This issue is jumping ahead to Volume 16, Number 1. This represents January, February, and March of 2012 (even though you received the January and February 2012 issues already). We’re doing this nomenclature change right now for a variety of reasons.

We started this magazine in 1997 when the internet was a mere gleam in Al Gore’s eye – long before every one of you had a high-speed internet connection. Continuing to publish a monthly paper-and-ink magazine in the internet era is like trying to make a Minigun work with Civil War mini-ball, or shooting your M16 with Cordite ammo. We are going to massively increase our on-line presence specifically for our subscribers, but that means we will have to reduce the publication schedule of the paper-and-ink magazine that you still enjoy reading. We will now be publishing the magazine quarterly, so that we can provide more frequent articles to our website.

Basically, we’re changing Small Arms Review to a quarterly magazine, with a weekly online magazine as a bonus, or vice versa depending on your perspective. SAR will be much more timely, be a better resource for researchers and readers, and get our reports to you as quickly as possible. You’ll be getting new articles every week! And, this means we can address the NFA and world issues of the day immediately through our bloggers.

In order to streamline things further, this means that the magazine will now be published by Chipotle Publishing LLC, which used to publish only our international military magazine Small Arms Defense Journal.

We chose this opportunity to make this magazine even better, and much more modern. Jeff Zimba will continue the layout of SAR, Robert Segel is the Senior Editor as always, so both of their influence on content will continue. Debbie and I and “The Usual Suspects” will keep bringing you the best in small arms information. The online version is being done at our facility in Las Vegas area

As a subscriber to SAR, you’ll be receiving this quarterly magazine, much larger than the old monthly SAR, and you’ll also be given an online subscription to the weekly e-zine www.smallarmsoftheworld.com . This new website has many hundreds of small arms articles by your favorite authors on file. Additionally, you will receive new weekly articles and your quarterly magazine is added online for your reading on your computer, Ipad, or even your Kindle. The day we ship the magazine, it’s put online. It’s all searchable, and it includes many thousands of photos for your reference, as well as gunsmith videos we are working on for the subscribers. This online resource will continue to grow in leaps and bounds, as we put the LMO Archives online; hundreds of thousands of photos, manuals and research documents will all be available to subscribers. We’ll be adding thousands of historical articles as time permits. It’s a work in progress, so we hope you’ll be patient with us while we try to take all of the institutionalized knowledge of small arms here and make it permanently available online – this includes much of the photography and research of Colonel Chinn, Colonel Jarrett, Dolf Goldsmith, Dan Musgrave, Tom Nelson, and many other research libraries stored at LMO. As a loyal SAR subscriber, you’ll have access to resources you’ve never dreamed of…

The yearly subscription rate is $39.95 for the magazine alone, and $19.95 for the online magazine alone. The combined subscription is $49.95 per year . If you’re a paid subscriber, you will receive the same time period you’ve paid for even though you had a reduced rate. So, if you’ve paid for 24 months of SAR as a monthly magazine and have 15 months left, you’ll receive 15 months of the online access, and 15 months of the quarterly magazine.

You should be receiving the information you need to switch your online subscription on and install your password. The online magazine will be growing exponentially, we have hundreds of thousands of images and testing documents as well as manuals we will be putting on the site.

We thank you in advance for your patience, and hope you enjoy our new look and the new online service. It should help us develop a resource for you well into this new century.

-Dan & Debbie Shea

If you are ever traveling through central Pennsylvania, there is a little-known military facility, just three miles from the PA Turnpike exit 226 at Carlisle. Located there is the U.S. Army War College, which has a relatively new museum, outdoor military display and a research center for serious students of military history; The U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center.

A work in progress, the U. S. Army Heritage and Education Center has the outdoor exhibits on the Heritage trail, Ridgway Hall and the Visitor and Education Center currently open to the public.

The Army Heritage Trail

The Heritage Trail is a one-mile walking tour of outdoor exhibits and markers on various eras in U.S. Army history. Just a few of the many exhibits on the trail include a replica American Revolutionary War redoubt from the 1781 Siege of Yorktown, and cabins built to resemble those of French and Indian War and American Civil War encampments. A World War I trench system provides a look at life in no man’s land, with shell holes and a German pillbox. There are several replica U.S. camp buildings from World War II that include a mess hall, barracks, and training room. A Sherman tank is displayed facing off with a rare German 88mm PAK 43/41 antitank gun. A heavily sand-bagged Vietnam era firebase complete with artillery pieces stands ready to provide fire support; standing by are Huey and Cobra helicopters and an M60 tank. The trail is open to the public year-round during daylight hours. The trail hosts a few large living history events during the year and re-enactors also spend time on the trail on most weekends adding a touch of realism to the displays.

Ridgway Hall

The U.S. Army Military History Institute formally resided in Upton Hall, at the Carlisle Barracks, from 1967 to 2004. Secretary of the Army, Thomas E. White, formally established the U. S. Army Heritage and Education Center and approved the construction of a new facility, the present-day Ridgway Hall, in 2001. The center, including the holdings of the institute, relocated from Upton Hall to Ridgway Hall in 2004, officially opening on 24 September 2004. Ridgway Hall is named in honor of the former Army Chief of Staff, General Matthew B. Ridgway, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division in World War II and United Nations forces during the Korean War. The U.S. Army Military History Institute at Ridgway Hall is a research library and archives for the personal papers of soldiers and their families. The Institute’s research library holds over 11 million items to include books, periodicals, manuscripts, photographs, and military publications related to U.S. Army history, including the largest American Civil War photograph collection in the world. The general public may access the collection in the reading room. Also located in Ridgway Hall are several small exhibit areas that display artifacts and photographs from USAHEC holdings; including the Omar Bradley exhibit that includes many personal and military items, such as the 1911 pistol carried by the General during most of his military service. Other weapons in the display include an M1A1 carbine, and an engraved 1911A1 pistol given to the General by Elvis Presley as a Christmas present. Also on display is a chrome-plated Russian Tokarev pistol, presented to General Bradley by Marshal Ivan Konev, commander of the 1st Ukrainian Division during World War II.

The Visitor and Education Center

Recently opened to the public is the Visitor Center, which currently has exhibits from the Civil War, and a gift shop.

Future Projects

The Army Heritage Center Foundation, in cooperation with the U.S. Army, serves as the lead agency supporting the development and expansion of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center. The Foundation through donations funds and constructs the public components of the Army Heritage and Education Center; the Visitor and Education Center and the Army Heritage Museum. Once the construction program is complete, the Foundation will transfer the facilities to the Army to operate and maintain as part of the Army Heritage and Education Center.

The Conservation Center is a facility to meet the Army’s obligation to preserve and conserve documents and artifacts entrusted to its care. The Conservation Center, currently under construction, is slated to open in late 2011. The facility will improve paper and object conservation of USAHEC collections and will include conservation and analytical laboratories, artifact storage, conservation science research, and public educational opportunities. The building will not be generally open to the public. Funding for this project was included in the federal FY 09 Defense budget.

Phase Two of the Visitor and Education Center will include an additional gallery, two additional multipurpose rooms, and expanded food service capability. The Army Heritage Center Foundation will construct the facility with private funds as soon as they are raised. Programmed cost of the expansion is $10 million.

