In 1917 an unusual device was trialed that gave the soldier a means to quickly convert his slow firing bolt action M1903 Springfield rifle into a higher rate-of-fire semiautomatic weapon. The bolt action mode was proven to be effective at long ranges, whereas the semiautomatic conversion was intended to improve his effectiveness in close combat. The Pedersen device, as it was known, was classified “Secret” and generated tremendous interest from the military, but was never used in combat. The inventor of this device was a Danish immigrant from Wyoming named John Douglas Pedersen.

Before introduction of this conversion kit to the Army, Pedersen was enjoying a very successful career at Remington Arms. He already had several successful designs under his belt, and had gotten to know John Browning when they worked together on the Remington Model 17 shotgun. Browning was so impressed with Pedersen he called him, “the greatest gun designer in the world;” potentially the definitive case where “it takes one to know one.”

More than his design prowess, it was Pedersen’s vast knowledge of mass production and the resolution of production problems that had impressed Browning. After World War I, the Army lured Pedersen away from Remington with a lucrative contract. The Army never revealed their reasoning, but it is likely they had more in mind than just bringing a clever gun designer into their fold. His eventual contribution was something so significant we might not have won World War II without him.

Mass production of firearms and other mechanical devices had been well underway since the Civil War. Henry Ford pioneered this technology in the automobile industry and other industries, like the country’s armories, were trying to turn out guns and other ordnance the same way.

In a typical gun factory, huge ceiling mounted shafts rotated leather belts that reached nearly to the floor. These belts rotated pulleys to power the milling machines and lathes that made the parts. As each part was removed from the machine, its configuration was checked by a set of gauges. If it passed the gauging, it was considered “good” and went on for further processing.

In the early years of the 20th century, the learning curve for mass production was still in its infancy. Problems on the production line were numerous and difficult to solve. When parts were finished and sent to the assembly line, some of them assembled perfectly, while others required rework. Other parts assembled well enough but it was later found they would not function in the firearm.

The problem parts caused engineers and machinists to question if the components had been specified correctly. When John Pedersen encountered these problems he knew what had caused them and lamented, “The sins of faulty production design now overtake us.”

Pedersen explained what happened next:

We now begin to realize the import of the word “trouble.” A detachment of “trouble shooters” is hastily organized, many suggestions considered, some adopted, and changes to equipment are started. The production schedule has already been “badly bent” but hope lingers that by extra effort we can yet swing in with the final quota. The necessity of frequent “explaining” to the head office does not add to our peace of mind or ability to secure results. Yet important decisions must be made, for – to continue machining may accumulate a mass of useless component – to stop will result in no components for the assembling department to practice upon.

Pedersen went on to explain that after design and manufacturing changes were made, production was restarted and parts with the newly adopted changes came to assembly. Generally the old problems were solved, but it wasn’t long before new ones would crop up.

There were cases where more than one factory was producing the same product. But instead of sharing solutions to production problems, each factory tended to resolve its own issues, with their own unique solutions. Very often this killed any chance of parts interchangeability between production lines. Production problems were so commonplace that everyone involved in the production from the engineers to the assemblers believed they were unavoidable. Except, that is, for John Pedersen, who not only understood the problems, he presented logical and workable solutions to fix them.

Pedersen’s solution began with the dimensioning of the parts. He insisted that the upper and lower size limitation, or “tolerance,” of every dimension on each part be specified. This was a practice started by French military engineers in the late 1700s, yet well into the early 1900s tolerances were specified on only a few dimensions on U.S. military ordnance components.

Pedersen studied the machining methods of the day and determined the accuracy of every machine tool. He presented this data in a table designed to serve as a reference guide for production supervisors and machinists. Pedersen even realized that in wartime it would be necessary to enlist machinists of a lesser capability than the bevy of master machinists working in the peacetime arsenal. So to his recommendations he added that the tolerance specified also be achievable by the lowest skill level of machinist expected.

As an example, let’s look at a drawing of the Extractor Collar from the 1903 Springfield rifle. This part fits in a groove on the bolt to retain the extractor and must be in clearance with the receiver so the bolt can be drawn back and forth. First notice there is no indication of the allowable maximum or minimum on any of the dimensions. From the dimensions marked by my arrows, you see where the outside diameter 0.6985 (OD), the inside diameter, 0.602 (ID), and the wall thickness, 0.04825 (given twice) are specified. It’s easy to imagine that if the OD is too big, there could be interference problems moving the bolt, but from the drawing there is no way to know how big is too big. Pedersen’s table tells us there’s no way to achieve any dimension perfectly every time regardless of how we machine it.

Another issue is that the allowable concentricity between the ID and the OD is not specified. If you know this part or understand the application, it’s easy to see how fit or function might be adversely affected if the ID and OD are not in close concentricity.

Specifying too many dimensions, as in our illustration, gives the machinist too many options for manufacturing the part and can cause a wide variation in the uniformity between parts. This situation is known today as “double dimensioning.”

Double dimensioning and lack of dimensional controls, result in another problem called “tolerance stack-up,” and is usually uncovered only after parts are put together. Pedersen recognized that the accumulation of tolerances was detrimental to designs and illustrated the concept with the following example: The result is analogous to that obtained by the amateur workman who, in sawing off boards for a picket fence, uses the most recently sawed picket as a measure for the next, and finds that the final picket has acquired surprising stature.

Pedersen understood that production problems went far deeper than merely specifying maximum and minimum limitations for every dimension. When a part was drawn, rarely did the designer give much thought as to how it was to be manufactured. Pedersen recognized this as a failing and observed that … neither in production of ordnance materiel nor in industry in general, has adequate study been devoted to designing the component parts with the expressed purpose of facilitating their mass production.

The draftsman’s job was to make a dimensioned “picture” of the component and that’s where the problem started. A draftsman rarely considered that the machinist had to have some way to hang on to the part as it was being shaped. Draftsmen might, for example, dimension some features from the left end of the part and others from the right end, never realizing that the left end wouldn’t even exist until the very end of the process when the machinist cut the part away from where it was held while being machined.

Pedersen’s understanding of the complete problem led to his advocating of a new thinking that revolutionized not only the production of small arms but other mass produced items as well. A good machinist would take great pains to set the part up in the machine correctly and tried to maximize the features to be cut on each setup thereby minimizing the number of setups. Machinists and draftsmen worked in the same factory but might just have well been on separate planets. Someone had to get them together if U.S. small arms production were to be successfully mass produced, and John Pedersen had a plan for that too.

Pedersen proposed that experts with production experience would shadow the inventor, making rounds in the drafting room to determine how each part would be made, making sure it would be dimensioned in a way that would allow it to be manufactured accurately and with the fewest setups as possible. Simple tooling would be designed to hold the part on the machines in the workshop and the set of tooling would be duplicated for production lines in other factories. He even came up with a name for the work these experts would do. He called it “Production Design.”

Having a maximum and minimum dimensional study as well as a Production Designer reviewing each drawing would be added cost to the manufacturer but Pedersen stated: … no pains should be spared to reduce the design to the forms best adapted to production and to define precisely what each component shall be.

Once a “production engineered” part made it to the manufacturing floor, Pedersen advocated that every machined dimension would be checked by simple gages. This was to account for wear in cutting tools and possible dimensional variation from one set up to the next.

Following World War I, Pedersen recognized there was a need for great speed in producing weapons with interchangeable and interoperable parts. His lengthy essay on production theory was published in the June 1935 issue of the American Ordnance Magazine. The article received widespread acclaim and was recognized by the prestigious American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Not surprisingly, his paper became the bible for everyone involved in mass production. Someone had finally identified the cause and the cure for production line problems.

In 1935, not even Pedersen realized that only four years later we would need to be successfully producing war materiel at breakneck speed. Without this important contribution by John Douglas Pedersen, “Rosie the Riveter” might have very likely ended up with a file in her hands and today we’d all be speaking German.

Dictatorships have a knack for engaging in suspicious activity that boosts their country’s power levels. As in George Orwell’s novel, 1984, “Ignorance is Strength,” and this is certainly the case with Burma’s military dictatorship. This toxic attitude is clearly visible in its attempts to deprive its subjects of all knowledge of military affairs. Burma’s arms suppliers remain a state secret unto this day.

But that does not mean the western press isn’t aware. Singapore, with its extensive business interests, makes no distinction between democracy and oppressive administration. India and Pakistan also have a great many contacts and keep these flourishing with the government but are less subtle. China, Israel and Yugoslavia have made a number of advances in their Burmese operations. Many firearms in Burma come from across the border in Thailand, but the country itself has never transacted any official business with Burma relating to small arms. All these defense contacts have varying degrees of interaction between themselves and Burma. In a country where army field manuals are kept classified, the government tries to keep most of its business behind closed doors. The following should shed some light on the supposedly secret origin of some of Burma’s small arms.

The author once inspected an HK33 and, in reviewing the rifle, noticed no manufacturer or inspector markings anywhere. In fact, the only marking was on the left side of the rifle above the magazine well with the stamping “HK33 5.56x45mm. Finding this odd, the author disassembled the rifle, finding no markings on the bolt or interior of the frame. The firearms of Heckler & Koch are some of the most revered and revolutionary of our time, with the G3, MP5, P7 and USP most prominently known for quality and innovation; making many of the arms currently in use by military and police forces across the globe. In addition to licensed copies being manufactured by Hellenic Arms and various other countries, it is world-renowned. One of these is the HK33, which was licensed to Turkey and Thailand. Burmese relations with Turkey are not up to the level of official government interactions, thus leaving Thailand. Although Thailand does not officially supply Burma with much military hardware, the HK33s still come through. Through the black market, corrupt officials or Border Patrol officers, HK33s have made their way to Yangon, into police armories.

One clear indication of their Thai manufacture is their quality. Heckler & Koch firearms are famous for not failing their operators or varying much in high standards thereby sustaining a constant of durability and reliability. In his book Heckler & Koch’s MP5 Submachine Gun, Frank James writes of a report from Kennedy Space Center claiming that several MP5s had gone through hundreds of thousands of rounds and had done so for many years, yet the weapons had not failed. However, the HK33s in Burma are far from that when it comes to performance and wear. Reports from the Burmese police affirm problems such as rear sight dials breaking off and magazines constantly jamming while the rifles themselves are beyond repair. In fact, a certain number are reputed to bear a malfunction in the automatic sear that prevents automatic fire but allows for semiautomatic fire and sometimes even “assisted semiautomatic fire” due to magazine trouble – thus effectively turning the rifle into a single-shot. The finish on the magazines is usually so worn down that inserting or extracting a magazine becomes a trial in itself. Such issues are usually never found with genuine Heckler &Koch firearms.

Many police forces have been seen armed with what appears to be Soviet SKSs. Such rifles are ubiquitous in Burma. But approach any police officer, question him as to the country of manufacture of his SKS, and he will say it is an “M21 from Yugoslavia.” This is a textbook response, but Yugoslavia’s locally made variant of the Russian SKS is the M59/66, not the M21. Although Burma has a close military relationship with Yugoslavia, SKSs are not a part of it. In fact, the SKSs in Burma were manufactured in China. M21 is a designation used by the Chinese Government as part of an export series of firearms to developing countries. Thus, China produces arms that it can make with varying degrees of quality and give them away. Completely unmarked save for the “M21” and several stamped serial numbers; it thus removes any mark of origin from China. This way, China can maintain its support of dictatorial regimes but internationally oppose, or be neutral in, issues dealing with them.

The SKS was not the only rifle exported in this manner. The Tokarev handgun was exported with nothing but the serial number and “M20” on the slide. The Type 56 was exported as an “M22” but no markings have been observed. No Tokarevs were ever found in Burma. Many of these examples are found in the United States, with service-men bringing them back as war trophies from the Vietnam War. There is an established serial number reference system for the SKS. If this system can be applied to the M21s in Burma, then all of them that the author has recorded have been manufactured in 1956 (with a few others in off-years). Also, during his time, the author found many of the same rifles again at a different location. This means that the inventory of SKSs in police armories is relatively small. Unless all the rifles began manufacture in 1956, it would have been a special order just for Burma. This hypothesis stems from the fact that the collected numbers rise in an orderly fashion.

The conditions of SKSs range from well-cared-for to utterly disregarded. With some, the wood is shellacked and the action is oiled every few months, while others haven’t been disassembled in months and the rust creeps in. During a range session, the operating rod was rusted to the tube and required a good amount of maintenance to free up. Like the Lee-Enfields mentioned in a previous article, the SKSs are subject to paint jobs, which help simulate new rifles (but really aren’t). In addition, the police have found a carpenter to make rudimentary stocks that do not provide the same balance as original ones. The same is done with M16 handguards when they become unusable; they are replaced with wooden substitutes. The serial number is usually listed in five separate places on the rifle, following the European principle of stamping it on every major part: receiver, bolt, receiver cover, trigger guard and magazine floor-plate. Operating conditions usually do not vary between rifles.

