At SHOT Show 2004, a new black rifle was introduced that was not just a copy of the standard design that most of the industry produce. This black rifle would move the family of weapons into new uncharted territory. Karl Lewis, president of Lewis Machine & Tool (LMT) introduced the MRP, the monolithic rail platform.

The MRP is the first monolithic upper receiver. The upper receiver is machined from a single 7075 T6 aircraft aluminum forging. There are four solid Mil-Std 1913 rails and permit complete zero retention for optics or any other accessory placed on the rails. The upper receiver is equipped with a forward assist, fired cartridge case deflector as well as an ejection port dust cover. All rails are numbered for easy replacement of optics to insure they are placed back in the same position from which they were removed. Removable sling swivel mounts are placed on the end of the MRP at the 3, 6 and 12 o’clock positions. Additionally, mounting points are located on the right and left side at the rear of the handguard area by the ejection port. This permits any type of sling or desired location for the operator’s discretion.

The innovation does not stop with the development of the first one piece monolithic rail platform. The barrel, held in by two bolts, is removable by the user. When the bolts are removed the barrel/gas tube assembly is pulled straight out of the receiver. This enables the 5.56mm caliber weapon to be configured for whatever mission it will be used. If a close quarter combat environment is the mission, a 10.5 inch barrel may be used. If the mission is urban or normal combat ranges, a 14.5 or 16 inch barrel may be used. If longer range is required, an 18 or 20 inch barrel may be used. It should be noted the 16 inch 5.56mm barrel uses a mid-length gas system and all others use a standard carbine gas system. All is accomplished at the user level; no armorer is needed to change out the barrels. The barrels are manufactured from machine gun barrel steel and button cut rifling. They are cut with the Mil-Spec 1 turn in 7 inch twist allowing up to 80 grain projectiles to be stabilized. The barrels have chrome plated bore and chambers and are equipped with an A2-style compensator. With Lewis Machine & Tool being a U.S. government contractor for many different parts, they are familiar with what Mil-Spec means and what it takes to achieve it. All barrels manufactured by Lewis Machine & Tool are proof tested with a 70,000 psi proof cartridge and then magnetic particle inspected to insure the barrels are free of stress fractures. When the barrel is installed in the MRP, the barrel is completely free floating. This increases accuracy as well as the air holes in the MRP circulate air to aid in cooling. The removable barrels also enable another innovation: the MRP is a multi-caliber weapon as different caliber barrels can be used. Complete changing of the barrel is accomplished in less than 5 minutes.

The MRP provided for this evaluation came with many enhancements that are all Karl Lewis. Starting with the sights, the rifle was provided with the LMT BUIS (Back Up Iron Sight). This is a fully adjustable rear sight that has been provided to the U.S. Navy and SOCCOM for the MK18 CQB 10.3 inch carbines. The sight is identical to that of the standard M16A2 or M4. The front sight is removable and held on by a nut. It has the traditional triangular shape and square front sight post. Of course, being a Mil-Std 1913 rail, any BUIS can be mounted.

The charging handle has an improved latch that is easier for one to grasp as it is made wider so it is easier to actuate.

The bolt and carrier are also a significant departure from the norm. When Lewis looked at the new design, he looked at the specific operating dynamics of the carbine and how different it is from the rifle. Given the different dynamics, Lewis designed the bolt and carrier to function with that in mind. To begin with, the bolt carrier has had several modifications. Due to the dynamics of the carbine, the bolt unlocks at a faster rate on a carbine length gas system than a full length rifle. Owing to this quicker action, there is still residual pressure in the cartridge case and it is still somewhat expanded when the rifle starts to extract making the extractor and extractor spring work that much harder to extract that cartridge case. It also causes extractor springs to wear quicker than that of the rifle. SOCOM has added rubber O-rings to increase the extractor force to cope with the wear issue. The standard GI M4 has a new and improved extractor spring (copper in color) that is designed specifically for the carbine to increase extractor force. Lewis also redesigned the geometry of the cam track by increasing the dwell time upon unlocking and thus permitting additional time for the residual pressure to drop allowing much easier cartridge extraction. He also added an additional gas relief port to get rid of unneeded gas.

The bolt was also redesigned with durability on mind using proprietary material that is significantly stronger than standard bolt material. Due to its hardness it is more expensive to procure and more expensive to machine than standard bolt steel. The geometry of the locking lugs has been modified as well. There are stress relief cuts that allow more flexing of the lugs to prevent breakage. The extractor has been redesigned as well. The improved “lobster tail” extractor uses two extractor springs instead of one that significantly enhances the reliability of the extractor in adverse conditions. The extractor claw is considerably more aggressive and stronger as well. Like the barrels and as per Mil-Spec, all LMT bolts are proof tested and them magnetic particle inspected.

The lower receiver has many enhancements as well. The stock is the LMT SOPMOD stock and is the stock assembly purchased by USSOCOM and the U.S. Navy for the M4A1 carbines and the MK18 CQB weapons. The stock is triangular in shape and very smooth. There are two removable sling mounting points on the stock as well as a cut-out for a standard GI silent sling. There are two battery compartments that are water resistant tubes placed inside of the stock and there is a removable rubber butt plate as well. The receiver extension is also designed by LMT and has six positions as opposed to the standard M4 which has 4 positions. The provided pistol grip is the Ergo Grip that is extremely comfortable and with the finger grooves is comfortable and makes the rifle stable in the shooting hand in adverse conditions. Also provided on the lower receiver is the Ergo Grip Gapper. This little spacer covers the gap in-between the front of the pistol grip and the trigger guard. LMT’s proprietary ambidextrous selector lever is also provided. This is not just good for left handed shooters but can be just as useful to right handed shooters as well given the tactical situation. Tangodown rail covers were provided on the rails.

The rifle was outfitted with the new EOTech XPS2-2 two dot reticle holographic sight. Extremely compact, this sight uses a single 123 battery and has a battery life is 500 to 600 hours. This sight only requires 2.75 inches of rail space. Along with the sight is the EOTech Generation II 3X magnifier. This comes with a Samson Quickflip tilting mount attached to an A.R.M.S. throw lever mount. When disengaged, the magnifier sits to the right side of the rifle: when engaged for long range shooting it flips back.

Also attached to the rifle was the Insight Tech M3X tactical light with pressure pad activation that was mounted in a Tangodown vertical foregrip. By just removing a spacer, the pressure pad sits in the grip. The grip also is hollow allowing for additional storage.

The magazines chosen for the rifle are the Magpul PMag, one of the finest magazines available anywhere in the world for the Black Rifle. This magazine is a significant reliability enhancement to any member of this family of weapons. The constant curve design allows the shot column to sit in its natural shape and increase feed reliability.

The ammunition for this test was provided by Silver State Armory (SSA). SSA is known for manufacturing some of the highest quality duty and match ammunition in the industry at competitive pricing. Silver State Armory just moved to a state-of-the-art facility in Packwood, Washington where they have a 100 meter underground range and the facility meets United States Department of Defense requirements to manufacture military contract ammunition. They manufacture their own brass. All SSA ammunition is loaded with custom blends of powder geared towards the specific loading. They offer several loadings in 5.56mm, 7.62mm NATO, 6.8SPC and .499 LWRC. They are also one of the only ammunition manufacturers in the United States to manufacture armor piercing rifle ammunition in 5.56mm, 7.62mm NATO and 6.8SPC.

More than 300 rounds of SSA 5.56mm 55gr FMJ rounds were fired through the MRP for function testing and no malfunctions were encountered. There were 200 rounds of SSA 5.56mm 77 grain OTM cartridges fired as well. Groups at 100 yards kept around 1.75 inch groups consistently with the FMJ rounds. All in all, this barrel has had more than 500 rounds through it and as it has broken in the groups had tightened up. First groups fired with the SSA 5.56mm 77 grain OTM were consistent at 1.75 inches. The last groups fired with this ammunition were printing consistently at 1 MOA.

LMT Piston Operated MRP

The industry has gone through a piston craze over the last few years. Although there is no statistical data proving the superiority of piston operation over direct impingement, there has been a market for piston operated weapons in the AR-platform. When asked why LMT began producing piston operated rifles, Karl Lewis simply said “customer demand.” Good enough of an answer.

The versatility of the MRP made it the ideal platform for the piston operated LMT offering. The piston is part of the barrel assembly. The gas block on the barrel has been altered to accept the end cap, piston, operating rod and spring. It is held together as an assembly so the assembly is inserted into the MRP and locked down with the two bolts. The one-piece bolt carrier was modified too for use with the piston. The impact area (key area) of the carrier is machined into the bolt carrier giving strength and durability to the carrier. All the gas relief ports have been eliminated. Skis have been added to the bottom of the rear of the carrier to prevent carrier tilt caused by the off-center movement caused by the impact of the operating rod on the bolt carrier. To remove the piston assembly from the barrel, depress the detent and rotate the end cap and pull outward. Now the operating rod and spring can be removed for maintenance. The piston operated system requires the use of the heavier H2 buffer (two tungsten weights and one steel weight). The MRP piston barrels are offered in both 5.56mm as well as 6.8mm Rem SPC.

Provided for testing was both the 16 inch as well as the 12 inch CQB barrel. More than 300 rounds of Silver State Armory 5.56mm 55gr FMJ ammunition was fired with no malfunctions. More than half of that was fired on fully automatic utilizing a Colt M4 lower receiver. Slightly more recoil and muzzle flip was noticed with the piston operated system

Converting the MRP to Fire 6.8mm Rem SPC

The absolute finest innovation of the MRP is its easy ability to convert to fire a different cartridge. LMT currently makes barrels in 5.56mm and 6.8mm Rem SPC. LMT has also tested calibers in 6.5 Grendal, 5.54x39mm and 7.62x39mm. Provided with the MRP test rifle was the barrel and bolt to convert the rifle to fire the 6.8mm Rem SPC cartridge. The 5.56mm barrel was unbolted and pulled out of the MRP and the 6.8mm barrel put in its place and the bolts torqued down to 140 inch pounds. The bolt was removed from the bolt carrier and replaced with an enhanced bolt chambered for the 6.8mm Rem SPC cartridge. LMT provided four Precision Reflex, Inc. 25-round magazines. Also provided by C Products were five of their steel 25-round magazines.

The first 300 rounds fired were SSA 110 grain Nosler Accu Bond cartridges. No malfunctions were encountered. With this ammunition, the groups at 100 yards remained at 1.25 inches off of a bench. For accuracy, the SSA 115 grain Sierra OTM Match rounds were used. Groups measured at a consistent 1 MOA. Recoil was noticeably more than the 5.56mm but not enough to mention firing on semiautomatic. SSA also manufactures an armor piercing round in 6.8mm Rem SPC. It consists of a pointed carbide core with a machined brass sabot offering an incredible barrier penetration. It penetrates with ease a 1/2-inch thick Mil-A-12560 class 1 armor plate out of a 16 inch barrel at 100 meters at a velocity of 2,800 feet per second.

In research into weapons chambered for the 6.8mm Rem SPC it was noticed there are two different chambers. They are referred to as the spec 1 and type 2 chambers. The spec 1 chamber is the one which has a SAAMI specification and has a .050 freebore. The spec 2 chamber has .100 freebore, which permits longer projectiles (better ballistic coefficient). Additionally, the longer freebore decreases pressure 4-5,000 psi. With a 115 grain projectile, a spec 1 chamber will give 2,425 feet per second and a spec 2 chamber will give a higher 2,575 feet per second. As of this writing a significant number of manufacturers are making their 6.8mm Rem SPC barrels with the spec 2 chamber; however, some remain with the SAAMI spec chamber. This is due to the standardization in chamber drawings. There is a rumor going around that a new chamber specification, which is the spec 2 chamber will be introduced to SAAMI as the 6.8x43mm. As of this writing, only Silver State Armory and one loading in Hornady TAP line is loaded to the spec 2 pressures. Silver State Armory loads both commercial and spec 2 loads. Before shooting spec 2 ammunition in your rifle, consult the rifle manufacturer to determine which chamber your rifle has.

The Lewis Machine and Tool MRP is truly in a category of its own and is the benchmark for the modularity of the M16/M4 weapon system: one receiver, multi-caliber barrels and available in both direct gas as well as piston operated. More caliber offerings are most certainly on the horizon. With all the barrel lengths and calibers offered, the MRP will do just about any job required of it. Whether it is a CQB environment with the 10.5 inch barrel or hunting medium game with the 6.8mm Rem SPC, this one size does fit all. Selective fire versions of the MRP are available to both law enforcement as well as military customers. With the proper tax stamp and compatible state laws, short barreled versions of the MRP can be had by the general shooting community. LMT has been a forerunner in new developments and innovation, which will bring the M16/M4 well into the new decade and beyond.

On a cold, snow-covered day in January, 2010 we had the opportunity to go to the area of Liege in Belgium, to visit FN Herstal.

Our day started with an inspection of the workshops where we could observe the various operations of machining, cold hammering of barrels, surface treatment of and assembly of the various weapons produced by FN. The frames, breech and other major pieces of the elements entering in the composition of the various models are carried out on ultramodern machine tools with rigorous quality control throughout manufacture.

Barrels are produced by cold hammering except those for 12.7mm machine guns of and 40mm grenade launchers. Surface treatment is conducted in a shop on the ground floor to apply electrolysis, anodization, parkerizing and painting while the chemicals are stored in the basement in order to eliminate any risk of cross contamination from certain components. The routing of parts in the course of manufacture are in the same building and is carried out by means of robots, which simplifies handling. Final assembly and tests are performed by highly trained and skilled employees.

In Belgium, FN employs approximately 1,400 people. The Herstal group maintains privileged relations with its subsidiary companies and its partners that include:

• Browning Viana in Portugal (handguns, hunting rifles),
• FNM in South Carolina, small arms for the American market and Winchester guns),
• ATI in Salt Lake City (Utah), Browning Buck Mark pistols and rifles
• Miroku in Japan, hunting weapons

Ballistic testing and the production of the ammunition are carried out in Zutendaal, approximately 25 miles from Liege. After our morning tour of the factories in Liege we then travelled to Zutendaal, where after a lunch, we were able to test on the shooting range some weapons which are the best of the FN production.