The 40,000-square-foot Army Heritage Center is a future construction effort that will occur after the Foundation completes Phase Two of the Visitor and Education Center. The facility is expected to cost between $20 and 25 million to construct. When completed, the Army Heritage Museum staff will use the facility to exhibit many of the 50,000 plus artifacts relating to the service of individual soldiers in the U.S. Army.

A Brief History of Carlisle Barracks

Carlisle Barracks was established over 200 years ago, at the intersection of the Indian trails along Letort Creek in central Pennsylvania. During 1756, an encampment at Carlisle preceded the more permanent settlement in May 1757. From 1783 to 1837, Carlisle Barracks became the forefront of pioneering military education. The location became frontier gateway for traders and settlers heading over the Allegheny Mountains on their way west.

During 1794, George Washington visited Carlisle Barracks to review a large contingent of troops preparing to face the “whiskey rebellion,” a situation that began when farmers in southwestern Pennsylvania refused to pay a tax on the commercial whiskey they distilled from their corn crops. After visiting Carlisle, President Washington later recommended the location as the site for a federal military academy, but in an ensuing political battle, Carlisle lost to the state of New York. The military academy that was eventually established in 1802 was West Point.

In 1838, Carlisle Barracks hosted the School of Cavalry Practice; the Army’s elite horse mounted force. Another mounted organization, the Horse-Drawn Light Artillery, also established a school at Carlisle.

During the Civil War, the garrison at Carlisle became a central supply center for ordnance stores, horses, and quartermaster supplies. Regular Army units were sent to the Barracks to refit before being deployed to the battle front. On 27 June 1863, Confederate Brigadier General Albert Jenkins’ cavalry entered Carlisle. The General “procured” food for his men and forage for their horses. Three North Carolina brigades occupied Carlisle Barracks; the troops camped on the parade grounds. In July, Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart’s cavalry division approached Carlisle from the east. Stuart hoped to find desperately needed provisions at Carlisle, unaware that other Confederate units had already taken all of Carlisle’s supplies. Stuart sent a demand for surrender of the federal forces under the command of Union General William F. Smith. When his demand was refused, Stuart initiated a short bombardment. When a second demand was refused, Stuart ordered his troops to shell the town, and burn Carlisle Barracks.

After the Civil War ended, the Barracks returned to its pre-war mission of receiving, training and forwarding recruits destined for the Indian-fighting Army. But, as Army operations moved west, the War Department saw the wisdom of moving the function to St. Louis Arsenal in Missouri. On 20 April 1871, Carlisle Barracks was closed as a depot for the Mounted Recruit Service.

In 1879, the War Department passed control of the post to the Department of the Interior for the Indian School program. Commanding General of the Army, William T. Sherman consented to the requests of Richard Pratt for an Indian School, where the Natives could receive an education apart from the reservations, and live among white men and women. Pratt hoped to transform the Indian youth into productive American citizens who could sustain themselves in a modern society.

On 1 September 1918, Carlisle Barracks reverted back to the War Department. General Hospital No. 31 was a rehabilitation center established at the end of World War I. During its brief two-year existence, the hospital provided medical treatment and mental care for more than 4,000 soldiers returning from service with the American Expeditionary Forces in France.

In the fall of 1920, the Medical Field Service School was established at Carlisle. The school developed medical equipment and doctrine suitable for future battlefields; training in the care and handling of casualties and disease prevention. More than 30,000 officers and NCOs passed through the school during its 26-year tenure at Carlisle Barracks.

In 1946, the Medical Field Service School was relocated to Fort Sam Houston, Texas. From 1946 through 1951, six different Army schools were established at Carlisle Barracks; the Army Information School, the School for Governing Occupied Areas, and the Adjutant General’s School. In 1947, the Chaplain School and the Military Police School were established. During 1949, the Army Security Agency School began its highly classified operations until closing down during 1951.

The U.S. Army War College, the senior educational institution of the U.S. Army, relocated from Washington, D.C. to Carlisle Barracks in the spring of 1951. Originally established in 1903, the college had functioned as part of the General Staff during its early years, preparing selected officers for high command. Distinguished graduates of that period included John J. Pershing, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Omar N. Bradley. Classes were suspended in 1940 during the preparedness mobilization for World War II, after the war ended, the classes at the War College resumed. At Carlisle, the Army War College grew steadily preparing U.S. Army officers for leadership at the highest levels. The college soon outgrew its main academic building (the current Upton Hall) and transferred to the newly constructed Root Hall in 1967. Two specialized agencies evolved into integral parts of the Army War College: the Strategic Studies Institute, first formed in 1954, and the Military History Institute, established in 1967. The Center for Strategic Leadership, a state-of-the-art war gaming complex that opened in 1994, contributed another unique dimension to the college and to Carlisle Barracks’ history as a distinctive U.S. Army campus.

Current Hours of Operation of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center are:Ridgway Hall open Monday through Saturday: 9am – 4:45pm, closed Sundays.Visitor and Education Center, closed Mondays: Open Tuesday through Saturday: 9am – 5pm.The both Ridgeway Hall and the Visitor and Education Center will be open for the following Federal Holidays from 9am – 5pm Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Veteran’s Day. The facility will be closed for all other Federal holidays.

The U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center
950 Soldiers Drive
Carlisle, PA 17013-5021

Driving Directions

The Army Heritage and Education Center at Carlisle is at the intersection of three major highways: Interstate 81, the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 76) and U.S. Rt. 11.

Air Travel

The nearest commercial airport is Harrisburg International Airport (HIA), located south of Harrisburg adjacent to the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76). It is approximately 28 miles from Carlisle.

The Army Heritage and Education Center website has a lot of information about the facility; including an online research catalog. http://www.USAHEC.org. Information by phone (717) 245-3972

Special thanks to Director John F. Giblin, and Curators Brandon Wiegand and Paul Miller

When the U.S. Army decided to adopt the M1919A4 air cooled .30 caliber Browning machine guns for use by Calvary, Infantry and Armored units it was felt that it should be in two basic forms. The Fixed model Major Item 51-83 for mounting in tanks and the Flexible model Major Item 51-84 for ground and vehicle applications.

As a peacetime economy measure all of the available weapons such as the Tank guns, M1919A2, M1918 and M1919 .30 caliber Aircraft guns, and excess M1917 water cooled guns left over from WWI and not being converted to M1917A1 configuration were rounded up and converted to something deemed useful: the M1919A4.

The only difference between the M1919A4 Fixed and Flexible models was the back plate assembly. The Flexible had the familiar pistol grip with horizontal buffer system and the Fixed used the vertical buffer back plate assembly without the grip used on the Browning M1918M1 aircraft machine gun. Both Fixed and Flexible were equipped with the bolt latch to help prevent cook-offs – a feature left over from the M1919 Tank Machine Gun. Using the vertical buffer system without the pistol grip cut about 4 inches off the overall length of the weapon: a good thing in the close confines of a tank turret.

The M1919A4 Fixed differed from the earlier M1919Tank Machine Gun in that it had a 24 inch barrel and no pistol grip back plate or auxiliary grip and trigger. Tank combination mounts where the main gun and the machine gun were laid on using the same sighting system were also equipped with solenoid remote firing devices that allowed the gunner to fire the machine gun without actually touching the trigger.