The M16 platform has become, since the Vietnam War era, one of the most used and respected small arms of its time. Countries which have tested it wanted it for their own standardization and use. Colt and the U.S. Government have consented to these offers and have both supplied it en masse and by manufacturer licenses. One of the first export variants to be configured for such exports is the Model 614, a specific export-only version of the M16A1, then in use in Vietnam. A number of countries received this hardware due to their partnership with the United States. The Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore are of particular note because they had serial number blocks assigned to them. The Filipino and Malaysian rifles both had rather high serial number counts (into the 4,000,000s). The 400,000 series is left and is known to be mostly unmarked “US Property” and is marked MOD 613. This is precisely what is present in Burma today. Since Singapore received its first shipment of M16s in February of 1967, and the serial number block of 400,000-500,000 runs from 1966-1973, and a pre-1969 magazine was found on the rifles in Burma, it can be reasonably hypothesized that Singapore received these M16s from America in that time period and later sold them to Burma as surplus small arms or, alternatively, it could have traveled through Thailand to its present destination. Singapore currently has much at stake in the Western world and it would be a pity if its customers found out that, contrary to its statements, Singapore is supplying the Burmese with arms.

The Model 613s in Burma are in fairly decent condition considering their age and the abuse they have suffered since the end of the Vietnam War. Usually, most M16s have the aluminum receivers extremely scratched and pitted. The plastic handguards and sometimes the stocks have large pieces chipped off of them. The ventilation ports in the handguards are usually broken and dented. The dust covers are routinely missing although some Burmese amorers have been inventive enough to fashion makeshift covers out of sheet metal. Slings are a haphazard affair, with anything the particular outfit feels like using being attached. One M16 had its receiver practically rusted in place; the bolt was stuck fast and the disassembly pins were stuck so no practical disassembly could have taken place.

Small arms, as with many transactions in Burma, remain to this day a very sketchy and secretive topic among any government worker who has any real knowledge of the facts. There are many more under-the-table deals that are not covered in this article but here are presented three of the larger ones. Some arms deals we will never know about, due to the nature of the Burmese government. The fact remains though, as long as the current regime is in place, the deals that keep a nation of 40 million in slavery will continue.

The late 1980s and early 1990s were a time of change for Poland; shaking off the results of 45 years of Communist rule. Polish small arms development tried to cope with the challenges of modernity, while interacting with profound political and economic changeover of the era. By taking several far-fetched blind bets, the domestic small arms industry was able to cobble up a weapon system more or less capable of satisfying requirements at that memorable time. The problem was that history took such a fast pace that the requirements kept changing faster than the rifle itself.

Warsaw Pact enforced small arms standardization to a degree never dreamed of by the NATO STANAGs. In the ammunition field the Soviet rule was complete and unwavering – Soviet cartridge types were the only ones that Warsaw Pact countries’ martial small arms could fire. There was but one concession in that: the Czech Skorpion SMG chambered for the .32 ACP. This was for a long time a painful thorn in the Pact’s side, and finally in 1982 a “proper” Skorpion vz.82 model in 9mm Makarov was prepared – but then never manufactured because the arm itself was already considered obsolete at the time. More concessions were made in small arms manufacture: Czechoslovaks, Poles and Hungarians were allowed to have their own handguns and SMGs, and the Czechs even had their own rifle and GPMG. All of these were to be on the verge of extinction, however, with the coming standardization of the 5.45mmx39 M1974 ammunition, and matching small-arms system, consisting of AK-74 rifle (with its folding butt versions, the AKS-74 and AKS-74U carbine) and the RPK-74 LMG (with a folder sub-variant RKPS-74). East Germany and Bulgaria dutifully acknowledged Moscow’s dictate and footed a traditionally outrageous bill for the AK-74 license, but Poland, Rumania and Czechoslovakia opted for their own rifles in the new caliber. Of these, Poland chose to go the most ambitious way, claiming her industry capable not only of making its own rifle and carbine (codenamed Tantal and Onyks), but also the ammunition (codenamed Cez). These ambitious goals were set with mostly one purpose in mind: no more Soviets muzzling export sales the way they suppressed the license-built AKM sales, denying export licenses on “recipient’s possible political instability” grounds, only to sell their own rifles at discount prices a month later or so. If the Polish industry would have a rifle of their own design, shooting their own ammo, the license-right holders would have nothing to say about the export – at least on the license rights grounds.

The Tantal project initiated in 1981 led shortly thereafter to a functioning prototype of the wz.81 Tantal rifle – but as it turned out, the privilege of having an indigenous rifle called for many more years of hard work before it was finally fit for service. By 1989, when Tantal was at long last ready for introduction, both People’s Republic of Poland and the whole Warsaw Pact were on the brink of collapse. The General Staff’s ambitious plans to replace the 7.62 x39 weapons with domestic 5.45mm rifles stood no chance of fulfilling at that time. Despite that, both projects pressed on – and even a third one was initiated, when Precision Mechanics Institute with ZM Dezamet of Nowa Deba commenced work on modern bullet trap rifle grenade systems codenamed Fosforyt.

The outcome of the June 4, 1989 election made it clear that Poland wanted neither communism nor the Warsaw Pact any more. At first, the path to NATO seemed a long and arduous one with the Soviet Union still waiting for Yeltsin, and 40,000 Soviet troops still stationed in Poland, it seemed that the best thing possible under these circumstances would be some kind of neutrality, with maybe a distant hope to join NATO sometime in the far future. Plans were afoot to use the defense industry left over from the Communist times to achieve a position similar to pre-war Czechoslovakia: one of an “arms purveyor to the Third World” where Polish small arms enjoyed a reputation for good quality at reasonable prices. The Radom Lucznik factory was at that time still capable of manufacturing 70,000 rifles and 5,000 pistols per year, far more that the Polish Army – even if counting 400,000 soldiers at that time – was able to utilize. Export seemed the only way to save the factory, but for a chance to secure the more lucrative contracts, Polish industry had to go beyond the Soviet-influenced part of the world. The only way to get these was to offer models chambered for Western ammunition. That’s why Radom’s R&D Center (Osrodek Badawczo-Rozwojowy, OBR) started their first serious conversion programs, after the 1970s attempts at re-chambering the PM-63 for 9mm Luger. Now, in 1989, the OBR started to develop the PM-84P (Glauberyt SMG chambered for 9×19) and Tantal/Onyks variants chambered for 5.56×45 SS109. The ‘export Tantal’ was to achieve 90% part interchangeability with basic wz.88 Tantal rifle. Design for the 5.56mm wz.1991 Tantal rifle was ready by 1991, and a year later a 5.56mm wz.1992 variant of the Onyks carbine was also ready. Three prototypes of the former and five of the latter model were manufactured and exhibited during the 1992 MTB Arms Fair in Sopot. Unfortunately, that was all, as later on the program was suspended for three years because of lack of money to buy enough military-grade 5.56mm ammunition for further testing.

Turmoil All Around

All the while, this part of Europe was undergoing an intensive overhaul in both political and economical plane, actuated by both domestic and foreign influenced factors. On February 25, 1991 an agreement was signed in Prague to suspend the military cooperation within the Warsaw Pact as of March 31, 1991. On July 1, 1991 the political structures of the Pact were dissolved, too. During the night of August 18/19, Gennady Yanayev staged a die-hard Communists coup in Moscow. The Yanayev putsch failed because of the overwhelming sentiment of the Muscovites led by the then president of the Russian Federation, Boris Yeltsin. He led to the eventual suppression of the coup and then used it to wrench the remnants of power from the hands of the last President of the whole USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev. The process leading to dissolving of the Soviet empire was crowned by the December 9, 1991 Viskuly agreement abolishing the USSR, and replacing it with a loosely-cut structure called the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The new CIS started the withdrawal of the Soviet forces garrisoned abroad, including the Northern Group stationed in Poland. The last Russian Army soldier left Poland on September 17, 1993, right on the anniversary of the Soviet back-stabbing invasion in 1939.

All through this time the Central European countries repeatedly announced their readiness to join Western military and political structures to shrug off the last ties with the period of the Soviet dominance. The first time NATO responded to that was in March 1992, in Warsaw, when NATO Secretary General, Manfred Wörner declared that, “NATO doors are open for you.” It took almost two more years before in October 1993 the Pact launched the Partnership for Peace program, duly promulgated by the January 1994 NATO summit in Brussels. From that point in time on, the future NATO-partnership for ex-Warsaw Pact countries was granted. With that, the fate of Tantal was finally sealed.

Like Father, Like Son

The 5.56mm wz.91 Tantal rifle and wz.92 Onyks carbine did not differ much from their 5.45mm counterparts, or “parents.” Basically, the most remarkable changes were different magazines and all black furniture, with longitudinal AK-74 style bulges on handguards. Black plastic furniture, including plastic magazines, became a standard at that time, replacing the picturesque medley of tans and oranges of the early Tantal. Similar black all-plastic furniture was also fitted to the last batches of the AKMS made in Radom. The reason for introduction of the plastic magazines in all three calibers (7.62, 5.45 and 5.56) was a prosaic one: Wifama of Lodz, traditional manufacturer of sheet-metal magazines for the Polish small-arms manufacturers have gone bankrupt, and magazine manufacture had to be started somewhere else and possibly use some different, cheaper, technology. A different round brought a slight increase in muzzle velocity (Tantal wz.91: 900 mps vs. 880, Onyks wz.92: 710 mps vs. 700) and energy (wz.91: 1,620 vs. 1,316 J, wz.92: 1,010 vs. 857 Joule) ratings.

Apart from that aesthetical modernization, the only few really new features were brought about in accessories for the Tantal and/or future 5.56mm rifle. The Industrial Optics Center (Przemyslowe Centrum Optyki, PCO) in Warsaw designed prototype optical (LK-4 and LD-6), collimating (CK-1), laser (WL-1) and NV (PCS-5 Gabro) sights for the new rifle family.

The 5.56mm Project is Reborn

Under the PfP, Poland signed an Individual Partnership Program with NATO stipulating that the country would join the Pact by the end of decade. Therefore, the General Staff started several radical reforms in hardware acquisition politics. In small arms ammunition all post-Soviet calibers were replaced with Western equivalents – the new intermediate rifle ammo was to be the 5.56×45, replacing both 7.62×39 and 5.45×39. The former was still used in many units, and there were billions of rounds stored, so the M43 ammo was now considered Limited Standard, while the 5.45mm was rendered obsolete overnight, manufacture closed, and Tantal rifles were to remain in the units only until meager ammunition stocks lasts; and then replaced with either new 5.56mm rifles or the AKMS, whichever was available. At the same time two crash programs were initiated: one codenamed Granulit at the ZA Mesko SA in Skarzysko-Kamienna, to replicate the 5.56mm SS109 round, and the other, codenamed Beryl at ZM Lucznik SA in Radom, to design both an assault rifle and automatic carbine chambered for that ammunition. At the same time, the PCO in Warsaw was ordered to recalibrate their range of optical and optoelectronic sights according to ballistic data of the new round. Finally money was found for ammunition to finish testing of the wz.91/wz.92 system, which was chosen as a base upon which to design the 5.56mm Beryl rifle system. The testing proved that the proposition was viable, but the new rifle needed a stouter butt and stronger receiver to better withstand repeated rifle grenade firing with a more powerful cartridge.

As early as January, 1995, the Tactical and Technical Requirements document was prepared for the new rifle by the ZM Lucznik SA, calling for “assault rifle chambered for the NATO-standard 5.56mm cartridge, effective at ranges up to 600m against troops and lightly armored vehicles” – the latter meaning that the rife grenade capability was again requested – and separate “short automatic carbine of smallest possible size, intermediate between assault rifle and submachine gun, chambered for NATO-standard 5.56mm cartridge, effective at ranges up to 400m against troops and lightly armored vehicles.”

The TTR required that Beryl would:

• fire both 5.56mm SS109 (STANAG 4172) and the older M193 ammunition;
• have a trigger mechanism capable of single, burst (three rounds) and cyclic fire;
• fire both NATO 22mm boom inner diameter and Polish Fosforyt rifle grenades;
• be capable of attaching optic and optoelectronic sights of the 5.56mm modernized PCO family (CK-3 collimating, LKA-4 optical, CWL-1 optics with laser and PCS-6 NV)

The overall length of the Beryl with butt extended was not to exceed the limit of 944 mm – the AKM heritage still ruling the size of the rifle racks in barracks and vehicles. The latter limit was used to extend the barrel from 423 to 457 mm by replacing the Tantal’s grenade launching muzzle attachment with a much simpler and shorter one screwed and pinned upon extended barrel. Unfortunately for longer-limbed shooters, the stubby butt was left at the same length.

On April 19, 1995 a contract 35/UBR/95 was signed between the Ministry of National Defense and Lucznik in Radom, stipulating that the manufacturer would finish the design, initiate the manufacturing, furnish and test 11 prototypes of the two weapons (rifle and carbine), finish the qualification testing, prepare the blueprints, manual, instructional posters – all within just 9 months. The short term suggests the extent to which the ‘new’ weapon would replicate the Tantal.

The deadline was very short indeed, and each petty problem would endanger it. Indeed, it had to be extended until December 20 because of the problems with a timely delivery of the Israeli TAAS ammunition imported for testing. After the ammo had finally been delivered and cleared customs, initial qualification testing was performed in Radom between December 1 and 15, 1995, after which the initial batch was handed over to the Military Ordnance Technology Institute in Zielonka near Warsaw, where testing was continued. The final minute listed several minor modifications, due to be introduced until January 31, 1996. On May 20, 1996 the Ministry deemed both new rifle and carbine fully compliant with the TTR, following which on August 13, 1996 another contract was signed between the MoND and Lucznik for pilot batches (18 rifles and 6 carbines) to be delivered by January, 1997. After these were delivered on January 20, Lucznik started to manufacture components for the series-production. On March 20, 1997, the Beryl rifle and carbine were introduced into the inventory of the Polish Army as the “5.56mm karabin szturmowy wzór 1996 Beryl” (5.56mm M1996 Beryl Assault Rifle) and “5.56mm karabinek automatyczny wzór 1996 Mini-Beryl” (5.56mm M1996 Mini-Beryl Automatic Carbine), along with Fosforyt rifle grenades and PCO sight family.

