“As a matter of policy, we do not discuss the movement, location or specific combat or training missions of special operations forces. I can tell you that 75th Ranger Regiment personnel are deployed in support of the Global War on Terror or in support of training in multiple locations around the world at any given time.” Captain Dan Ferris, Commanding Officer, Company C, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment

Captain Ferris’ cautious answer to our direct question is characteristic of the men and women in all components of United States Special Operations Command, and particularly for the 75th Ranger Regiment. They have a hard enough job to do without giving away any information that would be of value to freedom’s many enemies.

But these “quiet professionals” deserve recognition for their largely hidden but undeniably essential contributions to the Global War on Terror and appreciation from those of us who have the luxury of the protection they so ably and unselfishly provide.

So, what we have presented here is carefully crafted with OPSEC – operational security – at the forefront.

Our special thanks to Public Affairs and Media Relations personnel at US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) and 75th Ranger Regiment for their extraordinary assistance, patience and good humor through the whole process. Intensely proud of the units they represent and fiercely protective of their security, they trusted us to get the story right.

Profile of a Ranger Company

Details on the latest structure of Ranger formations are highly sensitive, but a useful background on these units prior to the terrorist attacks on America in 2001 is provided by open source information that is readily available to any internet user.

At that time a Ranger battalion was made up of three rifle companies, each comprised of a headquarters element, three rifle platoons, and a weapons platoon. Most of the Rangers in the rifle platoon’s three 9-man rifle squads were armed with the 5.56mm M16A2 rifle or M4A1 SOPMOD carbine. Two of these were grenadiers with a 40mm M203 grenade launcher clamped underneath their rifles and two others were Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) gunners, armed at the time with 5.56mm M249 belt guns. A 10-man medium machine gun squad rounded out the platoon, formidably armed with three 7.62mm M60s.

The weapons platoon contained a mortar section with two 60mm tubes and an anti-tank section of three 3-man teams for the incomparable 84mm Carl Gustav Ranger Anti-Armor Weapon System. It also had a sniper section consisting of three teams employing the highly capable bolt action 7.62mm M24 Sniper Weapon System.

We are authorized to report several weapon upgrades in the Ranger rifle company since the Global War on Terror began. M249 SAWs have been replaced by an improved version designated MK46 and M60s have given way to the 7.62mm MK48, FN’s beefed-up version of the MK46. Ranger snipers now employ the ultra-accurate and long-ranging MK13 bolt action rifle, chambered for .300 Winchester Magnum, the fast-firing 7.62mm MK11 Mod 0 semiautomatic and the hard-hitting .50 BMG M107 semiautomatic.

Night observation and target engagement capabilities – traditional Ranger specialties – have been dramatically upgraded with addition of the very latest in light intensifying and thermal imaging devices. Helmet-mounted PVS-14 and weapon-mounted PAS-10 and 13 night vision devices are among several that are efficiently employed in conjunction with weapon-mounted multi-function aiming devices utilizing narrow-beam infrared lasers and wider beam illuminators. These high tech combinations give today’s Rangers a significant tactical advantage in darkness and conditions of low visibility.

Communications within the Ranger squad and its chain of command have also undergone a revolution with widespread issue of the AN/PRC-148 MBITR (Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radio). This hardy, light, powerful, and versatile two-way radio is now routinely used by all participants in certain combat missions, dramatically improving situational awareness and enhancing coordination with command and support elements.

Ranger body armor has also undergone a dramatic upgrade, with Special Operations Command’s BALCS (Body Armor Load Carriage System), providing a good balance between weight/mobility with protection against rifle caliber rounds. The Advanced Combat Helmet features improved fit and comfort and clearance for the headphones that are worn with the MBITR.

A Company Commander’s Perspective

While at Fort Benning for Ranger Rendezvous 2007, we asked our Public Affairs escorts to arrange an interview with the company commander of a representative Ranger Company. With understandable caution, we were asked to provide a list of questions in advance. This was immediately done, but the apparent sensitivity of some of the topics resulted in the decision to reply in writing instead of taking chances with OPSEC in an on-the-record interview.

We are pleased to report that Captain Dan Ferris stepped forward to meet the challenge. The 31 year old Ferris has been commander of Company C, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment for a year. This native of Walpole, Massachusetts has been Ranger qualified for ten years and during that time has had two wartime deployments in Operation Iraqi Freedom and two in Operation Enduring Freedom.

SAR: What is your biggest challenge as a commander?

Ferris: Balancing the operational tempo of the organization. We deploy often and conduct a busy training cycle when we are not deployed. As a chain of command we are constantly reviewing the training schedule to ensure that we are managing our time as efficiently as possible so that Rangers can also spend quality time with their families and friends.

SAR: How close to fully manned, equipped and trained is your company?

Ferris: As a matter of policy, we do not discuss manning and equipment status. However, I can tell you that the unit possesses all the Rangers and equipment it needs to accomplish any mission that it is called upon to complete at all times.

SAR: Being ready to go anywhere in 18 hours to perform so many different missions in such a variety of geographical areas and climates has to be challenging. How is this done in your company?

Ferris: Inside the 75th Ranger Regiment and our company there are 5 basics that we focus on at all times. Those basics are Small Unit Drill, Marksmanship, Medical Training, Physical Training and Driver’s/Mobility Training. By focusing all of our training on these fundamentals we are able to develop an excellent technical and tactical expertise base. This base allows us to overlay our abilities, with slight modifications for that situation, onto any environment that we may be placed in. During the training cycle prior to deployment we will also adjust our training locations and/or scenarios to mirror the conditions as closely as possible to what we will see overseas. Furthermore, there is a program inside the Regiment which maintains a rotation of NCOs through schools which train them on different environments so there is always a subject matter expert inside the company on any environment we could encounter.

SAR: If you could get additional quantities of one or two things that your company needs, what would they be?

Ferris: Communications equipment is key and essential to all missions. If there is one piece of equipment that we can always use more of it is MBITR radios (AN/PRC-148). We have enough to accomplish our wartime mission but having an overage of them would allow us to instantly backfill a broken radio with an operational one if the broken radio requires higher level maintenance. And, it provides us with more flexibility to augment a certain mission with more radios to assist in the execution of the mission if it has a unique task organization or additional augmentees on top of our normal enablers.

SAR: Anything in particular that makes your company stand out from others in the Battalion?

Ferris: For the past several years the company has enjoyed excellent retention rates. Based off the high reenlistment rate there is a large number of Rangers in the company with an extensive experience base on both training and combat operations. Because of this we are able to sustain a high level of proficiency. Additionally, as we receive new Rangers to the company there is a large number of leaders available to train and educate them.

SAR: Comment on your current NCOs and the quality of “typical” new Rangers coming into the company.

Ferris: The combat experience, maturity, leadership ability, and technical and tactical competence of the Ranger NCOs in the company is the best that I have observed in any unit I have served in during the past 10 years. The NCOs are the backbone of the Ranger Regiment and perform their duties at a level of competence that far exceeds their pay grade and associated level of experience. New Rangers arriving to the company are highly motivated and eager to learn their new job. They are immediately integrated into their fire team and mentored on every aspect of being a Ranger by their Team Leader and fellow Rangers.

SAR: What would you like SAR to emphasize in the “Profile of a Ranger Company” feature article?

Ferris: All our Rangers are multiple volunteers – they want to be here; therefore, they train hard, they fight hard and they live the Ranger creed every day. We have maintained contact with the enemies of our nation since October 2001. The Regiment manages a cycle where Rangers are either deployed, recovering from a deployment or training for the next deployment. Some of the Rangers are on their ninth deployment in support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our actions are evidence of our commitment to the United States.

Ranger Profile

Our request for a live interview with a representative Ranger while at Benning for Ranger Rendezvous 2007 was rewarded with some very interesting time spent with Sergeant Myles Grantham, a sniper assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

We caught up with him on Farnsworth Range where he and several fellow Ranger NCOs were conducting the Stress Shoot Competition (SAR Vol. 12, No. 1, October 2008). A 24 year old native of Madison, Mississippi, Grantham left the National Guard to become a Ranger and has been with the Regiment for four years. His most recent combat deployment was in 2006 for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

He can’t discuss the details but along with several other awards and decorations – notably including the Combat Infantryman’s Badge – he has earned the Army’s Joint Commendation Medal with “V” for Valor. No doubt another compelling story that is currently barred by high-level directives from being told. That said, reasonably knowledgeable persons can read between the lines.

Although our conversation with this serious but amiable Ranger Sergeant was closely monitored by our Public Affairs escort, Grantham’s comments seemed very candid and natural. Any young man who is thinking about becoming a Ranger would be well served to pay careful attention to what he told us.

SAR: What made you volunteer to become a Ranger?

Grantham: I wanted to do better things and it seemed like the Rangers is where you go to really have a purpose. To make things happen. I knew a couple of Rangers and they said it was a lot of good training and I’d do a lot of top notch things. I also researched what they’d done in past wars. I’ve always been interested in the Vietnam War and Rangers.

SAR: What’s the hardest part about the qualification process to become a Ranger? Was it Ranger School?

Grantham: I think “RIP” (Ranger Indoctrination Program). It was just a good gut check, psychologically and physically.

SAR: What got you through it?

Grantham: I guess it’s heart. Nothing spectacular. Just don’t quit.

SAR: You had “Ranger Buddies” during that time too. Did that help?

Grantham: Yeah, it’s a whole team effort with all your friends. Everybody wants to get through and get in the same company together. Camaraderie.

SAR: What’s the hardest part about training and other activities in a Ranger Company? What do you really have to get yourself psyched up to do when that comes around?

Grantham: I’d say Airfield Seizures. Probably the toughest and most physically demanding thing here. It’s a lot of training and you don’t sleep much. Jumping out of airplanes three times a week and it’s just a strenuous environment.

SAR: How does the chain of command or your Ranger Buddies help you with the toughest parts – Airfield Seizures and that kind of thing?

Grantham: This is a normal way of life in the Rangers. There’s gonna be tough things everywhere. You’ve just gotta suck it up and do it. I guess we’re just hard nosed people. It’s hard but it doesn’t bother me. It’s just what has to be done.

SAR: What do you like best about being in a Ranger Company?

Grantham: Shooting (smiles). I like shooting guns a lot. I took sniper training here at Fort Benning (US Army Sniper School).

SAR: Describe a typical day of field training for you and Rangers in your sniper section.

Grantham: PT (physical training) then chow. Our chow hall is supposedly the best in the Army. Then, usually our section will go to the range and shoot a lot at unknown distance. We’re snipers, so we go out to the range three times a week with our rifles.

SAR: Since you’re a sniper, one might think that your sniper rifle would be your favorite weapon.

Grantham: Yeah, I’ve taking a liking to it, I guess. A Knight’s Armament SR-25 called the MK11. I’ve shot it a lot and I know it, I’m used to carrying it around. It’s something I’ve worked with the past few years. I’m accustomed to it. The best weapon I know right now.

SAR: What capabilities do you particularly like about the semiautomatic SR-25 versus a bolt action sniper rifle like the M24 or the MK13? Remember, we’re a gun magazine and our readers want to know specifics.

Grantham: This is a personal reply from me. There are more rounds in the magazine – twenty rounds instead of five. It’s pretty much a big M4 (5.56mm SOPMOD M4A1 Carbine issued to most Rangers). It’s fairly easy to maneuver with. Faster second shot capability of course; you can keep your target in the sights and squeeze off another shot if necessary without having to manipulate the bolt.

SAR: What’s your favorite piece of gear? Something that exceeds your expectations?

Grantham: My rack (body armor) where I have my ammunition magazines; carriers from Tactical Tailor, a lot of people use them. It’s personal with snipers because how our body types are. I clip mine in between so it doesn’t bother me the way I lie in the prone. Doesn’t mess up my breathing.

SAR: What weapon or gear would you like to have that isn’t currently issued?