As the combination mounts M22 and M23 for the M5 37mm main gun used in the M2A4 and M3A1 Stewart tank came into service, problems developed with fitting the standard M1919A4 Fixed model into the mount. In these applications there wasn’t enough room for the gunner to reach the bolt handle and the newly developed M1919A4 top cover hold open device bolt protruded too far to the right.

The Ordnance Department solved this dilemma in May of 1941 by having the Rock Island Arsenal develop a new style of bolt retracting handle assembly, a modified top cover hold open device and swapping out the original bolt handle for the cocking stud from the Aircraft guns. These changes were applied to standard M1919A4 Fixed weapons having front and rear sights which produced a custom built application. The problem was that because they were custom built there was no way to differentiate between the standard Fixed model A4 and the modified ones or any way to stock or order parts.

In early 1942, after building about 3,000 of these customized weapons and with need for them increasing with war demands, the Ordnance Department decided to identify them with their own standard nomenclature, M1919A5 Fixed and their own Major Item number 51-114. While this solved the problem for future production it created a situation where there were M1919A4 Fixed hybrid weapons in the field.

The September, 1943 Standard Nomenclature List A-6 lists the M1919A5 parts but the first SNL illustration of a purpose built A5 didn’t appear until April 1947 in ORD 9 SNL A-6. By this late date the A5 had been obsolete for four years. According to figures published in Goldsmith’s Volume 1 of The Browning Machine Gun there were about 14,000 purpose built M1919A5s constructed between May of 1942 and May of 1943. Most if not all of the purpose built A5s seem to have been produced at RIA. Production of the A5 ceased because its principal user the M3A1 Stewart tank was declared obsolete in November of 1943. The purpose built weapons are easy to spot as they have the original model designation die stamped on the right side plate.

The A5s borrowed M1918 aircraft vertical buffer back plate was replaced by a short horizontal buffer tube design with two variations: one a two piece and the other a single piece. Both used an 8 fiber disc buffering system and the standard M1919A4 buffer system parts with the exception of the adjusting screw. Changing the design of the back plate from the M1918 aircraft style to the horizontal versions simplified fabrication.

Now the situation was reversed; instead of having too few M1919A5s, Ordnance had too many of them with no foreseeable demand. However, there was a demand for the M1919A4 and M1919A6. The excess M1919A5s were reworked into something more useful. So far, we haven’t located any samples of a purpose built unaltered M1919A5, perhaps one of the readers may know of one, if so the author would like to know its whereabouts.

Since about the mid-1990s the name Kel-Tec has been associated with unique pocket pistols that incorporate the use of polymer frames and CNC manufactured slides. These handguns have proved to be reliable, rugged and an extremely good value. Kel-Tec came out with a couple of folding .223 rifle designs that were very innovative but didn’t seem to catch on as much as this author thought they should. The guns made extensive use of polymers and folded to a very compact size which made them easy to stow. Then a couple of years ago they introduced their first .308 rifle. This rifle dubbed the RFB (Rifle, Forward-ejecting, Bullpup) was displayed at the SHOT Show and drew very large crowds. The rifle caught the public’s eye as no other before it. It seems like to this day they are scarce as demand far exceeds production. Then at the 2011 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Kel-Tec introduced their first foray into the shotgun market. The new gun was called the KSG and it was literally the talk of the show.

The KSG is a bullpup 12 gauge pump shotgun that incorporates twin, side by side, feed tubes giving the user 14 +1 rounds of 2 3/4 inch 12 gauge ammo in a very compact package. Like other Kel-Tec firearms before it, it also makes use of a glass reinforced nylon frame with steel inserts where needed. The rest of the gun is naturally made from steel with a matte black parkerized finish. The overall length of the gun is just 26.1 inches but as it is a bullpup design it still incorporates an 18.5 inch cylinder bore barrel. The barrel is threaded but more on that later. At first look you would think that the gun is a short barreled shotgun but with the bullpup design there is no need for a special tax stamp as both overall length and barrel length are strictly legal for anyone to purchase.

The gun comes with no sights but has a 12 inch length of Picatinny rail located along the top of the barrel. There is also a rail molded into the bottom of the forearm which is also made from polymer. The rails provide space for optics, back-up iron sights, lights, lasers and a vertical foregrip. The gun uses twin action bars that make for a very solid feel as well as positive chambering and ejection. On the subject of ejection, the KSG ejects its empty 12 gauge hulls straight out the bottom via its loading/ejection port. Being designed this way allows the gun to be totally ambidextrous without having to switch or substitute parts. It also has an ambidextrous safety, slide release and loading switch lever. Sling mounting points are also located on both sides of the gun.

The loading switch lever allows the shooter to pick which feed tube is loaded first as well as which is fired from first. This three-position lever blocks either feed tube or when put in the center position blocks both. With both feed tubes blocked the user can eject a chambered round to change to a different type of ammunition without the gun feeding another round from the tubes. This is extremely useful if you want to change from buckshot to a slug or a less lethal round or vice versa. This switch is located right behind the shotgun’s pistol grip where it can be manipulated from either side with the shooter’s support hand. The switch must be manually moved from one position to the other.

The twin feed tubes are located below and to either side of the barrel at the 4 and 8 o’clock position. The tubes feature elongated inspection slots to allow the shooter to see how many rounds are remaining. Each tube holds 7 rounds.

Small Arms Review recently received one of the new KSG shotguns for test and evaluation. The gun is shipped with a basic sling and a very detailed and well written operator’s manual.

As stated before, the KSG comes with no sights so initially this author mounted a set of MagPul MBUS (MagPul Back-Up Sights) to the gun’s top rail. These rugged sights will fit any Picatinny style rail, fold flat and pop into the upright position in an instant by pushing side mounted levers. It was found that during testing both front and rear sights could be used for more precise aiming when firing slugs or just the front sight when firing buckshot. A Trijicon RMR (Ruggedized Miniature Reflex) sight was also used in the testing and proved to be exactly what everyone who fired the gun liked the best. This tiny sight is a 1X red dot style sight and is designed to be as durable as the company’s legendary ACOG sight used by almost all of our Armed Forces. It weighs just 1.2 ounces including the battery. The RMR can be had in three models with several different reticles available. The author chose the RM01, which is an LED sight powered by a standard CR2032 battery. The sight has a 3.25 MOA red dot and easy to use adjusters with audible clicks that allow for quick windage and elevation adjustments. The sight was shipped with an RM34 Picatinny rail mount that co-witnessed perfectly with the MagPul sights. Another interesting feature of the model used in this test is that the red dot brightness intensity is adjusted automatically according to the ambient light. The shooter never has to adjust anything once the sight is zeroed. With a battery life of 17,000 hours the sight stays on all the time. In fact, there is no on/off switch. The Trijicon RMR can be used on any weapon platform, of any caliber, whether it be shotgun, pistol, rifle or whatever.