Beryl – The First 10 Years

Despite the Zaklady Mechaniczne Lucznik SA going bankrupt and being liquidated in 2002, the 5.56mm wz.1996 Beryl assault rifle was still manufactured for the Polish Army. Out of the ruins of the ZM Lucznik SA a new company emerged, using the pre-war name of Fabryka Broni w Radomiu (Radom Arms Factory) together with the triangular FB logo replacing the Communist era Works 11 logo of ’11 in oval’ cartouche. The demand for its smaller twin brother, the wz.96 Mini-Beryl automatic carbine was initially rather far from overwhelming, to say the least. Frankly speaking, the Tantal and Beryl are distinguished only by an extended barrel in different caliber, a 5.56mm magazine, new buttstock and handguard. For the Beryl, a new optical sight attachment support was devised as an interface between the new rifle and the PCO’s sighting devices family. This sight rail, called Podstawa Optycznych Przyrzadow Celowniczych (Optical Sight Mounting Interface), or POPC for short, was attached over the receiver, instead of the customary Kalashnikov’s side rail.

A cold-forged, hard-chrome lined 457 mm (18 inch) barrel had six grooves, right hand twist, of the universal 228 mm (9 inch) pitch, enabling to use both SS109/M855 NATO standard or older M193 ammunition. Up to this date, the Polish Army didn’t have an opportunity to use that feature, as the Polish 5.56x45mm ammunition (RS steel-cored ball and SM tracer) are fully SS109/L110 compatible. In view of the recent deployment of the Polish troops to Chad, where their logistical support would be provided by the French, it would be an interesting opportunity to test the Beryl’s ‘universal-pitched’ barrels in actual firing the M193 ammunition, as France still has the M193-only FAMAS F1 rifle as their basic infantry weapon. The muzzle device combining flash hider, rifle grenade spigot and muzzle compensator is much shorter than the Tantal’s and it is permanently fastened (pressed onto and secured with pins) to the barrel. The actual muzzle of the muzzle device is threaded to attach a blank firing attachment.

The receivers are differing with small details only. The stock hinge was beefed up and modified to take a new model stock, fitted with the POPC anchor point, and riveted with an additional third rivet to make up for stronger ammunition.

The ash-poker buttstock of the Tantal was dispensed with in the Beryl and replaced by a much more elegant twin tube design resembling the Galil stock. It folds to the right side of the receiver, just like in Tantal. The stock struts were initially (until 1999) covered with shrinking plastic tubes, giving much better thermal insulation, both from cold in the winter and – as painfully realized at the beginning of the Polish troops deployment in Iraq – from the heat as well. The two tubes are connected with a steel buttplate covered with a thick rubber shoe. The stock latch is much improved upon as compared with the Tantal. The new model latch was copied from the Swiss SIG SG-550, which also influenced the G36 stock hinge. The stock is no longer positively latched when folded; in Beryl one does not have to press the button to extend the stock – all one has to do is grab and pull, or give it a slap with left hand.

The POPC sight rail is one of the most extraordinary points of the Beryl rifle, being complicated to the point of denying the very purpose of its existence. It is attached in a very stable way by inserting two front prongs into the grooves milled at the sight base and latching the rear end with an eccentric latch over the special pin provided on the stock hinge. Unfortunately, the POPC was fitted with PCO’s own proprietary rail interface, which precluded mounting any aftermarket sight. As a further point of interest, the PCO sights had no means of moving the aiming mark. To zero the weapon, it was the POPC that got fitted with internal, eccentric controls for windage and elevation, going back to the times of the Civil War-vintage Malcolm Telescopic Sights with its sight base micrometric regulation. These were obviously designed by some dyed-in-the-wool artillerymen, the scales being marked in mils. This was definitively not a user-friendly design, requiring as many as two tools to set (a flat screwdriver and a hexagonal wrench) and requiring fast mathematics from the poor guy trying to zero his rifle. And he had to constantly re-zero it after each field stripping, as one had to remove the whole contraption any time the weapon was cleaned. Additionally, it was only zeroable to one and only distance at a time – there were no stadia signs provided at the sighting mark.

All of these drawbacks were initially hidden, as POPC and optical sights on a mere assault rifle were few and far between in the Polish Army. But after Poland joined NATO and started to implement NATO procedures and take part in overseas missions, this was to change rapidly. Starting with the first Polish contingents to the ISAF in Afghanistan (March, 2002) and Iraq (as of May, 2003), the troops started to flood the General Staff with requirements for optical and red dot sights. Very soon it was obvious that the original POPC is not compatible with the Mil-Std 1913, or Picatinny rail attachments. Ironically, the POPC was early on designed to have one of both interfaces, but as the export plans for Beryl were shelved, so was the Picatinny-compatible POPC.

The handguard was modified to allow attachment of the 40mm wz.74 Pallad grenade launcher on each rifle. In Tantal, a special grenade launcher-handguard was required to attach one. Handguard, gas tube and upper handguard attachments were left as they were in late Tantals. The rifle is fitted for rifle grenade launching and Polish rifle grenades (275 gram ‘GNPO’ HEDP grenade, 320 gram ‘NGOs-93’ parachute flare, 220 gram ‘NGZ-93’ incendiary grenade and ‘NGD-93’ smoke) are all fired with a ball cartridge.

The only big difference in actual individual rifle kit is the cleaning rod is no longer carried under the barrel in the AK-way, but now carried in two sections inside the magazine pouch.

Improving the Beryl

There were some small modifications introduced during the production run of the Beryl rifle. The fire-selector retaining catch was reinforced to eliminate the unnerving tendency of switching the selector from ‘single fire’ to ‘continuous’ under vibration of the firing. Also, the selector switch got a second, perpendicular arm, to reduce the angle required to select the 3-round burst position. The soldiers were complaining that their thumbs were too short to switch the selector position to the 3-round burst without moving the firing hand from the pistol grip. Now it was finally possible to install a sector limiter for the selector lever – this taking the shape of a simple dimple pressed to the edge of the receiver cover, interacting with the new second arm of the switch lever. The receiver cover, previously notorious for separating from the receiver by recoil of the rifle grenade launching, was in 1999 latched down with introduction of the automatic latch, replacing the manually-actuated one, itself a carry-over from the wz.60 rifle-grenade launching rifle. This is the most annoying of the Beryl improvements as the cover still detaches most of the time a grenade is launched, but the automatic latch makes re-assembling a nightmare.

Also fitting the Beryl to modern firing techniques, utilizing the front grip, and ubiquitous red dot sights proved quite a challenge. The first attempt at putting the Picatinny interface on the rifle proved a disaster. The new 2nd Generation POPC was a short one, mounted solely on the sight base by a hand-screw. The sight rail was placed on top of an exceptionally high mounting bracket, enabling to use the mechanical sights at the same time – and in full spectrum, from 100 to 1,000 meters. Theoretically it was a great invention, enabling concurrent use of both sights, but the price for that was paid by the shooter, who had to raise his head very high to use the already very high-placed EOTech 552 sight that was selected by the Polish Army. The shooters quickly got their necks stiff and, as a result, red dot sights were long considered close to useless. Even that 2nd Generation POPC was – at best marginally – suiting only the short collimating sights. To put an optical or NV sight on the Beryl, a longer sight rail placing the sight closer to the shooter’s eye was required.

However, the honors of the first Weaver-compatible Beryl go to the short-lived civilian-legal version of the rifle, called first the Beryl-IPSC, and then Radom-Sport. Two Polish practical rifle shooters from Silesia, Mr. Michal Lubinski (now owner of the Works 11 Ltd. in Katowice) and Mr. Waldemar Lipinski, then on the factory shooting team roster, set forth a list of requirements that were duly incorporated in the rifle. One of these was incorporating a long, trough-shaped sight support bar, replacing the ordinary sight. At the rear end of the trough there was a folding peep hole to use with the folding front sight post as iron sights, and the upper edge of the trough had a Weaver profile, enabling to fix optical and red dot sights on top of the iron sight channel. Later on a similar, but shorter and permanently riveted bar was used in the Mini-Beryl carbine. The civilian rifle also used some of the technologies envisioned for the never-to-be-finished Polish Minimi look-alike, the wz.2003 LMG: a new bird-cage muzzle device, folding front sight base, and the bore of the longer barrel finished with a carbon-nitrogen (Tenifer) coating for better accuracy in lieu of the hard chrome. Radom-Sport was Poland’s first rifle with enlarged controls (safety lever finger shelf, P-shaped magazine release), larger ejection opening, new shorter (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25-round magazines fully compatible with the military 30-rounders). The demand from Polish and foreign shooters was overwhelming, but the Police soon suppressed the sales, by simply denying registration and export licenses. After several years of limbo, the factory finally surrendered and the Radom-Sport rifle is no longer offered.

Beryl wz.04

Cooperation with NATO and other modern armies during foreign deployments of the Polish Army revealed many drawbacks of the Beryl rifle, mostly inherited from the old and user-unfriendly AK-47, incompatible with modern infantry rifle usage doctrine and training regimens. The military establishment traditionally opposed any changes, but then soldiers take to tinkering, forming a large grass-root movement for the modernization of the Beryl rifle. The first Polish contingent in Iraq was totally unprepared for the climate: soldiers had to handle sun-baked rifles with their bare hands, which resulted in the common sight of white rags wrapped around buttstocks and pistol grips. The second contingent already had gloves and the picturesque pirate-gang look of the first contingent was gone – wiped-off with a steel fist by the 2nd Contingent’s CG, Maj. Gen. Mieczyslaw Bieniek. This was required to restore discipline, but as usual, some of his subordinates overdid it a bit and as a result many soldiers were charged with vandalizing military property for applying camouflage, fitting foregrips, Picatinny side rails and other sensible improvements. The spirit survived though, and many photos show the results of soldier’s ingenuity, including fitting a Rumanian AKM handguard with a forward grip, or Picatinny rails bought over the Internet or from US bases’ PX, bolted to the factory hanguards.

After two years of this shadow-boxing, as the 4th Contingent was preparing to go to Iraq in 2004, a new wz.2004 Beryl rifle was on display, fitted with several features taken from the short-lived civilian-legal model, including the bird-cage flash hider, P-handle magazine release, folding front sight base, extended safety lever and a new, translucent magazine. The latter was a disaster as the clear plastic was much more brittle than the black one, shiny, and offered much too much view of the ammunition supply for comfort. Most of these were later-on painted by the soldiers, leaving just a narrow stripe on the side to control the contents. But the most awaited feature of the wz.2004 Beryl was the handguard fitted with a fore grip and side Picatinny rails as well as the new 3rd Generation POPC sight rail. The foregrip used for the wz.2004 was simply another pistol grip, proving that the designer’s knowledge of the modern practical shooting techniques was nil, but even that was still a great improvement over the older model. The side rails were just bolted to the sides of the ordinary handguard with no reinforcements inside, so the rails had no required stiffness to work properly with laser sights. The 3rd Gen sight rail was a most welcome addition, though, being a streamlined version of the 1st Generation POPC, over-the-receiver, long sight rail, with Weaver attachment interface on top. The zeroing eccentrics were gone forever as the new sights had an all-internal regulation of the sighting mark. The new POPC was a cross between the old 1st Gen rail with the civilian-legal Radom-Sport trough-shaped sight bar. It was fitted in the same way as the old one – with prongs inserted into sight base slots and rear end latched on a POPC attachment pin on top of the butt hinge, but was itself a trough-shaped one, with Weaver slots on the upper edges. The new rail was rigid enough, but completely obscured the iron sights, so later on (2007) a new version (4th Gen) was prepared, with higher trough sides, enabling the iron sight to be used for distances of up to 600 meters – and this time finally with Picatinny slots on top. The new POPC is at last a fully usable and sensible design, of length sufficient to fix the EOTech 552 holo sight with the PCO’s MU-3 NV monocular at the same time, or replacing them with a large, 1.6 kg heavy, day-or-night CKW Bazalt thermal-imaging sight unit, also of the PCO pedigree.

In 2005, another version of the modernized Beryl was presented with a side-folding telescoping, 3-position stock of Radom’s own design. The same stock was proposed for the Military Police Mini-Beryl variant, but the MPs opted for a standard stock instead. In 2007, another two variants, presented at the Kielce MSPO fair, had US-made commercial (Leapers UTG) quad rail forends and 6-position folding stocks (one by TDi and one by Leapers).

In early 2008, still another modernized Beryl demonstrator was exhibited, known as wz.2007 – but this one is more of a marketing ploy than anything else. This is just a wz.2004 with a 4th Gen POPC and folding telescoping butt, uniformly sprayed light OG all over. The new magazine was finally opaque, not translucent, and the new flash hider was compatible with the Rotex-III sound suppressor by Brügger + Thomet. The safety lever was fitted with a new device – an extension enabling the safety to be taken on and off with a trigger finger.