F2000

Conceived in 1995, the F2000 project was presented in 2001. It is a modular Bull Pup compact rifle and is completely ambidextrous. The interchangeability of parts such as sights, various types of hand guards and a stock with a housing designed to hold batteries used to feed an optoelectronic device makes it a general-purpose gun.

The internal mechanical units are contained in a polymer frame. The pistol grip is located at the centre of gravity. The cocking handle is located on the left side and ejection of the empty cases is carried out forward. There is a flash hider at the end of the barrel. In front of the trigger guard is a neutral or specialized hand guard that can receive various accessories. The upper portion of the frame receives a sight or various optic sights. A folding door flap makes it possible for the user to inspect the chamber or bolt head. The frame is made of composite material while the barrel and the bolt are made of steel. This model is available in a black or sand finish.

The safety is part of the selector switch. This is presented, as on the P90, in the shape of an ambidextrous rotary button placed just below the trigger and turns from right t left as safety (S), single shot (1), or burst (A).

On the initial version, sighting is ensured by a 1.6x optic, installed on a Picatinny rail made out of polymer and has a cover to protect it. Other models are fitted with a Picatinny rail made of light alloy, being able to receive a reflex sight, night sight, laser, or a Fire Control Unit (FCU) combining an optic sighting, rangefinder and a device for programming the grenade trajectories.

The rifle uses a standardized STANAG 4179 magazine (M16 improved steel magazine). The gun works with a gas port with a two-position regulator. The bolt is locked by a rotating head.

The F2000 receives a bayonet with a simple edge Bowie blade with no ring nor cross piece and has a prismatic khaki polymer material handle. The F2000 can be fitted with many accessories:

• standard hand guard with light,
• hand guard with three Picatinny rails,
• hand guard with 40mm grenade launcher

Several countries have purchased the F2000 to equip whole or part of their armed forces that include: Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Cyprus, Mexico, Peru, Slovenia and Eastern Timor.

While we have had on many occasions the opportunity to handle the F2000 at many international exhibitions, the handling of this Bull Pup designed weapon does not surprise the French who have handled a similar design with the FAMAS though the Belgian weapon is lighter while being bulkier, in particular in thickness.

The selector, similar to that of the P 90, surprises a little, but its control remains quite visible and a simple touch makes it possible to judge its position. Low pressure on the trigger allows single shots even when the selector is in the burst position. Recoil is light and without vibrations. The weapon is particularly stable, with a rate of fire about 800 to 900 rpm and the ejection of cases is carried out forwards.

FN SCAR

The FN SCAR (Special Forces Combat Assault Rifle) project was developed at the request of the U.S. Army for the realization of a modular system of weapons. The result is two families of weapons (SCAR L in 5.56mm and SCAR H in 7.62mm). Work on the project began in 2001 and the first models were delivered during the second half of 2007 for an evaluation by troops (Special Forces, Rangers, Navy Seals, etc).

The organization of the rifle is conventional with a folding telescopic stock that can be adjusted in length with a 6-position telescopic device. The cheek rest is adjustable in height. The stock, lower frame and pistol grip are of polymer and the frame is of light alloy. The barrel and bolt are made of steel. The cocking handle is reversible and the ejection port is located on the right. The front part of the upper frame is equipped with four Picatinny rails. This model is available in a black or sand finish.

The safety is combined with the selector switch (safe, single shot and burst) and is ambidextrous with a rotation limited to 90 degrees. The weapon is equipped with a six position rear sight (100-600 m) and a protected front sight. Both are adjustable for elevations and windage and can be folded. Various optic or sighting devices can be installed on the upper Picatinny rail.

FN SCAR is gas operated with a short stroke piston. The gas port has two positions and one is used with a sound suppressor. The bolt is locked by a rotating head.

The gun can receive a 40mm FN 40 GL (U.S. MK 13 Mod. O) grenade launcher locked on the lower the Picatinny rail, without any contact with the barrel. Export versions developed by FN can receive a bayonet.

The FN SCAR was developed in two initial versions, each one of them is available with two barrels of various lengths that are easily interchangeable:

* FN SCAR L (light) or MK 16, 5.56x45mm, with 10 or 14.5 inch barrels,
* FN SCAR H (heavy) or MK 17, 7.62mm NATO, with 13, 16 or 20 inch barrels.

Several thousand were provided to the U.S. Army (USSOCOM). In France, 20 units were delivered to the Army Special Forces and the police. It has also been delivered to several other countries for evaluation.

The FN SCAR is light, well balanced and its collapsible stock is unlocked and locked easily to adjust the length according to needs. The weapon is also usable with the stock folded back. While the position of the ambidextrous selector is similar to that of the M16, it has a more reduced rotation. Barrels can be change by the user without it being necessary to call upon a gunsmith. The barrel is free-floating and the Picatinny rails are machined in the frame. Recoil is very light in the 5.56mm version. With the SCAR 7.62mm (which weighs only 300 grams (0.7 pound) more than the 5.56mm version), the recoil remains very moderate. The rate of fire is close to 600 rpm for both rifles. Additionally, there are no vibrations in the stock when the bolt recoils and there is little friction with moving parts.

MINIMI

The development of this machine gun began in the early 1970s in order to meet a new need created by the appearance of small bore assault rifles. After the adoption of 5.56×45 ammunition with bullet S 109 from FN (5.56mm NATO), the Minimi is a success with its performances being notably increased because of its ammunition.

Its manufacture, initially undertaken in Belgium, extended to other countries that include Australia, United States, Canada, South Korea, Italy, Greece, Taiwan and Japan.

The stock is fitted with a shoulder rest. The frame is of rectangular shape with the cocking lever on the right. The barrel can be easily replaced and is finished with a flash hider. The gas cylinder is located below. The moving parts are the piston, the bolt and its head. A folding bipod with telescopic legs is installed just behind the gas block. The stock, pistol grip and forend are made out of polymer. The frame and the heat shield are of sheet metal. The barrel, piston, bolt and its head, are of machined steel. The weapon receives a black finish.

The safety is ensured by a transverse push-button placed in top of the pistol grip, pushed from right to left, it allows shooting. It acts by blocking the trigger. There is no selector. The front sight, adjustable in height, is protected by a cover and the rear sight permits shooting from 200 1,200 meters. On the most recent versions, a Picatinny rail allows the assembly of an optic sight or any other device.

Feeding is possible by two means:

* Belt with metallic detachable links introduced of the left side. Their advance is ensured by a lever which moves a feeder. The belt can be placed in a box or bag.
* FNC or M16 magazines. No change is needed to use one or the other feeding methods because the bolt has two lugs to push the cartridges.

Since its appearance, this weapon has had many improvements. Now a Minimi MK 2 is manufactured, which has an ergonomic stock, a folding carrying handle, an optional hydraulic buffer installed, a stop for the cocking handle and the removal of the loading indicator.

Several models are available:

• MK 2, standard version without buffer
• MK 2 H, standard version with buffer (used in the United States as the MK 46)
• MK 2 Para, with short barrel, telescopic stock, without buffer
• MK 2 H Para, with short barrel, telescopic stock with buffer

Both models can receive a standard handguard or one with three rails.

Since 1980, the Minimi has been the subject of an adaptation in 7.62mm NATO. Initially received with little interest, the Minimi 7.62mm was adopted by U.S. SOCOM under the name of MK 48. This weapon takes the characteristics of Minimi MK 2 H and it is intended to bring to the soldier an increased firepower of short duration. Its practical range is approximately 800 m.

Other 7.62mm Minimi: variations are

• Standard version with fixed stock
• Para version with telescopic stock
• Three rail hand guard with fixed stock
• Three rails handguard with telescopic stock
• Both are fitted with a hydraulic buffer

The Minimi 5.56mm is light:, approximately 7 kg (approx. 15 lbs) with a 250-round cartridge bag. Although not having a selector, the flexibility of its trigger allows single shot shooting. Recoil is moderate and the shooting remains stable, even in standing position.

The Minimi 7.62mm is a little heavier, + 1 kg (2 lbs more) with a 100-round cartridge bag. The recoil, too, remains very reasonable regardless the position of the gunner.

MAG 58

MAG = Mitrailleuse à Gaz (Gas Machine Gun) ou Mitrailleuse d’Appui Général (General Purpose Machinegun).

At the request of Sweden, the research department of FN, under the direction of Ernest Vervier (1908-1986), developed in 1957 a general-purpose, simple and robust weapon. This particularly powerful model machine gun is a world success with more than 230,000 guns beings manufactured. It is built in Belgium, but also made in Sweden, United Kingdom, Israel, Brazil, India, United States, Argentina, Canada, Australia and Egypt. In 1977, it replaced several machine guns in service in the American Army where it is designated as the M240.

The fixed stock contains a buffer. The frame is made of two steel plates riveted on spacers and contains the piston, bolt, lock and the recoil spring. Above the receiver is the feeding device and under it the pistol grip with trigger and sear. The cocking lever is on the right. The gas cylinder is under the barrel, its gas block has an adjustable valve making it possible to vary the rate of fire (3 positions + 1 maxi). The barrel can be easily replaced and it is fitted with a handle to carry the gun or replace the barrel.

The safety is ensured by a transverse push-button placed in top of the pistol grip, pushed from right to left, it allows shooting. It acts by blocking of the trigger. There is no selector.

Sights are:

• Front sight with ears, adjustable; rear eyepiece tangent sight with cursor on steps (200-800 m) U notch and leaf
  (900-1,800 m)
• Most recent models have a Picatinny rail on the cover of the feed mechanism

This gun works with gas action, locked bolt and the bolt is opened before shooting. Locking is ensured by a mobile lock that drops under the action of the piston and takes support on a central hardened steel locking point. The striker is interdependent of the piston.

The weapon uses a collapsible bipod. It can also be fitted on a tripod or various other devices on vehicles, tanks, boats or aircraft.

The MAG undoubtedly represents one of the best of the universal machine guns since World War II: not too heavy, accurate, handy and easy to use. The regulator ensures its good performance under the worst of conditions. In spite of its power, the recoil remains very moderate. The firing device does not have a selector but short bursts of two rounds are possible. Its stability when shooting is remarkable.

40mm Grenade Launcher

We tested the 40mm grenade launcher as installed on the 5.56mm FN SCAR. The assembly of this accessory is carried out quickly and without tools. The locking points are conceived in such manner that no stress is imposed on the barrel. Loading is carried out by spiral rotation, then by advance of the barrel. Moreover, it can swivel to the right or left side for easy loading of extra long ammunition.

The trigger, in the shape of a ring, is located beneath the rifle’s trigger guard. Its opening is sufficiently broad to allow the firing with gloves.

The recoil impulse is slightly higher than that of shooting a ball cartridge. Shooting is very accurate with a probable hit in a one meter square target at 100 meters. The model that we tested was equipped with lateral left sights as chosen by the Americans. We find it is not very practical because the head position does not permit comfortable and quick shooting. FN has developed for its other customers another sighting system and proposes their Fire System Control (FCS) combining an optic sight, rangefinder and a device for programming of the explosion of grenades according to their trajectory.

The phone call from Carl Bertil Johansson in early summer 2009 came out of the blue. The founder of the Swedish company CBJ Tech had read an article I’d written about military Personal Defence Weapons (PDWs) for soldiers who do not normally carry a rifle. I had concluded that the optimum weapon configuration would be a compact machine pistol like the 9mm Brügger & Thomet MP9. I had also observed that the gun’s ballistics could be transformed by adapting it to fire the 6.5×25 CBJ cartridge. He thought this idea sounded promising so had contacted Brügger & Thomet, who were interested enough to supply him with an MP9 featuring a prototype barrel in 6.5×25 calibre. Initial testing had made him so enthusiastic that he was calling to invite me to Sweden to try the gun and ammunition combination for myself. How could I refuse?

The MP9

The MP9 has been developed from the Steyr Tactical Machine Pistol or TMP, to which Brügger & Thomet acquired the rights in the early 2000s. This innovative Swiss company has made a number of modifications, the most obvious being a side-folding shoulder stock, which transforms the steadiness of aim and the effective range. They have also added a NATO accessory rail on top for optical sights, ghost ring rear sights with an adjustable foresight, a trigger safety (similar to the Glock system), a suppressor attachment on the barrel sleeve (B&T also make the suppressors), and translucent magazines for 15, 20, 25 or 30 rounds. Options include a Picatinny rail under the barrel in lieu of the fixed handgrip, and a fixed skeleton rather than folding stock. The standard colour of the body is black but green and coyote tan are also available, as is a blue version adapted to fire Simunition FX training ammunition (which can also work with the new Force on Force cartridge recently introduced by ATK) and a red “manipulation” gun which cannot fire live ammunition and is used for safe handling training.

The result is an exceptionally compact and lightweight submachine gun or machine pistol, largely made from polymer and weighing just 1.4 kg (3.1 lbs) empty. Loaded 9mm magazines weigh 240 grams (8.5 oz) for 15 rounds to 440 grams (just under 1 lb) for 30 rounds. The MP9 is 303 mm (11.9 inches) long with the stock folded and 523 mm (20.6 inches) with the stock unfolded. Barrel length is 130 mm (5.1 inches). Unlike most SMGs (with the notable exception of the Heckler & Koch MP5 series) the gun fires from a closed and locked bolt, utilising a rotating barrel locking system; it will still fire when the muzzle is pressed against the target. The cyclic rate of fire is 750-800 rpm. The single shot/automatic selector and manual safety switch is a push-button by the thumb.

According to B&T, about 5-6,000 MP9s are sold every year. The gun is widely exported and is now in service with many special forces and close protection teams. The use of the ubiquitous 9mm cartridge is a significant selling point, along with the compact dimensions, the open holster (the gun clips into it) and the availability of the training versions. The modest penetration of 9mm ammunition isn’t felt to be an issue as hardly any of the expected opposition use body armour (this may not, of course, remain the case indefinitely), and around 50m is regarded as an adequate range for its particular role.

The nearest competitor to the MP9 is the Heckler & Koch MP7. The most obvious difference between them is that the MP7 is available only in HK’s unique 4.6×30 calibre, whereas the MP9 fires the 9×19 NATO, aka Parabellum or Luger, which is readily available from many manufacturers in a very wide range of loadings. At least, that was the case until recently, when the first example of the B&T MP9 in the 6.5×25 CBJ version appeared.