The KSG has a 2 3/4 inch chamber instead of a 3 inch but this is not a limiting feature as the types, styles and power of today’s 2 3/4 inch shells are limitless. Ammunition used during the test included everything from No. 8 shot target loads to defensive loads which included 00 Buck, slugs and the excellent Winchester PDX 1 shell which fires three 00 plated buckshot and a 1 ounce rifled slug out of the same shell. This tight patterning shell is perfect for both long and short range while compensating for any aiming error. As the KSG is a pump gun it feeds, fires and ejects any style of shell that you can stuff into it as long as the shooter does his part. I say this as there seems to be a tendency for shooters to “short stroke” the gun the first time they use it. I think this has to do with being able to fire 15 rounds out of the gun without reloading. Shooters get in a hurry thinking about firing that many rounds and forget to rack the gun with authority.

The gun was fired at various yardage from 10 to 50 yards. Patterns were what you would expect from an 18.5 inch improved cylinder shotgun. Remington 9 pellet 00 Buckshot averaged 7 out of 9 pellets going into the 8 inch “kill” zone of a human type target with the other 2 pellets still hitting the target. Firing 1 ounce slug loads, most of the shooters that tried the gun could put 5 rounds into 3 inches from the 25 yard line offhand. The gun features a very effective recoil pad that soaks up the recoil of heavy loads. The pad is very “sticky” and stays mounted to the shoulder regardless of type of clothing. The addition of the Trijicon RMR made hits with slugs almost boring even out to 100 yards on an 8 inch metal gong target. The little sight made hitting aerial targets with birdshot extremely easy also. As long as the target was inside the sights forged aluminum enclosed lens it was a sure hit.

Kel-Tec says that several accessories are in the works for the KSG. These will include choke tubes (remember the barrel’s muzzle is threaded), a cheek pad, side saddles for holding additional shells and a take pin that also has a single point sling attachment. The gun is initially available in black but will also later be available in Mil-Spec olive drab as well as coyote tan.

Overall the Kel-Tec KSG is innovative without being frivolous. It is a truly a rugged, well made combat shotgun that will find fans in military and law enforcement circles as well as being a very useful tool for home defense. The gun is the perfect size for stowing in a cruiser’s trunk, under a bed or in the closet of a motor home. Kel-Tec definitely has a winner with this gun.

Over last decades, counter-terrorism operations became very important for most ‘civilized world’ law enforcement organizations. Increased terrorism threats plagued Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union, and over recent years local law enforcement organizations, especially the FSB – Federal Security Service, formulated requirements for some specialized equipment to deal with modern threats. One type of such threats is well-armed terrorists, equipped with relatively long-range weapons such as assault rifles and wearing body armor or hiding behind some sort of a barrier, such a car body. To engage such threats at stand-off ranges without causing unnecessary alert, in 2002, FSB requested development of a silenced sniper rifle, with an effective range of up to 600 meters. Existing silenced weapons, such as VSS or VSK-94 sniper rifles, which fire 9×39 subsonic ammo, are not up to the task, as their effective range is limited to 300-400 meters maximum against unprotected targets and is only about 200 meters or less against targets wearing body armor. Their accuracy at extended ranges also is not entirely sufficient.

Development program, codenamed “Vychlop” (exhaust) was handed over to a design team at the State-owned Central Design and Development bureau of Hunting and Sporting arms (TSKIB SOO), located in the city of Tula. The team started its work with development of a new subsonic sniper round, provisionally titled as STs-130. It is built upon a .338 Lapua Magnum case, shortened to 54 mm (2.125 inches) and necked out to 12.7mm (0.5 inch). Three types of projectiles were developed for this round – PT, PT2 and VPS. The first two are standard jacketed ball and solid brass bullets respectively, intended for sniping and the latter is a composite AP bullet with hardened steel/tungsten core exposed at the nose. Muzzle velocity with all bullets is about 295 m/s (970 fps). Bullet weight is about 48 gram (740 grains) for least expensive solid brass PT2 bullet, 59 gram (910 grains) for jacketed PT bullet (with typical Russian steel/lead core and gliding metal jacket) and 76 gram (1,173 grains) for VPS armor-piercing bullet.

With ammo at hand, the design team developed a new weapon, which was first displayed to the Russian public in 2005. Known officially as VKS – “Vintovka Krupnokalibernaya Specialnaya” – special large caliber rifle, it was originally built in very small numbers and issued to elite anti-terrorism units of Russian FSB. As time progressed, the VKS and its ammo apparently proved itself well enough to warrant more extensive acquisition and issue to regional SWAT-type law enforcement teams across the Russia, such as OMSN, SOBR and OMON.

The VKS rifle is a manually operated bolt action rifle of bullpup layout. It is built on the receiver, made from stamped steel, with a polymer stock/housing. The straight-pull bolt action employs a four-lug rotary bolt which locks into the barrel extension. The charging handle can be installed by the user on either side of the rifle, according to his preferences. Feed is from a detachable box magazine, made of plastic, with 5-round capacity. The manual safety is located on the left side of the stock behind the magazine. Obviously, this is not the best position for the safety switch, but over time Russian users used to live with ergonomics, optimized by and for production engineers rather than shooters. The rifle is provided with a detachable, screw-on silencer of impressive size and rather conventional design, made of steel. The front part of the silencer body contains a multi-baffle assembly, while its rear part is filled with a spool of fine steel mesh. Apparently, the rifle can be safely fired with the silencer removed, although this is not listed in the manual.

To provide necessary stability when firing, the rifle is equipped with an integral folding bipod, which can be folded up and rearward to be stored in the recess made at the bottom of the stock, in front of the trigger guard. The lever at the front of the trigger guard is the bipod lock/release.

Sighting equipment includes an integral Picatinny rail on top of the receiver and a set of back-up iron sights on folding bases. Unlike most Russian firearms, VKS has aperture-type rear sight, adjustable through micrometer screw and with two range scales on either side, for ball and AP rounds (which, due to different projectile weight, have noticeably different ballistics). The rifle is usually supplied to users with two sights – daytime variable-power 4-12X telescope of local manufacture or image-intensifying night sight with 6x magnification (also of Russian manufacture), with Gen 2+ or Gen 3 sensor, depending on particular departments’ funding. Other standard accessories include spare magazines, soft carrying bag, cleaning kit and manual. Ammunition is supplied in plastic boxes each containing five rounds, with bullet type pressed into the box cover.

Unfortunately, limited availability and high cost of the STs-130 ammo precluded informal test firing of VKS at the time of this writing. But it appears that in trained hands the VKS can live up to expectations delivering deadly and accurate sniper fire to ranges of up to 600 meters. Another interesting aspect of this rifle is that it is rumored to serve as a starting point for ongoing development of several new sniper weapons, including a long-range sniper rifle with similar hand-operated action and bullpup layout, chambered in .300 Lapua Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum, as well as semiautomatic rifles of similar layout, also chambered for potent .338 Lapua ammunition. So far, no official info emerged on these weapons, but it appears that TSKIB SOO is making good progress with at least some of these prototypes.

VKS rifle specifications:

Weight: with empty magazine and silencer, less scope: 6.5 kg (14.3 lbs)
Overall length: 1125 mm (44.3 inches) with silencer, 650mm (25.6 inches) without silencer
Magazine capacity: 5 rounds
Muzzle velocity: 290-295 m/s
Maximum effective range: 600 meters
Accuracy at 100 meters, R100:
With PT and PT2 ‘sniper’ ammo – 35mm or less (1.5 MOA or less in five-shot groups)
With VPS ‘enhanced penetration’ ammo – 70mm or less (3 MOA or less)

It must be noted that listed accuracy is ‘factory guaranteed,’ that is, every rifle fresh out of the factory, shoots no worse than listed above. Many rifles can shoot noticeably better but actual accuracy may vary depending on many factors.

