A2 and Phantom A1 flash suppressors were only slightly effective with this rifle and ammunition combination. The Phantom A2 was partially successful in that it suppressed the flash in 2 out of 3 shots. Both Vortex suppressors were completely effective in suppressing muzzle flash with this rifle-ammunition combination.
• 12. The Norinco ammunition produced a large muzzle flash with all 3 shots with this rifle when it lacked a flash suppressor. The A1 and Phantom A1 were only partially successful in reducing muzzle flash. The A2 flash suppressor prevented 2 out of 3 flashes and the Phantom A2 only prevented 1 out of 3 flashes. Both Vortex flash suppressors were completely effective with this rifle and ammunition combination.

Phase 2 Tests

The ‘C J 93’ Norinco ammunition was used in combination with a Stag Arms 18-inch AR-15 to evaluate the flash suppressing capabilities of the 3-prong flash suppressor that came as original equipment on very early M16s. These results were compared to the current A1 “birdcage” flash suppressor and two types of Vortex suppressors. These tests were carried out in Forensic Science Service’s range using a black drop cloth behind the muzzle area of the rifle. A CED chronograph with infrared detectors was used to record the velocity values of each shot measured 10 feet downrange. The camera-to-muzzle distance for these tests was 3.5 feet and the aperture changed to f/6.3 due to the shorter standoff distance.

The two types of Vortex flash suppressors totally negated any muzzle flash whereas the 3-prong and A1 suppressors were reasonably effective, allowing only a small amount of flash to occur.

Summary

This work provides a method and some photographic parameters that will allow the reader to carry out and document muzzle flash tests. Some representative examples of muzzle flash, muzzle flash suppressors and muzzle flash suppression by these devices have been provided in the numerous figures contained in this article.

Special thanks are extended to David Fisher of Fisher Enterprises, Tempe, AZ for his assistance and the use of his Bushmaster XM15E2S.

The “Black Rifle” has gone through several incremental changes over the last decade. The industry is vast and there is no shortage of accessories and product enhancements. Although most of them are “gadgets,” some have truly been enhancements that lead the weapon platform into clearly new territory and may define the future configurations of this combat proven family of weapons.

In January, 2009, Colt Defense introduced and began shipping their first new model for the law enforcement community in nearly a decade. The LE6940 is truly the “next level” for Colt’s legendary AR-15/M16/M4 family of weapons. What sets this model apart from the rest is that it is built on Colt’s monolithic upper receiver. This receiver provides multiple enhancements to the weapon.

The 1-Piece Upper Receiver

The upper receiver is a truly monolithic design. Many of the so called-monolithic upper receivers in the industry are actually two pieces welded together. The top rail of the rifle offers a continuous rail from the rear of the receiver to the front sight base. This satisfies zero retention and zero repeatability requirements. Optics may be removed and installed with no effect on zero. The 3 and 9 o’clock rails are also rigid and provide the same zero retention. The barrel itself is fully free floated. This offers several enhancements in accuracy, heat control and durability to the weapon. By having a free floated barrel, accuracy is enhanced as there is no heavy piston or handguard to interfere with the harmonics of the barrel. This feature is used on competition rifles and is essential for precision shooting. The receiver also enhances cooling of the weapon and thus durability is also increased. It is unlike many current rail systems which are made of aluminum or steel and attach at the barrel nut as well as the handguard cap that transfers heat from the front sight base (hottest point of the barrel) back into the aluminum receiver. An additional feature of the Colt design is its barrel extension and nut. There is an increase in the contact area between the barrel and receiver to increase accuracy. The barrel nut also does not have to be aligned with the gas tube.

By utilizing the 1-piece upper there is a significant savings of cost and weight compared to purchasing a traditional M4-type carbine. The savings in cost comes from not having to purchase and install an aftermarket rail system as well as a back up iron sight, which are already standard on the LE6940. Experience shows that many military or law enforcement operators will immediately upon receiving an M4-type weapon, remove the handguards and install a rail system and purchase a back up sight.