The 6.5×25 CBJ

Carl Bertil Johansson is an experienced gun designer who has worked with Aimpoint and SAAB Bofors among others, but set up CBJ Tech to develop his idea for a high-performance cartridge. The company, a family-run business, is based in southern Sweden and owns a Cold War bunker that provides very secure accommodation for workshops and range testing.

CBJ started development of the 6.5×25 cartridge in the late 1990s at the time of the NATO competition to select a new PDW round. This was intended to replace the 9×19 with longer-ranged ammunition able to penetrate NATO’s CRISAT target (equivalent to contemporary Russian body armour) at 150 metres. The only cartridges officially tested were the 5.7×28 FN developed for the P90, and HK’s 4.6×30 for the MP7. It proved impossible to reach political agreement on which to choose, so no decision was made.

FN and HK both started with “clean sheet” ammunition and gun designs, but Carl Bertil decided on a different approach, reasoning that a cartridge that was interchangeable with the universal 9×19 round by means of a simple barrel swap would have a much wider appeal. It would mean that existing guns could be adapted to fire the new cartridge, and also that guns in the new calibre could be easily changed to 9×19 if required; even the magazines remain the same.

This design principle meant that the new CBJ cartridge would have the same overall dimensions as the 9×19 (including the rim diameter) and would need to develop a comparable recoil impulse to ensure reliable gun functioning. The cartridge that emerged from this study was the 6.5×25, with an extended, necked-down case and a short bullet protrusion. Several different loadings in three ballistic groups have been developed.

To compete with the 5.7mm and 4.6mm rounds in meeting the NATO PDW long-range penetration requirement, a sub-calibre loading is used. The standard military “ball” loading is actually a 4mm calibre tungsten bullet in a plastic sabot. The bullet weighs 2 g (31 grains), 2.5 g with its sabot. There is a “spoon-tip” version designed to encourage more rapid bullet upset on impact, and a training variant using cheaper core material. All of these are fired at a muzzle velocity ranging from 730 m/s (2,395 fps) from a 127 mm (5 inch) barrel (the recommended minimum barrel length) to 900 m/s (2,950 fps) from a 305 mm (12 inch) barrel. The tungsten-cored loadings fired from a 12 inch barrel match the trajectory of the 5.56×45 NATO from an M4 Carbine and have much superior penetration to its standard SS109/M855 ammunition, being able to punch through 9mm armour plate. From a 12 inch barrel, velocity at 300 metres is 578 m/s (1,900 fps) at which range it will still penetrate the CRISAT target.

The 6.5mm version of the MP9 has the barrel extended to 150mm (5.9 inches), giving a muzzle velocity of just over 800 m/s (2,620 fps). By comparison, the 5.7×28 P90 and 4.6×30 MP7 both fire as standard 2 gram (31 grain) bullets at about 720 m/s (2,360 fps). A brass-jacketed 6.5mm ball round weighs 7.5 grams (115 grains) compared with 6.2-6.4 grams (96-99 grains) for the 5.7 and 4.6 rounds and around 12-13 grams (185-200 grains) for 9mm. Loaded 15 and 30-round 6.5mm MP9 magazines therefore weigh about 165 and 290 grams (5.8 and 10.2 oz) respectively. Steel and light-alloy cases are being considered by CBJ, but the initial emphasis is on brass.

The other ballistic groups fire full-calibre 6.5mm bullets. One group, primarily intended for police use, fires lightweight 2.5 gram (38.6 grain) bullets at the same velocities as the sub-calibre loadings. These consist of the HET (high energy transfer) brass bullet and a frangible (polymer/metal powder blend) version for use in training or when barrier penetration needs to be minimised. The HET will also penetrate the CRISAT armour target at short range, but these rounds are most effective within 50 metres as the lightweight bullets rapidly lose velocity. The third ballistic group has just one round – subsonic armour piercing – intended for use with a suppressor. It is much heavier than the other bullets at 8 grams (123 grains) and can also penetrate the CRISAT target.

The 6.5×25 cartridge cases were previously made by reforming 9×29 Winchester Magnum brass, but CBJ Tech now has cases specially made for them. These use slightly thicker brass, requiring some adjustment to the propellant loads. The colour of the sabots has not yet been firmed up; originally these were black but this was changed to white to aid recovery from the indoor range’s backstop which has an outer layer of shredded black rubber. For production purposes, different colours may be used to indicate the loading.

SAAB Bofors was initially involved in helping to market the 6.5x25mm while the NATO competition was running, but is no longer involved with the project. CBJ Tech is continuing to develop the ammunition and demonstrate its capability in a wide variety of converted submachine guns and pistols. Those tested to date range from the Steyr AUG SMG to SIG Sauer and Glock pistols. Where necessary, pistols are fitted with barrels extended to 5 inches. A substantial purpose-designed SMG, the CBJ MS, was initially developed to use the new round and features a folding bipod and an optional large-capacity drum magazine in order to act as a light support weapon out to 400m. However, CBJ Tech is now mainly focused on adapting existing 9mm weapons, particularly the MP9 as this is seen as the ideal combination for the PDW role in which there is growing military interest. The remarkable performance of the 6.5mm cartridge, especially in armour penetration, is such that CBJ is intending to offer their conversions only to military and police customers.

How it Works Together: the MP9 in 6.5×25 CBJ

Once in Sweden I had the opportunity to test-fire the MP9 in both 9mm and 6.5mm calibres alongside other weapons for comparison purposes, in two locations; an outdoor range in semiautomatic fire and in CBJ’s indoor range on automatic. Before this, I had only been able to handle the MP9 so I was keen to see how it performed.

In either calibre the MP9 is a pleasure to shoot. I found the spacing between the butt, the pistol grip and the forward handgrip suited me well. The fat, forward-sloping front handgrip greatly aids control and I would certainly not wish to do without it. For semiautomatic fire the little 1.5x Trijicon sight proved ideal and the effective range of the 6.5mm version firing the saboted tungsten ammunition would probably be around 200 metres. In 9mm calibre or for close-range work a 1x holographic red-dot sight (also tried) might be preferred.

Given the MP9’s small size and weight I was surprised by its controllability in automatic fire. As a UK civilian my opportunities for firing automatic weapons are nearly zero but I found no trouble in keeping the rounds on target when firing short bursts; the little gun was much easier to control than an M16 I tried afterwards.

There was very little difference between firing the 9×19 and 6.5×25 versions of the MP9. Subjectively, the 6.5mm version felt as if it had slightly less recoil. My arrival coincided with CBJ’s working up of loads using their new cartridge cases. They hadn’t finalised this process and the 6.5mm version suffered some failures to feed with the new cases (although it performed very well with the older ones) but that was expected to be a temporary glitch.

A key question in my mind was this: OK, the little 4mm tungsten bullet goes through armour like the proverbial hot knife through butter, but how does it perform against unarmoured personnel? This question could only finally be decided in combat, of course, but ballistic gel provides a repeatable substitute for testing purposes. CBJ Tech has the facilities for this, and performed some tests for my benefit. I witnessed three different cartridges being compared at about 5 metres range; the standard 6.5mm saboted ball (this one first had to penetrate a CRISAT target), the full-calibre 6.5mm HET and the 9×19 NATO FMJ. The results are shown in the photograph. The least impressive was the 9mm, while the 6.5mm HET showed far more disruption with rapid bullet upset. The saboted ball also performed significantly better than the 9mm, and according to previous tests I was shown, the spoon-tip version demonstrates even faster upset as one would expect. Interestingly, on one of the test shots of the saboted rounds the sabot was found stuck into the surface of the gel block, which showed that it had followed the bullet down-range quite closely.

To sum up, the Brügger & Thomet MP9 is arguably the best of the new breed of PDWs – or machine pistols or compact SMGs if you prefer. For only about double the size and weight of a pistol (but half the size and weight of an M4 Carbine) it offers perhaps ten times the effective range plus controllable automatic fire. The use of universally-available 9×19 ammunition is proving to be an important benefit, but if more range or penetration is required the gun can easily and reversibly be converted to the impressive and versatile 6.5×25 CBJ. For any military or law enforcement organisations contemplating a weapon in this class, this could be a winning combination.

More information about the 6.5×25 ammunition is presented on the CBJ Tech website at: www.cbjtech.com.

Brügger & Thomet’s website is: www.brugger-thomet.ch/.

Anthony G Williams is an independent ammunition consultant and co-editor of Jane’s Ammunition Handbook. He maintains a website at www.quarry.nildram.co.uk

With the increasingly uncertain supply of ammunition, not to mention ever rising price, especially for rifle calibers, it is prudent to diversify any collection of long arms. Most personal defense or military style collections include chambering such as 7.62x51mm (.308Win), 5.56mm (.223Rem), 7.62×39, and 5.45×39. An alternate caliber worthy of consideration is the ubiquitous 9mm pistol cartridge chambered in a semiautomatic carbine. Century International Arms’ recent introduction of their Uzi carbine, the UC-9, serves as further impetus to obtain a 9mm carbine. The advantage of choosing the Century UC-9 Centurion is twofold in that it allows one to explore the pistol chambered carbine concept along with the chance to experience a historical weapon design.

Uziel Gal designed the Uzi with a telescopic bolt. The bolt travels over and around the barrel during operation. This allows for a more compact weapon with the barrel moved back into the receiver and magazine well placed in the handgrip. The concept is first noticed on early Czech designs such as the ZK 476 and vz23. The Uzi is simple and economical to manufacture taking full advantage of stampings and plastics to create receiver, cover, trigger housing, and folding metal stock with only the bolt and barrel requiring machining. Uziel Gal began designing the Uzi in 1948 with a prototype finished in 1950. Israeli special force units began use of the Uzi in 1954 with general issue to other IDF units in 1956 including officers, rear echelon troops, artillery, tank, and elite light infantry assault units.

The square shaped bolt reciprocates in the sheet metal trough formed in the receiver. The top cover seals off the bolt pathway to minimize exposure to the elements. Tolerances are relatively loose for better reliability with grooves incorporated on both sides of the receiver to increase reliability in dirty environments. Any accumulated debris is given a path out of the way of the bolt. The bolt is operated via centrally located handle on top of the receiver; thus it is ambidextrous. One of the Uzi’s greatest qualities is its simple operation and maintenance. User friendliness was a high priority for a citizen army like the IDF. Field stripping procedures typifies this simplicity with no tools required. After double checking the weapon is empty, unscrew the barrel nut and remove the barrel, followed by removing the top cover allowing for the bolt and striker assembly to lift out of the receiver. The Uzi is now field stripped for easy cleaning.

For many, the first urge for a 9mm carbine is a short barreled rifle (SBR). The reasoning being if one must use a 16 inch barrel you might as well get a full-sized AR or AK. However, many will not want to undergo the paperwork and cost for a SBR or may live in jurisdictions that disallow such classified weapons. Another advantage enjoyed by the Century UC-9 Uzi is a price point well below the current AR 9mm platforms on the market. MSRP for the Century UC-9 will be in mid $700 range.

Century produces the Uzi carbine in house and is modified to fire from a closed bolt versus the open bolt design of the original select fire model. Century Arms is an innovator of adapting military select fire weapons to BATF standards enabling firearms that would normally be out the reach of civilians to be experienced. The Uzi is considered a premier example of a 3rd generation SMG utilizing blowback method of operation where cartridge pressure is used to overcome the bolt’s mass pushing it to the rear and action springs returning it into battery stripping a fresh round from the magazine to operate the weapon. The Century Uzi carbine variant uses a floating firing pin as opposed to a fixed firing pin found in the select fire version. Other changes consist of the receiver not allowing for the drop-in installation of a SMG fixed firing pin bolt as the firing pin of the semiautomatic only Century UC-9 is incorporated into the bolt group. The semiautomatic bolt group also features a different extractor design versus the SMG version. The fire control assembly is modified as well since three-positions are not necessary as with a select fire version. The sear on the UC-9 is smaller since it is not under the same stress as the SMG version. Top covers are different between the semiautomatic Uzi and SMG version. The SMG version is ratcheted in case the charging handle is inadvertently released before the bolt is fully locked open. Lastly, barrel installation methods are different as the original Uzi barrels will not work with semiautomatic weapons due to differences in welding patterns associated with the front trunnion.

The lack of automatic fire capability on any weapon originally designed for selective fire operation means less for most than the handling benefits lost when forced to employ 16 inch barrels to comply with Federal laws defining what a rifle is. Fortunately, the 16 inch barreled UC-9 Uzi still retains the handling characteristics of its military predecessor. The telescopic bolt design aids in minimizing the effect of equipping the Uzi with a 16 inch barrel compared to the standard 10 inch. The Century UC-9 is similar in overall length to a SBR 9mm AR with a 7 inch barrel due to the telescopic bolt permitting the barrel to be moved back into the receiver.

Many will question the utility of employing a pistol cartridge in a shoulder fired weapon. Others would argue that most engagements happen well within a 100yd range, especially in a civilian setting, and that handling and reliability play more of a factor in quick, reactive engagements than specific caliber used. However, less experienced shooters will find the lower recoil pulse and muzzle blast of a pistol caliber fired from the shoulder easier to manage, which often times will translate into better accuracy potential. Will a rifle hit with more authority than a 9mm? Yes. However, the advantage of carrying a handgun and carbine using the same, easy to acquire, and relatively inexpensive ammunition should not be underestimated.

The Uzi can be considered a niche weapon here in the U.S. with a devoted group of followers. This limited market has led to few aftermarket accessories being available. The Uzi design does not permit easy installation red dot style optics as it was designed in an era before red dot style optics were commonly used. While optic mounts are available, most users stay away from their use for a variety of reasons usually related to mounting methods. If a red dot or similar optic is considered a necessity then another weapon system will need to be consulted.