Urban warfare, snipers and insurgents are hiding in buildings and they will try to do devastating attacks on soldiers and the insurgents are protected by the building they are firing from. When the soldiers are approaching the buildings, it is a good chance that some of them will be killed. What they need is a weapon that can level the playing field – the shoulder mounted assault weapon. As western armies are seeking lighter equipment for their dismounted infantry, anti-tank weaponry is also required to shed some weight. An option to reduce weight and cost is the use of unguided rockets, assisted by advanced ranging, sighting and motion sensors to compensate for aiming errors. Performing entrances in a building is one of the most dangerous things the soldiers do in urban warfare. They have to handle the door. Then they have to place explosives on the door, and then give away their position, and if it is a reinforced door, they need more explosives and they can’t stay there. What if they could handle this from a safe distance?

BDM M141, 83mm, Bunker Defeat Munitions -Previously Known as the SMAW-D

The BDM M141, 83mm, Bunker Defeat Munitions is a small mounted assault weapon. It can be fired with different rockets against different targets and the weapon can take out bunkers and fortified positions. The BDM is, in spite of its light weight, absolutely lethal. With it, the soldier can take out buildings, caves and even tanks. At squad level, they have the immediate fire power with their M72. Nothing is safe from this as its new warhead makes the difference. The soldiers on the ground have an efficient weapon to cause an absolute havoc. It gives one a capability to take out snipers in security without their own troops having to enter the building. That gives the bonus of taking out the target permanently without risking their own lives. The BDM has a state-of-the art munition technology that functions in milli-seconds after entering inside the target when the rocket explodes and making maximum damage at the target.

Originally developed and fielded as the M141 Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon-Disposable (SMAW-D), the U.S. Army has re-designated the SMAW-D as the M141 Bunker Defeat Munition (BDM). The BDM is the first lightweight shoulder fired weapon system with true multipurpose effectiveness. It has the same High Explosive Dual Purpose (HEDP) rocket used in the SMAW. The HEDP rocket is packaged in a rugged, compact telescoping, disposable launcher that has all gunner controls needed to aim and fire the weapon. Each launcher has an integral night vision device (NVD) mount that accepts any night sight or laser aiming light with a rail-grabber attachment. The BDM round has a unique fuze that automatically selects the warhead detonation mode to maximize destructive effects for each target type. No gunner actions are needed – the fuze selects the proper mode when the rocket hits the target. Detonation of the high explosive charge is delayed against soft targets, allowing the rocket to bury deep inside. Targets like sand bag bunkers are annihilated. Rocket impact on a hard target causes immediate warhead function and the resulting squash effect creates enormous holes in solid concrete or triple brick walls, and open man-sized holes in simple concrete block or single brick walls. Light armoured vehicles suffer huge perforations.

System characteristics

• Single shot, disposable
• Target over-match effects against field fortifications, urban structures, and lightly armoured vehicles
• High Explosive Dual Purpose (HEDP) rocket packaged in light weight, rugged, disposable launcher
• Simple to place into operation under any battlefield condition; airdrop certified and easily transported by one soldier
• Each round has a unique fuze that automatically selects proper detonation mode to maximize warhead destructive effects on soft or hard targets
• Soft Targets – fuze delays warhead detonation until rocket is buried deep into target
• Hard Targets – fuze detonates immediately upon impact with target
• Produces large target holes, propelling large fragments inside a vehicle or behind a wall
• Unrivalled destruction against earth and timber bunkers
• Can breach 8-inch reinforced concrete walls and 12-inch triple brick walls
• Provides devastating effects against light armour
• Range-Minimum 15 m
• Range-Effective 250 m
• Range-Maximum 500 m
• Launcher has permanent night vision device mounting bracket permitting quick attachment of the AN/PVS-4 night sight, AN/PAQ-4 or AN/PEQ-2 laser aiming lights, or similar devices with rail grabber attachment.

Nammo Talley, Inc. has demonstrated other warheads that offer mission specific options to the proven HEDP destructive capability. A simple, effective, low cost firing trainer has been developed for BDM using a subcaliber trainer rocket and insert barrel. Back blast effects are similar to the live round, at lower level to permit repeated firings in each training session.

M72 (European Version)

The M72 Light Anti Tank Weapon (M72 LAW) is widely considered to be one of the world’s leading short-range weapons. Being compact and light (3.5 kg), possessing small dimensions and easy to operate, it provides excellent performance at a highly competitive price. It is optimized to carry multiple rounds by every soldier. It has a versatile firepower with combat demonstrated effects against various targets. It is simple in operation and gunner skills are quickly developed and maintained with use of a subcaliber rocket trainer. No gunner training system can match the M72 21mm rocket for effective skill building and low cost. The simple barrel insert quickly converts any tactical launcher (empty) into a firing marksmanship trainer. The fully qualified trainer rocket realistically simulates tactical round firing effects, achieving and maintaining superior gunner skills. It is a durable round of ammunition with proven 20+ year shelf life. The high velocity rocket increases effective range dependent of versions, M72A4, A5, A6, A7 350 meters. Minimum range is 20 meters.

Further enhancing the existing versions of this weapon, the newly improved M72 EC LAW (Enhanced Capacity) and M72 ASM RC (Anti Structure Munition-Reduced Caliber) are introduced. The improvements have been based on extensive feedback on the weapon following recent military operations, as well as incorporating the latest industry safety requirements. The unique advantages of this product remain in place – specifically, ease of use, light in weight and small dimensions.

M72A9 ASM (Anti-Structure Munition) and M72 ASM-RC

M72A9 ASM is the firepower at squad level. They don’t need to call for artillery and air power close support. In a typical urban situation often the only way to take out a hidden sniper, is to use heavy artillery like a rocket, a mortar or air strike. The chances are that this is not likely to take out the sniper, but also the entire building and in a city that can mean collateral damage.

A direct result of Soldiers Lessons Learned, the M72A9 ASM was fielded to give devastating firepower to every squad member and keep size and weight to a minimum. The time delay fuze allows the round to penetrate the target, placing the high output blast fragmentation warhead inside to maximize effectiveness. Proven to penetrate brick, adobe, concrete block, and most common MOUT walls, doors and windows, the M72A9 ASM provides every Soldier the ability to defeat threat personnel from stand-off distances and protected positions.

System: characteristics

• High performance enhanced blast explosive
• Structure penetrating warhead with time delay fuze
• Combat proven
• Weight 4.3 kg (M72A9-ASM)
• Weight 3.5 kg (M72ASM-RC)
• In service – In production

M72 ASM FFE (Anti-Structure Munition – Fire From Enclosure)

To meet the need of Warfighters around the world, a new M72 production unit is in development and will soon truly satisfy the Fire From Enclosure goal. Firing noise will be dramatically suppressed; smoke and flash are completely eliminated – with no loss in muzzle velocity.

M72A7 LAW (Light Anti-Armor Weapon)

The improved M72 LAW delivers increased reliability at longer standoff ranges, retaining battle-proven design and operational features of the combat-tested original M72 LAW. A higher velocity rocket motor, armed with more effective warheads, provides capability to defeat a wide spectrum of targets encountered in today’s fields of operation. Defeats light armour and retains a moderate capability against main battle tanks, when engaged from top, side and rear angles of attack. Effective against brick and concrete walls.