Grantham: I’m on OPSEC (Operational Security) there. (Asks PAO escort) Can I say .45 caliber Glock pistols? (OK to state your personal opinion.)

SAR: Interesting, particularly since the Regiments general-issue sidearm is the 9mm Beretta M9. Are you aware of the M110, now standardized in the Army as the M110, the higher speed version of Knight’s SR-25? This is a product improved SR-25 that’s gone through the whole US Army procurement system and it is as good as the Army will let it be. Is that something that you’re looking forward to?

Grantham: I’m looking forward to any new equipment that will make me and my job more effective. If it makes me better at my craft then yeah, I’ll try it out.

SAR: Comment on the NCOs and officers in your company.

Grantham: Stand up guys. You can trust them. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t respect the people. Like the “RIP” (Ranger Indoctrination Program) Airborne Liaison. He’s a good judge of character and a stern man. He makes sure the right people are here. And, in my opinion, we need guys like him.

SAR: Tell us about any of the snipers you know who are very good at what they do. Men who have influenced how you do your job.

Grantham: They won’t want me saying their names.

SAR: Understood. What would you like to say to readers of Small Arms Review about your job as a sniper in the Rangers?

Grantham: It’s the fundamentals of marksmanship. That’s how it’s always been for me. That’s how a lot of people who are better than me have told me it’s the same thing for them too. It doesn’t matter how good the equipment is. If you don’t have fundamentals and know how to use it, it’s a pile of junk. There’s an expression, ‘It’s not the arrow, it’s the indian.’

SAR: Describe any memorable event from any GWOT deployment, particularly anything related to combat action.

PAO escort: We can’t talk about what goes on. When it comes to Ranger operations they’re an unclassified unit that routinely conducts classified missions. The last ones approved for discussion were with the initial push into Iraq. That Rangers conduct numerous raids almost daily is releasable.

SAR: So, Sergeant Grantham can’t say something like, ‘Sniper teams also serve as forward observers. One time when we were out there we saw what looked like preparations for an IED ambush. We reported it and soon an air strike came in, saving a Coalition convoy.’ Something like that?

PAO escort: No, sorry. I hear some great Ranger stories about what these guys do and it’s the joy in my job.

(Editor’s Note: The USASOC History Office has recently published a definitive book on Army Special Operations Forces in the recent Iraq war entitled ROAD TO BAGHDAD. Astonishingly candid and richly detailed despite essential censorship to allow UNCLASSIFIED distribution, it is available for public purchase from the US Government Printing Office at www.bookstore.gpo.gov.)

SAR: Understood. Now, Sergeant Grantham, if you were a Ranger recruiter what would you say to other young men out in the civilian world about why they should enlist for Rangers?

Grantham: Honestly, it’s the best place to come to off the street where you can do things nobody else will ever do. Also Esprit de corps and brotherhood. Being around good friends, lifelong friends. Guys you can trust. Come here, you’ll learn a lot, you’ll do a lot things you’ve always dreamed of.

SAR: What will you learn about yourself if you make it all the way through the process and become a Ranger?

Grantham: If you can survive here you can survive anywhere. This place is a machine. If you aren’t Ranger material it weeds you out quick.

SAR: Is anybody who is physically fit suited to be a Ranger? Or, is there something about the Ranger attitude, the challenges you’re faced with, that weed people out?

Grantham: A lot of people come here and they think they can make it just physically. Having a high PT (Physical Training) score will only take you so far. You have to show up on time, be responsible, be trustworthy. You are going to be challenged mentally on a daily basis. They’ll put you in charge so you’ve got to make the right decisions. A lot of guys can’t do that.

Special Ranger Events

Because Rangers are highly competitive and fiercely loyal to their elite brotherhood, it follows that there would be numerous opportunities to meet, greet and compete.

Perhaps the best known of these is the annual Best Ranger Competition. The 25th anniversary of this grueling, non-stop, sixty-hour event is scheduled for 18-20 April 2008 at Fort Benning, Georgia. Originally created to salute the best two-man “buddy” team in the Ranger Department at Benning, it is now open to teams from all of the US Armed Forces. Information available on the web at www.bestrangercompetition.com.

The Annual Ranger Muster is sponsored by the US Army Ranger Association. Information available at www.ranger.org.

Ranger Rendezvous is held every two years as an official activity of the 75th Ranger Regiment. This is the biggest and best, traditionally opening with a mass tactical parachute assault and driving on for three days of military-theme competition, equipment displays, solemn ceremonies, and more. Location and dates for the 2009 Rendezvous have not been announced as of this writing. Information available at www.benning.army.mil/75thranger/index.asp.

Find Out More

We suggest the following internet references for detailed information on the Regiment:

75th Ranger Regiment Official Website: www.benning.army.mil/75thranger/index.asp

Ranger Recruiting: www.goarmy.com/ranger/index.jsp

75th Ranger Regiment Association: www.75thrra.com

US Army Ranger Association: www.ranger.org

Ranger Mega-site: http://suasponte.com

Best Ranger Competition: www.bestrangercompetition.com

US Army Special Operations Command: www.soc.mil

75TH RANGER REGIMENT FACT SHEET

Primary Source: U S Army Special Operations Command Public Affairs

The 75th Ranger Regiment is the U.S. Army’s premier raid force. With a primary mission of planning and conducting special missions in support of U.S. policy and objectives, the regiment is headquartered at Fort Benning, Ga., and consists of four geographically dispersed Ranger battalions:

• lst Battalion – Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.
• 2nd Battalion – Fort Lewis, Wash.
• 3rd Battalion – Fort Benning, Ga.
• Regimental Special Troops Battalion – Fort Benning, Ga.

Since the advent of the Global War on Terrorism after Sept. 11, 2001, the 75th Ranger Regiment has conducted combat operations with almost every deployed special operations, conventional, and coalition force during both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Regiment participated in a wide range of diverse operations that included airborne and air assaults into Afghanistan and Iraq, mounted infiltrations behind enemy lines, complex urban raids and rescue operations.

Throughout this period, the Rangers have continued to train in the United States and overseas to prepare for future no-notice worldwide combat deployments. Ranger battalions are on their ninth and tenth deployments since October 2001, and more than seventy percent of current Rangers have conducted multiple combat deployments.

The Regiment also continues to recruit, asses and train the next generation of Rangers and Ranger leadership to carry out missions including:

Airfield Seizures

• to establish air-landing capabilities for follow-on forces,
• to establish trans-load sites for precious cargo
• conducted using both special operations and light infantry tactics, techniques and procedures

Special Operations Raids

• strategic assets – high payoff targets
• destruction or recovery missions
• routinely operate within restrictive rules of engagement

Urban Combat

• advanced Military Operations in Urban Terrain techniques and breaching capability
• precision marksmanship
• advanced combatives (hand-to-hand) training

The Army maintains the Regiment at a high level of readiness. On any given day, one Ranger Battalion is on Ready Reaction Force (RRF) 1 with the requirement to be “wheels up” – outbound aboard transport aircraft – within 18 hours of notification. Additionally, smaller elements can deploy in 9 hours. The Regimental Headquarters remains on RRF1 at all times. While on RRF1, the designated battalion is prohibited from conducting any off post training, deployments for training (DFTs), etc., as they would be unable to meet the required deployment time standards. Because of the importance the Army places on the 75th Ranger Regiment, it must possess a number of capabilities:

Direct Action Force

• provides critical light infantry capability and skills
• routinely complements or supports other Special Operations Forces
• capable of executing platoon through Regimental-sized operations
• resourced for exceptional proficiency, experience and readiness

Specialized Infantry

• increased lethality and agility due to habitual Special Operations Forces relationships and specialized equipment
• resourced and trained for deep, precise operations on hardened targets – in one cycle of darkness
• rapidly deployable and ready strike force

To maintain readiness, Rangers train constantly. Their training encompasses arctic, jungle, desert, and mountain operations, as well as amphibious instruction. The training philosophy of the 75th Ranger Regiment dictates the unit’s high state of readiness. The philosophy includes performance-oriented training, emphasizing tough standards and a focus on realism and live-fire exercises while concentrating on basics and safety. Training at night, during adverse weather or on difficult terrain, multiplies the benefits of Rangers. Throughout their training, Rangers are taught to expect the unexpected.

All officers and enlisted soldiers in the Regiment are four-time volunteers – for the Army, for airborne training, for the 75th Ranger Regiment and for the U.S. Army Ranger Course. Those volunteers selected for the 75th Ranger Regiment must meet tough physical, mental and moral criteria. All commissioned officers and combat-arms noncommissioned officers must be airborne and Ranger qualified and have demonstrated a proficiency in the duty position for which they are seeking.

Upon assignment to the Regiment, both officers and senior NCOs attend the Ranger Orientation Program (ROP) to help integrate them into the Regiment. ROP familiarizes them with Regimental policies, standing operating procedures, the commander’s intent and Ranger standards. Junior enlisted soldiers assigned to the Regiment must first go through the Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP). RIP assesses Rangers on their physical qualifications and emphasizes basic Regimental standards. Soldiers must pass ROP or RIP to remain assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment.

Junior enlisted soldiers assigned to the regiment who are not yet Ranger qualified must attend a Pre-Ranger course, which ensures they are administratively, physically and mentally prepared before they attend the U.S. Army Ranger Course, conducted by the Infantry School’s Ranger Training Battalion. The result of this demanding selection and training process is a Ranger who can lead effectively despite enormous mental and physical odds.

Each of the three Ranger “rifle” battalions is manned by approximately 600 personnel, assigned to a headquarters company and three rifle companies. Ranger battalions are equipped to be light, deployable and high-tech. Equipment designers develop state-of-the-art warfighting equipment for the Regiment. Rangers are often first in the Army to test and field many new systems.

Some current Ranger weapons and equipment include:

• M9 9mm Pistol
• M4A1 5.56mm SOPMOD Carbine with M203 40mm Grenade Launcher
• MK13 .300 Winchester Magnum Sniper Rifle
• MK11 Mod 0 7.62mm Sniper Rifle
• M107 .50 cal. Sniper Rifle
• M1014 12 ga. Semiautomatic Shotgun and Modified Remington 870 Breaching Shotgun
• M240B, MK46, MK48 and M2HB Machine Guns
• Mark 47 40mm Grenade Machine Gun
• M3 84mm Ranger Anti-Armor Weapon System
• 60mm, 81mm and 120mm Mortars
• Javelin Portable Missile System
• Stinger Portable Anti-Aircraft Missile System
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
• M1113 Expanded Capacity Ground Mobility Vehicle-Ranger
• All-terrain Vehicles
• Full Spectrum Digitally Networked Tactical Communications
• Night Vision Observation, Aiming, and Targeting Systems

The Regiment does not have tactical aviation assets of its own. Essential short to medium range combat airlift and gunship support is supplied by US Army Special Operations Command’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR). These are the famous “Night Stalkers,” with specialized helicopters including the diminutive A/MH-6 Little Bird, the versatile MH-60K Blackhawk and the powerful MH-47E Chinook. Air Force Special Operations Command provides longer range tactical airlift and heavy-hitting close air support with a variety of aircraft including the workhorse MC-130E/H Combat Talon and the fearsome AC-130H/U Spectre. Global reach is provided by Military Airlift Command.

The Regimental Special Troops Battalion (RSTB), activated 17 July 2006, conducts the sustainment, intelligence, reconnaissance and maintenance missions which were previously accomplished by small detachments assigned to the Regimental headquarters and then attached within each of the three Ranger battalions.

When Soldiers leave the Ranger Regiment for other Army units, they take with them enhanced combat skills, expertise in joint, special operations and conventional arenas as well as new tactics, techniques and procedures.

RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!