However, from the Uzi’s birthplace, comes an interesting forearm modification discovered via the Mako Group’s website. The U3R Tri-Rail manufactured by FAB Defense is designed to replace the Uzi’s forend with a Picatinny-style rail system. The U3R Tri-Rail is machined from solid billet aircraft aluminum and hard anodized for a durable surface. This is a unique solution to bring your Uzi up to speed tactically and take advantage of Picatinny rail accessories. The Mako Group’s Tri-Rail enhances the Uzi’s capability facilitating mounting of lights, lasers, and a vertical foregrip. Dimensionally, the Century UC-9 had no problems accommodating the Tri-Rail. A Crimson Trace MVF 515 Green Laser/Light combination vertical foregrip was mounted on the UC-9 Uzi. Some may doubt veracity of vertical foregrips in general and even more so on the Uzi Carbine. However, the Uzi is not light at 9 pounds with this accentuated by the 16 inch barrel; the increased leverage and control offered by the Crimson Trace MVF 515 is worth it; not to mention the integral high intensity tactical light and green laser that accompanies the vertical foregrip. Due to the distinct Uzi profile with magazine fitting in the grip housing, the Crimson Trace MVF 515 does not significantly impact its outline. Lower profile vertical grips are available, but few offer the multiple uses of the MVF 515.

The Uzi 9mm Sporter weighs approximately 9 pounds and features a 16 inch barrel giving the Uzi a length of 24 inches with stock folded and 31.5 inches with stock deployed. The barrel uses 1:10 twist rate that allows the user to utilize the full range of 9mm loads, including 147rg bullets. The double hinged rear stock folds neatly and securely under the weapon’s frame. While many consider the stock as overly complicated, it is simple to operate efficiently after a few tries. The sights on the Uzi were somewhat crude combining a rear aperture and front sight post each protected by metal ears. Nevertheless, the sights permitted head shots out to 35 yards with center body mass aiming used as distances stretched back to 100 yards or beyond. The Crimson Trace MVF 515’s green laser was clearly visible at 25 yards even during bright daylight conditions. The Uzi’s rear sight is a flip leaf aperture with 100 meter or 200 meter settings. The sights on the Century UC-9 are of Model A Uzi type with the both windage and elevation adjustment made with the front sight. Hits on large steel targets such as manhole covers were very possible with the Uzi out to 200 yards. Paper targets, plate racks and steel popper targets located at various locations and groupings were engaged with some drills conducted behind simulated cover and with mandatory magazine changes.

The Century UC-9’s non-discriminatory handling of several types of 9mm ammunition was a pleasant surprise. Winchester 9mm NATO loads were purchased based on experience with other 9mm SMG designs requiring the higher pressure NATO loads to operate reliably. The Uzi functioned flawlessly with not only the Winchester 9mm 124gr NATO FMJ loads, but also with Winchester 9mm 115gr FMJ, Wolf 115gr FMJ 9mm, CCI Speer Lawman 124gr TMJ, Black Hills 124gr and Winchester 147gr JHP 9mm. The ability to feed the JHPs was a totally unexpected bonus and a credit to the Uzi weapon design. The Century UC-9 had over 800 rounds fired through it for this T&E during several range visits to Echo Valley Training Center located near Winchester, VA. A handful of malfunctions were experienced during initial session. This problem was eliminated once two suspect magazines were indentified and culled. One positive of the faulty magazines was that malfunction drills were tested. The closed bolt UC-9 Uzi does not have a bolt hold open device, thus the most practical method discovered was to strip out the magazine and run the bolt a couple of times to clear the offending malfunction and then re-insert a fresh magazine. T&E was aided by acquiring several extra 32-round magazines via a kit that is offered by Century that comes with magazine pouch, sling, and cleaning kit. Five 32-round magazines come with the Century UC-9 Uzi. Extra Uzi magazines are currently plentiful and relatively inexpensive to purchase.

Magazine changes proved an awkward affair at first. This is more an indictment of previous experience manipulating AR or AK based weapon systems than a criticism of the Uzi. The magazine removal, replacement, and bolt manipulation must be done in a stout/firm manner. The Uzi’s blowback operating method translates into a stiff action spring. It is best not to rush manipulating the Uzi during reloads to ensure that your hand does not slip off the cocking handle or not bring the action back far enough to strip a fresh round from the magazine. The magazine well in the pistol grip allows for reloads without having to look. The magazine release is paddle-like and located at the bottom of the grip allowing for the offhand to depress and rip the empty magazine out in one movement making room for insertion of a fresh one. The safety selector switch is incorporated into the pistol grip and can be operated with the dominant hand’s thumb with minimal effort. The grip safety is an important feature further maximizing one hand use. The selector switch can be left on fire, yet removing the hand from the grip provides for a safe weapon if having to sling the weapon and perform other tasks. Range experience indicated that the “hand-to-hand” method works efficiently in getting a fresh magazine inserted into the weapon’s pistol grip, especially under pressure of time constraints and wanting to keep eyes downrange during the reload. The combination of the heavy bolt and magazine placement in the center of the weapon grip serves to balance the Uzi and minimize any recoil or muzzle climb. The 9 pound weight of the Uzi contributes here as well. Accurate strings of fire consisting of multiple rounds sent downrange had no problems keeping rounds smacking steel due to minimal muzzle climb and muzzle blast.

Some will be lured to the Century International Arms Uzi Carbine for its potential as a weapon, while others will find it the closest opportunity they will have to own a working replica of a historical firearm. Many will argue that there is no defensive value in any semiautomatic pistol caliber chambered carbine; just use a full size assault rifle. Would a Century UC-9 be a first choice of firearm for personal defense for most? No, but it in the same breath it would be far from the bottom of the list as well. The Uzi design would not have been used by agencies such as the Secret Service or over 90 countries if it did not perform better than most other available weapons. It is not being represented that this same performance is being offered in the UC-9 configuration, but nice to know what kind of heritage it is spawned from.

The pistol caliber carbine represented by the Century Uzi makes far more sense than relying strictly on a handgun for defense, especially in rural areas. Accurate hits are possible out to 100 yards after only minimal practice. Another benefit is round capacity as compared to handguns. Double column Uzi magazines can be found with 20, 25, and 32-round capacities. The 32-round Uzi magazine is the most commonly found. Many will find the UC-9 Uzi Carbine easier to shoot accurately than a shotgun or a rifle due to it compact nature and less recoil.

The Century UC-9 Uzi is an interesting new introduction of a weapon with lots of history attached to it. Century is planning on producing over 2,000 UC-9s. Is the UC-9 Uzi a weapon worthy of competing with other pistol caliber carbines such as the HK, Sten/Sterling, Kel-tecs, MAC, Beretta, and ARs or is it the closest thing many will get to a firing replica with design history dating back to 1950? The Century UC-9 did not handle or perform like a design that is over 50 years old. It is still a viable weapon. It will hold its own no matter what the individual decides to use it for.

Century International Arms
430 South Congress Ave. Suite 1
Delray Beach, FL 33445
(800) 527-1252
www.centuryarms.com

Mako Group
1 Lenox Ave
Farmingdale, NY 11735
(866) 753-9444
www.makosecurity.com

Part 1, in SAR’s October, 2010 issue, was an overview of MARSOC’s mission, structure and activities. In this concluding installment, we take a close look at how Marine Critical Skills Operators and other essential personnel are trained for high-stakes missions in what we stubbornly insist on calling the Global War On Terrorism.

MARINE CORPS SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
Part 2: Training SOCOM’s Devil Dogs

Special Report by Robert Bruce

“Don’t underestimate your enemy. They know the land and spend all day preparing to kill you. Whenever you’re tired of training and rehearsing, ask yourself if the enemy is resting.” Sergeant Matt Yohe, Instructor, MSOS Advanced Sniper Course.

Sgt. Yohe speaks with authority based on personal experience from months of serious operations as a MARSOC sniper with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan against hardened Taliban forces fighting on their home turf. This tall and rawboned 29 year old fits most anyone’s idea of a battle-hardened Marine, the product of eight years in the Corps’ most hard-charging units including 2nd Recon Battalion before his assignment to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion

He also typifies the quality of the combat experienced Marine operators who are hand-picked for instructor duty at Marine Special Operations School. According to MARSOC sources, they come from Marine Special Operations Teams after two deployments or more, and are nominated by their Battalions.

SAR met and talked at some length with Yohe and several other instructors during our visit in late February to MSOS, MARSOC’s “Schoolhouse” at Camp Lejeune’s historic Stone Bay. These NCOs are an impressive lot who exemplify the right stuff by appearance, demeanor and no-nonsense interaction with outsiders.

Victoria per Scientiam

Marine Special Operations School is a regimental level command, formally activated in June 2007 but already operational months earlier.

Its distinctive unit crest evokes the heritage of WWII Marine Raiders in a blue shield emblazoned with five stars, an iconic Fairbairn-Sykes stiletto fighting knife and a motto in Latin that translates to “Victory through Knowledge.”

Most of its initial training cadre was composed of elements transferred in from the Special Missions Branch of the Marine Expeditionary Forces Special Operations Training Group. These skilled and savvy Marine trainers are credited in large part with the amazingly short period from MARSOC’s creation to its first elements being certified by U.S. Special Operations Command as fully mission capable.

MSOS, informally known as the “Schoolhouse,” screens, assesses, selects and trains Marines and Sailors for Special Operations assignments in MARSOC; provides advanced individual special operations training; plans and executes the component exercise program. It serves as MARSOC’s training and educations proponent and is the link between MARSOC, USMC and SOCOM component SOF schools. Additionally, it develops MARSOF standards, doctrine and TTP (Tactics, Techniques and Procedures), and serves as MARSOC’s proponent for weapons and optics requirements

MSOS is organized with a Headquarters Company and five branches, each responsible for specific taskings that are critical to MARSOC’s wide-ranging missions:

• Assessment and Selection Branch is the entry point for personnel seeking to come aboard MARSOC.
• Personnel Recovery/SERE Branch specializes in training programs that maximize survival, evasion, resistance and escape skills.
• Exercise Control Branch develops and executes complex and ever-changing scenarios that challenge and validate mission readiness for MARSOC elements; notably the Marine Special Operations Battalions from teams to tailored task forces.
• Language Branch teaches a wide range of tongues native to locations worldwide from Arabic to Urdu, with emphasis on those common to areas of particular interest to U.S. Special Operations Command.
• Special Operations Training Branch conducts ITC (Initial Training Course) for NCOs and company grade officers who will be assigned as “operators” (properly known as CSOs – Critical Skills Operators) in the Marine Special Operations Regiment and it’s the home for Special Operations advanced and specialty courses

Initial Training Course

The focus of our visit to MARSOC’s Schoolhouse was Special Operations Training Branch, currently housed in an orderly formation of a dozen or so modular classrooms while construction is underway nearby on a more traditional campus. There, Lieutenant Colonel Clark Watson, SOTB’s Director, walked us through the high points of the Initial Training Course, a comprehensive SPECOPS basic training program that is the next step following Assessment and Selection for those seeking to become CSOs.

It’s broken down into four phases of instruction, practice and evaluation, Watson explained, that require learned skills to be applied under increasingly adverse conditions.

As can be expected, students who have already demonstrated high levels of physical and mental toughness as an entry requirement are pushed much further in the first phase. Escalating challenges include endurance, functional fitness and highly aggressive combatives.

During these first few weeks of long hours with heavy physical and mental stress, some otherwise “gung-ho” CSO candidates are likely to question if they have the right stuff for the job. This is, of course, exactly as it must be.

We’re told that amphibious training is often the most difficult for many otherwise tough and capable Marines. Combat Water Survival Level Two is a prerequisite, but Watson emphasized that the realities of training for waterborne warfare require significantly higher capability.

The Assessment and Selection Preparation Guide emphasizes that swim requirements are done in utilities (fatigue jacket and trousers) but aspirants get a break by shedding their boots. There’s an “abandon ship” drill requiring a leap into the water from a six meter high platform, a 300 meter swim, ten minutes of treading water, and five minutes of survival float.

But that’s just to get in. It gets harder and harder in preparation for the course’s amphibious exercises.

Watson also explained that the current class was only the third under the ITC designation and the curriculum had undergone some changes based on input from various sources including student evaluations, operational realities and other factors. Also, because ITC is open to Marines in all MOSs (Military Occupational Specialties), the first part of the course acts as a sort of abbreviated and intensified version of the Marine Corps’ School of Infantry.

While careful to avoid revealing too much detail, Watson listed many of the tasks that must be mastered to earn the coveted “operator” designation.

Basic field skills like land navigation, pistol and carbine marksmanship, individual and small unit tactics, patrolling, and casualty care are strongly reinforced. A necessarily harsh dose of Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) is required, along with some classroom work on USSOCOM’s unique Joint Planning Process.

Physical demands ramp up along with academic rigors, combining to identify early in the course students who are unlikely to make the grade. Those who voluntarily leave or are dropped for academic failure return to their previous assignments without adverse entries in their official records. If injuries or other waiverable factors are noted, there is a second chance and they can plug back in where they left off in subsequent courses.

As the weeks grind on the challenges become even more complex. There’s mission planning, special reconnaissance, more combat marksmanship with emphasis on CQB (Close Quarter Battle), amphibious operations, and Demolitions. Communications is critical, requiring mastery of satellite communications, high frequency radios and data systems.

Interestingly, the foreign weapons block of instruction in previous versions of ITC has been cut back, reportedly due to time constraints in the packed curriculum. Now, only the AK family of assault rifles – the most commonly encountered in the world – are included in classroom training and familiarization firing. Other foreign weapons training can wait until after graduation and assignment to the Marine Special Operations Regiment.

Colorfully named, structured tactical exercises mark transition periods in each phase. Guile Strike is five days of close quarter battle from insertion to hit on target, Stingray Fury is an eleven day special reconnaissance mission and Raider Spirit tests students in patrolling, raids and recon over twelve days.

Derna Bridge

All of this (and a lot more that is not publicly revealed) builds rapidly and steeply toward a final exercise keyed to MARSOC’s Irregular Warfare mission.

Everything in the course comes together with the three week long operation Derna Bridge, named in honor of what was arguably the first Unconventional Warfare operation in U.S. history. It was in 1805 that Marine Lieutenant Presley O’Bannon led Marines and foreign fighters in a successful attack on a strategic harbor fort in Tripoli, the first time that the U.S. flag was raised on foreign soil.