The Mini-Beryl carbine

Mini-Beryl is the successor to the wz.89 Onyks automatic carbine in 5.56mm caliber. Compared with the Onyks, the barrel is slightly longer (235 mm), and the muzzle device is of slightly smaller diameter. In Mini-Beryl the handguards attachment has been modified in order not to require tools (screwdriver) to strip the weapon and the furniture is attached with a push pin and not rotated with a screwdriver, like in the Onyks. The sights are taken entirely from Onyks, together with their standard tritium night inserts. The Mini-Beryl has both iron sights and optics rail as standard. This sight bar is riveted to the sight base, extends halfway back over the receiver cover, and has a flip-sight with two U-notches (200-400 m) at the end. The sight bar at first had a PCO proprietary rail to enable the CK-3 collimating (red dot) sight to be mounted directly on the weapon without the need for a POPC rail. Mini-Beryl has a standard Beryl kit, different only by replacing one of the 30-round magazines with a shorter 20-rounder. Despite the short barrel, the Mini-Beryl is still capable of launching rifle grenades, which is easily a world record, as no other compact sub-carbine in the world has this capability – probably because of its redundancy. The idea was original enough to warrant a Polish patent PL 17078 in 1997, but on the battlefield it is totally useless. Carbines are usually issued to personnel whose tasks are more important than shooting a rifle – AFV crews, command staff and so on, with neither a need nor a desire to haul rifle grenades with them. And anyone who ever fired a grenade from the Mini-Beryl would understand why – shorter barrel means more pressure, so the grenade is launched further, but so is the shooter, and woe to anyone who ever dares to shoot that grenade without safety glasses on for the unfired powder particles can be found embedded deep in the skin everywhere on the face of the shooter.

The Mini-Beryl was not officially introduced into the inventory together with the “big” Beryl. It was tested however by various special units, who ordered short batches. The first big order was by the Military Police, and not sooner than 2004 – and then in the wz.2004 version with foregrip-and-side-rails handguard. The front grip of the Mini-Beryl is the same pistol grip as the rear one, which might even work in the Beryl rifle, but here the grip most often interferes with a magazine change, especially using the 30-round magazines. The prototype wz.2004 Mini had the same proprietary folding-telescoping butt as the wz.2004 Beryl, but this was replaced by the old model folder in series-production variant. The wz.2004 Mini has got a full Mil-Std 1913 conforming sight attachment interface on the sight bar sides enabling it to be used with all compliant red dot or other sights. Also, the flip sight was changed. The U-notches were replaced by a peculiar combination of peep hole and a U-notch, both set to 300 m. In 2005, the Military Police introduced the Mini-Beryl as their standard long arm and ordered several thousand. Now, finally with a good buyer in their sights, the FB Radom improved the Mini, replacing the Onyks-inherited gas block with a new one, modifying the gas piston, and introducing a completely new bird cage flash hider. Later on the Mini was introduced in the Army (airmobile and chosen mechanized units) as well, slowly replacing the inefficient and obsolescent 9mm PM-84P Glauberyt submachine guns. Some demonstrators of that model were also fitted with commercial Leapers UTG 6-position telescoping stock.

The newest model, painted light OD overall to match the wz.2007 Beryl has a new bird-cage flash hider for the Rotex-III sound suppressor attachment.

The Midi

In 2006 another variant of the Beryl rifle was tailor-suited to the needs of the 1st Commando Special Regiment of Lubliniec. This was a ‘midi’ version, halfway between the big Beryl and the Mini, with a 375 mm barrel, almost matching the M4 barrel length of 378 mm. The short rifle was called the Beryl-Commando and featured a folding and telescoping butt – not the Radom proprietary 3-position folder-slider, but a commercial Leapers 6-positions M4-style butt installed in a hinged attachment. Later on another demonstrator was unveiled, also along the lines of the Commando – but this time with ambidextrous safety-selector lever and without the 3-round burst capability. Both models were experiments and no series production midi rifles were ever ordered.

Pros and Cons

The Beryl rifle is the last link in the Kalashnikov rifle development in Poland, carrying with it most of the AK-47’s good heritage (simple design, easy operation, reliability and durability) but also the darker side of the Kalashnikov pedigree – bad ergonomics, inability to mount and operate optical sights without having to take them off for each cleaning session, the magazine change is slow and cumbersome because of the fore-and-aft lug arrangement requiring rotating the magazine in place instead of just pushing it up, and no bolt hold-open, slowing the magazine change even more, with cocking handle hard to operate with a supporting hand. With the flat trajectory 5.56mm cartridges enabling the direct shot to 350-400 meters, fitting of the tangent leaf sight scaled 100-1,000 with 100 meters increments is a plain anachronism. More so – fitting it with a U-notch.

The Beryl is a rifle already standing with its back to the wall – there’s no way to revive it again, its modernization potential is already used to the limit. Maybe there would be another handguard model, with or without rails and fore grip, another butt stock – but without major overhaul changing the receiver design to an ‘upper-lower receiver’ standard, nothing really important can be done with it.

Nevertheless, Beryls are here to stay with the Polish Army for a while. It is a testimony to the lost chance in the 1990s, when another, more modern design could have replaced it. Let’s hope the ultra-modern piston-driven MSBS-5.56 project being now developed would succeed and the Polish Army would finally replace Comrade Rifle with something newer and more user-friendly.

Switzerland is well known for its exquisite time pieces, fine chocolate, and its highly professional banking practices. The firearms manufactured by the Swiss are of equal quality, bar none. Based upon the recent innovations at Brügger and Thomet, the new GL-06 may become the de facto leader in 40mm grenade launching platforms.

Basic History of the 40mm Grenade Launcher

The GL-06 heralds from a long line of 40mm predecessors. Elements of the M79, M203, and HK Model 79 grenade launchers are evident within the design of the GL-06, placing the GL-06 well within the third generation of 40mm systems. Three generations of 40mm grenade launchers? Indeed. The U.S. manufactured M79 grenade launcher was the first 40mm grenade launcher to be effectively adopted. Together with the Heckler and Koch HK69 grenade launcher, the two systems represent the first generation of 40mm grenade systems. Primarily made of steel, first generation 40mm systems tend to be heavy, are intended solely as a primary weapon, and are used exclusively as stand alone units. In addition, first generation systems cannot be mounted to a primary weapon.

Second generation 40mm systems moved away from operating solely as standalone units, becoming integrated systems that could be mounted on a primary weapon. The U.S. manufactured M203 and Heckler and Koch model HK79 are examples of second generation grenade launchers. Second generation launchers are still primarily made of steel and aluminum, with the inclusion of some plastics and polymers within non-key parts. The types of ammunition for second generation 40mm systems are usually limited to a maximum of 5.25 inches in length – the length of an M583 parachute flare. Ammunition longer than 5.25 inches in length typically cannot be used within second generation 40mm systems.

Third generation 40mm systems incorporated new materials, with the replacement of steel and aluminum for polymers and plastics. In addition, several third generation grenade launchers can be used in a dual capacity role – either mounted to a primary weapon, or used as a stand alone unit. Within third generation 40mm systems, the maximum length of the intended ammunition is no longer an issue, due to the chamber and/or barrel design. Finally, optical sights are generally incorporated into the system, replacing leaf sights or other iron sighting systems. The Brügger and Thomet GL-06 is an excellent example of a third generation 40mm system.

Use of the B&T GL-06

Intended as a secondary weapon, the GL-06 cannot be mounted to a primary weapon. In this regard, use of the GL-06 is necessarily limited to specific functions and missions. While this may appear to be a negative aspect to the design, the lack of mounting hardware forces the user to contemplate the requirements of the mission. With the ever increasing real estate for mounting options on battle rifles, weight considerations must be contemplated; if a 40mm system is not required, it need not be mounted and carried on the primary weapon. Unlike the mounted M203, the GL-06 requires the user to actively utilize the system as a secondary weapon, forcing the user to determine whether a 40mm system is required for the intended mission. Although designed as a secondary weapon, the GL-06 is capable of serving in a multitude of roles, whether as a platform for less-lethal munitions, or as a support weapon in land warfare.

Operation and Design

The GL-06 is a single shot, break action system. Like most 40mm systems, the GL-06 is designed with a double-action only trigger. This means that the trigger pull requires deliberate and conscious thought to engage – an important quality when firing high explosive rounds down range. The internal hammer also serves double duty as the firing pin, similar to the design of the Heckler and Koch Model 69 system. As a break action weapon, the system’s design heralds back to the original 40mm system – the M79 grenade launcher. Unlike the M79, the GL-06 is lightweight, offers better iron sights, the ability to mount optional optical sights, and provides features that were never considered when the M79 was produced.

Unlike the M79, the GL-06 will accept any type 40x46mm ammunition. This is an important feature due to recent advances in 40mm rounds with integrated camera and data transmission capabilities, advances in 40mm medium velocity rounds capable of firing 800 meters, and advances in the development of alternate payload 40x46mm rounds.

The GL-06 rear sight features a ghost-ring sight for fast and accurate target acquisition, combined with a protected front blade sight. The safety is a simple push through design that locks the hammer from forward movement, and prevents any accidental discharges. The system is fully ambidextrous, capable of left or right handed fire without modification. In addition, the system features both left and right side sling attachment points for added flexibility. Brügger and Thomet is known for its innovative aftermarket stocks, allowing various submachine guns to be used with a variety of equipment. The same stock designs are available for the GL-06.

When the barrel is closed against the receiver, two locking lugs lock the barrel to the receiver. The barrel release latch is located in the forward edge of the trigger guard, and rotates upward to unlock the barrel. Although this may seem unwieldy, the wide trigger guard provides sufficient clearance for easy operation with heavy gloves, without the user feeling restricted within the trigger guard. When unlocked, the two locking bars are released, unlocking the barrel. A spring between the barrel and the receiver provides tension, allowing the barrel to open under its own power. The user need not physically raise or lift the barrel to expose the breach.

In response to the needs of end users, a Mil-Std 1913 Picatinny rail has been incorporated onto the top of the barrel, while three Mil-Std 1913 Picatinny rails adorn the 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions on the receiver. Unlike prior generation 40mm systems, the prolific use of Picatinny rails allow the user to mount optical sights, a forward grip, or illumination tools to the system. The ability to mount an optical sight alone presents an increase in accuracy from prior 40mm systems, and gives the user an easier sight picture to define when in a combat or stressful environment.

The allowance to add accessories adds further value to the system when faced with less lethal and crowd scenarios. The ability to effectively make a show of force may act as a deterrent and prevent the need to actually use force. The capability to mount any variety of accessories to the launcher gives the end user flexibility to configure the GL-06 to the intended mission.

Off to the Range

The GL-06 is a robust and hardy system that proved to be ergonomically simple and comfortable to shoot. Unlike earlier 40mm designs, the lack of large external metal parts ensured that the weapon could be effectively fired within the desert environment, and without the fear of being burned by exposed metal components. In comparison, other 40mm systems were almost impossible to fire effectively within the desert environment due to the need to place the shooter’s face directly on an exposed (and hot) metal receiver. This was not an issue with the GL-06.

The test unit was not outfitted with an optical sight. According to Brügger and Thomet, the iron sights are zeroed to 25 meters for use with standard 40mm ammunition. When used as an emergency backup sight for high explosive grenades at close range, Brügger and Thomet offered the guidelines in the included to adjust point of aim.

In practical use, the guidelines were effective. After firing several rounds, estimating both range and point of aim became intuitive and easy to achieve. This is not to mean that all rounds fell on target – to the contrary. However, firing the weapon and getting the round “close enough” was easily accomplished with experience and practice.

Real World Use and Experience

In 2008, the GL-06 chosen by the French National Police for use as a less-lethal 40mm weapons system. Karl Brügger, Managing Director of Brügger & Thomet AG commented, “B&T is very happy to be able to assist the French National Police in upgrading their public order capabilities. The addition of the GL-06 Less Lethal Launcher will lead to increased order and stability in France as well as a reduction of injuries to policemen and violent subjects. B&T will continue to focus on close cooperation with all police and military partners with this product and all the other products we produce. We are excited to work the French National Police and feel confident that the system will fill an important niche in their missions to maintain order and public safety.”

Brügger and Thomet was founded in 1990 to produce suppressors for the Swiss domestic market. Ongoing research and development by Brügger and Thomet has demonstrated that the company is highly capable of designing and building top quality products for the international market. The B&T GL-06 is no exception.

GL-06 Specifications

Designation: GL-06
Manufacturer: Brügger & Thomet AG, Switzerland
Product ID:
   BT-31000 black without access safety BT-
   BT-31000-2 yellow (RAL 1021) without access safety
   BT-31000-3 yellow (RAL 1021) with access safety
Caliber: 40 x 46 mm
System: Break-down single shot, double action only
Barrel length [mm]: 280
Twist rate [mm per turn]: 1200
Rifling: 12 grooves, right hand
Overall length [mm]: 590 (stock unfolded)
385 (stock folded) Overall width [mm]:
60 (stock unfolded) 95 (stock folded)
Overall height [mm]: 200
Weight [kg]: 2.05
Sights: Ghost ring iron sights (sight radius 339 mm), adj. in windage
Interfaces: 4 rails Picatinny Mil-Std 1913
Standard supply: Weapon complete with siderails, rail covers and carrying sling

“With the high percentage of Marines, both regular and reserve, male and female, deployed in harm’s way, it is a great credit to the Marine Corps League that much of the new equipment and technologies used by our Marines on today’s battlefield had their genesis through the Modern Day Marine Exposition.” – General James T. Conway, Commandant of the Marine Corps

The enduring truth that “Every Marine is a Rifleman,” is a basic tenet of the Corps. While the 29th annual Modern Day Marine Expo was jam-packed with nearly 700 exhibitors offering the complete range of items needed for expeditionary warfare, SAR’s mission is to find the best guns and related gear on display that maximize a Rifleman’s ability to put steel on target.