The LE6940

Colt Defense has taken their new monolithic upper receiver and offered it to Law Enforcement. The LE6940 offers the enhanced monolithic upper receiver with a 16.1 inch M4-profile barrel with the step cut. The barrel is the standard GI 1/7 inch twist chrome lined barrel offering the user the ability to fire the full range of projectile weights. The 16.1 inch barrel is perhaps the optimal carbine length barrel for both accuracy and terminal performance of the 5.56mm cartridge in a carbine configuration. Just like the military weapons, every barrel is subjected to a 70,000 psi proof cartridge and then magnetic particle inspected to insure the barrel is free of stress fractures. The rifle comes equipped with the standard A2 compensator. The upper receiver also has a forward assist and a fired cartridge case deflector.

Another outstanding feature is the introduction of the new folding front sight. Unlike most of the folding front sights on the market, the Colt folding front sight base is pinned in place as opposed to screwed on. Pinning the front sight base is significantly more durable and permanent. Due to the pinning process, the front sight base will not loosen and adversely affect accuracy or reliability. The benefit of the folding front sight is enormous when using optics. The standard front sight base often obstructs the view of optics when mounted on the rail of a flat top upper receiver and the shooter has a significantly better field of view with the front sight folded. Most optics as well will allow co-witnessing between the back up sights and the optic in case the battery was to fail or the optic was to become damaged. The front sight base is equipped with a bayonet lug. The Colt folding front sight is robust and positive locking. Another benefit of having the front sight attached to the barrel is when the barrel moves due to thermal expansion the sight moves with it maintaining zero. The production LE6940 uses a quick detach sling swivel, which can be mounted on either mounting point on both sides of the front of the receiver. The lower handguard, which is removable, requires only the push inward of a detent on the rear of the bottom of the handguard. Once the detent is pushed in, the handguard is slid forward and then pulled down. The rail is more robust, easier to remove.

‘ The LE6940 comes standard with the U.S. Government Issue MaTech back up iron sight that is adjustable for both windage and elevation. The elevation is adjustable up to 600 meters and zeroes the same as the standard M4/M16A2 fully adjustable rear sights. The elevation is calibrated for the drop of the M855 ammunition. Windage is easily adjusted with the standard size windage knob.

The LE6940 comes with a standard M16 bolt carrier and bolt. The bolt is also test fired with a 70,000 psi proof cartridge and then magnetic particle inspected to insure it is free of stress fractures. The extractor incorporates a Mil-Std extractor spring, which increases extraction reliability.

The lower receiver incorporates a change as well. Since the introduction of the Colt Sporter series semiautomatic only rifles in the early 1990s, Colt has used a larger .170 hammer and trigger pin. This was an effort to prevent conversion to automatic fire. Thus with the larger pins, one could not install selective fire components. This proved to be problematic with Colt customers. By not using industry standard .154-inch diameter hammer and trigger pins, many of the enhanced triggers would not be offered to Colt Sporter and Match Target owners. The LE line of Colt semiautomatic only rifles would also use the .170 diameter hammer and trigger pins. The LE6940 is introduced with a lower receiver which goes back to the standard .154 hammer and trigger pins. This is a result of both customer request as well as parts standardization.

The lower receiver is equipped with the standard GI telescopic stock with four positions allowing for individual adjustment. Another new feature incorporated into the LE6940 is the reversible selector lever. If the shooter is left handed, they only have to unscrew the pistol grip screw, remove the pistol grip and, with the hammer cocked slightly, push down on the hammer and remove the selector lever from the left side and reinstall it in the right side.

The Magpul 20-round PMags were used for all function and firing testing. The test and evaluation rifle was fired off of a bench at 100 yards. The ammunition selected for accuracy testing was Black Hills Mk262 Mod1. This is the special operations 77-grain open tip match Sierra projectile and, in this author’s opinion, is the most accurate out-of-the-box 5.56mm available. Groups maintained 1-1/2 inches at 100 yards using a Trijicon ACOG scope. The trigger on this rifle broke at 6 pounds with little creep. For functioning testing, the 1-piece upper receiver was placed on a selective fire M4 lower receiver. More than 1,000 rounds were fired on automatic with no malfunctions encountered. The sample rifle was equipped with a VLTOR Modstock, PMags, Insight Tech Gear M3X tactical light and KAC vertical pistol grip.

Further Development of the 1-Piece Upper Receiver

The Colt monolithic upper receiver has become a standard in most of Colt’s new weapon designs. Given its versatility of design, it may be used on both direct gas operated rifles as well as piston designed weapons. Colt’s prototypes unveiled at November 2008’s Industry Day held by the Secretary of the Army utilized this 1-piece receiver including the ACC-M (direct Gas), APC-M (piston), SCW (direct gas and piston), Hybrid and the Infantry Automatic Rifle.