By Robert G. Segel

Many of us remember the finale in the 1965 movie Thunderball when James Bond and his allies battle Emilio Largo, the evil Number Two of SPECTRE (SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion), and his cohorts, in the massive underwater battle scene where the main battle implements were knives and elastic powered or compressed gas spear guns. Though that book, film and battle was fictitious, war beneath the waves is not.

The Russian company Tsniitochmash, the Central Scientific Research Institute of Precise Mechanical Engineering, located in the Moscow Region, has produced two firearms for the underwater warrior: the 4.5mm SPP-1M underwater pistol and the 5.66mm APS underwater assault rifle.

Surprisingly, these are not new weapons as they were developed and put in Russian service over thirty years ago. They are excellent examples of the secrecy that surrounded the Soviet Union and were unknown, even at classified levels, in the West until Tsniitochmash began offering them publicly in 1993.

4.5mm SPP-1M Underwater Pistol

Developed in the late 1960s at the request of the Soviet Navy and accepted in 1971, the 4.5mm SPP-1 (Spetsialnyi Podvodnyi Pistolet – Special Underwater Pistol) was designed to arm combat divers (frogmen). Later, the SPP-1 was upgraded to the SPP-1M that was basically the same pistol but had an extra spring above the sear to improve trigger pull and had a larger trigger guard to accommodate the use of diving gloves. It is still in use by Russian Navy Special Forces.

The SPP-1M underwater pistol is a manually operated handgun that consists of four smoothbore barrels grouped in a square cluster. The barrel cluster is hinged to the frame just in front of the trigger guard and breaks open in a similar fashion as a break-open shotgun. There is a single striker (firing pin) and the double action firing mechanism fires one cartridge sequentially each time the trigger is pulled. The striker is mounted on a rotating base and with each pull of the trigger the striker is cocked and simultaneously rotated to the next, unfired barrel.

The pistol uses a proprietary 4.5mm SPS pistol cartridge that has high penetrating power by replacing the typical bullet with a metal dart. Underwater, conventional bullets are highly ineffective being inaccurate and limited to a very short range with a rapidly decreasing lethality. The “bullet” has been replaced with a long 115mm (4.53 inches) dart weighing 12.8 grams (.452 oz.) made from mild steel that has a slightly flattened tip. The fired projectile is kept stabilized by using a hydrodynamic cavity that is generated by the flattened point of the projectile that results in reduced drag, increased accuracy and lethality. The dart has a longer range and more penetrating power than speargun spears. The cartridge is a rimmed bottleneck case 40mm (1.575 in.) long and sealed against water. The complete cartridge is 145mm (5.71 in.) long and weighs 17.5 grams (.617 oz.).

The pistol is loaded with four cartridges at a time that are held together as a group by a clip in the same square arrangement as the barrels. The pistol is broken open and the clip containing the four SPS cartridges are inserted into their respective chambers. The action is closed and the pistol is ready to fire. There is a single lever with three position options located on the left side of the frame at the top of the pistol grip, just behind the trigger, that controls the operation of the pistol. The top position is for “Reloading” (barrel release), the middle position is “Safe” and the bottom position is “Fire.”

The pistol can be fired out of the water in the air environment. Due to the pistol being smoothbore and firing a dart, the projectile is not stabilized at all and accuracy is greatly affected with an effective lethality range of 15-20 meters. In an emergency, at very close range, it is still highly effective.

Range and lethality underwater changes the deeper the diver goes. Depth reduces the range because the deeper one goes there is more water pressure that closes the hydrodynamic cavity sooner. Once the projectile is no longer supercavitating, the hydrodynamic drag increases greatly resulting in the projectile becoming unstable. The manufacturer claims that at a depth of 5 meters (16.4 ft.), the lethality range is 17 meters (55.17 ft.); at a depth of 20 meters (65.62 ft.), the lethality range is 11 meters (36.09 ft.) and at a depth of 40 meters (131.23 ft.), the lethality range is 6 meters (19.69 ft.). Its stated lethal range is the range from which it can easily penetrate a padded underwater Prolon diving suit (flexible polyurethane padding) or a 5mm thick organic glass face mask.

The SPP-1M underwater pistol comes complete in a metal storage case that includes the pistol, ten cartridge clips, a holster that can attach to a diver’s belt, a device for loading the SPS cartridges into the clips, a special sling to carry the pistol and three combat ready metal quivers that each hold a set of four loaded SPS cartridges in their clips that the diver can attach to his dive belt. Thus, the combat load is four rounds in the gun and twelve at the ready.

5.66mm APS Underwater Assault Rifle

The Tsniitochmash 5.66mm APS (Avtomat Podvodnyi Spetsialnyi – Special Underwater Assault Rifle) was produced at the requirement from the Soviet military to provide the underwater warrior with greater firepower and extended range than that of conventional underwater weapons and the SPP-1M underwater pistol. Developed in the early 1970s, the APS was designed by a team headed by Vladimir Simonov, the nephew of Sergei Simonov, who designed the SKS carbine.

As the basis of their design work, the designers began with the Kalashnikov rifle but discovered that although the AK would work under water, the bullets had virtually no effective range and was grossly inaccurate. Back at the drawing boards, the designers came up with the APS design relying heavily on the lessons learned during the development of the SPP-1M underwater pistol.

The APS underwater assault rifle is smoothbore like the SPP-1M pistol firing a 120mm (4.72 in.) long 5.66mm dart projectile with a length-to-diameter ratio of approximately 21 to 1. The MPS cartridge uses a standard 5.45×39 case sealed against water. Using the same basic technology of the pistol, the long, thin projectiles are stabilized by water flowing along the sides and supercavitation to provide stability during travel rather than by spinning.

The rifle is gas operated and features a patented self-adjusting gas valve that allows the gun to be fired both under water and in atmosphere. This self-adjusting gas valve was necessary because the energy required to operate the moving parts, particularly the bolt and operating rod, constantly change as the diver goes deeper and the water becomes more dense restricting the movement of the moving parts. The rifle is select fire for both single shot and full automatic with a single fire control selector switch on the rear of the left side of the receiver just above the pistol grip. The fire control selector switch has three positions: forward for single shot, up for full automatic fire, and back for safety. The rate of fire in full automatic is 600 rounds per minute in atmosphere but slows progressively as the gun goes deeper under water with the actual rate of fire depending upon the depth. Information on the cyclic rate of fire at different depths was not available. “Sources” note that while the APS can fire in atmosphere, the projectile does not effectively stabilize in the air, so its lethal range out of water is less than 100 meters and accuracy at that range is highly questionable – more than likely accurate out to about 50 meters. Additionally, the expected service life of the APS when fired in atmosphere degrades severely. Thus, it should be fired in atmosphere only in an emergency. It was designed for underwater use, and it that environment, it is quite effective.

The sights of the rifle are rather crude with a non-adjustable open notch rear sight and a post front sight. The rifle has a retractable shoulder stock made from steel wire that employs in a fashion similar to the US M3 Greasegun.

The APS fires from an open bolt to allow the barrel to continually be filled with water, which is necessary for its reliable operation because of the type of projectile it fires. The cocking handle and ejection port are both on the right side of the receiver. The rifle feeds from a detachable polymer box magazine holding 26 rounds. The shape of the box magazine is quite distinctive in that it is unusually deep (front to back) to accommodate the unusual shape of the MPS cartridge. While the gun is relatively simple overall, the most complicated thing is the feed system where several parts had to be designed and installed to prevent double and even triple feed due to the extremely long projectiles. The magazine release switch is located in front of the trigger guard and just behind the magazine.

Accessories for the APS underwater assault rifle include a canvas carrying case and a spare magazine pouch to wear on the diver’s belt.

The Russian government has publicly acknowledged only one instance of operational deployment. In November 1989 at Malta, President George Bush and Russian Premier Mikail Gorbachev had meetings aboard a ship and the flotilla on which these two heads of state met were protected by a 16-man team of divers armed with the APS underwater assault rifle.

The rifle has been in active service with the Soviet and Russian special operations units for many years. Tsniitochmash has been actively marketing the weapon since the 1990s and it is not known how many APS rifles have been sold on the international arms market to Western users, but it can be safely assumed that the rifle is in service outside Russia.

In today’s Global War on Terror, the threat is no longer just on land, on the sea and in the air. Underwater threats to ships, ports, harbors, rivers, estuaries, offshore drilling operations and pipelines are just some of the targets that can no longer be ignored and are vulnerable to underwater attack. The APS underwater assault rifle, and its little brother the SPP-1M underwater pistol, are clearly designed to meet these threats with use by special forces units, specialized law enforcement tactical teams and industrial security personnel – and they meet them quite well.

Because the guns are manufactured in Russia, they are not importable to the US and Small Arms Review has not been able to evaluate or test fire either of the guns. Thus, accuracy, method of operation, rate of fire and dependability are yet to be confirmed. We are working on getting an operational test report of these weapons from one of our overseas correspondents.

5.66mm APS Underwater Assault Rifle

Type:  Underwater assault rifle
Origin:  Russia
Caliber:  5.66mm MPS
Weight, loaded:  3.4 kg (7.5 lbs.)
Operation:   Semi or full auto
Overall dimensions
  With stock retracted:  614 x 65 x 187 mm (24.17 x 2.56 x 7.36 in.)
  With stock extended:  840 x 65 x 187 mm (33.07 x 2.56 x 7.36 in.)
Magazine capacity:  26 rounds
Effective range:
  5 m (16.4 ft) depth:  30 m (98.43 ft)
  20 m (65.62 ft) depth:  20 m (65.62 ft)
  40 m (131.23 ft) depth:  11 m (36.09 ft)
Manufacturer:  Tsniitochmash

4.5mm SPP-1M Underwater Pistol

Type:  Underwater pistol
Origin:  Russia
Caliber:  4.5mm SPS
Weight:  0.95 kg (2.09 lbs)
Overall dimensions:  244 x 37 x 136 mm (9.61 x 1.46 x 5.35 in)
Pistol capacity:  4 rounds
Effective range:
  5 m (16.4 ft) depth:  17 m (55.77 ft)
  20 m (65.62 ft) depth:  11 m (36.09 ft)
  40 m (131.23 ft) depth:  6 m (19.69 ft)
Manufacturer:  Tsniitochmash

This article is the first in a series based on the memoirs of Burton “Bob” Brenner, a man who was one of the early pioneers of the military surplus gun trade in the United States. The series will tell of his adventures and business ventures over the span of his interesting career, to include arms caches and deals that will bring a tear to your eye. To most readers, Mr. Brenner’s life would be a dream come true, traveling all over the world seeking, and finding, unmolested treasures in military small arms, many forgotten, others abandoned by conquered armies, but all having a unique history and an untold story.

While doing additional research for this series, some ads from old Shot Gun News issues from the early 1960s and many 1950s era American Rifleman magazines were found. It was a nostalgia trip back to a more innocent and gun-friendly time. An interesting observation was that most all of the major dealers of the day were located in large cities like New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington DC; all adamantly anti-gun today. Similarly, the NRA annual meetings were held in many of the aforementioned locations. In light of today’s anti-gun climate, it certainly makes one wonder what happened.

The Origins of Gun Collecting

The earliest manifestations of gun collecting seem to have arisen from Europe where weapons were presented to royalty – magnificent masterpieces of pistols and shoulder arms traded from one imperial house to another. Few of these exalted specimens ever fired a single shot and were diligently cared for by qualified attendants, therefore surviving for centuries unmarred.

During the 19th century in Europe, a rising class of wealthy traders and industrialists altered the former convention of which fine arms were only passed between the highest echelons of the rich and privileged. Capable of commissioning their own craftsman, or perhaps prevailing on a financially embarrassed lower lord to part with an heirloom, these new collectors had risen from the ranks of nouveau rich entrepreneurs and became interested in amassing arms collections.

This arms collecting phenomenon was not as evident in the United States, where the rustic demands of the ever-moving frontier consumed all time and effort. Similarly the gathering of essentially utilitarian objects into a collection devoted to gratifying a personal need, or serving the public appetite for viewing a collection of firearms did not appear to suit Americans of the period.