ITC’s Derna Bridge forces students to use all of the skills mastered throughout the course while training, advising and operating with role-players realistically portraying a Partner Nation/Irregular force.

A sobering indication of the difficulty of this final exercise and the uncompromising standards of the course as a whole may be found in noting that fifty students in the class prior to our visit made it as far as this final exercise but only forty graduated.

We have subsequently learned that, beginning in June, the increasing demand for CSOs will be met by overlapping ITCs with the goal of qualifying up to 144 operators per training year.

Follow-On Training

After graduation from ITC most are assigned to the MSO Regiment where these newly-minted operators continue a variety of live fire exercises to maintain a level of precision marksmanship with their M4 primary and M45 secondary weapons. They also train to be proficient in the use of all organic MSO Team weapons as well as the non-U.S. weapons used by friendly and hostile forces where they are expected to deploy.

MSOS offers advanced-level courses for qualified operators in a number of subject areas including Special Reconnaissance, Close Quarters Battle, Sniper, Breaching, and Weapons Employment

All MARSOC Marines are required to undergo continual language training. However, based on ability, certain Marines will be selected for follow-on language training at an Advanced Linguistics Course.

While Support Group personnel who deploy with MSO Teams to provide specialized capabilities have previously trained in many of the topics taught at ITC, MSOSG has created a demanding 22 day Special Operations Training Course. Now, Combat Support Marines in Intel, K-9, Commo and other MOSs get a concentrated dose of war fighting craft with plenty of instruction and trigger time in weapons from 9mm pistols to .50 caliber machine guns. They also gain a working knowledge of land navigation, radioing for fire support, casualty care, and many other combat skills that help them integrate with CSOs as valued members of MSO Teams.

Weapons of MARSOC

Aside from the M45 MEU-SOC pistol, an exclusive badge of honor for CSOs, most everything in use by MARSOC operators and others is standard Marine Corps stuff. The laundry list of “tools of the trade” includes:

* 9mm M9 Pistol
* .45 cal. M45 Pistol
* 5.56mm M4A1 And SOPMOD Carbine
* 40mm M203 Grenade Launcher
* 5.56mm M249 Squad Automatic Weapon
* 7.62mm M240 Medium Machine Gun
* .50 cal. M2HB Heavy Machine Gun
* 7.62mm M39 (M14) Enhanced Marksmanship Rifle

* 7.62mm MK11 Semiautomatic Sniper Rifle
* 7.62mm M40 Sniper Rifle
* .50 cal. M82/M107 Special Application Scoped Rifle
* 12 gauge M1014 Joint Service Combat Shotgun
* 12 gauge M870 and M500 series Shotgun
* 40mm MK19 Grenade Machine Gun
* 40mm MK47 Grenade Machine Gun
* 60mm M224 Lightweight Mortar
* And, as cryptically stated by MARSOC, “other weapons as required by the mission”

Weapons and Tactics Roundtable at SOTB

We were privileged to be given the opportunity to meet with a group of MARSOC Marine NCOs who specialize in weapons and tactics instruction at Special Operations Training Branch’s ITC. All of them are seasoned operators with combat experience, some with several deployments, and each one hand-picked to come to the Schoolhouse.

Accepting our promise that what was said would be accurately reported with no names attached, the informal roundtable discussion yielded a wealth of highly interesting and undeniably credible observations. These Marines have a clear vision of what works in the real world and what they think needs improvement among the standard issue weaponry in MARSOC’s armory. What follows is to be taken as PERSONAL opinion, NOT official endorsement or criticism.

They rate the 5.56mm M4 series carbine as a “good weapon but needs improvement” to increase reliability in adverse environments. One instructor underscored this by recounting a personal experience of his M4A1 “jamming at the worst possible time” during a firefight. The SOPMOD version (also used in MARSOC) is a step in the right direction, he said, but all agreed that replacement of its direct gas system with a piston is urgently needed. The relatively simple and inexpensive substitution in their standard issue M4A1’s upper with the right piston kit would meet their approval.

Several of these Marines had a hand in MSOS’ recent evaluation of the FN SCAR – not coincidentally a piston driven design – and their report up the chain of command listed more likes than dislikes in its overall form and function. The piston powered HK416 has also undergone some trials so it may be inferred that some change may be in the wind. Not likely a wholesale changeover, they said, but any new carbine/rifle would be used in specialized situations as a supplement to existing M4A1s.

While on the subject of 5.56mm weapons it was said that the standard issue green-tip M855/SS109 ammo’s tendency to over-penetrate in soft targets is problematic. Before a lively discussion of alternative calibers could overwhelm the available time, we learned that a quantity of the new MK318 cartridges is on hand for evaluation. Perhaps a step in the right direction in terms of stopping power, but some skepticism over accuracy was noted around the room.

They like the 5.56mm M249 SAW for its portability, versatility and high volume of fire. Asked about persistent problems outside the SPECOPS community with hard-used guns and their old and worn innards, the roundtable consensus was favorable toward reliability of their own guns. They saw no need to replace the current SAWs with FN’s MK46 or other designs.

This begged our question of belt fed 7.62mm guns, particularly in light of MARSOC’s standard M240 that some call an uneasy tradeoff between heavy weight with high reliability vs. man-powered portability. Not surprisingly, another serious discussion ensued where the combat utility of 5.56mm vs. 7.62 belt guns was contrasted. Heads nodded around the room when M60E3s and MK48s were noted for their compactness and light weight. But, while acknowledging the case made by “higher-ups” for the long reach and potent target effects of the 240’s rifle caliber cartridges, these muddy boots Marine operators say they prefer the lighter, handier 5.56mm M249 SAW in nearly all dismounted applications.

SAR believes the oft-spoken truism that “pistols are intensely personal,” and noted with great interest when the instructors pointed with pride to the superiority of MARSOC’s M45, a modified M1911 series .45 cal., over the 9mm Beretta M9s used by most of the Marine Corps. Perhaps acknowledging the practical arguments for various combat calibers from .40 and up, one declared, “Don’t go to war with anything that doesn’t start with point 4.”

Their potent .45s are based on Marine Force Recon’s tried and true MEU (SOC) pattern from Quantico’s Precision Weapon shop. They are readily identified by their distinctive beavertail safety, light mounting rail on the frame and extra cocking serrations on the front end of the slide. We learned that some, custom made by the commercial firm Springfield Armory to MEU (SOC) configuration, have been fielded.

A discussion of the many merits of this heavy-hitting slim line single-stacker was clouded by another “intensely personal” anecdote. General agreement was evident as one instructor pointed out from much experience that John Browning’s venerable design is also vulnerable to invasion of environmental elements like mud and sand. So, we asked, what would you recommend instead? Before things got completely out of hand a good case was made for some Glocks that have somehow made their way into the Schoolhouse’s armory. Said to be tough, simple, reliable, and effective, these angular, polymer frame pistols also find instructor favor as being quite suitable for concealed carry when required by circumstances….

Room for improvement was clearly stated regarding MARSOC’s main 12 gauge shotgun, the same Benelli M1014 that is standard issue throughout the Marine Corps. At the same time acknowledging the utility of its semiautomatic operation for quick-firing multiple buckshot and slug rounds, one instructor recalled experience as an operator in combat. “I’d rather have an 870 (Remington 12 gauge pump),” he said. “You don’t need to put it on safe when you fire a round then transition to your M4.” It was also mentioned that the M1014 won’t automatically cycle with frangible lockbuster rounds and doesn’t come in a handy no-buttstock version with stubby barrel that’s favored by many Breachers.

With the available time running out we asked why some ITC students were failing to meet the course’s shooting standards. With “every Marine a rifleman” and all students coming from the ranks of seasoned Marines with plenty of range time, what was the problem?

One instructor jumped right in with the answer, “We’re not teaching marksmanship in ITC, we’re teaching CQB (close quarter battle).” The difference, he explained, is more like gun fighting where moving and shooting at briefly glimpsed targets is a world apart from what most Marines learn in Boot Camp and reinforce in periodic re-qualification firing. “Unfortunately,” he said, “some students have a lot of trouble adapting to the high stress and special skills needed.”

We put specific questions regarding FN SCAR rifles, MEU-SOC M45 pistols and related issues through MARSOC’s command structure. The responses were surprisingly candid. “MARSOC is currently divesting from the SCAR-L (MK-16), which means they are being turned back into Crane and MARSOC will not pursue acquiring this weapon. The SCAR-H (MK-17) and SCAR-EGLM (MK-13), MARSOC is keeping a small quantity to employ as an augment to the current service rifle and grenade launcher. It will be assessed if this capability is required for additional weapons in the future.”

SAR: Are any other new weapons (Glock vs. M1911), optics, ammunition (MK318, etc.) likely to be adopted?

“MARSOC is currently working with the Marine Corps on a replacement for the M-45 (aka MEU-SOC 45). MARSOC is continuing to utilize the SOPMOD accessories (i.e: optics, aiming devices), the new sight is the grenade launcher sight for the M-203 that is being tested by both SOCOM and the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps is conducting testing on AB49 (MK318) ammunition as a replacement for the current 5.56mm round.”

There you have it, right from the source.

Meet Some MSOS Instructors

In addition to the briefing by Lieutenant Colonel Watson and several informal discussions, SAR got answers from three of the Schoolhouse’s instructors to a series of questions submitted in advance of our visit. We met on Stone Bay’s storied Hathcock Range (namesake of Marine sniping legend Carlos Hathcock) in between some very long range firing exercises that were part of the Advanced Sniper Course.

Comments that follow are from Staff Sergeants Nicholus Blackmon and Jason Salvog, along with Sergeant Matt Yohe. Blackmon is a native of Villa Rica, Georgia, with ten years of service in the Corps and 18 months at MSOS as a weapons instructor. Salvog also has a decade of service as a Marine and the last three years at MSOS as a tactics instructor. Yohe has been a Devil Dog for eight years and recently chosen as an academics instructor for MSOS’ Advanced Sniper Course (MASC).

SAR: Why did you join the Corps? Why did you ask for assignment to MARSOC and MSOS?

Blackmon: Three things I enjoyed while growing up in the backwoods of Georgia were hiking, camping and hunting. So, at the end of my senior year in high school I started looking at the military. The Marine recruiter was a standout and I enlisted in the Corps. I was attending the Small Arms Weapons Instructor Course at Quantico in 2005 when I learned that my unit of assignment was disbanding. Senior leaders urged me to try out for a new unit called MARSOC and I was accepted into the Foreign Military Training Unit (now 3rd MSOB). I’m happy that I made the move. I did three deployments with my team and after the last one I was assigned to MSOS. Because of my background and training in small arms, I was assigned to the weapons section.

Salvog: I figured I’d go into the military at some time, and after a couple of years of college, it seemed like the right time. I chose the Marine Corps. I’ve always liked a challenge and that’s why I decided to come to MARSOC and was assigned to India Company of 2nd MSOB, then MSOS.

Yohe: My father was a Marine. I’ve served in the Sniper Platoon of 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Recon Battalion, and now MSOS. I asked to come to MARSOC for the opportunity to challenge and improve myself while serving my country.

SAR: Has your current assignment lived up to your expectations?

Blackmon: In one word, yes. As an instructor I not only get to see and test (possible) future weapons, I have the opportunity to have a direct impact on the future warriors of MARSOC.

Salvog: My current assignment has been good. I’ve finally gotten some time off to see my family and help my wife with our kids. I’ve also gotten to teach sniping; something I’m passionate about.

SAR: Are you personally interested in firearms and shooting? Describe your interest and tell us about your preferences in privately owned weapons.

(This question hit a thick gold vein and between the three Marines they own more than a dozen rifles, shotguns and pistols. Precision rifles topped their lists, notably Yohe’s McMillan TAC-338, and all have customized variants of the AR-15 platform in 5.56 or 6.8mm. Several versions of M1911 series pistols are also in their personal armories.)

SAR: What formal schools and subsequent training – particularly firearms related – have you received for your duties?

Blackmon: I’ve attended several firearms training schools. I’m a graduate of the USMC’s Small Arms Weapons Instructor Course and Foreign Weapons Instructor Course. Also Blackwater and Bill Rodgers on the civilian side.

Salvog: Scout Sniper Basic Course, Advanced Sniper Course and CQB (Close Quarter Battle) package to help improve my shooting skills and refine different tactics now in use.

Yohe: Scout Sniper Basic Course, Mountain Sniper, McMillan Warfighter Sniper Course, MARSOF Advanced Sniper Course (twice), Accuracy First, and several others.

SAR: Do you believe you had adequate training time to prepare you for the realities you experienced in previous deployment and in assisting your current assignment?

Blackmon: Adequate? I’d have to say yes. With deployments, you can only train to a standard that will put you as close as possible to a combat situation. The best thing we can do to prepare ourselves is to not only have a great understanding of the weapons systems we take into combat or on deployment. We should have thorough knowledge of the weapons used by partner nations and our enemies. This is a concept that the weapons instructors (at MSOS) try to impart to the students who will be future MARSOC operators.

Salvog: I’ve had good training time and experience to help me fill my role as an Advanced Sniper Course instructor. Utilizing my different skills on deployment and being able to refine them from the training environment to the real world has helped me pass on my experiences to the students.

Yohe: Adequate, at best, live fire practice prior to deployment. The problem being the amount of training required in the workup before deployment and the amount of time allotted…you could always use more trigger time.

SAR: What recommendations would you like to make to the chain-of-command to improve operator skill with crew served and individual weapons?

Blackmon: For crew-served, students need to get a base line introduction to light and medium machine guns before attending follow-on training. The student is immersed in a wealth of knowledge on currently issued individual weapons. I recommend more time with the student to develop more than just a base line understanding.

Salvog: The biggest problem with the training that students receive on the crew served weapons is that they don’t get enough time to become proficient prior to deployment. (That comes) after they’re in-country and having to use them. We didn’t even see the (deleted) until we were in-country.

Yohe: Maintain high standards. If someone can’t shoot, you don’t want that person behind the gun, whether it’s when you’re making entry into a house or on your overwatch.

SAR: What are your observations on the crew-served weapons in current use by MARSOC?