Colt’s new weapon began shipping out of the Hartford, CT factory in January of 2009. New models are on the horizon in 11.5, 14.5 and possibly even 20-inch barrel lengths. The monolithic rail platform is a for-sure hit due to all the features offered. Police departments will be able to buy a rifle already equipped with a rail and back-up sights instead of purchasing them as accessories. The money saved can be put toward optics and other needed gear.

The Colt CGL (Colt Foregrip Laser)

Along with the T&E LE6940, another new Colt product was found: the new Colt Foregrip Laser. The CGL was a joint venture between Colt Defense and LaserMax, Inc. LaserMax is known to be an industry leader in micro diode technology. A previous government request was for a vertical pistol grip that would combine the laser sight.

The CGL incorporates a vertical pistol grip, laser sight as well as a traveling light in one package. By a selector switch on the rear of the CGL, the unit may be set for the traveling light, off, constant beam laser as well as the pulsating laser. The CGL uses an American Defense QD Auto Lock mount. The CGL is activated by an activation switch on the front of the grip. By squeezing the switch slightly the unit will turn on momentarily. By squeezing all the way in, the unit will be continuously turned on until the switch is depressed and released. The unit is powered by two commercially available AA batteries.

The current offering is a 635nm laser that has an orange color. Constant as well as pulsating modes are available at discretion. Pulsating offers the benefit of battery life extension and is easier for the eye to pick up as it “irritates” the eye so it is more visible. There are several tactical applications for this option to include distinguishing ones laser apart from another. Given there is no play in the lower handguard, the CGL holds an alignment of 1/2 inch at 25 yards. Laser sights are designed for close quarter battle scenarios and not as precision long range targeting devices.

The traveling light is not to be confused with a tactical light. The LED traveling light is designed for low level brightness, which is used to view objects up close such as the floor in front of the operator or objects immediately in front of you. The T&E unit showed this very well. When entering a dark room and activating, the traveling light showed the ground and walls well; when switched to a tactical light, the whole room lit up.

The benefits of laser sights are many. First and foremost it is intimidation. Due to the use of the media, everyone knows if you see a red dot on you something bad is about to happen. The media has conditioned society to react that way to a laser. Laser sights offer law enforcement an option that may prevent them from firing their weapon when without it the outcome may have been quite different. The use of the laser also speeds up reaction and engagement time. It is more efficient to use a laser for quick fire situations than sights. Many times when under these circumstances the operator may not have time to shoulder his weapon and obtain a sight picture. The laser offers the shooter full use of peripheral vision to better know the situation and what is going on around him.

The laser is adjusted by two Allen key screws. An adjustment tool was provided with the CGL. The CGL was mounted to the front of the bottom rail of the LE6940. An Insight Tech Gear Laser Borelight System was placed in the muzzle projecting a laser of the centerline of the bore. The CGL was placed on pulsating laser mode and switched on. The CGL was zeroed with the Laser Borelight System at 15 yards. This distance was chosen because the tactical situations which the CGL truly shines are for engaging targets at close range. The CGL is shipped with one daylight zero target. This is a reflective target that allows the laser to be seen in broad daylight. Nifty idea since most indoor ranges will not allow a high power rifle.

At 15 yards, the laser was shooting within an inch off hand. Accuracy was acceptable and the speed of engagement of targets was enhanced. There were no problems with the CGL. More than 300 rounds were fired with no noticeable change in alignment.

Colt Defense has released a new Black Rifle as well as a new accessory this year. The industry has waited to see more new products from Colt and they will not be disappointed. Although U.S. government contracts must be the priority at Colt Defense, as of this writing, Colt Defense has been producing significant numbers of Law Enforcement and commercial rifles. Recently at AUSA, Colt Defense unveiled several of their new products including alternative operating systems as well as their monolithic upper receiver. Small Arms Review will certainly be on top of these developments as information is released.

(Small Arms Review contributing editor Christopher Bartocci works as a Technical Specialist for Colt Defense LLC. The articles written by this author are of his own research and evaluation and in no way represent those of Colt Defense LLC.)