The American Civil War can be viewed as a turning point in U.S. gun collecting. In its haste to arm Union troops the federal government awarded a number of contracts for untried weapons and equipment. As a result many of these military arms and equipment became obsolete in a short period of time and became available to the masses at very low prices. The weapons included many innovative (if ultimately unsuccessful) designs of the day that were offered to the public by merchants such as New York’s Francis Bannerman and H.K. White. This new wave of surplus was not limited to guns, but included edged weapons, military accouterments, and basic items such as tents and canteens, which were eagerly purchased by outdoorsmen, hunters, frontiersman, and the throngs of individuals that were heading west.

In addition to those who purchased surplus goods to support their existence, many customers during that gun-friendly era were simply interested in American history, as are many modern collectors. While most Americans of the period could never conceive of owning richly engraved and inlaid with precious metals created by royal craftsmen, the average American could easily afford and obtain government surplus guns for the pleasure, and not necessarily the need, of having them.

After the Civil War, the next wave of surplus, and next stage in the chronicles of U.S. gun collecting, occurred in the wake of the Spanish-American War, as the recently adopted Krag-Jorgensen rifle of Norwegian origin gave way to the more modern Model 1903 Springfield rifle. The American collector now had available colonial flintlock muskets from the revolutionary period, flintlocks and caplocks from western pioneers, arms used by both cowboys and Indians, arms from the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War. However, the greatest surge in arms collecting the world had ever seen would occur at the end of World War II.

Burton “Bob” Brenner

Burton Brenner was born in the Bronx and raised in Manhattan, New York, which today seems an unlikely beginning for such a story. As a young boy growing up in the 1930s his family struggled through the depression years. His father had a medical supply business that managed to survive, and young Burton was expected to eventually follow his father into the business. During World War II, Burton was in high school and upon graduating was looking forward to joining the U.S. Army Air Corps as a pilot or gunner. During 1943 as a high school student his daily route to school took him past an antique shop that had an old musket and saber displayed in the window. One day he decided to stop in and look around and found the shop filled with old guns.

Robert Abels, Inc.

The store itself was an experience, a dream, a collector’s Valhalla located at 860 Lexington Avenue. The first room, about eighteen by fourteen feet, was completely jammed with guns. The walls were lined with rifle racks, and the floor was filled with freestanding circular racks, all filled with long guns of every description. The room held around a thousand guns as well as a couple of huge armoires containing odds and ends such as helmets and flags.

A middle room contained several showcases, which like the rifle racks in front, were jammed into the room as tight as possible. The room also held safes and cabinets, including an oak legal cabinet filled with old revolvers. The drawers of all the cabinets held antique sidearms of every type. The back room had a small workshop and, naturally, more storage area.

The shop owner was Bob Abels and Burton would work at the shop for the next four years. Mr. Abels would become a mentor and friend to Burton Brenner and help to define his destiny. Young Burton’s first assignment at the shop was to sweep the floor and clean the glass on the showcases. Before long his duties were expanded to cleaning and oiling guns, and eventually helping in obtaining guns for the shop to sell.

Abels received all the catalogs from the various auction houses and would pore over them for possible purchases. He would assign to Brenner the task of going to these auction houses and looking over the material that he was particularly interested in. Many times he was allowed to actually go to the auctions and do the bidding. Often as not, Abels would simply do his bidding via the telephone.

During the spring of 1945 the war in Europe was finally coming to an end and many U.S. troops were anxious to get home and get on with their lives. Most of the returning servicemen from the European Theatre came back to the United States on large ships like the Queen Mary and the point of debarkation was New York Harbor. An average ship returned around 40,000 men at one time, most all of them carrying souvenirs from the war.

Sensing a unique business opportunity Mr. Abels placed advertising boards down at the docks and hired men to wear “sandwich boards” to stroll around the city. In effect, all the ads stated, “Why drag all of that junk home? If you need money, this is the place to get it”.

As Burton walked to the shop the first day after the ads appeared, he saw an endless line of servicemen that took up an entire city block on Lexington Avenue and around the corner over to Park Avenue, all with souvenirs of every description in hand. The buying commenced at 7:30 a.m. and continued on until 7:00 p.m. on the first day. This was repeated for many weeks as the big ships sailed into New York from Europe with more and more servicemen, all with souvenirs to sell.

Among the flags and medals were the guns. Many, like the German P-38 pistols, had never been seen in the states before. Others handguns included countless Sauers, Broomhandles, Browning P-35s, Radoms, Mausers and a least 1,000 Luger pistols. An average price paid for a decent Luger during this period was $10. Mr. Abels would then sell the piece for $35 fetching a nice profit for the times making him a substantial amount of money.

The Famous Bannermans and Others

As young Burton Brenner continued to work and learn at Bob Abels’ New York shop, he made many new friends and acquaintances among the diverse customers that came into the store. Of course the talk always was about firearms, of which Brenner was eager to learn and asked many questions. Through the course of these casual conversations he soon learned of the legendary Francis Bannerman’s, a large gun shop also located in New York City. Bannerman’s was one of the first of many businesses established in the United States that would become known as Army-Navy stores. Bannerman’s was among the largest and most unique firearms business ever established in the United States.

Bannerman Island

Francis Bannerman, a Scottish immigrant, had established the famous Bannerman’s business in 1865. As the U.S. Civil War ended, the elder Bannerman began to buy up military belt buckles that had been made by the millions for the Union army. The buckles consisted of a brass outer shell with a solid lead backing. Mr. Bannerman had spent several years melting the lead out of the belt buckles and selling it as scrap metal. Bannerman had three sons; Francis VI and David Boyce eventually took the business over from their father and expanded it to include surplus armament from around the world. Needing additional storage space for their ever-increasing inventory, Francis Bannerman VI purchased the 6.5-acre Pollepel Island on the Hudson River for future use as a storage facility.

After the Spanish-American War ended, the Bannermans purchased over ninety-percent of the remaining U.S. army surplus from the conflict, including a large quantity of rifle cartridges. Because his storeroom in the city was not large enough to contain his inventory, which now included large lots of ammunition, he began to build a storage facility on Pollepel Island, now known as Bannerman Island. Most of the buildings were used for the storage of the business’ surplus. During August of 1920, a fire, fed by the large stores of ammunition exploded in one of the storage buildings, destroying a portion of the complex. Bannerman’s Castle island facility was only accessible by boat, which was served by the ferryboat Pollepel that was sunk during a storm in 1950 and soon after the facility was abandoned.

The White Brothers

Another New York surplus store young Brenner learned of was the White Brothers who were a former competitor of Francis Bannerman during the post Civil War era. The White Brother’s business was located in Lower Manhattan near Pearl Street in a small unassuming building amidst incredible skyscrapers. The White family still owned the building and the business was run by their two sons who at this time were in their 70s.

White’s had a substantially smaller inventory than Bannermans, but everything that they had was in brand new condition. The founder of the organization had apparently specialized in purchasing unissued surplus. Just one example of their inventory were 1842 muskets. The weapons were brand new, still in their original crates, and stacked to the ceiling of the White Brother’s back room. They were priced at $37 each.

Abercrombie & Fitch

Another famous establishment located in Manhattan, New York City was Abercrombie & Fitch, who catered to upscale clientele. At one time, the famous Abercrombie & Fitch emporium in Manhattan, which catered to wealthy outdoorsmen, hunters and the like, carried a stunning array of hunting rifles and shotguns. Their gunsmith factory was located in a nearby building. The men employed there were true craftsmen working in gold and fine woodworking. Brenner was given a tour through the entire factory where they were building custom hunting rifles from surplus Mauser and M1903 Springfield actions.

Gimbels Department Store

Gimbels, a famous department store and a name that is not normally associated with firearms, ran advertisements in the New York newspapers offering fine antique swords and rifles. At their New York store there were hundreds of swords, pistols, rifles, and daggers all imported from North Africa. Everything had been priced ridiculously low. It was later discovered that all the material being offered at Gimbels had originally been owned by Mr. William Randolph Hearst. He had shipped the goods from Africa to New York, but something was suspect with the paperwork regarding ownership, and all of the items eventually were sold at an auction held by Customs. The entire lot was subsequently purchased by Gimbels Department Store.

Numerous other smaller gun shops were located in New York behind the old City Police Department building; most of these establishments were run by Italians. One such company was called Sile’s. Brenner did a substantial amount of business with this company during his early years. Back in Italy the company was a large manufacturer of wooden rifle stocks.

With all of the early activity in the New York gun and surplus trade, today there is not a single established gun dealer remaining in New York City.

By Christopher R. Bartocci

Many recent articles have related to new companies that started with a single product and spawned into other incredible products that are used by some of the most prestigious military and law enforcements agencies in the world. There is a pattern with many of these companies. The founders were all former soldiers who saw a problem in the field that nobody was correcting and took responsibility themselves to fix the problem. Another, parallel pattern, was that their designs and products were driven from requests of troops in the field, not somebody sitting at a drawing board trying to come up with that one design that would make them famous. These were soldiers developing products to make other soldiers lives better and easier.

Many of SAR’s readers own and shoot assault rifles and submachineguns. That means loading many magazines; a tedious and sometimes painful process that is required to be able to shoot these weapons.

Maglula is not a local company; they are located in Tel Aviv, Israel. Maglula (MAGazine Loaders and ULoader Accessories) was started in 2000 by Ran Tal and his son Guy. Sergeant Major Ran Tal is a former small arms instructor of the Israeli Defense Force and Reserves and chief inventor of all Maglula’s products. Guy takes the raw prototypes Ran makes and brings them to life as well as managing the company. A traumatic event with a malfunctioning Uzi magazine on the battlefield in the 1956 Sinai Campaign was the driving force to get Ran interested in the reliability of magazines. During his time on the battlefield, Ran kept his 12 Uzi magazines in socks to protect them from the sand as there were no plastic bags available to him back at that time. Ran was facing an enemy soldier when his Uzi jammed. A fellow IDF soldier pushed Ran to the ground and eliminated the enemy soldier. Lessons learned from that incident by Ran involved purchasing a .22 caliber Beretta pistol as a backup weapon if his primary weapon was ever to jam again and decided to seriously maintain cleaner magazines from then on. Later, Ran’s other son, Nadav, serving in the IDF, experienced similar magazine failures with M16 magazines. Ran vowed that if no one cared to take care of the hardship of cleaning magazines, then he would volunteer to do it himself for the IDF soldiers: and he did just that.

After years of on and off development of a magazine unloading device in his tool shed, Ran discovered that if the unloading operation was reversed, it would load. The first LULA was designed for the M16 magazine. The 1.3 ounce polymer body slides over the top of the magazine and locks into the magazine catch notch. The lever on top of the LULA was attached to two cams. To load, the lever is tilted back-and-forth with one hand while dropping cartridges, case first, into the magazine with the other hand as the cams push down the already loaded rounds. The LULA is then removed and the magazine is ready to be used. It takes approximately 35 seconds to load a 30 round magazine. To unload, install the LULA so the magazine is tilted with the cartridges facing down. When the lever is moved, the cam pushes downward on the inside cartridge releasing the one on the top. This is continued until the magazine is empty. No cartridges are damaged nor is there any damage to the magazine. Normally, to manually unload a magazine one would either push the top round forward until in cleared the feed lips or take a bullet tip and push downward on the inside cartridge releasing the top cartridge from the magazine. Both are time consuming and can damage the cartridges. Due to most modern military weapons having double column magazines, Maglula went on to adapt this design to other common battle rifles.

The AK47 & Galil LULA works the same except it attaches at two points: the protrusion on the front and the catch on the rear of the magazine. This LULA will work on any 7.62x39mm AK magazine regardless if steel, Bakelite or polymer and on any 5.56x45mm Galil magazine. Maglula went on to also design a LULA for the 7.62x51mm FN FAL magazines and one for the 7.62x51mm M14/M1A magazines.