Blackmon: The most commonly used crew-served weapons are the M240 machine gun and the 60mm M224 mortar. While not doctrinally considered crew-served, there is also the M249 SAW. As with any weapon system, their reliability is based on the operator. Did he perform pre-fire inspections? Does he maintain it by cleaning and proper lubrication? The great thing about our light and heavy machine guns is the volume of fire they can deliver in a firefight. The 60mm mortar adds a great indirect fire capability to the team or company. It can be used to provide illumination at night or to cut off evading forces that might have tried to attack or ambush U.S. forces. If MARSOC decides to transition to the Special Operations weapons such as the MK46 series machine guns and the MK47 grenade machine gun, a lot of issues that come up with the standard issued crew serves will be addressed.

Salvog: Some of the big problems we saw with the crew-served weapons are keeping sand out of them while traveling down the road or across the desert. Some, mostly the M240s, once they did get sandy they’d single shot rather than working properly. Most of the big guns like the 40mm MK19 and MK47, and the .50 cal. M2HB, had minimal problems.

(Note that sniper rifles are normally utilized by a two man team consisting of a shooter and a spotter. As such the Marine Corps considers them to be crew-served)

Yohe: The current generation of bolt action rifles are predominantly chambered in the standard .308 caliber. Unfortunately, this round is lacking in our current combat environment. There are projects in the works to field a new caliber with the ability to engage targets out to 1,500 meters with enough energy at that range to still have the desired effects on a target. For some reason, there are a lot of people who feel the .300 WinMag will suit that role. It is an improvement over the .308, however, there are better rounds out there that will pack a hell of a lot more punch and won’t be trans-sonic at that 1,500 meter mark. Plenty of other units around the world already transitioned to the .338 Lapua Magnum round, well known for its long-range capabilities. I think it would be the best round for the job.

SAR: What’s the greatest challenge in keeping these weapons maintained and ready under difficult conditions and what “tricks of the trade” have you learned from real-world experience that may not be in official doctrine?

Blackmon: The operator’s greatest challenge is keeping his weapon functional no matter where he deploys. Since MARSOC deploys teams all across the globe, this is a challenge for the instructor cadre. We use a base line maintenance program that includes information for operating in different climates. A tip I give my students is to think of your weapon as a car you’re taking to a car show. You don’t want to show up with one that’s covered in rust and won’t crank.

Salvog: Some of the tricks we use for the crew-served is to have bags or cloth sleeves bungee corded around the feed tray and ejection port of the 240s and to minimally lube the others.

Yohe: My tricks stay with me and my students.br>
SAR: And your comments on MARSOC’s individual weapons?

Blackmon: MARSOC issues the M4A1 carbine to its operating forces, along with the SOPMOD (Special Operations Peculiar Modification) kit. The M4A1 has a variety of setbacks compared to other standard issue weapons of other countries. This weapon requires a disciplined and meticulous maintenance cycle that the operator has to perform to ensure his weapon is functional.

Salvog: For the most part our individual weapons worked well. We did have some springs and triggers break on our M1911. But for the most part, the M4s, M40A3, MK11s, and M107s worked fine.

SAR: Comment on any “wish list” for accessories, etc. that you believe would improve the effectiveness of any of the standard-issue crew-served and individual weapons.

Blackmon: One item I would personally like to see changed is the gas system on the M4A1. I believe that a gas piston system like the one found on an AK series rifle or the MK16 SOF Combat Assault Rifle (FN SCAR) would greatly improve the effectiveness of the weapon.

Salvog: I’ll keep it short as this could take up a whole page easily. There were a couple of missions that a MK15 (McMillan TAC-50) would have been an asset due to its better accuracy than the M107. MK13s (Accuracy International L115-A1) would have been an asset due to their increased range and flatter trajectory.

Yohe: All things in the combat arms industry evolve. People who deny the need for change should try to fight the Taliban with a muzzle loader. There are plenty of people around the R & D community who have illustrated the great points of the Horus Vision line of (rifle scope) reticles. We use scopes equipped with the Horus Vision reticle exclusively here at our course. This product needs to be taught and utilized by scout snipers across the Marine Corps.

SAR: To the extent allowed, describe your most recent foreign deployment in support of the Global War on Terror (“Overseas Contingency Operations”).

Blackmon: My last deployment was to Central Command Area of Operations, training the forces of partner nations in small arms employment, patrolling and basic land navigation.

Salvog: Most recently to Afghanistan as part of Marine Special Operations Company I, Team 2. A couple of firefights, most notably when we got hit during extraction. We were taking fire from across the valley and I was trying to suppress with a medium machine gun. After the first couple of bursts by both of us it became too smoky and dusty for me to accurately engage with my night vision device. I had to have someone on a roof adjust my rounds to put me on target. This is an instance when a good thermal sight would have come in handy.

Yohe: I participated in special operations for Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan from September 2008 through March 09.

SAR: What lessons did you learn about yourself, your fellow MARSOC operators/instructors, etc., as a result of your deployment experiences?

Blackmon: One thing that really stood out from the last mission is that not every operator makes a great instructor. Just because someone has a wealth of information on a particular subject doesn’t mean he knows how to convey it in a platform instructor type environment. Couple that with having to teach the info in a foreign language or through the use of an interpreter can create a lot of stress.

Salvog: It would be beneficial for commanders to get a good brief on what the capabilities are for each individual school and training that the team has received.

Yohe: The human body is capable of extraordinary feats when pushed; whether it’s surviving wounds or in great feats of strength.

SAR: What advice do you have for MARSOC operators preparing for their first deployment?

Blackmon: Know and understand your mission as well as the culture you are going to. Know the weapons you are taking and those commonly found in your area of operation. Study the language, customs and courtesies of the area. Sometimes a handshake and a smile will go a lot further than one well placed shot.

Salvog: Get as much training as you can, listen to your Element leaders, Operations Chiefs and Team Chiefs. Make sure you bring gear to cover the full spectrum of what you could possibly be doing.

Yohe: Don’t underestimate your enemy. They know the land and spend all day preparing to kill you. Whenever you’re tired of training and rehearsing, ask yourself if the enemy is resting.

SAR: What would you like to say to young men considering joining the USMC about why they should strive for assignment/acceptance in MARSOC?

Blackmon: As a Marine you should always strive to be the best no matter what function you perform in the Corps. MARSOC is the field that allows you to play at a whole new level. You will be challenged nonstop both physically and mentally. And if you try out for MARSOC you should know that special operations is not for everyone. It takes a certain type of personality to complete Assessment and Selection, Individual Training Course, and to move on to be an effective member of a Marine Special Operations Team.

Salvog: If you want to challenge yourself, be proficient in numerous skills and have the intestinal fortitude to stick it out, then give it a shot. If not, there are many other necessary jobs in the military.

Take the Challenge: Courtesy of MARSOC

(Editor’s Note: All of this information and more may be found on MARSOC’s extensive website www.marsoc.marines.mil. Because many of the Marines and Sailors among SAR’s readership may be deployed to “austere” locations with limited or no internet access, we’ve provided a full printout of this section.)

Specialized missions require not necessarily the best, but the “right” type of Marine. MARSOC needs applicants who not only possess many leadership traits, but also demonstrate effective intelligence and a mental agility to solve complex problems under stress. Since MARSOC often operates in austere and remote environments and comes in contact with people of different cultures; adaptability, determination, physical ability, interpersonal skills, and working well in a team, are also key.

Assessment and Selection (A&S)

All billets in MARSOC require unique training, offer the potential for worldwide deployment and direct participation in combat operations. However, at this time, only CSO applicants are required to attend A&S.

Once a Marine is qualified through the screening process, he will be invited to attend an A&S. A&S is a mentally and physically challenging evaluation held five to six times a year at an undisclosed location. The 19-day assessment enables instructors to identify Marines with the necessary attributes to complete follow-on special operations training and to conduct special operations missions. A&S is highly competitive. While our recruiters can provide potential candidates with a recommended training guide designed to physically prepare them for the rigors of the selection process, it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that they are ready to meet the challenges of A&S.

Selection at A&S is valid for a member’s career barring any disqualifying circumstances (adverse fitness report, courts martial, etc.) that may occur between selection and assignment to MARSOC. Marines not selected for assignment to a CSO billet through A&S will not be assigned to an operational billet within MARSOC. Depending on the circumstances, Marines who are not selected may be invited back to attend another A&S.

SAR extends special thanks to MARSOC’s Public Affairs Office for exceptional assistance in arranging interviews and photo opportunities during our visit, then following up with much additional information and graphic elements.

Find Out More

www.marsoc.marines.mil
Marines and Sailors interested in joining MARSOC are encouraged to call MARSOC Recruiting:
East Coast and Okinawa (910) 451-0099/3349
West Coast and Hawaii (760) 763-5101/5102

The state of Israel was established in May of 1948. The years since Israeli independence have been marked by conflict with neighboring Arab states as well as the Palestinian-Arabs. Though there have been many negotiations and peace talks, seems that Israel appears to be in a constant state of conflict. They have survived under difficult circumstances and the country seems to have prospered despite war, religious conflict, boycotts, mass immigration and terror attacks. Because of these conflicts, Israel has produced several well thought out firearms and tons of accessories that are on the cutting edge. This has been based more on need than just to make a profit in the weapons market. Now the Israelis have come up with a firearm accessory that solves an age-old problem: how to hit long range targets with a handgun.

Handguns of today are extremely accurate. In fact they are capable of far better accuracy than most shooters are able to achieve. The problem is not the gun itself but holding it steady enough to make a shot at 100 yards or beyond. This is now not only possible but can be done with relative ease. The Israeli produced, EMA Tactical RONI is not a firearm but rather an accessory that turns a handgun into a deadly long range carbine.

The RONI is an innovative chassis that a handgun fits into. It gives the handgun a telescoping shoulder stock, an extended sight plane and a foregrip. This all adds up to a lightweight pistol caliber carbine with extended hit capability. Many think you can’t put a stock on a handgun, but it can be done as long as it is done the right way. The “right way” involves registering the host handgun as an SBR (Short Barreled Rifle). This is done by filling out an ATF form 1, sending it to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and waiting for it to be approved and sent back. The key words here are “waiting for the approval to be sent back.” A few words of caution here. Do not put the RONI on your handgun or even have it in your possession until the paper work is approved. This constitutes a felony and could very well buy you a hefty fine as well as some jail time.

The RONI is a clamshell device that is made from polymer and aluminum with a weight of just 3.26 pounds without the handgun. It features a five position telescoping stock with an adjustable cheek piece, a flat-top Picatinny rail across the top and short rails on the bottom and both sides. The top rail is a generous 9.5 inches long with room for sights, optics or a combination of optics and night vision. The side rails are positioned just right for using the off-hand thumb to activate a light or laser. It also is equipped with an extra magazine holder. The RONI comes with no sights but they are available as an optional accessory. As SAR received one of the first RONI’s available for testing, the optional sights were not yet available so a set of the excellent MagPul MBUS (MagPul Back-Up Sights) were installed. These low-cost sights are color injection molded from a high strength polymer. The front and rear sight both fold into a very low profile and snap into an upright position with a touch to their spring loaded release levers. The MagPul MBUS are fully adjustable and fit all 1913 Picatinny rails. Although designed for the AR-15/M16 family of rifles, they worked perfectly on the RONI. Another option that is available is a folding foregrip. In the author’s opinion the folding foregrip is a must as it allows for a solid forward holding point, folds cleanly out of the way and can be used in either the folded or extended position. A brass catcher is also offered as an accessory but was not yet available when this article went to press.

The RONI has a hinge point at the bottom and can be opened up to allow the insertion of the handgun. It is then hinged closed and held that way by sliding front and rear caps that lock it shut. The handgun can be installed or removed in less than 6 seconds. The handgun is locked firmly in place with absolutely no movement. This is important as it is the main factor in the amazing accuracy of the RONI. This accuracy is also repeatable. You can remove the gun and reinstall it with no loss of accuracy. The RONI we received for testing was for a Glock but other models will be available in the coming months. These will include variants for the Beretta 92, Beretta PX4 Storm, Para-Ordnance P16-P18, Jericho, Springfield XD, SIG-Sauer, H&K USP, S&W M&P, FN 5.7 and Glock 21. There also might be other models for other popular handguns. The Glock model received for testing will fit models 17, 18, 19, 22, 31, 32, 34 and 35. Putting the handgun into the RONI requires no disassembly of the host gun; it is just a simple drop-in installation.

Our testing was done with a Glock 17 that was previously registered as an SBR. The gun was a Generation 3 Glock and fit perfectly into the RONI. Installation the first time took considerably longer than the advertised times but once it was done; successive installations were done in the advertised 6 seconds. To install the gun the RONI is first hinged open, then a two-sided, polymer charging handle is slipped onto the rear of the handgun’s slide. This is merely a slip fit. The handgun is then inserted into the RONI and its two halves are hinged back together. The sliding front and rear end caps are slid back into place and locked with 2 HK style push pins. The push pins are held captive so there is no worry about losing or misplacing them. Once the front and rear end caps are locked into place the RONI is ready to use. A recessed push button on the top of the buttpad is used to extend or retract the telescoping stock. The stock is skeletonized and holds a spare magazine positioned right below the shooters cheek. This position is the ideal place for accessing the spare magazine for rapid mag changes. The holder has a release lever that holds the magazine in place but it is not needed to release the magazine. To release the magazine you merely grab and pull. With the stock collapsed the overall length is just 19 inches. Extending the stock takes it out to 22.25 inches. There are also four sling swivel points on the RONI allowing it to be carried in a variety of ways to suit the individual shooter.