Desperate Measures
The Last-Ditch Weapons of the Nazi Volkssturm
By W. Darrin Weaver
ISBN 0-88935-372-7
Collector Grade Publications
PO Box 1046
Cobourg, Ont K9A 4W5 Canada
Phone (905) 342-3434 e-mail: info@collectorgrade.com
www.collectorgrade.com

During Germany’s salad days in early World War 2, little regard was given to arming the populace and last ditch defenses or choosing between the rapidly advancing Allies in the west and the Soviet juggernaut from the east. But it wasn’t long after D-Day when officials in Hitler’s Reich, taken aback by the speed of the Allies’ approach to Germany’s borders on both sides, finally realized that, perhaps, they were losing the war and might need the help of almost everyone in the defense of the Fatherland. And just as importantly, these defenders, these “Volkssturm”, would need to be armed. Desperate Measures seeks to detail the fascinating activities around that effort, and succeeds very satisfactorily.

Divided into four major parts with seventeen chapters, Desperate Measures is an exhaustive dissertation on the many aspects of creating last-ditch arms and armies. Part I gives the general history of the Volkssturm along with information regarding the acquisition of arms used to equip them. At the very beginning, author Weaver begins with dialogue regarding the political and business climate of wartime Nazi Germany. It is important, before any discussion of the weapons themselves, that the reader has an understanding of where the Volkssturm came from, how it was conceived and organized. With so much of the German male population already in the military, where did the manpower come from? Further still, how did German officials sell the idea to the German people all the while telling them how well things were going in the war?

It turns out that the selling of the idea was easy. As Soviet forces reached the eastern fringe of the German state in the fall of 1944, the Red Army was brutal in their vengeance as they captured German towns and villages. This was repeated so often that in practically no time everyone in Germany had a pretty good idea of what was waiting for them in defeat. Between D-Day and September, 1944, 600,000 men were lost as casualties or prisoners on the Western front alone. The associated loss of equipment made it difficult for the German arms industry to keep up as well. It wasn’t until late in the war before the Nazi war machine had the country’s industries on a war footing. Prior to that, it was pretty much 40 hour work weeks and business as usual. To say the Germans didn’t have a sense of urgency until it was too late is an understatement.

Thus, Desperate Measures records the difficulty in organizing and arming a planned million man army while being choked from all sides, including the air. Yet, as many as 700 or more Battalions of Volkssturm made it into action, mostly on the eastern front. So while the kar.98 was redesigned for quicker, easier manufacture in a simplified state, civilian arms were also pressed into service. This usage was actually greater than most realize and Weaver shows this with excellent research. It also seems that civilian and club owned sporting and hunting arms may have been seized for use. Even Luftwaffe drillings were on occasion handed out for use as an infantry weapon.

Be that as it may be, the issue of captured foreign rifles was the standard. The Italian Carcano was ultimately the most commonly issued Volkssturm weapon among the fantastic variety of arms officially used, and Weaver refers to it as the true Volksgewehr. Many of these were converted to 7.92mm by the Germans.

One other interesting tidbit revealed in this section of the book is the German designation for captured Russian Winchester 1895 muskets in 7.62x54R, the Gewehr 255 (r). Seems they used any and everything they could get their hands on.

Chapter 5, the final one in Part I, revolves completely around German anti-tank weapons used by the Volkssturm, when they could get them. There is a generous amount of detail about the Panzerfaust and the Panzerschreck as well as the German improvement to the American bazooka called the Ofenrohr (Stovepipe). This final chapter of the section delights with numerous rare photos, diagrams and reprinted pamphlet pages regarding these items too.

Part II of the book is devoted to the design, development, sourcing from suppliers and manufacture (with the hope of issuance) of rifles specifically for the Volkssturm. This is the story of the home-grown Volkswaffen. Here will be found everything from the dreadfully crude Erma EMP44 to a distant relative of the G3, the Gustloff Volkssturmgewehr also known by the post-war misnomer VG 1-5, a fascinating design that required according to company documents, “three weeks to design and 3 man hours to manufacture.” The cover photo is a detail from the photo on pg 348 and is significant since it shows the VG 1-5 in action as an issued arm.