The front of the M14/M1A LULA attaches to the engagement notch of the magazine and the rear is a wire rod that secures under the magazine rear catch. A note on this LULA, this will work with most 1st generation ArmaLite AR-10 magazines. Due to the assault weapon ban, ArmaLite modified GI M14 magazines to adapt to their AR-10. So the forward notch and mag catch were left on the magazine though they serve no purpose. These magazines can be loaded with the M14/M1A LULA. However, magazine samples have been found where the magazine catch had been removed or fell off and this magazine can not be loaded with the LULA. The sample LULA has loaded many AR-10 magazines flawlessly. However, the newly manufactured and designed ArmaLite AR-10 magazines can not be loaded with the M14/M1A LULA. They resemble more of an M16-type magazine in their construction.

Maglula did not stop with assault rifles; they designed them for submachine guns as well to include the Uzi, MP5 and the Colt 9mm SMG. The provided LULA was used to load many Colt 9mm SMG magazines. This proved to be heaven sent. The feed lips on those magazines are quite sharp and loading several magazines gets quite hard on the fingers, especially when you start reaching the magazine’s capacity. The LULA made it easy and painless. Some people claim they can load magazines faster by hand. That may be so if one loads a few magazines. However, pain sure intensifies when one loads many magazines and consequently this certainly slows down loading. Anyway, this is not all about speed; this is also about comfort and loading many magazines painlessly.

The UpLULA (Universal Pistol Magazine Loader)

Pistol magazines are much harder on the fingers than rifle magazines partially due to the fact that most are double column magazines with a single column feed. Most of the steel and aluminum magazines have sharp feed lips and it can make your finger sore very quickly. This intensifies considerably when it is cold out. The 2.3 ounce polymer UpLULA is a universal loader that can be used with most pistols chambered for 9mm NATO, .357 SIG, 10mm, .40 S&W and .45 Auto caliber cartridges. The sample UpLULA was used to load Glock 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 Auto caliber magazines, Beretta 9mm magazines, Heckler & Koch 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 Auto, Colt M1911 .45 Auto caliber magazines as well as SIG Sauer .40 S&W caliber magazines. All loaded simple and reliably. The sample UpLULA was used for a SWAT handgun course, which over the day loaded more than 400 rounds. The magazine is slid into the UpLULA. The base of the magazine is placed on a hard surface and pushed down. The grip lever is squeezed. On the spring loaded grip is a hardened steel beak that looks very similar to the feed ramp on a chamber. When loading the first round in the magazine, the UpLULA beak pushes downward on the follower allowing you to drop the cartridge into the magazine. When the lever is released the feed beak clears the round. To load the following cartridges, the lever is pulled inwards and the UpLULA is pushed all the way down. The beak pushes the top round down allowing the next cartridge to be dropped in. This continues in a cyclic motion until the magazine is full. It takes 1/3 of the time to load a magazine with the UpLULA than loading the magazine the conventional way and no sore thumb. The UpLULA loads most all conventional pistol magazines including, but not limited to, Astra, Beretta, Browning, Colt, FN, CZ, Glock, H&K, Hi-Point, Jerico, Kahr, Kel-Tec, Llama Para Ordnance, Sturm Ruger, SIG Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Taurus, Walther and many more. As of this writing, the only known magazines the UpLULA will not work with is the Glock 36 single column magazine, Glock models 37, 38 and 39 .45 GAP caliber magazines and the Smith & Wesson single column pistol magazines.

The BenchLoader

Anyone who has ever had to load large quantities of magazine realizes that it is a tedious and sore task. Between sharp feed lips and the pushing of the rounds under compression (especially the last 10 rounds) causes strain and pain. If you do it enough, even carpal tunnel can result. This is not an issue for the occasional shooter but for someone in an armory or training academy, this is a real issue. Maglula developed a special tool for this purpose, the BenchLoader. The first model was designed for standard NATO M16 magazines, which are the primary weapons of the IDF. The BenchLoader is both portable or could be bolted to a work bench. The BenchLoader is CNC machined out of tough polymer and consists of only three pieces. The magazine is placed into a receptacle that aligns the feeding track with the center of the feed lips. So when the magazine is loaded the cartridges never come into contact with the feed lips of the magazine. The feeding track consists of two alignment grooves, one for the tip of the bullet and one for the cartridge case base. Every 5 rounds are marked off letting the loader know how many rounds are being loaded (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30). Once fully loaded and the magazine in place, the slider is pushed inward loading the magazine with one swift stroke. No strain on the loader’s hands or fingers. This whole process for loading a 30-round magazine is about 25 seconds. The original model would load both 20 and 30 round GI magazines.

Another model is designed for the M16, Heckler & Koch High Reliability/SA80 magazines. Due to the slightly longer profile of the H&K magazine, an additional shelf was added above the standard M16 slot to accommodate the H&K magazines. Also, the Magpul PMag fits as well. This model was provided for test and evaluation and numerous PMags were loaded as well as standard GI and a few H&K magazines. Additionally, models are made for the Steyr AUG and M16 5.56x45mm magazines, 5.56x45mm Galil (35 Rounds) and the 5.56x45mm G36/XM8. The sample BenchLoader came with a nylon carrying case. For hobbyists, the BenchLoader is extremely expensive retailing for $430. This was designed for military and law enforcement armories as well as ranges that load hundreds of magazines a day. This is where they truly shine and what they were intended for.

The StripLULA

The newest member of the Maglula line up is the StripLULA. Most military ammunition is not issued in individual boxes; this is especially true for the U.S. military. M193 and M855 5.56x45mm Ball ammunition are issued in 10-round stripper clips. Originally in bandoleers containing seven ammo pouches with two stripper clips of 10-rounds in each, they were later changed to five pouches with three stripper clips of ten rounds. Each bandoleer came with a stripper clip follower which slid (with a little force) on the back of a NATO M16 magazine. The stripper was placed in the guide and the loader would push on the rear of the top round downward until all 10 rounds went into the magazine. This is an efficient system but not for large volume. The cartridges often sit quite tight in the stripper clip requiring significant amount of pressure to load. This can be a very painful process to the loader’s thumb in but a few magazines.

The StripLULA is a 1 ounce loader that makes this job a whole lot easier. It includes a body with a cartridge track; the slider is not separate from the body. The body slides on the back of the magazine and the stripper clip is placed in the track. Then the slider is flipped over the top of the body to be above the top cartridge. The slider is pushed down with a swift thrust loading all 10 rounds with little effort and no finger pain. The magazine is tipped and the empty stripper clip falls out of the StripLULA. Three stripper clips can be loaded into the magazine in around 12 seconds.

Although a relatively new company, Maglula produces products designed to make the soldier’s job just a little bit easier and painless. The Israeli Defense Force figured this out and acquired many M16 BenchLoaders for all its armories and ranges and thousands of M16 LULAs were issued to combat soldiers. The LULA is a tool for any shooter. With a retail cost of around $25-29 for the LULA family and around $33 for the UpLULA, these could be used in anyone’s range bag. The LULA can be used by recreational shooters and law enforcement/military professionals. The BenchLoader, StripLULA as well as the M16 LULA are products more designed for military and law enforcement use. The BenchLoader is designed for high volume loading such as an armory, range or ammunition distribution points. We can expect great things in the area of loading magazines from Maglula in the future. The Maglula product line is exclusively imported and distributed in the United States by Butler Creek and Bushnell and can be found throughout the US at many gun and accessory retail shops.

Contact Information
Maglula Ltd.
Made in Israel
www.maglula.com

By Jeff W. Zimba

In the last few decades, laser-sighting technology has advanced at an amazing pace. Laser sights made the transition from expensive and large to reasonably priced and very compact, and now it has become clear that laser aiming devices have evolved into yet another category; that of affordable and undetectable.

The days of heavy laser units with long lengths of exposed wires is far in the past. One of the original LaserMax aiming devices actually replaces the internal guide rod in several popular pistols, including models of the Glock, Beretta and SIG Sauer. Since this laser sight is self contained and completely internal, the host handgun is absolutely compatible with most standard holsters and accessories. This is a huge plus for the end user. (For a review of the LaserMax Guide Rod Lasers, see Small Arms Review, Vol. 12, No. 1, October, 2008.)

Since the laser sighting market is not limited only to pistols, LaserMax offers several models in numerous configurations from traditional shooting applications to scientific and aerospace uses. Colors include High-Vis Red-Orange, Green and Infrared with output power from 0.7mW to 100mW and wavelengths from 635nm to 1550nm.

Since rail systems are so prevalent in military-style firearms, we were particularly interested in evaluating the Uni-Max rail mounted lasers. Actually resembling a small portion of Picatinny rail, the Uni-Max Laser is slightly over 2.25 inches in length and weighs less than one ounce with most models. At less than 3/8 of an inch thick, this unique sight actually mounts inside a very small section of Picatinny or Weaver rail and incorporates a rail-mounting surface in its design. This allows the mounting of an additional accessory on the laser sight itself so there is actually no loss of rail space when mounting the Uni-Max laser.

The Uni-Max laser sight is currently available in four models. The LMS-UNI emits a 635nm red laser beam. The LMS-UNI-G emits a 532nm green laser beam. The LMS-UNI-IR and LMS-UNI-IR+ both emit an 850nm infrared laser beam for use with night vision equipment and are only available to qualified law enforcement and military end users. All red and IR Uni-Max lasers allow the shooter to select one of two modes of operation; modulated (pulsed) beam or continuous wave (steady on) beam. Owners also have three options for activating the Uni-Max. It is shipped with a rear-mounted, constant-on sliding switch that can be replaced with a momentary activation pressure switch with either a 6-inch or 10-inch cord. When using the constant-on switch the red and infrared laser automatically turns off after thirty minutes to preserve battery life. The green laser turns off after ten minutes. When using the pressure switch, the laser is only momentarily on when activated for optimum battery life. Battery life varies from 1-hour to 6 hours of continuous operation depending on the color and mode.

Pulse Beam vs. Constant Beam

LaserMax cites studies that show the human eye will recognize a moving object much faster than a stationary object – including a dot emitted from a laser. The higher visibility created by the pulsating beam allows for a much faster target acquisition and, as a residual effect, the life of the battery is doubled.

Although the pulsating beam seems a bit odd or almost awkward when first utilized, it is generally preferred over the constant beam after a very short amount of time and becomes the setting of choice.

For those who do prefer the solid dot, changing the operating mode from the preset pulsating beam to the traditional constant beam is a simple process. The beam selection port is located in the battery compartment and a clockwise turn with the supplied Allen wrench will change the setting. It is easily reversed with a counterclockwise turn.

Power Switch Options

All Uni-Max sights are shipped with an ambidextrous sliding rear power switch. The laser is activated by sliding the switch either to the left or the right so it will accommodate almost any rail location and both right-handed and left-handed shooters. When the switch is activated the green laser will stay on for 10 minutes, the red and infrared will remain on for 30 minutes, and will automatically shut off. The laser is turned back on by sliding the switch to the off position and back on again. This is an excellent feature that prevents battery drain from inadvertently activating the laser during transportation or storage.

If it is preferred that the laser only be on momentarily instead of in a constant mode, a pressure activated switch is available to replace the factory switch. The pressure switches are available with a 6-inch or 10-inch cord to accommodate many mounting options.

Replacing the factory switch with the desired pressure switch is a simple process. The battery compartment cover is removed and two screws are removed from the sliding switch. The sliding switch is removed to reveal a pair of contact pins. The new pressure switch backing plate replaces the sliding switch and is secured with two screws and the battery compartment cover is replaced. The pressure pad portion of the switch is mounted to the firearm with a supplied adhesive and Velcro pad after the surface is thoroughly cleaned with the included wipe.

The newly replaced back plate portion of the pressure switch has a master power switch that can be turned off to prevent activation during transport or storage.