M72 Subcaliber Rocket Trainer

No gunner training system can match the M72 21mm rocket for effective skill building and low cost. The simple barrel insert quickly converts a tactical launcher into a firing marksmanship trainer. The fully qualified trainer rocket realistically simulates tactical round firing effects, achieving and maintaining superior gunner skills.

M72 EC MK2 ENHANCED CAPACITY

This version is constructed on basis of numerous improvements over the years based on worldwide combat experience as well as new requirements from the users.

System characteristics

LAUNCHER IMPROVEMENTS

• Increased hit probability due to axial trigger and reflex sight
• Reduced weight -carbon fibre inner tube
• Picatinny rails

WARHEAD IMPROVEMENTS

• Penetration in RHA exceeds 350mm
• Octol replaced with PBXW-11(IM type explosive)

NEW DUAL SAFETY FUZE

• Acceleration safety
• Bore rider
• Fuze dud-safety, no energy after 15 sec

IM PACKING

• Rubber based fire-stop material
• The system withstands more than 30 minutes in fuel fire

EC MK2

• Alternative low cost warhead
• Penetrates 350mm in RHA
• Bore sighted rails for reflex sight on both sides of the launcher

The system’s top benefits are:

• Light weight
• Small size
• Easy to operate
• Maintenance free
• Right or left hand operation
• Low cost
• High performance.

Caliber: 66mm,
Carry weight: 3.2 kg,
Penetration: 350mm in RHA,
Safety temperature: +710C,
Function against 0.5mm steel,
Function with oblique angle70o NATO,
Dispersion: <2.5 mills, dual safety fuze.

REFLEX SIGHT FOR M72 LAW

Improved Operability Day and Night Illumination principle – Daylight will illuminate the optical reticle. In darkness the reticle will be illuminated by external light sources. The sight has a ballistic reticle with AV moving target aim points.

Technical specifications

• Weight 240 grams
• Field of view by 120mm eye distance min. 50 mills
• Service temperature +71C/ -40C
• Reticle illumination Thritium gas source. Total activity 40G.Bq/1081Mci.
• option: Battery source.

The sight can be used by both right and left handed gunners: slide on, aim and fire. Slide off for use on the next weapon. The sight can be used with night vision goggles.

Collectors and shooters of classic tripod mounted belt fed machine guns enjoy firing their weapons at a variety of stationary targets that are in direct line of sight. The enjoyment comes from the actual operation of the gun and the visual confirmation of the results of a hit target. But these guns were rarely used this way in the muck and mire of the battlefield. The use of these weapons and the efficient results in combat depended on an understanding of fire control rules that few think about today, and, in fact, even fewer actually understand.

Machine gun tactics were literally developed under fire. The original thought was that it was used the same as a rifle, fired directly at the enemy in direct line of sight. At the time before World War I, the British Army had the finest marksmen in the world. They trained religiously to provide extremely effective volley fire with the soldier capable of firing 15 aimed and accurate shots per minute. A battalion of 600 men along a front facing an advancing frontal force of infantry and cavalry could put up 9,000 rounds per minute and this could last for 3-4 minutes – a devastating effect that could, and did, provide victorious results that served the Empire well.

Lining up and advancing forward was how armies fought for millennia. However, World War I was a whole new ball game, where instead of a battalion being grouped together in a 500 yard line, they were now spread out over a line that could be a mile or two long, seriously weakening the fire power of the individual solder. Massive frontal assaults were met with colossal casualties due to the Germans figuring out how to provide support from artillery and interlocking fire from their machine guns. The experienced British sharpshooters were decimated in the first year of the war leaving a gigantic hole in the effectiveness of their army and a whole new generation of green soldiers had to be raised and trained in Kitchener’s Army. New tactics had to be learned and employed – often as “on the job training.”

Machine gunners were elite troops and their weapons were the result of the Industrial Revolution where machines were capable of making machines and machine guns were the weapons of mass destruction of the time. The skill of the machine gunner went far beyond knowing how the gun worked mechanically and being able to diagnose and correct various stoppages to keep the gun in action. Any idiot can pull a trigger. But to use the gun intelligently and effectively, maximizing results by proper use of lessons learned, required a lot of training and a particular skill was needed in understanding the mathematics of geometry and algebra as well as terrain awareness and map reading. “Spray and pray” never was, and never is, the best method of employing a machine gun. Aimed, well placed shots, whether at a target seen or not seen, gets the results.

As can be seen from the terms and definitions provided elsewhere in this article, officers and squad leaders need an array of tools to assist them in working out firing solutions that maximized damage to the enemy while providing protection to their own troops and positions.

Various optical devices were employed as were plotters, quadrants, protractors, clinometers, elevation quadrants and slide rules – all used to provide the gunner with the information needed to effectively employ their weapons. Some devices were attached directly to the gun as either a direct firing device or as an aiming circle. Others were set up on an independent tripod sometimes nowhere near the actual gun emplacement but also serving as an aiming circle or fire director. Angles, heights, depressions, terrain, distances, triangulation, maps – all were necessary tools and skills needed to efficiently and safely engage targets.

There is no need to bore you with the actual mathematics involved in achieving various firing solutions as it varies depending on the firing problem. But there are terms we have all heard such as cone of fire, enfilade, defilade, searching fire, direct fire and indirect fire, etc. What do these terms mean in relation to the use of machine guns? Hopefully, it will provide some clarity to the problems that confront machine gunners.

DIRECT FIRE – is the term used when the target is visible and the gun’s sight can be trained directly on the target. This is what is used for rifle fire.

INDIRECT FIRE – is the term used when fire is directed at a target which is usually invisible without directing the line of sight at the target. An example of this is when the target is behind a hill.

CONE OF FIRE – is the figure formed in space by the trajectories of a machine gun burst directed at a single objective without altering direction of the bore. Due to natural vibrations of the gun, each shot has a slightly different trajectory and over a large distance those trajectories increase in dispersion.

SAFETY ZONES – are that portion of the ground covered by the high part of the trajectory curve.

The angle of safety is the angle between the line of sight to the target and a line short of the target beyond which the point the falling branch of the trajectory curve renders the ground unsafe for friendly troops. The DANGER SPACE is the portion of terrain adjacent to the rising and falling branches of the trajectory curve.

BEATEN ZONE – is the intersection of the Cone of Fire with the surface on which the objective stands. The farther away the target, the larger the Beaten Zone. The 100% zone where the bullets fall, due to the mechanical action of the gun, cannot be greatly altered in size or shape. It can, however, be readily displaced in any direction. Think of a stream of water from a hose. Once set, the size or shape of the stream cannot be altered, but the direction of the stream can be changed.

There is a relation between the ground and the effect of fire as to whether the target is higher or lower than the gun. For instance, the Beaten Zone is greatest on a slope whose surface falls away parallel to the trajectory.

DEFILADE – is an obstacle, either natural or artificial of sufficient thickness to intercept projectiles and afford shelter from fire delivered from a given point. DEAD SPACE are portions of the terrain such as fold in the ground or the reverse slope of a hill which cannot be covered with fire delivered from a given point. DEAD SPACE is also called DEFILADED SPACE.