There was plenty to catch our attention at dozens of elaborate display booths manned by representatives of the world’s foremost arms merchants. Running the alphabet from Aimpoint to Vingtech, the roster included all of the most prominent names in small arms and several up-and-coming firms.

Weapons and related items for precision shooting and remote operation dominated the field this year. This is not surprising given the proven effectiveness of the “one-shot-one-kill” fraternity and established doctrine intended to minimize Marine casualties.

What follows is a photo essay zeroing in on some notable examples of weapons, ammo, sighting devices and mounting systems. Although space requirements necessarily limit the number of examples shown, a full listing of exhibitors may be found at www.mdm.goexposoftware.com/2009/goExpo/public/listExhibitors.php

Modern Day Marine Exposition 2010

The 30th annual Modern Day Marine Expo is scheduled for 28-30 September 2010 at MCB, Quantico, Virginia. This is the largest of three related shows where exhibitors meet the Marines on their own turf.

Marine Corps Base, Quantico, VA, is headquarters for the Corps’ combat development center and home to Marine Corps Systems Command, where warfighting requirements are defined and determinations made on equipment and systems to be used by Marines in worldwide operations for years to come.

Marine West Expo, slated for 27-28 January 2010 at Camp Pendleton, CA, and Marine South, 21-22 April 2010 at Camp Lejeune, NC, are held at home installations for two of the Marine Corps’ expeditionary forces, which are continually training and dispatching fighting elements to a broad spectrum of missions – in the air, on land, and at sea – around the world.

Exhibitors at the Marine Military Expos meet and exchange information, face-to-face, with not only the users of their equipment but also the men and women responsible for equipping the Corps, which is rapidly expanding to meet a broad range of existing and emerging demands. By the end of fiscal year 2010, the Marine Corps will have seen an increase of 10 percent more Marines than were in service in 2008.

At the same time, funding for equipment modernization programs is growing to meet the far-reaching, high-tempo operations in which Marines are engaged on a daily basis. Those modernization steps are made from both Marine Corps and Navy budgets, and are based not only on the current demands of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan but also existing and developing threats in other regions.

In addition to displaying products before thousands of users, Marine Military Expo exhibitors also exchange information with their target audience, listen to their needs and gain valuable insight into what works best in a wide array of combat, combat support and combat service support situations. Marines who have recently returned from wartime missions not only provide feedback but also convey suggestions and ideas that are often considered and adopted in designing or improving equipment and systems.

The decision-makers and procurement experts the exhibitors want and need to meet attend the expos for up-close and personal exposure to the leading-edge equipment, systems and services – solutions – their Marines need for the years ahead. At the Marine Military Expos, networking opportunities among the buyers, the users and defense industry professionals are unlimited. Take advantage of those opportunities for your company by exhibiting at the Marine Military Expos visit the website: www.marinemilitaryexpos.com

The most successful military rifle and machine gun cartridges in service during the first four decades of the 20th century were powerful rounds of 7.5-8mm (.30-.32) caliber, with effective ranges of well over 1,000 yards. The U.S. .30-06, British .303, German 7.92×57 and Russian 7.62x54R are among the most famous and long-lasting, with the Russian round still being in service.

As early as World War I it had been realised by some observers that such long range performance was unnecessary for most infantry combat, and resulted in rifles which were excessively long and heavy and had too much recoil. However, the need to preserve the capability for long-range machine gun fire, plus military conservatism, combined to retain the status quo until late in World War II.

Experiments with less powerful cartridges were made in several nations in the 1920s and 1930s (notably in the USA with the .276 Pedersen), but it took the stimulus of war to prompt the adoption of the first of these to see service: the German 7.92×33 Kurz used in the MP 43/44/StG 44 selective-fire assault rifle. Captured examples inspired the Russians to develop the 7.62×39 M1943 round used in the Kalashnikov assault rifles and light machine guns. These rounds were not intended to replace the old high-powered cartridges, but to supplement them.

Instead of following suit, NATO countries started an apparently never-ending argument over the optimum characteristics of military rifle and machine gun ammunition. This article is intended to outline the history of this debate, which has been revived as a result of the conflict in Afghanistan.

The NATO Cartridge Trials of 1950

In the late 1940s it was decided to develop one standard rifle/MG cartridge for the new NATO alliance. There was immediately a serious disagreement over the caliber between Britain, Belgian and Canada on one side and the USA on the other. Britain and Belgium had been developing an intermediate round which, while still long-ranging, was smaller and less powerful than the old full-power cartridges. This was the .280 (7×43) which fired a 140-grain bullet at 2,415 fps. The .280 caliber (actually 7mm, with a .276 inch bore and .284 bullet) was a little larger than was thought ideal but was selected to meet American demands for long-range performance.

The USA had also been planning the replacement of the .30-06 cartridge and had developed the concept of a selective-fire “.30 Caliber Lightweight Rifle.” What they really wanted was the automatic .30 M2 Carbine but with the hitting power of the .30 Garand, at a weight of 7 pounds. It was intended to use a shorter cartridge than the .30-06, but was still required to have “a stopping and wounding power which shall not be less than that of the standard caliber .30 ammunition fired from the M1 at ranges of 400, 800, 1,200 and 2,000 yards.” The Americans accordingly ended up with what was simply a shortened version of the .30-06 with a very similar performance.

Comparative trials of the .280 and the new U.S. .30 cal (the T65) were held at Fort Benning in 1950. The .280 generally performed better, its lighter recoil making it more controllable in automatic fire, but the U.S. Army insisted on the adoption of its .30 cal. There was a major argument, the British even going so far as to formally adopt their own cartridge in August 1951 as the 7mm Mk 1Z, but it was never to enter service, being cancelled following American political pressure. Various efforts were made by the .280 supporters to increase the velocity of their ammunition, but in vain; NATO adopted a slightly modified T65 .30 cal cartridge as the 7.62×51.

The Hall and Hitchman Reports, Project SALVO and the SPIW

While the .30 caliber rifle and ammunition were still being developed, some American researchers were coming to different conclusions about the requirements for a military rifle. In 1950 the Ballistic Research Laboratory (BRL), an Army unit based at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, was asked to investigate combat rifle effectiveness. The resulting report titled An Effectiveness Study of the Infantry Rifle was presented by its author, Donald Hall, in 1952. This was a theoretical study of the effectiveness of different calibres, which concluded that significant improvements in hit probability could be expected of a small-caliber, high velocity cartridge due to its flatter trajectory, and that there would also be benefits in a considerable reduction in ammunition weight.

In parallel with this study, the civilian Operational Research Office (ORO) of the U.S. Army’s General Staff examined what really happened in rifle combat. The resulting report on Project BALANCE by Norman Hitchman, the head of ORO’s Infantry Division, also emerged in 1952. Hitchman’s report was based on World War II combat records plus new data emerging from Korea. This showed that the average distance for aimed bullet hits was in the region of 75-100 yards with 80% of effective rifle and LMG fire being reported at ranges of less than 200 yards and 90% at less than 300 yards. Even worse for the Ordnance Department were tests of its .30 cal Lightweight Rifle prototypes which showed that the recoil was far too heavy, leading Hitchman to report that the cartridge was vastly overpowered and that automatic rifle fire was a waste of time and ammunition. This was five years before the selective-fire M14 in 7.62×51 caliber was officially adopted for US Army service.

Another controversial finding in the Hitchman report was that the accuracy of the rifle made no difference to the hit probability, because the typical aiming errors were so huge. This led in 1952 to the establishment of Project SALVO which, as well as studying conventional small-caliber cartridges, investigated a range of exotic ammunition options, including 12-bore shotgun cartridges loaded with 32 ‘ice pick’ projectiles (flechettes), multi-bullet loadings of .30 cal rifle cartridges with either two (Duplex) or three (Triplex) short bullets stacked on top of each other, and single-flechette rounds.

The promise of the flechette, which combined extremely high velocity with light recoil, led to the concept of the Special Purpose Individual Weapon or SPIW. This was the project which the U.S. Army hoped would provide a replacement for the M14, and huge resources were devoted to its protracted development during the 1960s. It would feature not only a burst-fire flechette rifle but also a 40mm repeating grenade launcher.

Four companies produced SPIW prototypes; AAI, Springfield, Winchester, and Harrington & Richardson. When tested in 1964, none proved satisfactory, falling well short of the specification in many respects. Only AAI and Springfield were asked to continue development. In 1966 the survivors were tested again, but the results overall remained very poor. While work continued until 1973, it was all in vain. The weight target proved impossible to meet, and the flechette rounds never achieved the accuracy nor the low cost required.

This was not the end of the flechette concept. This resurfaced in the Advanced Combat Rifle (ACR) tests in the late 1980s, in guns from AAI and Steyr, with other contenders from Colt (duplex bullet 5.56mm loading) and Heckler & Koch (4.7mm caseless G11). None managed the target of doubling the hit probability over the M16. Unconventional plastic-cased and caseless ammunition also feature in the U.S. Army’s current Lightweight Small Arms Technologies project. Time will tell whether this will be any more successful than previous attempts at advanced ammunition technologies.

The Small-Caliber Revolution

The costly failure of the SPIW project provided the opportunity for a much simpler approach. Even before the 1952 Hall report was published, experimenters at Aberdeen’s BRL and Development and Proof Services (D&PS) had been conducting a small caliber, high velocity (SCHV) research programme. Their work, which was used by Hall, focused on the improvements in hit probability which could result from a high-velocity rifle of .22 inch (5.56 mm) or smaller caliber.

From 1952 until 1956, a series of different small-caliber cartridges were developed in Project SALVO, with calibers ranging from .18 to .27 inches in Simplex (single bullet) and Duplex loadings. These experiments resulted in 1957 in a request from the U.S. Continental Army Command to ArmaLite (a division of the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation) for a small caliber, high-velocity rifle. Eugene Stoner, the most famous post-WWII American military gun designer, went to work on the gun and cartridge, ultimately producing the AR-15 rifle designed to fire the new .223 Remington round. After various tests it was recommended in 1959 that the development of the AR-15 should be pursued as a replacement for the 7.62mm rifle – which had been formally adopted for service only two years before.

This did not immediately result in orders from the Army, which wanted the SPIW. The USAF placed the first order in 1960 to replace the .30 M2 Carbine used by their sentries. Adoption by the Army came about almost by accident, due to the cancellation of M14 production and the need to find a “stop gap” weapon to tide the Army over until the arrival of the SPIW. The AR-15 was officially designated M16 and adopted by the USAF in 1964. The US Army simultaneously chose it as a ‘limited standard’ formally adopting the M16A1 in February 1967. The 55-grain ball loading for the .223 Remington became the 5.56mm M193. As a result of the SPIW’s continuing problems, more and more M16 rifles were bought and this “stop gap” gradually became the Army’s new standard rifle. As the long-range performance of the little bullet was poor, the 7.62mm cartridge hung on in service, primarily in machine guns and sniper rifles, but the M14 was also retained by the USN.

For many years 5.56mm weapons were used by the USA (and purchased by various other countries) but not formally adopted by NATO. This changed following trials held between 1977 and 1980 to select a new NATO cartridge to supplement the 7.62×51. It was effectively impossible to propose any general-purpose round which might have replaced the 7.62×51, since only cartridges substantially smaller than the 7.62mm were considered.

These trials resulted in the selection of the 5.56mm as the next NATO cartridge with the designation 5.56×45 NATO. The Belgian SS109 loading (designated M855 in U.S. production) was chosen; this contains a hard steel element near the bullet tip and is heavier at 62-grains. The muzzle velocity is lower but the velocity loss is reduced, providing significantly improved long-range performance and penetration. However, complaints about a lack of terminal effectiveness of the “green tip” M855 have been going on since Somalia in the early 1990s. As a result, some limited use has been made of the MK262 heavy-bullet loading and work on developing more effective bullets continues – the latest example being the MK318.

The British have recently conducted tests of the effectiveness of 5.56mm ammunition and have determined that it is highly dependent on the impact velocity, which is directly linked to barrel length. The standard L85A2 rifle (20 inch barrel) has been found to have an effective range of 300 metres, while the L110 Para Minimi (about 14 inches – similar to the M4 Carbine) is only effective to 200 metres. Furthermore, experience in Afghanistan has revealed that 5.56mm bullets have negligible suppressive effect. Finally, U.S. experiments have revealed that 5.56mm bullets have poor barrier penetration and also sometimes fail to yaw on impact, inflicting only minor injuries. These findings provide ammunition to those who believe that the 5.56mm is fundamentally too small, and argue for a larger and more powerful cartridge.

The Search for the Optimum Caliber

An attempt to design an optimum military rifle round took place in the UK around 1970. The preferred solution was in 6.25mm caliber, firing a bullet of 100-grains at 2,680 fps. Tests revealed that this matched the 7.62×51 in penetration out to 600 meters and remained effective for a considerably longer distance, while producing recoil closer to the 5.56×45. However, the increasing use of the 5.56mm round meant that the 6.25mm stood no chance of being selected by NATO.