Laser Color Options: It Isn’t Easy Being Green

The color red is the predominant color for most lasers because of ease in the manufacturing process. Several options are readily available, in several types in many output ranges.

Even though several colors are possible, the different colors require different gain media or materials to make the laser. Gain media is required in lasers to give a strong source of light. The gain media could include gases, different types of crystals, special glasses and even ceramics.

Blue diode lasers for example, (usually in the range of 400-500nm) use a different type of crystal than red lasers. The blue crystals are not as durable or long-lived, and performance isn’t quite as good as those in the red spectral region.

Much more difficult to make than the red versions, green lasers are manufactured by LaserMax using a series of crystals and filters. These are specifically designed and built into a system that is not sensitive to recoil like some of the other green lasers on the market today. Unlike many other manufacturers of green lasers, LaserMax also safely filters out the dangerous IR light, which is emitted from green lasers.

Green lasers require more power due to the resonator loss and filtering, and that is why the battery life is quite a bit less than with the red counterparts. Many green lasers do not use such high-end components and although they make great pointers, they will not stand up to the recoil of being mounted to a firearm. Many users have had experience with fast failing green lasers of lesser quality than the Uni-Max system and might tend to shy away from green lasers in general. The Uni-Max system has addressed this problem and performance is greatly improved.

Green lasers have some distinct characteristics and benefits over standard red lasers. Most of the benefit is simply the range where our eyes function the best in bright light. Though our eyes are capable of seeing the colors of the rainbow in bright light, the peak visibility is in the green spectrum. Since our eyes are approximately 4-times more sensitive to green in bright light than they are to red light, darker areas are even MUCH more pronounced. A quick look at the dot from a green laser in medium or low light will immediately show the difference. Since green is so much more visible in bright light and dim light, we can see it much further, and when combined with the pulsating beam in the Uni-Max sight, target acquisition is extremely fast.

The Uni-Max Sight is available in 4 color beam options: red, green and two infrared options. The red Uni-Max has a power output level of 5mW in the 635nm wavelength. It can be switched from pulsed beam to constant beam. The green Uni-Max has a power output level of 5mW in the 532nm wavelength and operates in pulse beam only. The two IR lasers are in the 850nm wavelength. The standard model is optimized for CQB use with NVG. The IR+ model is optimized for longer-range shooting with NVG. Both IR units are selectable from pulse beam to constant beam use. As previously mentioned, none of the IR units are available to anyone except qualified and approved LE and military purchasers.

Weapons Sight Options

Laser sights can be used as an accessory sight instead of primary or only sight. It is very beneficial to have a standard red-dot-type or holographic sight on a rifle in addition to the Uni-Max sight. They can be co-witnessed for the same point of aim and different uses in different situations, or even sighted in at different distances giving the shooter two completely different aiming points for two different distances. This can effectively double the usefulness of the system by adding no more than an ounce in weight. For those who have Back Up Iron Sights (BUIS) already co-witnessed with their red-dot-type sight, they can still be used as normal as the tiny Uni-Max will actually take up no additional room on most rail systems.

Space Saver

Some firearms have more available rail space than will ever be needed, but other guns have only a precious few inches. The FN Five-seveN pistol is a great example. With only a small rail in front of the trigger guard, under the barrel, most laser sights would delete the opportunity to mount another much-needed accessory, like a tactical flashlight. With the Uni-Max, the flashlight, in this case, can be mounted directly to the laser sight so both can be utilized.

Conclusion

When the Uni-Max lasers arrived for testing it soon became clear that they were quite different from those tested in the past. With a built-in rail and several power, color and beam options they are really not like anything tested in the past. On the three firearms they were mounted on for testing, the Uni-Max lasers all performed fantastic. The red Uni-Max was tested on an FN-PS90 SBR and the combination even won 1st place in its class in a shooting competition it was entered in. The same combination also won 2nd place in the same class, being fired by someone else. The green Uni-Max was mounted on an FN Five-seveN pistol and also performed flawlessly. The IR unit was mounted to a suppressed .22 LR dedicated M16, and when assisted with NV gear, it worked excellently.

The bottom line is they are small, light, and affordable and offer a ton of functional options. With a starting retail price of $189 for such technological advancement in laser aiming devices, these are certain to score a bulls-eye with any shooter who has an interest in a laser sight.

Additional Information

It isn’t often mentioned other than in the sources area of an article, but the website LaserMax has built is so full of information that it needs to be brought to everyone’s attention. This professional website is full of technical information about every product in the catalog, and lots of generic information about laser sights in general. With a complete product catalog and several videos, reviews, training information and lots of testimonials, it is a great reference source for an abundance of laser related information. A listing of retailers who sell LaserMax sights will be beneficial to anyone interested in obtaining one. Training and certification is offered through LaserMax with information available on line combined with information on reduced pricing and available grants for LE, Military, and Certified NRA Instructors. If you go to the website at www.lasermax.com, be prepared to spend some time there and expect to come away with an education.

LaserMax
Dept. SAR
3495 Winton Place, Bldg. B
Rochester, NY 14623
Phone: (800) 527-3703
Fax: (585) 272-5427
www.lasermax.com

By Julio A. Montes

While strolling in Mexico during the latest Independence Day celebrations, I came across two very interesting and unique military hardware items.

The first item was observed in the hands of some members of the Special Forces Airmobile Groups. This was the very unusual Corner Shot, designed as a technological system that enables the user to observe and engage a target from behind a corner without exposing the shooter. The design has been successful and Special Forces and elite police units around the world use it. The weapon was first unveiled in December 2003 by Corner Shot LLC, and it was the brainchild of Amos Golan and Asaf Nadel, both senior former Israeli combat and special units officers.

The weapon adapts a standard pistol into a special rifle mount. The flexible furniture carries a small resolution camera and monitor that allows to the area to be scanned and to broadcast directly, in real time, to the team behind or to a command post in the rear.

With the weapon, the shooter can engage targets in several directions up to 100m with standard pistol calibers, and up to 200m with 5.7+mm calibers. Although the pistols used by the Mexican Army appear to be the Glock, the system has been designed to take SIG Sauers, CZ and Berettas and many others as well.

The company in fact has gone beyond the pistol calibers and developed the Personal Grenade Launcher (PGL) Corner Shot 40. This basically modifies a single shot grenade launcher. Furthermore, with the partnership of the German Dynamit Nobel Defense, the company now offers the CSP – or Corner Shot Panzerfaust. This design matches the standard furniture to a powerful RGW-60 antitank recoilless grenade launcher. The RGW can fire several types of explosive warheads to include -HET, HEAT-Mp and HESH. It is unknown if the Mexican forces have acquired any other than the pistol adaptation model.

The second interesting item observed has nothing to do with small arms, but provided for the first close up of the Norinco 105mm M90 mountain howitzer. The guns had been actually photographed from afar in 1995. Their shape made me to speculate that these were either Italian M56 Oto types with the muzzle break removed, or Yugoslavian M48 mountain guns. The National Defense Secretariat (SEDENA) finally acknowledged to have purchased some 13 Norinco mountain guns in 2000.

The Norinco M90 is very similar to the M56 Oto, but lacks the distinctive muzzle break. The weapon can be broken down in several lighter, smaller, man or mule-portable components. It has been designed as a powerful artillery piece to equip mountain troops and is normally towed by a Hummer pickup or similar light utility vehicle. It is unusual because it departs from the typical Russian calibers, and uses NATO standard 105mm ammunition. Its maximum range is rated to a little less than 11,000 meters (6.84 miles)

The Mexican Army counts with the 1st Artillery Regiment XII Military Zone at Guanajuato, with 12 Norincos distributed in three batteries, each with four 105mm howitzers. The 8th Artillery Regiment/I Military Region from Mexico State is said to be similarly organized and equipped.

Until recently Mexico was hardly the place to find exotic weapons, but all that has changed within the last few years.

By Will Dabbs, MD

The MAC-11 in .380 is one of the niftiest automatic weapons commonly encountered on the U.S market. The bizarre legal environment in which American machine gun collectors find themselves has served to foment an eclectic amalgam of weapons available to U.S. machine gun enthusiasts. For instance, the Kalashnikov assault rifles represent the most prolifically produced small arm in history. There have been more than fifty million copies of this weapon produced in dozens of countries yet original transferable versions of these guns are rare in America and command quite a premium. By contrast, the diminutive MAC series submachine guns were never employed by conventional military forces in quantity and were produced piecemeal by several manufacturers, all of which eventually went bankrupt, yet are the most inexpensive and ubiquitous automatic weapons available to American collectors.

Among the several MAC variants commonly encountered nothing else quite exudes cool like the little MAC-11 in .380. Marketed originally as a sort of Personal Defense Weapon capable of producing a prodigious volume of fire while remaining portable and compact enough for comfortable carry, the MAC-11 is the closest thing to a true machine pistol most American shooters will ever see. Oddly, as unusual as this weapon is, it remains one of the most reasonably priced machine guns in America. While these guns represent, relatively speaking, a bargain entry into machine gun collecting, magazines for the original versions were either unobtainable or prohibitively expensive until very recently.

The .380 MAC-11 was produced and marketed by several companies but for shooting purposes falls into one of two broad categories. The original guns used model-specific steel magazines known to be both robust and reliable. While carrying ammunition in a double stack fashion, these magazines taper to a single-stack presentation in the same manner as do those of the Sten and MP40 or most contemporary high-capacity handguns. Later versions of the .380 MAC-11 used the same synthetic Zytel magazine employed by the 9mm M-11/9. These later magazines work fairly well but are clearly an expedient solution and wreck the aesthetics of the little buzz gun. For those collectors trying to feed a metal mag .380 MAC-11, original magazines can run upwards of $200 per copy when they can be found. In addition to being exorbitantly expensive, most of these magazines have a good bit of mileage on them on the rare occasion when they can be located for sale.

Cheaper Than Dirt has recently begun selling aftermarket replacement steel magazines for the .380 MAC-11. These magazines appear to be made originally as high capacity replacements for an unknown .380 autoloading pistol. Quality is entirely adequate and the finish is a deep parkerized gray. The most amazing part of the equation for MAC-11 owners is that the magazines retail for a modest $19.95 each. (Catalog item MAG-214)

These replacement magazines comfortably hold thirty rounds and present the ammunition in a single stack fashion like the originals. As such, loading is much easier with a loading tool. Fit and lockup compare favorably with the originals though the fundamental design geometry differs markedly from the original MAC version. In my gun at least, the aftermarket copies fit more smoothly and comfortably than do the originals. These new magazines are slightly tighter to charge with ammunition than the originals but actually appear to represent a more robust design. The follower is made from a black synthetic material that is appropriately hearty. The only aesthetic downside is that the baseplate cants upward as though it were fitted for the butt of a handgun rather than being squared off like the original MAC magazines. To the purist, this is a significant aesthetic detriment but one that can be readily remedied with a little patience and a Dremel tool.

To square the base of one of these replacement magazines the magazine must first be completely disassembled. The baseplates are tight as shipped but can be readily removed with a little elbow grease. One can then cut the base of the magazine square using either a cutoff wheel on a table saw, a Dremel grinder, a bench grinder, or some similar tool. Careful teasing with a Dremel removes a little material on the front aspect of the magazine and slots the back corners to form side flanges that retain the baseplate. The rear portion of the magazine is left a little long to form a baseplate stop. A little careful bending with a wide pair of pliers forms the retaining flanges and the original baseplate can be cut down to form a better semblance of the original. If care is taken during this process minimal refinishing is required. The resulting magazine is a wee bit shorter than an original and carries thirty rounds rather than thirty-two but has been utterly reliable during my extensive range testing.