GRAZING FIRE – is fire delivered over the crest of a hill with an angle of fall conforming to the slope of the ground.

PLUNGING FIRE – is fire delivered from a height at a target situated on a horizontal plane beneath.

FIXED FIRE – is delivered at a single point. The direction and elevation of the gun is not intentionally altered.

DISTRIBUTED FIRE – is fire whose direction only is altered continually by successively taking aim at a series of lineal points.

SWEEPING FIRE – is fire whose direction is shifted rapidly without aim by swinging the gun loosely on its traversing mechanism. This is the method used in trench warfare at close ranges for stopping assaults.

SEARCHING FIRE – is fire whose elevation, only, is altered continually by elevating and depressing the bore of the gun by means of the elevating mechanism. This is the most effective fire that can be delivered from a machine gun, providing the target is suitable – like a column target or an enfiladed line target.

ENFILADE FIRE – is fire delivered from a point in prolongation of the target itself. For instance, the flank of a line of trenches or in prolongation of an advancing line. Machine guns using searching fire while enfilading a charging line is an example of the most effective manner of firing under the most desirable conditions.

OVERHEAD FIRE – is delivered from a vantage point in the second line over the heads of friendly troops or trenches at the enemy target.

LONG RANGE SEARCHING OR BARRAGE FIRE – is fire delivered at extremely long ranges over the front line trenches to search enemy lines of communication or supply or to form a curtain of fire called a barrage.

The barrage may be laid down between the friendly trenches and the hostile trenches or laid in the rear of the enemy trenches in order to cut off the supports, etc.

A creeping barrage is one which moves forward by time table or at a stated distance in advance of the leading elements of an attack. A barrage is usually formed by the combined fire of many guns and the firing data secured from accurately contoured maps and forward observers.

Hornady Introduces New Critical Duty Ammunition

Law enforcement and tactical professionals now have a truly advanced, 21st Century handgun ammunition solution that delivers the most consistent and reliable urban barrier performance available. The proven Flex Tip design of the new FlexLock bullet eliminates clogging and aids bullet expansion. Its large, mechanical jacket-to-core, InterLock band works to keep the bullet and core from separating for maximum weight retention and proven terminal performance through all FBI test barriers. Critical Duty Ammunition is loaded in nickel-plated cases that resist corrosion and greatly enhance low-light chamber checks. It also utilizes a special low-flash propellant to help preserve night vision. For more information on this new high-tech ammunition please contact Hornady Manufacturing Company, Dept. SAR, 3625 Old Potash Highway, P.O. Box 1848, Grand Island, NE 68803. Phone: (308) 382-1390. Fax: (308) 382-5761. Website: www.hornady.com.

S&W Now Offers the M&P15 in .300 Whisper

Smith & Wesson Corp. announced that the Company has added a new extension to its Military & Police (M&P) Rifle Series with the introduction of the M&P15 chambered in .300 Whisper. As the first production rifle in the AR platform to be chambered in .300 Whisper (also chambers .300 AAC Blackout), the new rifle offers sub-sonic and supersonic capabilities while delivering consistent performance and accuracy. Manufactured on the M&P15 platform, the semiautomatic rifle features a 16 inch barrel constructed from 4140 chrome-moly steel. Both the forged 7075 aluminum upper and lower receivers have been coated with a Realtree APG finish for optimal concealment during hunting applications. To aide in precise shot placement, the gas-operated rifle benefits from a 1 in 7.5-inch twist, 5R rifling and a crisp single-stage trigger. Other standard features include a 10-round magazine, integral one-piece trigger guard, dust cover, forward assist and a six-position, collapsible CAR stock. Designed to operate with or without a sound suppressor, the M&P15 300 Whisper is equipped with a 5/8-24 threaded barrel along with an A2-style flash hider. The feed ramps and gas system have been optimized to run effectively with a full-range of factory loaded sub-sonic and supersonic ammunition, both suppressed and unsuppressed. The barrel’s twist rate is compatible with a wide variety of bullet weights from 110 to 220+ grains. For enhanced reliability, the M&P15 300 Whisper features a chrome-lined gas key and bolt carrier along with a Melonite barrel. The optics ready platform is compatible with most sighting systems through the use of the Picatinny-style equipment rail located on top of the upper receiver. The M&P15 300 Whisper will also be available with a soft line black tactical upper featuring a 10-inch free-float quad rail and a Yankee Hill Phantom flash hider. The upper is compatible with any mil-spec AR lower. For more information contact Smith & Wesson Corporation, Dept. SAR, 2100 Roosevelt Avenue, Springfield, MA 01104. Phone: (413) 781-8300. Fax: (413) 747-3677. Website: www.smith-wesson.com.

Heizer Defense Unveils Their New Double Tap Pistol

Heizer Defense LLC, a firearms company producing a new paradigm of pistols for the responsible-citizen and law enforcement markets, is proud to introduce their first model for the concealed carry market; the DoubleTap. The DoubleTap is a tactical pistol, with 5 patents pending, built on a titanium or aluminum frame; the slimmest and lightest on the market today at only .665 inches wide and 14 ounces. Available in .45 ACP or the more popular 9mm, this no-snag, hammerless designed pistol is completely designed, engineered and manufactured to the highest degree of precision and tolerances in an aerospace facility using aerospace technology and equipment. The DoubleTap carries two rounds in the chamber and the integral grips house two additional spare rounds. The break action features a patent-pending progressive barrel porting option that cuts muzzle rise and recoil. The ambidextrous thumb latch releases the action and automatically ejects the spent rounds. Unlike any firearm, the DoubleTap features a truly revolutionary double-action trigger system that utilizes ball bearings for a smooth action and crisp trigger pull. The DoubleTap is available in a titanium or aluminum frame and is finished with a Mil-Std finish, the same used on military aircraft, for corrosion and wear resistant finish. For more information on this new pistol please contact Heizer Defense, LLC, Dept. SAR, St. Louis, MO. Phone: (855) 243-4937. Fax: (855) 243-1122. Website: www.heizerfirearms.com.

Ruger Introduces LCP and LC9 Pistols Now With LaserMax Lasers

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. has just announced the new Ruger LCP and LC9 pistols equipped with LaserMax CenterFire lasers. Now the same award-winning LCP and LC9 pistols are available from the factory fitted with a trigger-guard-mounted LaserMax CenterFire red diode laser. The two pistols are some of the most popular concealed carry firearms in the nation, and now they are available with the durable LaserMax CenterFire lasers as factory production models. The new LCP and LC9 pistols both feature a LaserMax CenterFire trigger-guard-mounted laser with ambidextrous on/off switch. The laser can be adjusted for both windage and elevation, and can be removed easily with an Allen wrench (included). These rugged, reliable pistols are polymer-framed, hammer-fired, double-action only pistols, and both have won the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence “Handgun of the Year” award. The LCP is chambered in .380 Auto and has a capacity of 6+1 rounds. The LC9, which is available for sale in all 50 states, is chambered in 9mm Luger and has a capacity of 7+1 rounds. Both pistols are designed for snag free carry in a pocket or holster, and come with both flat bottom and finger groove extension magazine buttplates that can be changed to accommodate the shooter’s preference. More information can be found by contacting Sturm, Ruger and Company, Inc., Dept. SAR, 200 Ruger Road, Prescott, AZ 86301. Phone: (928) 541-8893. Fax: (928) 541-8850. Website: www.ruger.com.