Part III of Desperate Measures is titled “Other Weapons for the Volkssturm”. While handguns and squad machine guns are here, most noteworthy items in this section are the mysterious “Potsdam Device” (Gerät Potsdam), a direct Sten copy, and the further development of it, the MP3008 (Gerät Neumünster). These were the Volksmachinenpistole and only a few thousand were made. Impetus for this line of arms was from a 1942-43 primitive weapons program inspired by the British Sten.

The MP3008 was meant to be a simplification of the already simple Sten. To further ease manufacture, they eliminated the barrel jacket, repositioned the magazine well on the underside and made it rigidly attached, reducing the time required to produce the arm to around one hour. It was really meant for Heer (Army) but its cheapness and simplicity made it attractive for the Volkssturm. During the war it was commonly referred to as Sten-Pistole, the MP3008 name is a post-war colloquialism.

Finally, in Part IV, Weaver sums up. Here will be found some stories of the tragic use of the Volkssturm, the old men, the children, and the constant shortages of even the simple arms that are the focus of the book.

Primarily a weapons book, Desperate Measures is necessarily also a history book as the end days of the European Theatre in WWII are inexorably entwined with the subject matter. As the book buying public has come to expect from Collector Grade Publications, Desperate Measures is a large format book of the highest quality, with an eye catching cover jacket and literally hundreds of photos, many rare and previously unpublished. The table of contents is so detailed as to make the omission of an index easily ignored, and the final pages are composed of several appendices including a detailed bibliography of the research that went into this wonderful book. A superb look at an ultimately hopeless cause and the “Desperate Measures” spawned by desperate times.

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse it just seems that the news doesn’t get any better. Ammo prices are through the roof, if you can find any. The AR family of rifles has all but disappeared from the shelf and the backlog for many of the manufacturers has surpassed the 50,000 mark for waiting customers. A thousand rounds of 5.56 that used to cost $175 surpassed the $400 mark months ago. What used to be an $800 decked out AR is now passing the $2,000 mark. It seems there is no end to the news.

Although still in pretty good shape the NFA buyers are slow but sure. We know that short barreled shotguns, short barreled rifles, and suppressor purchases are at an all time high. If we keep on the current track of buying NFA merchandise in 2009, it will surpass a million, yes 1,000,000 transfers in the fiscal year ending October 1st. It is really a strange phenomenon if you look at the buying surge and keep in mind that last year we barely passed the 500,000 mark for transfers.

There are still a lot of machine guns that are transferable being sold this year but nothing to compare to what we have seen in the last five years. Some of the active dealers who are used to selling three and four guns at a show have now fallen back to selling accessories rather than depending on the revenue from NFA sales. They may be selling a lot of NFA stuff but the margins are lower on a suppressor and a short barreled rifle or shotgun. In a recent conversation with an NFATCA dealer we were told that last year they sold nearly sixty high end NFA items compared to a mere dozen this year. So although the buyers are still out there, the “cautiously optimistic” crowd is larger than ever. Because we still don’t have a grip on what is happening with our own economy most of us are holding on to what we have or dumping what we don’t need or want to make room for a better cash flow, just in case. It makes for some strange numbers showing that the older guns are not selling like they used to. The choice is to hold on and wait for better times or to sell the gun and perhaps even take a loss. This chemistry makes both buying and selling interesting, to say the least.

Keep in mind that the “transferable” number of machine guns that are available will never get any bigger, and unfortunately will only shrink as time passes on. I remember two years ago Ken Houchens announced to the Knob Creek crowd that a recent NFA study showed that there were only 182,619 transferable machine guns in the United States. If that one fact isn’t enough to make you a believer just watch pricing as time passes. Sure the economy will affect how and when people buy, but make no mistake, the buying crowd is much larger than the selling crowd by a wide margin. In short, that 182,619 number is and has been for over 20 years, a safe bet. Pricing may change a bit from year to year but the really good stuff has and will continue to be holding its own, as long as you are patient. Just remember, it hasn’t been that long ago since many of us paid $250 for an HK sear or $300 for a MAC 11. I wish I could say that this was the first time that we have seen this kind of lull in the economy. For those of us who have seen this before we know that patience is a virtue and that waiting is the name of the game. That’s the part that is hard to bear. For many of us we ask the simple question, “Wait for what?”