Immediately after the British 6.25mm experiments, the U.S. Army identified a need for an LMG cartridge which could reach out further than the 5.56mm M193. Various experiments resulted in the 6×45 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) which fired a relatively heavy 105-grain bullet at a velocity of 2,520 fps for optimum long-range performance. The SAW was abandoned in favour of the promised long-range loading for the 5.56×45 (which eventually arrived as the M855) and because fielding two similar calibers at squad level was felt to be inefficient.

Since 2000, two new attempts at a better rifle cartridge have been made. First on the scene was the 6.8×43 Remington SPC (Special Purpose Cartridge), which was a joint effort between Remington and a group within USSOCOM. After testing various calibers they settled on 6.8mm as having the best blend of characteristics. The 6.8×43 typically fires a 115-grain bullet at 2,590 fps. It not only demonstrates far superior terminal effectiveness and barrier penetration than the 5.56mm at short range; its advantage increases with range.

The other new cartridge is the 6.5×38 Grendel. Normally firing a 123-grain bullet at around 2,520 fps, this matches the 6.8mm in power but the heavier, more aerodynamic bullet matches the energy delivered by the 7.62mm M80 ball at long range, offering the potential to replace the 7.62×51 as well as the 5.56×45. Weight, power and recoil of these new cartridges are both roughly midway between the two existing service rounds.

Recent experience of asymmetric warfare in Afghanistan has re-emphasised the importance of effective small-arms fire, and at much longer ranges than expected. A British Army study has shown that more than half of all small-arms attacks by the Taliban (using weapons in 7.62x54R caliber such as the Russian PKM LMG) take place at between 300 and 900 metres. That is beyond the effective range of 5.56 mm weapons and has led to the allocation of 7.62mm machine guns and even sniper rifles to foot patrols, despite the unwelcome extra weight of guns and ammunition.

Over the next decade several NATO countries will be selecting new rifles, including the USA and the UK. This provides a rare opportunity to reconsider the ammunition they will be using. The ability of cartridges in the 6.5-7mm range to greatly improve on the 5.56mm, plus match the long-range performance of the 7.62mm with less weight and recoil, combine to make a strong case for one new, general-purpose rifle/MG round. Will the opportunity be seized this time? Watch this space!

(Anthony G Williams is an independent consultant, co-editor of Jane’s Ammunition Handbook, and co-author with Maxim Popenker of “Assault Rifle: the Development of the Modern Military Rifle and its Ammunition.” He maintains a website at www.quarry.nildram.co.uk)

Brief History of Kalashnikov Pattern Rifles in the USA

Today, U.S. collectors and shooters enjoy a plethora of AK variants. Together with both rifles and spare parts sets being imported from many former communist countries, and a wide variety of U.S. made stamped and milled receivers, an accurate representation semiautomatic AK clone from just about any nation or time period can be purchased or assembled. However, this wasn’t always the case as for many years importation of such goods from communist nations was banned, and AK rifles rare. Prior to the early 1980s there were no semiautomatic AK rifles available in the U.S. and few collectors had ever even seen an AK type firearm other than in photographs. The 7.62x39mm ammunition was equally scarce. The few authentic AK rifles (most were Chinese made Type 56s) that did make it to U.S. shores were war trophies illegally brought back with troops that had served in Vietnam, only a few of which were successfully registered in the 1968 Amnesty Program. One of the stumbling blocks of importing semi-auto AK type rifles into the United States was virtually all of them were produced in communist countries, and therefore banned from importation by the U.S. State Department.

It was only a matter of time before someone figured out that there was a large potential market for a reasonably priced, faithful semiautomatic AK rifle. When the Egyptian, Chinese, Hungarian and Yugoslavian AKs were eventually imported they were the AKM models with the stamped sheet metal receivers. To meet BATF requirements, the rifles were altered to make them “not readily convertible” to function full-automatic. To meet those requirements the bolt carriers had the surface designed to actuate the trip lever, which was also omitted, milled off. The disconnector, hammer and sear were also modified to permit semiautomatic-only fire. During the period the semiautomatic AK rifles, especially the Chinese made versions (now banned), were so prolific and inexpensive that no one ever considered that they would someday be sought after and greatly escalate in value.

Post Ban AK Rifles

Unfortunately, a few of the semiautomatic AKs fell into the hands of criminals and the mentally unstable who used them to commit heinous and senseless crimes. The media used terms like “assault rifles” and “machine guns” to over-dramatize these unfortunate incidents and bring negative public attention to the guns, instead of the perpetrators themselves. Before long everyone in America knew what an “AK-47” was, but few could name the handful of criminals that had, in most cases illegally obtained the guns, and used them to commit the crimes. The word “semiautomatic” became an evil media buzzword, with the general public being led to believe it meant “machine gun.” In one typical over-dramatization, a Midwest big-city newspaper editorial proclaimed that AK-47 rifles were illegal for hunting because they were so powerful that “animals would be vaporized when struck by their bullets.” Similar disinformation abounded, often embellished by the media. As a result, new laws were enacted that further restricted the rights of law-abiding guns owners and did nothing to affect criminals, who as a rule ignore laws. The criminal acts combined with largely inaccurate reporting by the media resulted in a federal ban on so called “assault rifles.”

Before long foreign manufacturers introduced new “politically correct” models and received permission to import them into the U.S. The new models were void of the nefarious features named in the import ban such as; folding stocks, pistol grips, grenade launchers and bayonet lugs. After the import ban and subsequent appearance of sporter-style AKs, interest in the rifles began to wane, despite a substantial decrease in price. The primary reason was the unattractive and clumsy thumbhole stock. It was illegal to re-configure a postban rifle into a preban configuration and postban rifles had their date of manufacture stamped on the receiver to discourage such practices. Since the passing of the import ban, grandfathered preban AK rifles fitted with all of the “evil” features experienced a huge increase in price, while at the same time the retail price of postban rifles dropped dramatically. From the ban an entire new breed of AK rifles and nomenclatures emerged. Generally speaking, AK rifles produced after the ban were referred to as postban or sporters and guns manufactured prior to the ban were called preban guns. The postban AK rifles were reconfigured to comply with the new laws and thus be legally imported into the U.S. The new models were renamed as the MAK-90, MAK-91, NHM-90, NHM-91, BWK-92 and the AK Hunter.

During 1997 President Bill Clinton ordered the Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin to review the list of the banned “assault” rifles that had been specifically modified to be legal for importation. Under the 1968 Gun Control Act, the Treasury Department had the authority to restrict the importation of firearms unless they were determined to be “particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes.” After taking several months to review the weapons in question, the Treasury Department concluded that modified semiautomatic assault rifles that accept large capacity military magazines do not meet the “sporting purposes” test and were generally not importable. As a result of the study, President Clinton announced on April 6, 1998 that over fifty modified versions of assault rifles would no longer be importable because of their ability to accept a high-capacity magazine. Virtually all of the remaining sporter variants of the AK rifles were therefore banned from importation.

The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, AKA The 1994 Assault Weapon Ban

The Federal Assault Weapons Ban was a subtitle of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, a federal law of the United States that included a prohibition of the sale to civilians of certain semiautomatic “assault weapons” manufactured after the date of the ban’s enactment. This law also banned possession of newly manufactured magazines capable of holding more than ten rounds of ammunition. The ten-year ban was passed by Congress on 13 September 1994 and was signed into law by President Clinton the same day. Included in the bill was a ten-year sunset provision. A sunset provision is a condition in a statute regulation that terminates or repeals all or portions of the law after a specific date, unless further legislative action is taken to extend it.

September 13, 2004

The “assault rifle” sunset provision of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 was allowed to expire on 13 September 2004. Since the expiration of the assault rifle ban portion of the 1994 crime bill, it has been legal to assemble a semiautomatic AK rifle from any of the many AK part sets available, as long as the rifle is in compliance with U.S. Code 18 section 922 paragraph r, which states a semiautomatic rifle cannot have more than ten of the imported parts listed in paragraph c. When applied to an AK rifle, the law requires a minimum use of six U.S. manufactured components for a stamped receiver rifle, and a minimum of five components in a milled receiver variant. Due to the milled receiver’s lack of a separate barrel trunnion, it is considered to have one less part than a comparable stamped receiver model. U.S. made parts that are available include; receivers, gas pistons, pistol grips, buttstocks, front handguards, flash hiders, muzzle brakes, triggers, hammers and disconnectors. A semiautomatic AK rifle with a sufficient number of U.S. manufactured parts may be legally built from a commercial receiver or made from a receiver flat available from many sources. Before long, AK clones were once again available. Some of the AK parts and rifles were now available from sources like Bulgaria, Romanian and even Russia. During the 1990s the Warsaw Pact passed into history and most of its former members began to apply for membership in NATO. During 1991 some restrictions were lifted and small arms ammunition began to be imported from Romania as well as other former Warsaw Pact countries. This event, AK rifles manufactured in a former Warsaw Pact country available in the U.S., was unimaginable when the first AK rifles were imported during the 1980s.

Russian made AK rifles, being the benchmark by which all other AK are measured, are the most desired variant. Russia however has contributed very little to the U.S. collector market in the way of the availability of rifles, magazines, parts and accessories. This situation is due in part to the Russian Federation’s strict export policies on military weapons and equipment. When found, genuine Russian parts and accessories can be prohibitively expensive.

The Russian Saiga Rifles

The Izhmash Saiga line of AK-based civilian hunting rifles are named after the Saiga, a species of antelope that originally inhabited a vast area of Asia, but is now considered an endangered species found only in Kazakhstan and Western Mongolia. The animals were primarily hunted for their hides, which were sold and exported to a number of countries. An AK based hunting rifle was first designed in the late 1970s for professional hunters in Kazakhstan for controlling the increasing Saiga population in that area. A very limited number of these rifles were manufactured. In order to establish a presence in the civilian rifle market Izhmash, the primary Russian AK rifle factory, resurrected the concept of this early hunting rifle with their new Saiga line.

Currently the Saiga civilian hunting rifles are a semiautomatic-only series of AK rifles and shotguns produced at the Izhmash AK plant. The rifles are based on the latest AK-100 series with a few exceptions; the rifles have five or ten round capacity magazines that will not interchange with high-capacity military magazines. There are no bayonet lugs or muzzle brakes fitted. The internal parts and receivers have been specifically designed to prevent the rifles from being illegally converted to fire full-automatic through the use of military components. One unique feature of the Saiga rifle series is the chamber of the barrel that was designed to leave a distinct ring on the neck of a fired cartridge case. This feature was reportedly implemented in the event that an AK rifle was involved in a crime as it would assist authorities in determining if the rifle in question was a civilian Saiga or a stolen military weapon.

The primary objective of designing the Saiga series was to implement the legendary reliability of the proven Kalashnikov system into an affordable civilian hunting rifle. Although traditional wood furniture is available, most of the sporting style one-piece stocks on Saiga models are fabricated from black polyamide plastic, as are the limited capacity magazines. The Saiga was originally designed for the AK 7.62x39mm cartridge, but is also available chambered for the .223 Remington and .308 Winchester cartridges. There are several barrel lengths available from 16.3 to 21.8-inches depending on the caliber, and all are chromium-lined. For mounting optical devices the Saiga rifles come fitted with the standard Russian pattern side mounted rail. To be compatible with their conventional hunting style buttstocks it was necessary to redesign the fire control group to relocate the trigger and trigger guard further to the rear of the receiver. The adjustable rear sight is realistically calibrated out to a distance of 300 meters (328 yards).

Saiga Importers

Big Bear Arms of Dallas, Texas was the first importer of the Saiga line of rifles during 1993-94. Then, B-West of Tucson, Arizona, imported Saiga semiautomatic rifles for the U.S. civilian market from Russia during 1994. Two five-round plastic magazines were shipped with the rifles. There was also a Saiga 410 shotgun imported by B-West.

During 1996 the Saiga line was imported by Kalashnikov-USA operating out of Port Saint Lucy in Florida. Although the original amount of rifles imported was small the number continually increased.

In 1999, the European American Armory of Rockledge, Florida took over importation of Saiga rifles. During this period new models were imported and these included the Saiga-308 and Saiga-556, chambered for the U.S. .308 caliber round and the .223 respectively. Currently, the complete line of Saiga hunting and target rifles and shotguns are imported by the Russian-American Armory Company and is distributed through a network of dealers.

Russian American Armory

The Russian American Armory, located in Scottsburg, Indiana, imports from Russia the Saiga line of semiautomatic hunting rifles. The Saiga rifles were developed based on the venerable Kalashnikov assault rifle design and adapted for the sportsman hunting large and medium-size game. The Saiga rifles, like their military counterparts, are reliable under a wide range of climatic conditions. The Saiga line now includes a number of semiautomatic shotguns based on the proven Kalashnikov system.

While the Saiga line of AK rifles are of genuine Russian manufacture, their “politically correct” sporter configuration is not particularly attractive to most AK enthusiasts. The Saiga line was designed in a way that makes converting it into a “real” AK configuration more than a matter of simply swapping out parts. The Saiga trigger group was moved rearward and secured with permanent axis pins. This design makes the addition of a pistol grip difficult requiring the trigger assembly and trigger guard to be moved forward. This task entails drilling or milling out trigger guard rivets and axis pins and the filling in of holes left in the receiver after the relocating of the components. The Saiga was also designed to use low-capacity proprietary magazines as standard AK military magazine will not fit or function. Lastly, in order to legally convert a Saiga “sporter” into a military configuration requires a number of U.S. manufactured components.

Fortunately for those not equipped to perform such AK “surgery” there exists entities that specialize in such work.