One other feature of the RONI that is worth mention is a built-in safety. This is especially handy for a Glock that relies on its safe-action trigger as its safety. The RONI’s safety is merely two ambidextrous rotating tabs that can be swung into place to block the shooters finger from reaching the gun’s trigger. It is simple, fast and best of all it works. The RONI has what EMA terms a barrel shroud. This shroud is made from aluminum and surrounds the muzzle of the pistol. It has three forward canted slots that resemble a compensator. This shroud fits on the inside of the front of the RONI and actually protects the polymer from muzzle blast. The shroud is adjustable front to back in two different positions. This allows the RONI to accommodate both the full size Glock as well as the compact model of the same gun. The shroud is also completely removable which allows the use of any suppressor up to 35.5 mm diameter. We installed a Lone Wolf Distributors threaded barrel on the test gun. These match grade barrels are pre-fit, ready to use and drop right in. They are more accurate with tighter tolerances than original Glock barrels. An added advantage of the Lone Wolf barrel is that you can use lead, plated or jacketed bullets. Along with the threaded barrel we used an AWC Titanium Abraxas suppressor. As the Abraxas is made of Titanium and is very small, it requires no recoil device to allow the host handgun to cycle reliably. The Abraxas is an exceedingly effective 9mm pistol suppressor in a size that is smaller than a lot of .22 suppressors. It weights just 3.3 ounces, with a diameter of .98 inches and a length of 5.7 inches. It proves that good things do come in small packages.

Testing of the RONI was done at 25, 50 and 100 yards. An electronic optic was chosen to get the most out of the pistol/carbine yet maintain the overall quickness. The optic chosen was the new L3 EOTech EXPS3. This tiny sight is extremely fast but also has a 1 MOA red dot for enhanced accuracy. The circle dot reticle is very fast on target and the overall length of the sight saves valuable rail space for back-up iron sights or night vision. The EXPS3 runs on one transverse mounted 123 battery and has its control buttons mounted on the side instead of on the rear. Battery life is over 600 hours depending on the brightness setting and the sight features 30 settings with 10 for night vision use.

The gun was initially sighted in at 25 yards and then the rest of the testing was done at 50 and 100 yards. A variety of ammunition was used including 115 grain FMJ, 115 grain Winchester Silvertip, 124 grain FMJ, 124 grain hollow point, 147 grain FMJ, 147 grain Hydro Shock and some Samson 158 grain subsonic. Shooting was done from a rest. Twenty five yard groups looked like large ragged holes. Groups fired from 50 yards were very surprising. Most 5-shot groups could be covered with the palm of your hand and a couple shot with the Winchester Silvertips measured just over three inches. Remember this is 50 yards with a handgun. At the 100 yard range, 5 shots could be covered with a dinner plate. Head shots on a milpark target at 100 yards were made routinely. In fact, one 6-shot group fired at 100 yards measured less than 6 inches. These groups were all fired with the Lone Wolf threaded barrel installed on the gun but no suppressor. Adding the suppressor did not change the group size worth mentioning. But the RONI with a suppressor is nothing if it is not cool. Talk about the ultimate close-quarter entry weapon.

The EMA Tactical RONI is not for everybody. It is a pricey weapon. By the time you figure the cost of a handgun, SBR registration tax, the RONI itself and optics; you are looking at around the $1,500 figure. But for operators that have a need to go from a short range handgun to a long range carbine in under 10 seconds it is the perfect weapon.

EMA Tactical
1208 Branagan Drive
Tullytown, AP 19007
Phone: (215) 949-9944
Fax: (215) 949-9191
Website: www.ematactical.com

EOTech
1201 East Ellsworth Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Phone: (734) 741-8868
Fax: (734) 741-8221
Website: www.eotech-inc.com

AWC Systems Technology
1515 West Deer Valley Road, Suite A-105
Phoenix, AZ 85027
Phone: (623) 780-1050
Fax: (623) 780-2967
Website: www.awcsystech.com

Lone Wolf Distributors, Inc.
57 Shepard Road
P.O. Box 3549
Oldtown, ID 83822
Phone: (208) 437-0612
Fax: (208) 437-1098
Website: www.lonewolfdist.com

MagPul Industries Corp.
P.O. Box 17697
Boulder, CO 80308
Phone: (303) 828-3460
Fax: (303) 828-3469
Website: www.magpul.com

Many readers of Small Arms Review are fans of the famous “Black Rifle.” Since the AR-15/M16/M4 and it’s numerous configurations and designations has been the primary service weapon of the United States for almost 50 years, it is well known in the military firearms community. In the last few decades it has been heavily altered, modified, improved and marketed to the civilian marketplace in enormous numbers. What was once a “Plain Jane” semiautomatic version of a basic battle-rifle, built and sold by just a handful of specialty manufacturers, is now available in numerous calibers and configurations by many familiar companies, previously specializing in more traditional sporting arms. This once obscure, special purpose rifle has become arguably the most popular firearms platform sold in the United States today.

One manufacturer that has been in the black rifle business for over 30 years and still going strong is Bushmaster Firearms International, LLC. They have been located in Maine for much of this time, and have become a benchmark for quality AR-15/M16/M4 style firearms and accessories. Their flagship component has been the high quality of their barrel systems for numerous years. (You can read about their exhaustive quality control and a full Industry Profile in the January, 2006 (Vol.9 No.4) issue of Small Arms Review, titled Birth of a Black Rifle.)

For a number of years, Bushmaster has offered an armorers course to qualified end users to become a Certified Bushmaster Armorer, and at their invitation to attend the course, we immediately agreed.

Far Beyond the Basics

The Bushmaster Armorers course is an 18-hour class available to police department, government, military armorers and other qualified individuals as a mechanism to be intimately familiar with their weapon system and to have the ability to keep their firearms properly maintained and operating correctly. Anyone attending, and paying attention, can expect to leave with enough knowledge to not only properly keep their guns up and running, but also to completely build a set of stripped receivers into a functioning firearm with little effort. Class topics include the following:

• History and Development of the Black Rifle
• Operating Principals
• Technical Specifications
• Parts Identification and Basic Function
• Complete Disassembly / Component Inspection / Reassembly
• Function Checks and Proper Gauging, including Headspacing
• Troubleshooting / Testing / Malfunction Diagnosis
• Proper Lubrication Procedures

Let the Learning Begin

Upon arriving at the Bushmaster Firearms International headquarters we were each provided with a complete set of armorer’s tools, a manual, and each student was issued a firearm. The students were introduced to the instructor, Israel Anzaldua, and given the opportunity for a brief introduction of each student.

Immediately following the formalities it was time to get down to business. After a lengthy discussion about the history of the Black Rifle and its predecessors, we learned about the history of Bushmaster Firearms. From that point forward it was all down to business unless we were at break.

With each firearm cleared and the classroom void of any live ammunition, the weapon system was slowly and methodically disassembled, piece-by-piece with a detailed explanation and sometimes-lengthy discussion of each part and the role it plays.

After the firearm was completely disassembled, it was laid out in a manor similar to a schematic drawing where each component group could be assembled outside of the firearm to learn it’s inner workings without the obstructed view it has when assembled inside the completed rifle.

During the class it was clear when something would “click” with a student, as their face would beam with their newly found enlightenment. It’s one thing to explain something, and even to show a well-drawn illustration, but when you can actually watch, and in some cases feel, everything work, in conjunction with the other parts in an unobstructed way, AND it’s accompanied with a clear explanation, everything seems to fall into place. What were previously parts and pieces now become an integral mechanism that the students can clearly understand far beyond their earlier expectations.

Reverse Direction

Once all the firearms were completely disassembled, (yes, completely, including dust covers, bolt catch assemblies, etc.) and their individual parts and pieces were fully understood, it was time to reverse course and reassemble into a properly functioning firearm. With each small piece falling into place, becoming part of the system, the learning continued. This pace was kept up until each student had reassembled their issued firearm to an equal or greater tolerance than they received it in.

With each step, just as in the disassembly phase, every part was explained in relation to its role in the system. This is where some excellent learning opportunities arose for some of the very advanced students in the class. While some students were building their first black rifle, others had assembled and worked with several. Even those who were very advanced found great benefit in the class early on, simply by learning to use the proper tools and specifications in the build. A few of the many topics and tips discussed in this phase included the following, commonly misunderstood subjects:

• Gas Key Staking
• Gas Tube Placement
• Barrel Nut Torque
• Captive Pin and Spring Insertion
• Lubrication Requirements
• Correct Break-In Procedures

Upon completing the reassembly phase it was time to perform a series of function checks and part gauging. Starting with the bolt and carrier, and all its components, and going completely through the receivers, stocks, sights and all other related parts, the entire rifle was checked, measured and gauged and followed up by a discussion of all the tap and thread sizes throughout the rifle.

Troubleshooting

After the firearms were reassembled and inspected it was time to learn some troubleshooting tips that would be beneficial in diagnosing future issues. Going through numerous malfunction drills, several failures were encountered followed by proper problem diagnosis and remedy. A few of those included, with several sub-sets of related issues, were:

• Magazine Problems
• Failure to Feed
• Double Feeding
• Improper Round Chambering
• Failure to Fire
• Failure to Eject
• Failure to Unlock
• Bolt-Hold-Open Failure

Upon covering more problems than most students had ever previously encountered, and learning to quickly diagnose and correct them, we concluded this portion of the lesson. After discussing and learning proper range procedures for live-fire exercises the class was dismissed.

Conclusions

In a post-action meeting after attending the Bushmaster Armorer’s Course, the sentiment was universal among all participants. The class was extremely beneficial to those of all previous skill levels. For the participants who categorized themselves more in an end-user capacity with very little prior technical experience it was a smash hit. Not only did they attain a much higher understanding of their preferred weapon system, but they all felt confident and capable of diagnosing and correcting their own problems as well as helping with their co-workers, teammates and friends. From their perspective, the veil of mystery had been lifted from the firearm they use on a regular basis, and a diagnosis they previously thought was “above their pay grade” was not only possible, but may be fairly simple.

For those participants with a great deal of time spent on and in the black rifle system, there was still much to take away from the class. Tips, tools and techniques for making disassembly, assembly and troubleshooting simpler were brought to light.

The vast experience and professionalism of our instructor was obvious from the first introduction, as Anzaldua was easily able to relate to the entire class; from those with little experience to the more seasoned students, without skipping a beat and never talking above anyone’s comfortable ability to learn. Another thing that deserves mention is that all tools that are used in the class are available to purchase directly from Bushmaster. Some of us who have been working on these rifles without the correct tools in the past may leave this course feeling a little bit “outgunned” in the workbench department after using the proper tools for the specific jobs and want to work with them with more ease in the future.

All students were supplied with a Bushmaster Armorer’s Course Manual for future reference and frameable graduation certificate upon completion of the course. In order to remain qualified as a Bushmaster Trained Armorer the certification must be renewed in 3 years.

Regardless of the skill level of the participant, this writer can highly recommend the 18-hour Bushmaster Armorer’s Course. If you have a small department and your officers use any variation of the black rifle it would be money and time well spent to have your department armorer certified in this course. If you have a large department with an in-house tactical team using a variant of the black rifle, you may consider sending all team members to learn more about their primary long gun. If you are a competitive or recreational shooter and happen to be the “black rifle go-to-guy” for a number of fellow shootists, this class will be most helpful as well.

The Fine Print

The Armorer’s Course featured in this article is conducted as a service to Bushmaster law enforcement clients at no cost. There is no prequalification to attend this Level 1 Armorer’s Course. Those who would like to further their training can contact their advanced training division and sister company High Caliber Training located in Crawfordsville AR. For the Armorer’s Course discussed here Bushmaster would like at least 6 months lead time due to a busy training schedule. Those interested can log onto www.bushmaster.com and go to the “Training” bar for more information. On the home page, click onto “Schedule” for the current classes available in your specific area.

Meet the Instructor

We were fortunate to have Mr. Israel Anzaldua, the Director of Global Training & Technical Services, as our instructor this day. Israel Anzaldua has been a friend of this writer for over 20 years, and a very long time supporter of Small Arms Review magazine. He has been working at Bushmaster Firearms in numerous capacities for over 20 years and has been a key component in the business for much more than his humble ego will allow him to take credit for. Since he will not say it himself, we will: Anzaldua is a walking encyclopedia of all things Black Rifle and has a very deep understanding of the system. He is a long-time competitive and recreational shooter and his interest in this weapon system has spanned much longer than his exposure to both NATO and WARSAW Pac military weapon systems while in his service in the Army. Most importantly, Anzaldua is a likable, courteous, all-around good guy who really has a passionate interest in sharing his craft, and we were fortunate to have him as our instructor.

Bushmaster Firearms International, LLC
P.O. Box 1479
Windham, ME 04062
(800) 883-6229
www.bushmaster.com

High Caliber Training
3100 Angeletti Rd
Crawfordsville AR 72327
Phone: (877) 77HiCal
www.hicaltraining.com
info@hicaltraining.com

The saga of this most innovative rifle begins in late 1990 when the noted firearms editor, William B. Edwards, found a rifle shoved behind a divider in the museum section of the engineering department at Winchester. The museum curator, Tom Hall, allowed Mr. Edwards to research the then “unknown” piece. What they discovered leads to a most interesting story of secret weapons and lost opportunities. The research led to an article published in the NRA Journal for the American Arms Collector, Man at Arms, (Vol. 13, No. 1, January/February 1991), titled The Burton Balloon Buster by William B. Edwards. Mr. Edwards emphatically asserted that this was indeed the first true assault rifle; developed in 1917. The father of this remarkable weapon was none other than Frank B. Burton, the noted engineer who worked with John Browning on the first BAR.

By definition, an assault rifle should be an in-line stock, with selective fire, and be chambered for an intermediate round. The Winchester Machine Rifle, hereafter referred to as WMR, fits all the parameters for an assault rifle, though designed in 1916, according to Konrad F. Schreier, Jr. as he wrote about it in ARMAX, The Journal of the Cody Firearms Museum (Vol. III, No. 1, 1990). It came about as an effort to defeat German observation balloons in World War I. The deadly weakness of these balloons was the Germans were forced to use flammable hydrogen to lift them into the air and all it would take is one tracer round to ignite the hydrogen. This is the reason Mr. Burton developed his machine rifle. He had developed the whole line of semiautomatic rifles that Winchester marketed, known as the 1907 Self Loading Rifles. The cartridge he chose was the .351 SLR – it was not a pistol cartridge, nor a rifle round: it was a true intermediate cartridge. He built his weapon based upon a .345 SLR with a 173 grain bullet as the projectile was large enough to contain an incendiary charge.