In all of the fury there is one thing that you can rest assured that is happening in the NFA community: the NFATCA is and has been watching out for your interests. We watch the numbers every day and keep track of virtually every activity in the NFA industry that may affect our future. We keep in daily contact with major industry representatives and the top management of ATF to make absolutely certain that both the industry and ATF are moving in lock step with one another. This year we have an agenda that focuses on nine separate objectives that have been jointly created by industry and ATF. At this writing, we have made three proposals to put four of our objectives behind us as major accomplishments this year. I know we keep talking about the secrecy of these issues but we promise, as results are available you will read them right here first. In the meantime, we the NFATCA say “stick to your guns” and support your NFA community in any manner that you feel suitable. We would like to have you become a part of what we are doing and encourage you to do so. However, if that is not on your agenda, join us every month here and read about what we are up to and think how you could make a difference for all of us. Every effort helps and every NFATCA member encourages you to get out to the shows and make a difference in whatever manner you can. Of the three hundred plus members, every individual is making a difference in some way. We challenge you, as an NFA supporter to do the same.

Pretty exciting times, as far as we are concerned! Don’t miss the boat any longer; come join the only organization in the country that is watching over every single NFA issue possible. All of this energy is just for you, the NFA owner. Join the NFATCA today by visiting us at www.nfatca.org.

Allegheny Arsenal Introduces New DP-28 Pan Magazine Loader

Allegheny Arsenal, Inc. of Bradford, PA, a well known and long time dealer of machine gun parts and accessories for the beginning and advanced collector, has developed and manufactured a DP-28 (Degtyarev) pan magazine loader to load the 47-round magazines for this light machine gun and the semi-auto versions now on the market. Loading pans has always been a real chore and original loaders have been as scarce as hen’s teeth. The new Allegheny Arsenal loader is a completely new, patented design manufactured from tool steel. All critical parts are heat treated and it is covered by a one year warranty for parts and labor.

The loader is extremely simple to use and only has three moving parts. It comes completely assembled, ready to use. Complete, easy to follow instructions are provided with the loader. To load a pan, the magazine is placed in the loader on a slight angle, shell port up. The pan is guided in place by two arms and held in place by the center screw on the obverse side. One hand operates the lever, which advances the magazine and takes pressure off the spring and follower. One round is placed into the magazine and the arm is moved again and the process repeated. You can load all forty-seven rounds into a magazine in less than two minutes!

The price for the loader is $269 plus $10 shipping and handling. For more information on the new DP-28 pan magazine loader, as well as other rare machine gun parts and accessories, please contact them at Allegheny Arsenal, Inc., Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 161, Custer City, PA 16725. Phone (814) 362-2642. Fax: (814) 362-7356. Email: mg34@mg34.com. Website: www.mg34.com.

Magnolia State Armory Introduces Galil Magazine Adapters

Magnolia State Armory has added two new magazine adapters to their line of existing magazine adapters that already include versions for the Saiga .223 adapter. The two new adapters fit the popular Galil/Golani rifles. These new adapters allow the use of lower cost and more versatile AR-15/M16 magazines to be used in the Galil rifles. The adapters come in two versions; the first is for the current production Century International Arms Inc. gun and is designated the model AR2G223GLN. The second, model AR2G223GAL, is made for the Ohio Rapid Fire guns as well as the IMI imports. Due to the large number of both styles of receivers of both guns in circulation, as well as milling variations, some minor fitting may be required for either model. All of the adapters are constructed of 6061 aluminum and are finished with hard coat anodizing. The new adapters have ambidextrous release capabilities and are designed to work with any Mil-Spec AR-15 magazine. Colt 20-round magazines and similar that have longer feed lips will not function with the adapters unless the feed lips are shortened. All adapters made by Magnolia State Armory come with a one year warranty. MSA will also soon be releasing an AK adapter to fit AK-47 rifles and variants such as the Arsenal SLR-106. For more information please contact them at Magnolia State Armory, Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 5960, Brandon, Mississippi 39047. Phone: (769) 233-8118. You can also visit them online at www.magnoliastatearmory.com.