Krebs Custom

Marc Krebs of Krebs Custom, Wauconda, Illinois is an AK enthusiast and a nationally known gunsmith, garnering his initial fame from building high-quality 1911 pistols for IPSC and IDPA competitions as well as personal protection handguns. Krebs Custom has more recently become very well known and respected among AK enthusiasts for applying their gunsmith skills to build AK rifles. As an AK enthusiast, Marc Krebs realized that the most desired, albeit unobtainable, AK would be a Russian made example. With this in mind he decided to obtain Russian made Saiga sporter rifles, with genuine Izhmash factory made receivers, and convert them into a military configuration.

With the Saiga rifles as a foundation, Krebs Custom offers an innovative line of AK rifles. During the building process, Krebs Custom relocates the trigger assembly forward in order to add a pistol grip and the original Saiga trigger and transfer bar pin-holes are welded up and carefully blended into the surrounding metal. The Saiga receivers are then modified so that any standard AK magazine can be used. Many of Krebs’ rifles feature an exact copy of the famous and effective Russian muzzle brake CNC machined from 4130 bar stock. During the build process, all of the correct cleaning rod brackets, as well as synthetic military stocks and foregrips are used. Special attention is focused on the trigger group and action removing all the existing burrs, rough edges and geometric inconsistencies that are common in factory mass-produced AK rifles resulting in a very smooth precise feel not normally encountered with AK weapons. Like original factory AK rifles, Krebs completes the job by applying a flat black painted finish that is baked on for durability and to resist damage from chemicals such as bore cleaner.

Krebs’ attention to detail and quality workmanship coupled with the Izhmash Arsenal AK rifles result in a Russian Kalashnikov rifle that is extraordinarily smooth, accurate, reliable and aesthetically pleasing. In the conversion from sporter to military configuration, Krebs Custom uses only high quality new parts: what original parts are not available Krebs manufactures in-house, insuring that all of the parts meet or exceed the quality of the original Russian components.

Krebs Custom offers a variety of models to satisfy everyone from the purist to the modern tactical rifle aficionado. Offerings range from their AK-103 clone to highly modified models like the KTR-08 rifle with such features as a three-rail handguard, light single-stage trigger, enhanced safety lever, thumb-operated selector, windage adjustable aperture rear sights with a M1913 Picatinny rail, and VLTOR telescoping stocks. Krebs Custom AK rifles are available in many popular calibers to include 7.62x39mm, 7.62x51mm (.308) and 12 gauge semiautomatic Saiga shotguns.

For those desiring to upgrade their own AK rifles, Krebs’ line of parts and accessories are available separately. Krebs offers a number of items designed to enhance the appearance or functionality of AK pattern rifles. Some of the items available include; vertical foregrips, AK-74 pattern muzzle brakes in .22 or .30 caliber, VLTOR flashlight holders, enhanced selector levers with a bolt hold-back feature, aperture style rear sights, custom shotgun sights, Picatinny rail forends and VLTOR AR-15 type telescoping buttstocks designed for AK rifles.

Note: Due to the ever-changing availability of rifles, parts, part sets and magazines, it is suggested that the company be contacted directly for current availability of their products and services. Potential buyers should check their local and state laws, which may prohibit ownership of semiautomatic AK type rifles.

Sources

Krebs Custom
1000 Rand Rd
Wauconda, IL 60084
Ph: (847) 487-7776
Fax: (847) 487-7778
Email: krebscustom@krebscustom.com
Website: www.krebscustom.com/index.shtml

Russian American Armory
677 S Cardinal Lane
Scottsburg, IN 47170
Ph: (877) 752-2894
Email: info@raacfirearms.com
Website: www.raacfirearms.com/contact.htm

Kalinka Optics Warehouse
254 Junco Circle
Longs, SC 29568
Email: info@kalinkaoptics.com
Website: www.kalinkaoptics.com

A number of years ago the phrase “Saturday Night Special” was coined to loosely describe a subcategory of tiny, cheaply made and inexpensive handguns. It would be touted as a favorite buzzword by anti-gun organizations for decades to come. Some say the response from the gun industry came in the form of large, well-made, extremely powerful handguns and the arms race for a “bigger and better” handgun has been alive and well ever since. Residing at the polar opposite of the spectrum from the “Saturday Night Special” is the modern “Hand Cannon” and while there are plenty of nominees for “King of the Hill” we would like to introduce you to one of the top contenders: the .50GI Model 1 from Guncrafter Industries.

Ever since the 1971 film Dirty Harry when Clint Eastwood as Police Officer Harry Callahan proclaimed the Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum to be “The Most Powerful Handgun in the World,” those very words (along with the movie and Eastwood’s character) have become almost iconic in the regular vocabulary of many Americans. For those who are firearms enthusiasts the debate has been raging on ever since with several contenders for this unofficial title. Many handguns have surpassed the performance of the .44 Magnum since the movie was released, mostly single-action revolvers and single shot pistols with a few notable semiautomatic examples in the mix.

The pistol we are examining today is chambered in .50GI and currently boasts 4 impressive loadings: a 185-grain Copper Hollow-Point with a muzzle velocity of 1,200+ fps, a 230-grain Copper Hollow Point boasting a velocity of 1,000 fps, a 275-grain Jacketed Hollow Point traveling at 875 fps and a 300-grain Jacketed Flat Point moving at 700 fps. While the ammunition is impressive in itself, the fact that the delivery system is a 1911-style pistol, almost identical in size and weight to its original 100-year-old .45 ACP predecessor, makes it nothing short of amazing.

Initial Impressions

The quality and attention to detail is immediately obvious. From the custom embroidered Cordura case and embroidered pistol rug to the solid aluminum, checkered grips engraved with the “GI” logo, the presentation was solid. We are not easily swayed by the addition of “gun bling” and it was apparent that this beauty was far more than a little window dressing. Everything about the Guncrafter Industries Model No. 1 exuded quality right down to the contoured hex-head grip screws and mainspring lanyard loop. The most obvious difference from every other 1911-style pistol we have handled was the massive 1/2-inch inside diameter of the barrel and the heavy barrel walls where the typical barrel bushing usually resides.

.50GI Ammo

While the Model 1 may strongly resemble a nicely accessorized 1911 on the surface, one glance at the muzzle quickly sets in apart. With an overall length similar to a standard .45 ACP round, the .50GI is a very thick-walled cartridge and operates at fairly low pressures. The round was designed specifically to deliver a great amount of knockdown power while retaining controllability during rapid fire, even when fired from a lightweight platform like the time-proven 1911.

Since the concept of the .50GI was for defensive purposes, the goals were far more advanced than simply making a big, bulky, fast round and designing a heavy and cumbersome firearm to launch it from. The 1911-style platform allows a reasonable size, with many in use already and several proven and comfortable carry methods. This covers the pistol attaining a small enough mechanism to be carried in a normal fashion. With a compact (or reasonably so as it is still a large-frame automatic) firearm design, the issue of reasonable recoil had to be addressed. Anyone who has fired a Scandium J-Frame with full boat .357 Mag loads can attest that while it is one hell of a defensive firearm it is far from comfortable to shoot (and some say downright painful) after only a single cylinder.

So, how do you make a .50 caliber round comfortable to shoot in such a small package? That is the primary function of the low-pressure loading. With the 300-grain round traveling at a speed of approximately 700 fps, the recoil is similar to a standard .45 ACP round. Even with the increased stopping power of the 275-grain .50GI at 875 fps, it is in the ballpark of a normal 10mm round. This comparison makes it easy for anyone who has spent time with the Colt .45 ACP 1911 or the Colt Delta Elite 10mm to understand the feel of the Guncrafter Industries Model 1.

The low pressure design of the .50GI round also serves other purposes. The ability to engage in follow-up shots due to the reasonable recoil is assisted by the absence of a heavy blast as seen in other calibers. An extreme amount concussion as is normal with many high-pressure rounds can be disorientating to the shooter, especially when shooting inside.

The Model No. 1

It was mentioned earlier in this article that the look and feel of the .50GI Model No. 1 is very similar to a standard 1911. Actually, that was a bit of an understatement. It is so similar that it is completely compatible with almost every existing 1911 holster, pouch and carry system already in existence. The size, weight, ergonomics and lines of the Model No. 1 are almost exactly the same as the Colt 1911. The differences are in the exacting quality of the manufacturing process and the internals of the slide.

The Guncrafter Industries Model No. 1 was built on the 1911 design for several reasons: first and foremost are the size and reliability of this proven system. While it could have been built larger and heavier with a distinct look, the fact remains that a standard size 1911 is about as large a pistol that can be easily and commonly carried on a regular basis. Anyone of “normal” stature who has tried to regularly carry one of the much larger pistol designs knows that the additional bulk and weight can be troublesome to conceal and uncomfortable to carry over a long period of time.

Another reason this design was chosen is the immediate familiarity to the design due to the large number of .45 ACP 1911s in circulation and its wild popularity. If the larger .50GI upgrade is desired there is no new learning curve necessary and no need to procure a whole additional cache of accessories.

While the Guncrafter Model No.1 shares many things in common with a standard 1911 there are also many unique features.

• The forged and machined frame and slide are hand-built.
• The stainless steel, oversize barrel is a heavy match-grade barrel and utilizes no barrel bushing. It is a thick-walled barrel for additional strength and to aid in recoil reduction.
• A full-length guide rod is used to increase spring life and assist in smooth operation.
• The mainspring housing and frontstrap are heavily checkered for additional gripping surface.
• The mainspring housing includes a lanyard loop for use of a retention device.
• The grips are solid aluminum, fully checkered and anodized to increase grip surface and longevity.
• Newly designed magazines. All magazines are made of a heavy gage heat-treated stainless steel with a self-lubricating polymer follower. The magazines also sit a little higher to greatly assist in round presentation.
• Fully machined hammer and sear are heat treated and matched for consistency and reliability.
• Machined and fitted extractor.
• Tactical thumb safety from Brown Products to assist in engagement while retaining a thin profile for concealed carry.
• High sweep grip safety to allow for a reliable higher shooting grip.
• Heinie Slant Pro Tritium Sights for low-light shooting.
• Beveled magazine well for fast and smooth magazine changes.
• Several finishes are available including a Corrosion resistant, non-reflective parkerized finish, a Hard Chrome finish and a very durable Black Melonite finish.

Subcaliber Training

One thing we found very interesting and quite beneficial was the availability of a .45 ACP kit for the Model No. 1. For a price we thought was extremely modest ($395 retail) the owner of a Guncrafter Industries Model No. 1 can purchase a fitted .45 ACP kit consisting of a match grade barrel, a magazine and a recoil spring. This serves the owner in several ways, to promote more and less expensive shooting, not to mention allowing the use of ammo the owner of a new .50GI may already have or be set up to reload.

Range Time

All live-fire testing was conducted at the Small Arms Research test facility in Maine. The day of the data collection was a calm 29 degrees F at an altitude of 287 feet above sea level. All live-fire test data was close to the advertised average performance with the 300gr. ammo running a little slower than the normal 700 fps., possibly due to the cold weather. For comparison, we conducted the same testing with a Colt MKIV, Series 80 Government Model .45 ACP at the same time. .50GI ammo used during testing included Guncrafter Industries 300gr. JFP, and 275gr. JHP. .45ACP ammo used was Wolf Performance Ammunition 230gr. FMJ. As a baseline for felt recoil, the Colt MKIV was fired first. The .45 ACP averaged 763 fps while the .50GI averaged 926 fps in the 275gr. and at 664 fps in the 300gr.

The first round fired in .50GI was the heavy 300gr. load and, exactly as advertised, the felt recoil was almost identical to the Colt .45 ACP. Due to the heavy checkering on the front-strap and the mainspring housing of the Model No. 1, the shooting grip was positive and comfortable during firing with absolutely no slippage on recoil at all, with either load. The thin grips and frame width had an almost identical feel to the previously fired Colt MKIV. After firing several rounds of the 300gr. ammo several, rounds of the 275gr. load followed. While the recoil and muzzle noise was a little sharper with the lighter and much faster load, it was still very comfortable and pleasant to shoot. Even as light and small as the gun is for such a large round, it still felt very similar to the Colt MKIV in all aspects.

Due to the cool temperatures and time constraints during live-fire exercises, accuracy testing was limited to practical, off-hand shooting at a distance of 20 yards. Several groups were fired, and were it not for the noticeably larger holes from the .50GI, the groups would not have been distinguishable from one gun to another. All rounds were comfortably placed in the intended areas of the silhouette targets being used, with a few more larger holes in the centers.

The Future of the .50GI

At the time of this writing there is another option for fans of the .50GI caliber but may not be a 1911 aficionado or find themselves out-priced by the MSRP. Guncrafter Industries is now manufacturing a drop-on conversion for the Glock Model 20/21. If you would like to convert your .45 ACP or 10mm Glock to .50GI the conversion kit consists of a new slide, barrel, recoil spring and one 9-round magazine. The magazines are different than factory G21 magazines. The MSRP for the Glock Model .50GI conversion kit is $595 and they are currently available. As an added item of interest as we were going to press we learned of a few more interesting projects in the Guncrafter Industries near future. The first is the new introduction of a “Commander” size version (4.25-inch barrel) of the 1911 chambered in .50GI. The second is something we cannot yet fully divulge because it is in the early stages of development, but we can peak your curiosity a little by telling you it will be of particular interest to the class III community. When they are out of testing and in production, and we are allowed to pass along the details you can expect to see a full feature on an exciting new .50GI product here in Small Arms Review magazine.