Just for fun, one magazine was cut down such that it protrudes only slightly from the butt of the weapon. In this configuration the magazine carries seventeen rounds and makes for a much handier package in a holster. The process is identical to the squaring off exercise described earlier with the exception of adjustment of the magazine spring. The magazine spring was cut down a single coil at a time until the right combination of capacity and lifting strength was achieved.

The availability of these replacement magazines breathes new life into the little MAC-11 .380 weapon system. Any gun that shoots between 1,200 and 1,600 rounds per minute is simply frustrating without a decent collection of reliable magazines. Considering a MAC-11 owner can now stock up on eight or more magazines for the price of a single original there is no reason not to load up while they are available. Cheaper Than Dirt is readily accessible on the internet and as of this writing these magazines were freely available in quantity.

Cheaper Than Dirt
P.O. Box 162087
Fort Worth, TX 76161
(800) 559-0943
www.cheaperthandirt.com

This time a year ago everyone was celebrating the introduction of the NFA Handbook and a two year wait was finally over. During the last year we have slowly gathered revisions and made updates to the handbook and we wanted to take the time to review the new updates and provide the NFA community with news concerning upcoming events. As we approach the end of ’08, the NFATCA is already planning ’09 and working on new issues that we want to share with the entire community as we move forward.

Before we look at the specifics of the updates we want to make certain that everyone knows how to obtain these revisions and get them into their handbooks. At any show where the handbooks are sold you will be able to purchase the insert for a nominal fee and follow the directions in getting them into your existing handbook. Everything is color coded so you can easily find and read the new revisions for the new information. You will notice in the package that your table of contents has also been updated and the appropriate pages should be replaced. Updates or a new version of the complete NFA handbook can also be purchased off the NFATCA website at www.nfatca.org. In addition to the availability through major guns shows and our web site, the full PDF version of the document may be downloaded through the ATF web site.

For the first update to the handbook you can look for the following changes to the information:

• All new versions of Forms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 5330.20, 5320.20 and 5630.7 representing the change in address information for future use.
• Modifications to section 9.12 addressing the Brady requirements when a suppressor is permanently attached to a rifle or pistol.
• Modifications to 9.14 and additional information on a Form 10 and how this may or may not have an impact on the restriction of an NFA item.
• The first addition of information on trusts and corporate transfers. Please note that this information will be given a lot more attention in the next update.
• Modifications to the language providing further clarification on 9.8 U.S. Government Owned Firearms.
• Modifications to 13.7 Reporting Information in response to ATF Trace requirements.
• Modification to 15.2.1 concerning clarification of the criminal penalties language.
• Modifications to 1.6 with updates to provide new information on new telephone numbers and contact information on the Firearms Technology Branch (FTB), The Licensing Center, The National Firearms Act (NFA) Branch, and the Firearms and Explosives Imports Branch.
• Additions of 10.1.5 and 10.1.5.1 dealing with additional information on dewats and reactivation of dewats.
• Addition of new information concerning how to correspond with the NFA and FTB branches of the BATFE.

Based on the information that we have received from the industry and with work in progress with ATF, these are the first major changes that we are providing in this first update. In addition, we are already working up new sections for the handbook that will include a lot of good information on how to fill out all types of Forms and a comprehensive set of instructions on how to complete Forms using a corporation or a trust. Other critical information concerning letters to support Post Sample requests and other great sources of information are already planned for the next release.

We are also pleased to let everyone know that thanks to the efforts of Rick Vasquez, Assistant Chief, Firearms Technology Branch, the first and second chapters of the FTB Procedures manual are completed and are under review by both NFATCA council and ATF council. This next publication represents a monumental undertaking and will be the next major publication available to the NFA community.

So we move forward with more information and a growing relationship with ATF to support the future of all NFA owners. As we grow, so do the requirements for our time and our money. It is a growing membership that makes us stronger and is critical to our continued success. Come join us to strengthen the NFA community and work toward a common cause in protecting your rights and those of our sons and daughters. Always remember: “United We Stand, Divided We Fall.”

Visit us today at any major gun show or at WWW.NFATCA.ORG and join our efforts to build a better relationship with the entire NFA community, both civilian and government.

New Spectre Suppressor from SWR

Protect your hearing and make your shooting more fun with SWR’s new Spectre suppressor. Rated for full-automatic in .22 LR and semiautomatic in 5.7mm, .17 HMR, and .22 WMR, the Spectre is designed to maximize your shooting enjoyment. The Spectre is a true multi-caliber suppressor that will fit either handguns or rifles. It has a claimed noise reduction level of 44dB. It features a 1-inch diameter tube that is 6 inches long and weighs just 8.5 ounces. Utilizing the patented Omega baffle, the Spectre is manufactured from 316 and 17-4PH stainless steels and can be fully disassembled by the user for maintenance. If necessary, a pusher tool is available to assist in removal of the baffle stack. To facilitate re-assembly, individual baffles feature a tabbed snap lock. Finished in a black oxide-moly resin finish, the new Spectre suppressor retails for just $495 with its 5.7 mount retailing for $60 and the pusher tool for $65. Since 1994 SWR has been committed to providing the highest quality products for the shooting enthusiast. For more information about the Spectre and the location of the nearest stocking dealer, please contact SWR Manufacturing LLC, Dept. SAR, 796 Rocky Springs Church Road, Laurens, SC 29360. Phone: (864) 682-2830. Fax: (864) 682-4683. Their website is: www.swrmfg.com.

New 1919A6 Shooting Adapter

Now available is a custom multi-caliber 1919A6 Shooting Adapter. This adapter utilizes a modified .30 caliber ammo can to hold your ammo and to collect your spent links. It’s a very simple and very effective design that allows the shooter to have a compact yet versatile shooting system. You never again have to worry about your spent links falling to the ground and getting dirty. This adapter keeps them clean and ready to relink at the range. The new adapter simply pins right onto your 1919 with the supplied hardware and takes less than a minute to install. It gives you a very affordable clean shooting system for your A6 ground set-up. The adapter will work will all caliber 1919A6s. It features mig and tig welding throughout (all welds are smooth sanded), a fully enclosed link chute, a belt assist to keep the belt feeding properly, quick pins, a support handle, a built-in brass deflector and can be ordered in either black or OD green. The adapter can be ordered with either a standard full-size .30 caliber ammo can or a modified shorter can that is 2 inches shorter. For more information or to place an order, please contact Beltfedshooters, Dept. SAR, 9524 W. Camelback Road, Ste#130, Glendale, AZ 85305. E-mail to: reconrichie@aol.com

New Products from DEZ Arms, Inc.

DEZ Arms, Inc. has just released several new products for the shooting enthusiast. The first are stripped AR-15/M16 barrels made from durable 4140 chrome moly steel. The barrels are contoured, 1 in 9 twist, 6-groove, stress relieved and turned on center for precision accuracy and functioning. They are available in 16-inch lightweight, 16-inch heavy weight and 20-inch H-Bar. The other two products are for the 1919A4 machine gun. The first is a one-piece booster. This new production one-piece booster is made from 4140 chrome moly steel with exact internal dimensions, angles, margins, surface and exit hole diameters for reliable and proper barrel functioning. This can also be combined with their other new product; a Slip-On Flash Hider for the 1919A4. This new inexpensive flash hider easily adapts to the one-piece booster. The flash hider controls flash and also transforms your antique looking 1919 into an ultramodern looking weapon. The new flash hider adds 8 inches to the gun’s length. Either of these new items can be purchased for $35 in the white or $40 parkerized. The combination price is $65 in the white and $75 for the parkerized finish. For more information please contact them at DEZ Arms, Inc., Dept. SAR, 2899 11th Drive, Adams, WI 53910. Phone: (630) 280-9448. Fax: (630) 668-2041. They can be found on the web at www.dezarms.com.

New .30-06 M1 Garand Match Ammunition from Hornady

Hornady has now announced a new addition to their Match ammunition line – a purpose built .30-06 match load specifically designed for the M1 Garand. Hornady M1 Garand ammunition is loaded with a 168-grain A-MAX bullet that launches at 2,710 feet per second and provides match winning accuracy. Carefully designed medium burn propellants protect the rifle’s intricate gas port system allowing safe and accurate firing of the M1 rifle and meets all Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) guidelines. Until now, Garand shooters have been limited to military surplus ammunition, handloading, and .30-06 commercial ammunition that is often too powerful for the sensitive gas powered operating system of the M1 Garand. “Permanent damage can occur while shooting standard factory loaded .30-06 ammunition in the M1 Garand,” said Dave Emary, Hornady Chief Ballistic Scientist. “Typical factory loads contain fast burning propellants that when fired, result in port pressures and gas volumes that are too high, causing violent stress to the rifle’s operating rod, bolt, and receiver.” The M1 Garand uses an intricate gas port system to cycle the action, but existing .30-06 ammunition can burn too hot, causing the operating system to be driven harder and faster than intended. This new offering from Hornady is purpose built to provide accurate, safe and ultra reliable functioning for the M1 Garand. For more information please contact Hornady Manufacturing Company, Dept. SAR, 3625 Old Potash Highway, P.O. Box 1848, Grand Island, NE 68803. Phone: (308) 382-1390. Fax: (308) 382-5761. Visit website at: www.hornady.com

Blackhawk! Introduces New Crucible II Folding Knife

Blackhawk! is proud to announce a new model in the very popular Crucible knife line. The original Crucible folding knife, designed by noted close-combat expert Kelly McCann, found immediate favor with armed professionals and remains in service worldwide. However, as a premium-quality knife, its price tag put it out of reach of many military and law enforcement personnel. In response to their requests, Blackhawk! manufactured the same exact design, making calculated changes to the blade steel and coating to make it more affordable. The result was the Crucible II. This high-performance folding knife features a stout, flush-ground liner-lock mechanism, textured G-10 handle slabs, and a distinctive handle shape that provides a superior grip and hand protection. Its broad spear point blade is ground from AUS 8A stainless steel and features a non-reflective black Teflon coating. Available with either a plain or partially serrated edge, the Crucible II also features a four-position clip that supports all possible carry positions and Phillips-head clip and pivot screws for easy user maintenance. The Crucible II has been member tested and is officially recommended by the National Tactical Officer’s Association (NTOA). For more information contact Blackhawk Products Group, Dept. SAR, 6160 Commander Parkway, Norfolk, VA 23502. Phone: (757) 436-3101. Fax: (757) 436-3088. Their website is www.blackhawk.com.

The California Department of Justice has announced stringent sales rules regarding the new California Firearms License Check (CFLC) Program that went into effect July 1st.

On that date, all firms intending to ship firearms to an FFL dealer in California must, prior to delivery, obtain a verification approval number from the California Department of Justice (CADOJ) Bureau of Firearms. The verification approval number, which the Bureau of Firearms provides in a Firearms Shipment Approval letter, confirms that the intended recipient of the firearms shipment is properly licensed and listed in the state’s database of persons/entities authorized to receive firearms shipments. If the intended California FFL recipient is not listed in the state’s database, the proposed transaction will result in a Do Not Ship letter. It is a crime for the intended recipient to receive the firearms. This is way the state of California is dealing with the apparently large numbers of FFL-holders who do not have the required state license(s) to operate a firearms business.

Here’s the way it works. In order for a shipper to obtain a Firearms Shipment Approval letter from the Bureau of Firearms, the shipper must have the California FFL’s five digit Centralized List number. As a courtesy to impacted FFLs, the Bureau of Firearms has established an Internet application process at: http://webapps.doj.ca.gov/cflc/index.jsp. The CFLC Internet application can also be accessed through the California Attorney General’s website: http://ag.ca.gov/firearms. Click on “Enroll in CFLC,” and enter the information as directed.

After submitting the CFLC enrollment information, a CFLC Logon ID and Password will be sent back to the applicant by e-mail. Then, by using the CFLC Logon ID and Password, the company can log on to the CFLC site to obtain Firearms Shipment Approval letters. It should be noted that the new rules require a separate approval letter for each firearms shipment, even in those instances when a firm may be shipping firearms to the same dealer on a regular basis. Multiple firearms in a single shipment going to one address require only one approval letter.