DEZ Arms Announces New AK-47 Adjustable Gas Block

DEZ Arms, Inc. has announced the release of its new, adjustable AK-type gas block for the AK-47 and variants, Romak 3 – PSL sniper rifles commonly used for military, law enforcement and civilian applications shot in semi-auto and full-auto modes. Its regulated gas block is a major improvement over the former block. Once retrofitted on the firearm, adjustments can be dialed in: “off” position for single shots to a full gas position for any load available. The gas block reduces recoil by allowing the proper flow of gas to cycle the bolt and carrier without hitting the rear trunnion and buffer; thereby reducing damage to receiver rails and rivets in the rear trunnion and rails. Bolt carrier racking caused by violent gas pressure slamming against the gas piston and carrier is also reduced. Carbon build-up on the piston head and shaft are similarly reduced by directing unused gasses out the muzzle end of the barrel. This unique adjustable gas block enhances bullet velocity by using less gas to cycle the system. Simply mount the adjustable gas block to the barrel with four set screws, adjust the gas flow by turning the regulator – in to decrease, out to increase the gas. Once the desired adjustment has been dialed in, lock the regulator by tightening the slotted nut. A screw driver, coin, or rim of a cartridge case can be used to precisely adjust the regulator. The adjustable gas block can quickly and easily be installed. First remove the front sites from the barrel by removing pins. Next remove pins from the old gas block then remove the existing block from the barrel. Lastly, install the adjustable gas block on the barrel and align the gas port hole with the gas block port. Apply Lock-Tite to the set screw tips and tighten securely allowing time to dry. The gas block is made from 4140 chrome moly steel and comes in two sizes; .592 for AK-47 and variant barrels and .610 for Romak 3 and PSL barrels. The new AK-47 Adjustable Gas Block will be offered at an introductory price of $99.99 for a limited time only. For more information you can contact them at DEZ Arms, Inc., Dept. SAR, 2899 11th Drive, Adams, WI 53910. Phone: (630) 280-9446. Fax: (630) 668-2041. Website: www.dezarms.com.

Walker’s Introduces New Power Muff Quads

Walker’s, the shooting and hunting industry pioneer in hearing protection, expands their line with their new Power Muff Quads. The most advanced amplification earmuffs on the market are now available in Realtree and Mossy Oak, and Blaze Orange, complimenting their current black production models. These popular earmuffs incorporate four individual high frequency response directional microphones that provide the most natural, crystal clear sound amplification and hearing protection, all in one unit. By incorporating the advanced Sound Activated Compression (SAC) circuit, loud sounds, like muzzle blasts, are instantly compressed, while line commands and conversations at the range and in the field are still easily heard. The new muffs feature 9X hearing enhancement, 24 dB noise reduction rating, sound activated compression and two independent volume and bass/treble controls for precise sound fine tuning. Batteries are included with each unit. For more information you can contact them at GSM-Walker Products, LLC, Dept, SAR, P.O. Box 535189, Grand Prairie, TX 75053. Phone: (877) 269-8490. Website: www.walkersgameear.com.

New XS Sight Systems AR-15/M16 CSAT Combat Sight

The XS CSAT Combat Sight eliminates the guesswork shooters face when trying to accurately engage targets in close quarters with the aperture sight commonly used on AR style rifles. When engaging up-close targets with open sights on AR/M4 rifles, guessing and holding high has been the standard procedure. This is because the height of the sights above the barrel causes bullets to impact as much as 2 1/2 inches below point of aim at close quarter engagement distances. The XS CSAT Combat Sight incorporates a square notch above the aperture. The square notch allows you to hold dead-on when the threat is only feet away and the aperture permits accurate shooting at extended ranges. With the easy to install CSAT Combat Sight, never again will you guess or take your hands from your weapon to flip sights when transitioning between close and long range targets. Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price is just $35. The CSAT Combat Sight was designed by Master Sergeant (Retired) Paul Howe. Howe is the lead instructor for Combat Shooting and Tactics (CSAT), the Senior Manager with Triple Canopy Law Enforcement Training. Howe spent 10 years with U.S. Military Special Operations as an Assault Team Leader, Sniper and Senior Instructor. For more information please contact them at XS Sight Systems Inc., Dept. SAR, 2401 Ludelle, Fort Worth, TX 76105. Phone: (888) 744-4880. Fax: (800) 734-7939. Their website is www.xssights.com.

Mexican authorities handpicked for tracing the firearms that were used to bolster the claim that “more than 90 percent of about 11,000 guns tied to violence in Mexico’s drug wars came from the United States,” according to a report appearing in the El Paso Times.