Description of the Self Loading Rifle by Mr. Burton

The rifle was designed with an in-line stock that required a high front sight. It fired from an open bolt, for cooling. It came with two barrels; one for aircraft use and another for assault purposes, after it had been removed from the Scarff mount in the back seat of the plane. The latter had a bayonet lug. The most unusual feature of the design was two vertical forty round magazines that entered the receiver at a 60 degree angle. The magazines would feed one at a time, and then pulled upward a short distance to allow the second magazine to be pushed down into a feeding position in the weapon. Due to the fact that it is an in-line rifle that recoils straight into the shoulder, it requires a pistol grip to counteract the torqueing motion caused by the twist of the projectile. The grip is quite ample that contains a conventional trigger and a second trigger that protrudes below the guard that is the safety. This lower trigger must be pulled at the same time as the upper trigger and is the only safety.

The concept of a straight blowback weapon firing from an open bolt was relatively new in 1916, and so was the idea of an automatic weapon. Mr. Burton seemed to have a handle on the concept, for he utilized a large recoil spring that went all the way into the rear of the stock. A cocking handle protrudes beneath the receiver. The whole gun is reminiscent of a German MG 15. There is a distinct ring around the receiver to fit in the Scarff mount of the observer’s seat in an airplane. Once removed from the mount there is a special barrel equipped with a sling swivel and bayonet lug for assault use. Burton must have given careful thought for its application. There is a horizontal foregrip to protect the fingers of the shooter, very much like the BAR.

The Winchester .345 Machine Rifle Cartridge

What is so remarkable is the cartridge Mr. Burton designed for his unique rifle. It is almost as if he could see into the future for the need of an assault rifle round. He took a bullet and shell combination that he had designed, the .351 SLR, and made it a vehicle for an incendiary or tracer round. He took a brass case of 1.375 inch length and .375 inch neck diameter. To this he added 18 grains of 1908 Bear powder, and he topped it with a .348 inch, 173 grain, pointed, cupronickel-jacketed bullet to produce a “Balloon Busting” package that would move out at 1,849 fps. It reminds one of the new Hornady “Thumper”.450 Bushmaster.

One wonders why this advanced weapon was never produced. It was tested at the Springfield Armory but no results have been found. Perhaps it was ahead of its time and the tactics of the day could not see a use for it.

(The author would like to thank Donald G. Thomas of Marietta, Georgia for his efforts in assisting in research on this gun and its ammunition.)

Specifications
Caliber: .345 WSLR
Length: 45.5 inches
Weight: 10 pounds
Barrel length: 25 inches
Magazine: 80-rounds, dual 40-round box
Muzzle vel.: 1,849 fps
Action: Blowback
Ejection: Through bottom
Cyclic Rate: 800 rpm

As most of us know, the economy has been and continues to be in the tank. It seems like every day I awake looking for a light at the end of the tunnel only to find out that today is still yet another day plugged with bad news on virtually every financial front. There are many days where I look at a personal portfolio of a good friend that is selling his NFA items just to try and recoup a little cash. When you see that friend’s portfolio is down over 40% from just a few years ago you can easily understand why you often see the sometime panic sales. If I look at the larger auction companies and the results of sales, I often wished I paid closer attention to the bidding. But let’s face the facts, none of us has the disposable income we had three years ago and times are tough. So if you are feeling ashamed that you might have to thin out a portion or all of your collection, don’t feel bad at all. In fact, if you want to feel better about your own personal financial situation take a good hard look at your 401K or the other financial investments that you made in the last ten years and you’ll get goose bumps in a hurry, especially compared to your NFA investments. It is true that the NFA financial picture has changed considerably during the last two years but if you make a comparison to your financials, there is no comparison.

I want to remind all of you that NFA items, especially machine guns, are limited to not only availability but in pure numbers. In November of 2007 the NFA Branch performed a count on the number of transferable machine guns that were available and that number totaled 182,619. I am saddened by the fact that number is even lower today than in 2007 for a variety of reasons. I remind you of the story of the widow who called ATF and asked that her late husband’s collection be destroyed. Sad to think this could be true but this was a real event from 2009. Add this story onto the number of confiscations for various illegal activities and the numbers continue to decrease. Yes I know that the prices for this market in 2007 had reached a point that few could afford a soon to be worth $20,000 MP5. Most of us turned our attention to owning Short Barreled Rifles (SBR), Short Barreled Shotguns (SBS), and suppressors to wet our appetite, and to continue to grow our collections. They are more affordable at this stage of the game and we figure we can hold on to what cash we have, especially in the case of an emergency.

Here’s where the story starts to get a little complicated. With a limited number of machine guns available since May 19, 1986 and with the numbers available continuing to dwindle, you would think that prices would continue to rise. Quite the contrary. The state of the economy has made a drastic impact on the pricing on most of what you see for sale. In many instances you will find attractive deals that are just hard to pass up. Many of you may reflect the housing market three years ago compared to what we see today. A simple “leveling off” of prices has occurred and things are much more affordable than they were five years ago. Like the machine gun market, buyers of new houses are sporadic simply for the preservation of cash. Everyone is conserving these days “just in case.”

The most important point to realize with this entire story is simple. This is a limited market and pricing is not what it was five years ago: buying a machine gun is, has been, and will always be one of the best financial investments you will ever make. Like buying a house, it still isn’t cheap, but once again, take a look at your stock portfolio, and compare. Limited numbers and limited availability make way for all the laws of supply and demand. What has happened with our economy has provided buyers with an opportunity that you will never see again. Price leveling is a good thing. It helps cleanse the market and makes for lots of new opportunities for investment. With the advent of the fall and with the price leveling that has occurred in the machine gun market, the buyer’s market has never been better. Like the stock market, buy low and invest now.

As we are now knee deep into early winter there will be many opportunities to buy and sell in this new market. As most of you know there are many deals that continue to surface. As the economy starts its slow rehabilitation process you will slowly see the price of that S&W 76 go from the $5400 that you bought it for, upwards again to the numbers you will be proud of. As in 2005, you could almost count on your investment giving you a yield of an easy 5-10% per year. We as Americans are resilient at every angle in our history and this downturn will be no different from any other time we have seen or read about in the history books. Our creativity and our willingness to stand in the face of all diversity will insure things will bounce back. This fall will offer opportunities in the NFA world that we will likely never see again. Look hard, buy smart and most importantly enjoy your hobby.

As you enjoy the events of the fall, come see us at our booth at any of the larger shows, or better yet come join us now at www.NFATCA.org. It is our pleasure to serve the industry.

New Products for AUG and MSAR from Manticore Arms

If you are tired of scraping and bloodying your knuckles trying to charge your Steyr AUG or MSAR rifle with an optic mounted, the Raptor Charging Handle by Manticore Arms solves this issue and provides benefits not found in the traditional charging handle. Manticore Arms, Inc., a developer of original firearm products from concept to market, has developed the Raptor Charging Handle as a specific solution for those tired of injuring themselves on the standard charging handle on the Steyr AUG and MSAR series of rifles. The horizontal design of the Raptor permits plenty of hand clearance even with a large optic such as an EOTech mounted on the low-height top Picatinny rail. The clearance is such that it can be pulled fully rearward and then folded upward to lock the bolt back, unlike the conventional handle. A quick slap of the Raptor levers it out of the rear lock back position, and the bolt goes home. The Manticore Arms Raptor Charging Handle projects horizontally to allow a more natural, ergonomic grip, and is sized for two fingers or gloved hands to grip the handle comfortably. Made in the USA of fiber reinforced polymer and weighing less than two ounces, the Raptor Charging Handle has no sharp edges to cut or tear, and is lightly textured. Best of all, just like the conventional handle, the Raptor Charging Handle retains the ability to fold safely out of the way when pressed against the body or any other object.

Also new from Manticore is their Brass Buster brass deflector. When shooting a Steyr AUG or MSAR rifle off your weak shoulder there is a very real risk of injury from ejecting brass striking you in the face or eyes. As a solution to this problem, the Brass Buster as an ambidextrous/reversible brass deflector designed to facilitate weak side shooting for all Steyr AUG and AUG clone rifles. It also facilitates safe shooting for those using a rifle not ejecting the proper direction for their dominant hand or eye, such as a left handed shooter using a rifle with a right side ejecting bolt. It can be installed or removed in seconds without any need for tools, adhesives, or Velcro. The Brass Buster is reversible and works whether your rifle is set up for right or left side ejection. Simply install the deflector “T” shield on the ejection port side of the gun. Both new products are compatible with all Steyr AUG rifles and clones including the, MSAR STG-556 (all generations) and E4. For more information you can contact them at Manticore Arms, Inc., Dept. SAR, 902 South Randall Road, Suite C #318, St. Charles, IL 60174. Phone: (603) 715-0334. Their website is www.manticorearms.com.

Rock River Arms Announces PDS Pistol

The Rock River Arms PDS Pistol is the first of a new generation of firearms employing Rock River Arms’ patent-pending Piston Driven System (PDS). Utilizing a purpose-designed bolt carrier, an adjustable gas piston and an over-the-barrel spring and guide rod arrangement, the Rock River Arms PDS is able to completely eliminate the traditional recoil system associated with AR-style firearms, making for an extremely versatile weapon platform. The design of the upper receiver and guide rod base prevents gas blow-by to the back of the receiver. The two position adjustable regulator is conveniently positioned on the right side of the regulator housing.

The New PDS Pistol has a full length top mounting rail from the rear of the receiver to the regulator housing, allowing flexible placement of numerous optics, lights, lasers and other accessories. The folding ambidextrous, non-reciprocating charging handles may be used independently or in unison to charge the RRA PDS Pistol. The RRA PDS Pistol features a Mil-Std 1913 rail on the rear receiver adaptor as well as a Mil-Std 1913 rail on the regulator housing that allows sling or weapons mounting capabilities. The handguard features an integral Operator Safety Flange to help prevent support-hand movement/slippage towards the muzzle. For more information please contact Rock River Arms, Inc., Dept. SAR, 1042 Cleveland Road, Colona, IL 61241. Phone: (309) 792-5780. Fax: (309) 792-5781. Website: www.rockriverarms.com.

Zel Custom Introduces Magazine-Fed .50 BMG Upper for AR-15s

Zel Custom Manufacturing introduces the Tactilite T2, a magazine-fed, bolt-action .50 BMG conversion for AR-15 style rifles. The T2 utilizes a side-mounted magazine design on Zel Custom’s unique steel billet upper receiver. As a “firearms accessory,” the Tactilite T2 .50 BMG conversion kit requires no special paperwork, background check or waiting period. The T2 receiver is CNC-machined from solid 4140 steel bar stock, heat treated for greater strength and durability, and features an integrated scope rail, for superior accuracy. The T2 comes standard with a 7075 aluminum quad-rail, black CeraKote finish and one 5-round Accuracy International magazine. Available options include choice of Mossberg or Lothar-Walther barrels, choice of barrel contour and choice of right- or left-handed receiver. Prices start at $2,298. For more information contact Zel Custom Manufacturing, Dept. SAR, 11419 Challenger Ave., Odessa, FL 33556. Phone: (303) 880-8701. Fax: (303) 265-9268. They can be located on the web at www.tactilite.com.

Ruger Introduces SR-556 Piston Driven Rifle in 6.8 SPC

Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. is pleased to announce the new Ruger SR-556/6.8, a new chambering in the popular SR-556 two-stage, piston-driven, AR-style rifle. The new SR-556/6.8 brings the power and downrange authority of the 6.8 SPC cartridge in a two-stage piston rifle that runs cooler and cleaner than traditional gas-driven, AR-style rifles. Packaged with one five-round magazine and two twenty-five round magazines, the SR-556/6.8 is an ideal hunting rifle for those who appreciate the versatility of the customizable and ergonomic AR-style platform. The 6.8 SPC has ample power for hunting medium-sized game, and the greater muzzle and downrange energy enhances the capability of the SR-556 in defensive or tactical roles as well. The SR-556/6.8 retains all the features of the original SR-556 that make it an outstanding value in the AR-style rifles. The patent-pending, two-stage piston delivers a smooth power stroke to the one-piece bolt carrier, which softens recoil, aiding both shooter comfort and durability of the rifle. The four-position gas regulator allows the shooter to tune the rifle to the ammunition being fired and environmental conditions present. A chrome-lined, cold hammer forged barrel provides accuracy and longevity, Troy Industries folding battle sights, quad rail and rail covers add considerable value to the package, as does the Hogue Monogrip, six-position stock, sight adjustment tool, and the padded carry case, all included with the SR-556/6.8. The SR-556/6.8 maintains the mid-length gas system and the heavy (.850″) barrel contour under the handguard of the original SR-556. The 1:10 twist barrel has a standard SAAMI 6.8 SPC chambering, is 16.12 inches long, is threaded 5/8-24, and is capped with the effective and distinctive Mini-14/SR-556 flash suppressor. The SR-556/6.8 weights 7.75 pounds without a magazine. For more information you can contact Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc., Dept. SAR, 200 Ruger Road, Prescott, AZ 86301. Phone: (928) 541-8893. Fax: (928) 541-8850. Website: www.ruger-firearms.com.

New Black Gun Shooting Rest from Hyskore

Hyskore has just introduced their new Black Rifle Shooting Rest. This shooting rest was designed specially for black rifles with pistol grips and extended magazines in mind. It is constructed with two parallel rails that leave a gap in the center so that long magazines and pistol grips fit into the rest. This allows the gun so set lower in the rest so it can be shouldered easily. The solid, lightweight rest disassembles with a convenient self-storage feature. By undoing only 2 hand-knobs, the front leg brace can be moved to the top side of the rest where it can be reattached for transit and storage. This reduces the foot print of the rest by 60%. It also features 3-point leveling, a magnetic spirit level, front leather rest bag, rear rest platform and auxiliary buttstock strap. Many shooters like to use a rabbit ear rest bag to support the rear of the gun. With that in mind, the Black Gun Shooting Rest has a 4 inch by 5 inch ear platform beneath the removable padded yoke. This gives the shooter a wide range of options for supporting the gun. The rear elevation adjustment knob can be placed on either the left or right hand side of the rifle. The rest will accept guns with magazines up to 40-round capacity. For more information on this or any of their fine line of rifle rests please contact Hyskore, Dept. SAR, 193 West Hills Road, Huntington Station, NY 11746. Phone: (631) 673-5975. Fax: (631) 673-5976. Website: www.hyskore.com.