The requirement to obtain a Firearms Shipment Approval letter only applies to holders of valid FFLs. Thus, an unlicensed person intending to ship a firearm to a California FFL does not need to obtain an approval letter before shipping a firearm into the state. For FFLs situated in California, these firms must either be listed on the Central List of firearms dealers pursuant to Penal Code Section 12071, or the Centralized List of exempted federal firearm licensees. Anytime a firearm is received from an FFL (whether the other FFL is located within, or outside of California) a Firearms Shipment Approval letter from the FFL shipper must be included with the firearm (Pen. Code § 12070, subd. (f) (1) (A)).

The CFLC program does not apply to FFLs with Type 03 (curio and relic collectors) and Type 06 (ammunition dealers) licenses.

It should be emphasized that all industry firms doing firearms shipments to California are affected by the new regulations. All firms, even those outside of California, must now obtain a Firearms Shipment Approval letter from the CA DOJ Bureau of Firearms prior to delivering a firearm to a California FFL.

Consequently, all firms intending to ship firearms to California must enroll in the CFLC program to obtain Firearms Shipment Approval letters prior to shipping firearms to California. Those firms who do not ship or transfer firearms to California FFLs are not affected by the CFLC program. However, should a firm decide to ship or transfer firearms to a California FFL in the future, it will be able to enroll in the CFLC Program at that time.

The onus for compliance is mainly on the FFL shipping the firearm as that is the one who must obtain a Firearms Shipment Approval letter from the CA DOJ Bureau of Firearms. The firearms cannot be legally shipped without a verification approval number. The California FFL who receives the firearm must be on the Centralized List and must keep the verification approval number from the Firearms Shipment Approval letter on file for three years. A copy of the Firearms Shipment Approval letter must be included with the firearms shipment. A copy should also be kept with the shippers’ office records.

There’s more… The CADOJ Bureau of Firearms must be notified if the number of firearms that are to be shipped changes, or the shipment is cancelled after a Firearms Shipment Approval letter has been issued. In either of these scenarios, a Firearms Shipment Modification/Cancellation Form must be requested from the Bureau of Firearms which must be returned so that the Bureau can reconcile the shipment information upon inspection of the California FFL’s shipment records.

A copy of the legislation that mandates the CFLC program (bill AB 2521, Chapter 784, Session 2005-2006) can be obtained from www.legislature.ca.gov or by calling the California Legislative Bill Room at (916) 445-2323.

Company Notes

Smith & Wesson has been particularly successful with its tactical line of pistols and rifles. While on the market for a relatively short time, S&W says it has secured commitments from 348 law enforcement and security agencies for some version of its M&P pistol line, including sizeable agencies such as the Colorado State Police, and the Atlanta, Charlotte and Syracuse police departments. Since its introduction, this pistol has won over 80% of all law enforcement test and evaluations in which it has participated, the company says. S&W’s M&P15 tactical rifle has been selected by 160 law enforcement and security agencies.

TR&Z USA to Offer Steel-Cased Ammo

TR&Z USA, the importer of PRVI Partizan (PPU) Ammunition from Bosnia and Serbia, is apparently noticing the success of the Russian steel cased ammunition on the market (notable examples are the Wolf and Barnaul brands), as trade sources indicate the importer is planning to shortly introduce a new, economically priced line of steel-cased ammunition. It is not yet known where this new steel-cased ammunition is produced.

The after-effects of a significant PPU Spring price increase may be inducing the move to steel as well, as brass-cased PPU ammunition is now priced (at wholesale) at a level comparable to American-made ammunition, such as that produced by Remington and Winchester, thereby wiping out the competitive advantage of the imported product with an unfamiliar name but with a (formerly) very attractive price. As an example, Federal’s American Eagle XM193 .223/5.56×45 ammo is now available to retailers at a price lower than PPU’s XM193 version.

Finally, PPU (according to a usually reliable trade source) is said to be tooling up to produce 5.7x28mm ammo for certain firearm models in the FNH USA line. Available in unrestricted form in two versions, currently FN SS195LF (lead-free jacketed hollow point) ammunition is produced in Belgium. The SS197 (loaded with a blue-tipped Hornady V-Max bullet) is loaded by Fiocchi in its Missouri plant.

FNH USA Gives Exclusive Ammo Rights to ATK

FNH USA, as per the provisions of a May 29, 2008 signed agreement with ATK Commercial Products, has given exclusive distribution rights for the U.S. commercial market for 5.7x28mm SS197SR ammunition to ATK. The agreement became effective July 1st.

Rick DeMilt, FNH USA’s senior vice president of sales and marketing, says the move is intended to broaden the availability of the 5.7x28mm round and thus make FN firearms chambered for the 5.7 round more mainstream. It is hoped the ammunition will become more widely available through the ATK distribution network.

All restricted military and law enforcement rounds, as well as the SS195LF lead free round, will continue to be available from FNH USA. The short supply situation of FN ammo has actually helped those retailers and wholesalers who have been able to obtain it as both types of sellers have enjoyed particularly good margins with the product. Now that the SS197SR will become more widely available, it may even wind up being sold at Wal-Mart before long. It is conceivable some wholesalers will turn their attention to marketing the SS195LF round, which has the cache of being made in Europe and is the original round for the 5.7 series of firearms and the better performer of the two loads.

Extreme Shock Drops Fang Face Line

While seemingly one of its more popular and enduring offerings, Mullins Extreme Shock Ammunition has dropped the “Fang Face” design in every caliber.

Fang Face bullets contain very sharp pointed edges, resembling an animal’s fangs. Marketed as super-premium self-defense rounds, the product was designed to induce massive bleeding and trauma as it tore through flesh.

The company is continuing to produce the “Air Freedom” (a reduced penetration round supposedly developed for sky marshals) and its “Enhanced Penetration” rounds. Extreme Shock is introducing a new line of CT2 ammunition, containing compressed copper projectiles designed for tactical training.

H&K Wins Spanish Army Contract

Oberndorfer-Germany based Heckler & Koch Group has won a contract from the Spanish Army for the production of a new, light machine gun designated the MG4 E in 5.56×45. In accordance with the deal, the Spanish Army stated a requirement of a minimum of 1,800 light machine guns, distributed over a four year period.

The Turkish Army has tested the HK416 and reportedly decided to adopt it as a replacement for the currently issued G3 rifle. It is yet unknown whether the weapons will be produced by H&K in Germany or locally by a national Turkish manufacturer.

Heckler & Koch has announced it will end its relationship with the Blackwater Training Center after German media reported that the US-run military-training firm was using its guns in Iraq and Afghanistan. H&K reportedly was not given permission by the German government to provide Blackwater with firearms. The U.S. based Heckler & Koch was supposed to provide Blackwater with guns for training purposes only.

ATF Letter on Barrel Importation

In a recent Open Letter to licensed importers, ATF issued a clarification on the ability to import certain firearm barrels under 18 U.S.C §925(d)(3) for official use by a government agency.

By way of a prior Open Letter dated July 13, 2005, ATF advised industry that, pursuant to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. § 925(d)(3), ATF would no longer approve ATF Form 6 applications for the importation of any frames, receivers, or barrels for firearms that would be prohibited from importation if assembled.

Afterward, questions were raised regarding the importation of barrels for the official use of a government agency. Pursuant to 18U.S.C. § 925(a)(1), ATF has the authority to approve ATF Form 6 applications seeking to import barrels for nonsporting, NFA, and surplus military firearms when the application is accompanied by a purchase order or government contract indicating that the barrels are for the official use of a Federal, State, or local government agency.

Importers are reminded that the exemption is only for the importation of barrels for, or on behalf of government agencies. ATF will continue to deny all other ATF Form 6 applications seeking to import frames, receivers, or barrels for firearms that would be prohibited from importation if assembled.

ATF Advisory on Security Firm Practices

ATF has issued a mid-June Open Letter advising security firms and other persons who have federal firearms licenses (FFLs), and who may temporarily assign firearms to their unlicensed employees in furtherance of legitimate business purposes, of the statutory and regulatory requirements that affect them.

Security companies with FFLs that temporarily assign firearms to unlicensed employees for bona fide business purposes generally are not required under the GCA to maintain records associated with the assignment of that firearm.

For example, when a security firm assigns a firearm to an employee during a particular shift in furtherance of bona fide licensee business use, and the employee is responsible for returning the firearm to the licensee after the shift is completed and no ATF Form 4473 or National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check is required. This is because the temporary assignment of the firearm to the employee is not a transfer or disposition for purposes of the Gun Control Act.

Businesses can only carry out their operations through their employees, and a temporary assignment of a firearm to an employee for bona fide business purposes is neither a transfer nor a disposition. Accordingly, the licensee is not required to log the firearm out of the Acquisition & Disposition (A&D) Record.

Similarly, background checks and record keeping requirements typically do not apply if the firearms are issued to employees temporarily for legitimate business purposes. A bona fide business purpose, in this context, is limited to the temporary assignment of a FFL’s firearm(s) to an FFL employee for purposes integral to the licensee’s business operations, such as temporary assignments by FFLs that have entered into valid contracts to provide protective services, training related to such services, or assignments to sales personnel for purposes of demonstrations or display. Bona fide business purposes would not include assignments of firearms that are merely incidental to the licensee’s operations, such as when an FFL loans a firearm to an employee for personal use, or permanently assigns a firearm to a specific employee. These transactions are considered transfers or other dispositions that would trigger record keeping and NICS requirements.

In any case in which an FFL loans, rents, permanently assigns, or otherwise transfers or disposes of a firearm to any person, including an employee of the FFL, an ATF Form 4473 and NICS background check must be completed prior to the transfer. The licensee must also record the disposition of the firearm in the A&D Record.

Finally, in the case of all firearms transfers or dispositions, licensees or any other persons shall not knowingly transfer or otherwise dispose of a firearm to another person who they know or have reasonable cause to believe is prohibited. (See 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(d); 922(g)) In addition, in any instance in which a firearm temporarily assigned or issued to an employee is not returned to the FFL, the licensee must report the theft or loss of the firearm to ATF within 48 hours of discovery by filing an ATF Form 3310.11, Federal Licensee Inventory Theft/Loss Report, to the ATF National Tracing Center.

Inventory and Firearms Accountability

Inventory and firearms accountability are among the key components of any federal firearms licensee inspection. An FFL may be revoked for failing to properly account for the disposition of firearms. Therefore, in any case in which a firearm is recorded in a licensee’s acquisition records and the firearm is not stored on the licensee’s premises, or at a separate place of storage, the licensee will be asked to provide sufficient documentation verifying the firearm’s location. This documentation may include the daily logbook recommended below.

In the limited circumstances described above where licensees temporarily assign firearms to employees for business purposes, ATF recommends a number of best practices to improve the traceability of firearms and protect the public. ATF strongly recommends recording the issuance of a firearm for legitimate business uses: (1) to an employee for any period of time; or (2) from a licensee’s licensed premises to an appropriate responsible person or authorized employee at an alternate location.

ATF recommends that licensees record this information in a daily logbook and/or maintain other documentation that records the temporary assignment of each firearm to a particular employee. The record should reflect the complete name of the individual temporarily assigned the firearm, the address where the firearm is assigned, annotate the date of assignment and return, and include identifying firearm information consistent with 27 C.F.R. § 478.125 (manufacturer/importer, model, serial number, type, caliber or gauge).

Additionally, ATF suggests that records at the assigned alternate location should similarly reflect this information. ATF believes that these records will significantly improve the accountability of firearms by licensees and establish good internal controls.

The author publishes two of the small arms industry’s most widely read trade newsletters. The International Firearms Trade covers the world firearms scene, and The New Firearms Business covers the domestic market. Visit www.FirearmsGroup.com. He may be reached at: FirearmsB@aol.com.