The Mexican federal attorney general’s staff recently acknowledged that Mexican authorities had seized 35,943 arms, including 2,800 grenades, since the crackdown against the drug cartels began in December 2006. That means Mexico provided the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with serial numbers for less than a third of the weapons that were seized.

Earlier this year, officials of the ATF stated publicly that 90 percent of the weapons recovered in Mexico in connection with drug violence were traced to the United States.

Using the ATF’s 90 percent figure, President Barack Obama and Mexico’s ambassador to the United States, Arturo Sarukhan, said U.S. guns were fueling drug violence in Mexico.

But the 90 percent figure was overblown because Mexico did not provide the ATF with serial numbers for all the weapons it seized, according to information obtained by the El Paso Times through the Freedom of Information Act.

“During fiscal years (October through September) 2007 and 2008, Mexico submitted to ATF 11,055 crime guns to be traced. ATF determined that 94 percent of those crime guns originated from various sources within the United States,” the ATF said adding “It is important to note that the 94 percent figure only relates to the crime guns that Mexico provided to ATF to be traced.”

An ATF spokesman also said that about 2,800 of the 11,055 weapons were imported to the United States from other countries before they ended up in Mexico, adding “a small percentage could not be determined to have a nexus to the United States.”

The ATF did not respond to other questions posed by reporters about the traced weapons, such as how many were tracked to U.S. foreign military exports or U.S. direct commercial sales.

It is widely believed that most of the seized weapons were not traced because of corruption in Mexico. Police in Mexico are thought to not submit the serial numbers of high-value guns, such as military-grade firearms, because they keep them for themselves.

“The 90 percent figure is being recklessly tossed around,” said Andrew Arulanandam, spokesman for the NRA in Washington. “It is a calculated attempt to pin the tragedy of the Mexican drug wars on the American people and the Second Amendment. The first step to fixing the problem is for Mexico to make sure the rampant corruption that exists in law enforcement, the military, judiciary and even among politicians, is eradicated.”

The United Nations and Amnesty International are among the organizations that lobby for global gun control. Harold Kohn, Obama’s nominee for legal adviser to the State Department, is on record advocating global gun control.

ATF Expands Caribbean Region eTrace Reach

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will provide eTrace, an electronic system used to trace illicit firearms with the Ministry of Justice and Police of the Government of Suriname. This is an ongoing effort to combat firearms trafficking in the region consistent with the December 2007 joint Caribbean Community (CARICOM)-U.S. Initiative on Combating the Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms and Light Weapons and Ammunition. (For additional information see website: www.state.gov/p/wha/rls/120209.htm)

eTrace is a paperless firearm trace submission system that is accessible through a secure Internet connection. ATF processed more than 300,000 crime-gun trace requests in fiscal year 2008, including traces from 58 countries. The other countries in the region that have eTrace capabilities include Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Mexico, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Unauthorized Versions of ATF Application Forms

The Federal Firearms Licensing Center (FFLC) reports it is receiving unauthorized versions of ATF Form 7CR, Application for Federal Firearms License (Collector of Curio and Relics) from curio/relic firearms collector applicants.

Any FFL applications submitted on other than officially approved ATF forms will not be accepted for processing by the FFLC. The unauthorized forms have been modified from the official ATF version and made available to applicants on public Internet sites without the express permission of ATF.

FFL applications on forms other than those officially approved and issued by ATF will be returned with instructions on how to order official application forms from ATF’s Distribution Center (www.atf.gov/dcof/index.htm). Please contact the FFLC at (304) 616-4600 with any questions about this policy.

Most of ATF’s forms are available in a PDF format on the ATF Website (www.atv.gov) and also from www.atf.gov/forms/3000.htm.

ATF Reform Bill Introduced in Both House & Senate

Following the recent introduction of a Senate bill designed to strike a balance between providing ATF with additional regulatory powers and affording licensees more rights and due process in the regulatory process, Reps. Steve King (R-Iowa) and Zack Space (D-Ohio) have introduced similar legislation in the House of Representatives. The legislation would allow ATF new powers to issue fines and suspend licenses of federal firearms licensees (as opposed to current regulations which only allow for license revocation) and would also define what a “willful” violation is. The bill also calls for revocation hearings to be heard before an administrative law judge, rather than an ATF official. The bill however, does allow what many believe to be “excessive” punitive fines to be imposed, which could have the same effect as license revocation through financial ruination.