Conclusions

Every second spent with the Guncrafter Industries Model No. 1 pistol was a pleasure. The familiar 1911 design was an immediate fit, with feel and function coming naturally with the fit and finish exceeding any expectations. The meticulous hand building and fitting during the manufacturing process was obvious in every detail. Especially enjoyed was the solid aluminum, checkered grips. The slim feel of the .50GI was unexpected for a pistol of such a large caliber and shooting was natural and comfortable during every range visit. As we were led to believe, the recoil was manageable and the enormous muzzle blast usually associated with such a large caliber was almost nonexistent. All shooters who handled and fired the Model No. 1 were extremely impressed and immediately curious about the details. While the price is a little higher than most 1911 variants, when placed against other hand-built and fitted “race guns” it quickly drops into perspective. From the 1911 enthusiast looking for an upgrade or rarity, to those who just like to win the “mine’s bigger than yours” gun argument, the Guncrafter Industries .50GI Model No. 1 will not disappoint.

Guncrafter Model No. 1 Technical Specifications

Caliber: .50GI
Weight (unloaded): 2 pounds, 8 ounces
Weight (loaded 7-rds 300gr): 2 pounds, 15 ounces
Overall Length: 8.68 inches
Barrel Length: 5-inches
Rifling: 8-groove r/h twist
Sights: Fixed, Trijicon-Heinie night sights
Sight Radius: 6.72 inches
MSRP as tested: $2,985

Sources:

Guncrafter Industries
Dept. SAR
171 Madison 1510
Huntsville, AR 72740
Ph: (479) 665-2466
www.guncrafterindustries.com

By John Brown

Most of you know the NFATCA and ATF have formed an extremely beneficial industry relationship and together have worked on a number of issues during the last six years. As we move into 2010, we once again have jointly worked up a list of those things that we want to tackle and resolve with the Bureau and the industry. In the next issue that list should be formalized and we will work to share as much information as possible with the industry. As has always been the case, there will be issues that we will not publicize to avoid the internet “gurus” whom cheerfully tell us what we should be doing but have never had the courtesy to join our ranks and really contribute to our motto “Power Through Experience”.

As many of those issues are formalized for our work, some of the things that we just couldn’t get accomplished last year will drift once again onto our list of things that we feel still need attention this year. We will continue to work getting the industry a follow-on to the Q&A document to deal with the many issues that NFA and title one owners have concerning exactly what they can and cannot do with the ever popular AR family of rifles. We will draft the questions together and get the answers to sometimes simple issues and sometimes complex issues that we run into almost every day.

We will continue to work marking variance issues and publish information to help every manufacturer properly follow the rules and regulations in the manufacturing community. In addition, we will work closer with the Bureau to better define and clear up many misunderstandings concerning the regulations for manufacturing. If you have never attended our Manufacturers Conference held in Washington D.C., you are missing out on one of the most action packed, information filled meetings that are held in partnership with ATF all year long. That conference alone has managed to attract a huge audience and the information exchange is phenomenal. Don’t miss out on this important event.

In addition to the major issues, we will also see mid-year the first draft of the Firearms Technology Branch Handbook, which was really pulled together with the tireless efforts of Rick Vasquez, Assistant Branch Chief of the Firearms Technology Branch and the efforts of Jeff Folloder of the NFATCA. This has been a long and tough journey only superseded by an overload of other issues that we are working with ATF. On another note concerning publications, this year will be the first year where we will finally publish a soft/hard back version of the NFA Handbook. This version will be titled NFA Handbook 2010. Later issues will be likewise recognized and titled by their year of publication. This same plan will apply to future publications of both handbooks for the years to come.

Many of our members and the community will see for the first time the tightening relationship between the NFATCA and F.A.I.R., especially when it comes to the agenda and the promotion of the ever popular Importers Conference, also traditionally held in Washington D.C. In addition to these partnerships, the NFATCA has also formalized relationships with sister organizations such as the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the National Rifle Association. Each of these relationships has the strategic objective of making certain that we share information and that we work closer on issues that may span all of our individual objectives in the firearms industry.

The NFATCA is overseeing a host of industry issues in both the NFA community and beyond. Our community has worked so closely within ATF that we have established a common ground with common goals that coincide with a concern that both the NFATCA and ATF share, Public Safety. When all is said and done, this should be a shared concern and an objective of all of our organizations. Working together can only foster a closer relationship to pave the way for better regulations and their interpretations.

Care to make a difference in your NFA future? Care to step up and not sit back any longer? Come join the NFATCA today by visiting us at www.nfatca.org.

MasterPiece Arms Now Has MAC-10s In .460 Rowland

MasterPiece Arms, the nation’s only true MAC-10 manufacturer, introduces the MPA 460 Rowland, a brand new addition to its unique and impressive product line. These firearms are chambered for the .460 Rowland round. The .460 Rowland round is a high performance proprietary cartridge intended to attain .44 Remington Magnum level performance in a semiautomatic pistol or carbine. The overall cartridge length is identical to a .45 ACP, but the case length is 1/16 inch longer. The overall performance of the .460 Rowland Cartridge is nearly double that of a standard .45 ACP round. The 460 Rowland is offered in three varieties of firearms: the 6-inch .460 Rowland Pistol, the 10-inch .460 Rowland Pistol, and the .460 Rowland Carbine. The 6-inch .460 Rowland Pistol, or MPA460-10, is chambered for .460 Rowland ammo, has a 6-inch threaded barrel with muzzle break, scope mount, side charger and 30 round magazine. The MSRP is $579. It is also available with extra .45 ACP Upper included for $669. The 10-inch 460 Rowland Pistol, or MPA460-15, is also chambered for .460 Rowland ammo, has a 10-inch threaded barrel with muzzle break, scope mount, side charger, and 30 round magazine. Its MSRP is $675, and is also available with extra .45 ACP Upper for $799. The 460 Rowland Carbine, or MPA460-1, is chambered for .460 Rowland ammo, has a 16-inch threaded barrel with muzzle break, AR-15 hand guard, scope mount, 2-7×32 scope with illuminated reticule, side charger, MPA low profile fixed stock, 30 round magazine, 1:16 RH barrel twist, 3.8 pound trigger pull, parkerized finish, American-made, lifetime guarantee. The MSRP is $853, but is also available with extra .45 ACP upper for $999. MasterPiece Arms uses state of the art CNC machining, turning, laser cutting and bending in its manufacturing process. With versatile uses such as protection, hunting, tactical or novelty interests, MPA products are one of a kind and backed by a lifetime warranty for original owners. For more information contact Masterpiece Arms Inc., Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 669, Braselton, GA 30517. Phone: (770) 832-9430. Fax: (770) 832-3495. Their website is located at: www.masterpiecearms.com.

New Scope Ring From Tactical Rifles

Tactical Rifles is proud to announce the release of the new T7 Series Tactical 30mm rings. Designed specifically to meet the demanding needs of law enforcement and military snipers, the T7 rings are rated up to .50 BMG. Advanced alloys ensure lighter weight than steel while giving tremendous strength. Tensile strength is actually 25% greater than steel while weighing 25% less. Boasting 6 Torx screws per ring cap and a unique Teflon coating, these rings are built for the most extreme environments. The extra width of the ring affords maximum grip with the scope body – 60% more gripping surface than conventional rings. For more information you can contact Tactical Rifles, Inc., Dept. SAR, 38439 5th Avenue, #186, Zephyrhills, FL 33542. Phone: (877) 811-4867. Website: www.tacticalrifles.net.

SureFire Introduces New Headlamps

SureFire, LLC, manufacturer of high-end illumination tools and tactical products, is pleased to announce its new Saint family of headlamps. The Saint and the Saint Minimus are the first two offerings from SureFire. The quality is evident from the materials used, which include a high-strength aluminum housing, a high-performance LED, a custom refractive optic and a wide, no-chafe headband. The Saint headlamps are built to withstand harsh environments. Simply put, these headlamps provide more output, greater durability, and a wider beam pattern optimized to fit your field of vision. With an eye on the needs of those who must travel light, SureFire offers the Saint Minimus. Powered only by a single 123A lithium battery, the Minimus weighs a mere 3.3 ounces. Wearing this latest offering from SureFire, the well-equipped outdoorsman can intuitively adjust light output via its variable-light output dial-from 0 to 100 lumens using just one hand, even while wearing gloves. Runtime varies from 1.5 hours at the max-output 100-lumen setting or up to 50 hours when operated at the low setting. The full-size Saint headlamp weighs 9.4 ounces and features a battery pack that provides an impressive 144 hours of useful runtime. Output is the same (from 0 to 100 lumens) but the Saint is the “hybrid” vehicle of the headlamp world in that it operates with one, two, or three 123A lithium batteries or two AA alkaline batteries. What’s more, the Saint can be converted to the Minimus in a few seconds by merely removing the battery pack and power cable. Both headlamps feature virtually indestructible high-quality LEDs with proprietary refractive optics that produce a smooth, wide beam that accommodates our natural field of vision. The headband is adjusted with ultra thin aluminum buckles and both the LED housing and the Saint’s battery pack are slightly curved to reduce pressure points on the skull. And there’s even a built-in SOS beacon, should the need arise. The Saint Minimus sells for $139 while the full-size Saint, with battery pack, is available for $185. Whether you’re hiking back to camp or searching your pack, SureFire headlamps keep you comfortable, and in control of the situation. For more information please contact SureFire, LLC, Dept. SAR, 18300 Mount Baldy Circle, Fountain Valley, CA 92708. Phone: (714) 545-9444. Fax: (714) 545-9537. Website: www.surefire.com.

Warne Products New Multi-sight Mount

Warne’s new RAMP (Rapid Acquisition Multi-sight Platform) is a versatile mounting system that provides the ability to use multiple optics and/or accessories on one weapon platform. Manufactured from a combination of magnesium phosphate coated steel and matte black hard anodized aluminum, this unique mounting solution attaches to any Picatinny rail equipped firearm. Heavy duty 8-40 Torx screws, dual recoil control surfaces and a 1/2 inch nut, 65 inch pound clamping system provide a rock-solid attachment to the firearm and retains zero under the most severe recoil. Dual 45 degree rails at the rear of the system allow mounting of additional reflex style sights, laser designators, or lights. The RAMP fits all small and large frame flat top AR platforms and is available for 1 inch and 30mm scopes. The system weighs 9.6 ounces, and is 7.125 inches long providing 3.1 inches of ring spacing. Warne Scope Mounts is an industry leader in the manufacture of rugged, dependable scope mounts. For more information you can contact them at Warne Tactical, Dept. SAR, 9500 SW Tualatin Road, Tualatin, Oregon 97062. Phone: (503) 657-5590. Website address is: www.warnetactical.com.

New HellFighter Under Boss Light/Laser Combo

The new HellFighter UnderBoss, by HellFighter Tactical Lighting and exclusively distributed worldwide by Master Distributor Dark Ops Holdings, is certainly a force to be reckoned with in the weapon mounted lighting world. The rugged yet affordable laser/light combination UnderBoss comes in LED or Xenon versions. HellFighter’s LED technology allows the LED to put out the same power as the Xenon version at a brilliant 150 lumens worth of light. Amazingly, the UnderBoss comes with a top of the line red laser that shines bright and steady with or without the flashlight on. The UnderBoss comes with the coil pressure pad for easy on/off manipulation when mounted on your AR-15 or any other long gun and features a quick detach mounting system. The UnderBoss’ rugged exterior and finely manufactured insides make it one of the best values on the market today. It retails for $139.95. For more information contact Hellfighter Tactical Lighting Corp., Dept. SAR, Rochester, NY. Phone: (866) 883-9444. Fax: (417) 883-8636. Website: www.darkopsholdings.com.

Swarovski Optik Announces New EL 42 Binoculars

Swarovski Optik announces the new EL 42 binoculars with Swarovision technology specially developed for greater viewing comfort, especially for eyeglass wearers. Using field flattener lenses, which help to create a true image, it is possible to produce diamond-bright image resolution right up to the very edge of the field of view ensuring the finest detail without any edge distortion. HD lenses minimize color fringing (chromatic aberration) and guarantee razor-sharp images with the highest possible resolution. The EL Swarovision 42 provides improved viewing comfort, and enables users to enjoy the entire wide-angle field of view and the new EL 42’s unique edge sharpness. The sturdy, removable twist-in eyecups have been designed with an intermediate stage making it easier to adapt the individual distance between the ocular lens and eye. The new focusing wheel made from hard and soft components is non-slip, sturdy, easily and accurately operated. It is possible to change the setting from the close focus to infinity very quickly with only two complete turns. This unrivalled close range is particularly beneficial for the macro observation world. Thanks to their rubber armoring, the binoculars are pleasantly easy to handle even when cold and the ergonomic thumb rests ensure a perfectly balanced observation. The practical accessories are yet another plus in terms of functionality. All new EL 42’s are supplied with a water-repellent functional bag, an easily adjustable lift carrying strap, protective caps for eyepieces and objectives plus the Snap Shot adapter. The latter is used to quickly connect a digital compact camera to the binocular for remarkable photographs taken at long distance. For more information on these and their full line of quality optics please contact them at Swarovski Optik North America, Dept. SAR, 2 Slater Road, Cranston, RI 02920. Phone: (800) 426-3089. Fax: (401) 734-5888. Website: www.swarovskioptik.com.