Trijicon Unveils Their New SRS Reflex Sight

The profile length of the new Trijicon SRS is short and the advanced list of features is long, as innovative products continue from Trijicon. The new Trijicon SRS (Sealed Reflex Sight) is a reflex-type sight with a unique optical design, housed in a body length of only 3.75 inches that virtually eliminates the “tube-effect” common with other, competitive red dot sights. The result is a field of view that essentially provides no obstruction to shooters. That means lightning fast target engagements at CQB distances with no distraction from the shooter’s situational awareness. The SRS is ideal for military, law enforcement and recreational applications on a variety of firearm platforms from AR’s to shotguns. Equally impressive is the technology built into powering the LED lighted 1.75 MOA aiming point that includes ten brightness settings – including three NVG settings and one Super Bright. The SRS is powered by a solar panel and a single, common AA battery. Battery life is over 3 years of continuous use. This uniquely patented configuration allows the user years of illumination life from a single battery by offering an intuitive “solar assist,” that is, drawing on battery power only when the solar cell requires additional energy support for illumination based on ambient conditions. The Trijicon SRS is built to endure the rigors of extreme in-the-field use and carries the same stringent testing requirements as the renowned Trijicon ACOG line of sighting systems. Additional features include a parallax-free objective lens, an auto-locking, self-adjusting level mount and waterproof-tested performance to fifty meters. You can contact them at Trijicon, Inc., Dept. SAR, 49385 Shafer Avenue, P.O. Box 930059, Wixom, Michigan 48393. Phone: (248) 960-7700. Fax: (248) 960-7725. Website: www.trijicon.com.

New Perfect Circle Focused Flashlight

This palm sized highly-focused handy flashlight may be just the ticket for many. Robust and weather proof O-ring protected River Rock’s Perfect Circle Flashlight is made from tough anodized aircraft aluminum. The Perfect Circle Flashlight actually has a precision formed lens which projects a precise focused hard edge yet soft full moon shaped light beam making it ideal for close up inside and outside activities and yet provide illumination greater than tiny flashlights or keychain types. For example at 20 feet the handy little light projects a perfectly round 41-inch circle of light. The Perfect Circle Flashlight can also emit a constant hands free flash (about 80 flashes per minute) for signaling. Thanks to the specialized lens, the Perfect Circle emits light out of proportion to its small size and battery saving “power” rating. The Perfect Circle is especially handy where you simply want to see what you are doing or where you are going without blinding yourself or others with too much power. In fact in some cases it might make a very handy tactical map light, purse or back pack light. The light is anodized dark green aircraft alloy aluminum with a body diameter of 0.8 inch, a head diameter of 1 inch and a length 4.4 inches. The light weighs just 4.5 oz. including 1 AA battery. The light has a run time of 30 hours or 60 plus hours in flashing mode. The light sells for just $14.88 and comes with a nylon wrist lanyard and one AA Duracell battery. For more information please contact them at River Rock Designs, Inc., Dept. SAR, 900 RR 620 South, Suite C101-223, Austin, TX, 78734. Website: www.riverrocklights.com.

Please don’t call SureFire’s latest “muzzle devices” a sound suppressor. Cans they are not, even though they do reduce the decibels of a gunshot. Elementary suppressor science- that pertaining to a cartridge’s gas volume and a suppressor’s internal volume- is violated by the California-based manufacturer of high-performance tactical illumination tools with their new Mini and Micro models, but the designs are an intentional compromise of sound reduction in exchange for size and weight.

SureFire has always manufactured products based on operator input, and the Mini and Micro models are classic examples of this philosophy. An elite unit within the Special Operations community approached SureFire’s Barry Dueck, director of the Suppressor Division, and requested a muzzle device that would cut muzzle flash on a 10.5-inch Mk 18 while maintaining about the same noise reduction of SureFire’s trademark K-can (part number FA556-212).

Of course these operators aren’t running 14.5-inch M4s. They employ either 10.5 inch Mk 18 SBRs or something even shorter. Black ops being what they are, you never know for sure what the intended application of a short-length suppressor might be- but the Micro would definitely not ride on an M4.

What we do know is that the weapon’s overall length was the main driver in the development of the Mini and Micro models, coupled with flash elimination for night operations. Reduced weight would be a very much foreseen consequence, resulting in faster target-to-target tracking and improved handling in an MRAP.

But at what price? The OSHA “safe” level for short-duration noise is 140 dB. It turns out that the Micro at barely over 4-inches overall nips the sound wave of M855 ammunition from a 10.5-inch barrel to 148 dB while the Mini gets it down to 141 dB, just a hair over the 140 dB “safety ceiling.”

Does it matter? Not really. At least not to the guys who specified they want to barter noise for size. An unsuppressed round of M855 measures about 170 of Mr. Bell’s eponymous units. If a fully suppressed M4 clips the sound down to the low 130s, a gunshot from an SBR with a Mini or a Micro in the low to high 140s is not much worse than the cymbal clap at the end of the Star Spangled Banner.

The Mini comes in two materials, Inconel alloy or titanium alloy. Inconel is a highly durable steel that’s popular with many suppressor manufacturers. Inconel is a brand name of Special Metals Corp. and comes in a variety of formulations, all of which are oxidation and corrosion resistant in extreme environments. The best attribute of Inconel is that when it’s heated, it forms a thick, stable, passivating oxide layer that protects the material. Inconel maintains its integrity at extremely high temperatures – and suppressors get sizzling hot in a hurry.

Titanium is an element (atomic number 22) that is known for its strength-to-weight ratio. It comes in more than two dozen commercial alloys and is a prime component in the aerospace industry. The best thing is that it’s light as a feather yet strong as an anvil, so the SureFire Mini made of Inconel weighs 14 ounces while the same exact model made of titanium barely tips the scales at 8 ounces.

The tradeoff? Titanium is expensive, it’s hard to machine and it’s not as long-lasting as Inconel. The payoff? A muzzle-heavy rifle is hard to swing dynamically from target to target but a Mini or Micro equipped AR swings like a dream.

The Mini and Micro feature the latest SureFire improvement to its lock-ring system of attachment to a mated muzzle brake adapter. One could call this the Gen 3 lock ring as it’s the third distinctive method used since SureFire first manufactured a suppressor in 2002.

The first lock ring utilized a system similar to a Walker liner lock on a folding knife. A metal tab “snapped” into place to prevent the locking ring from unloosening from the threads on the rear of the suppressor. Gen 2 eliminated the spring tab and replaced it with a press-to-unlock tab. The latest version that I call Gen 3 features an improved release latch with a lower profile. This lower profile also decreases the chances of the latch accidentally releasing, should it be bumped hard, dropped or knocked around. The new lock rings also feature user-replaceable parts so, should a repair ever be necessary, it can be made directly by the operator or armorer rather than requiring the entire unit to be sent back to SureFire.

“These (lock rings) are also all backwards-compatible,” says Dueck. “So you can have an old adapter and a new suppressor, same model, and it still fits.” This is particularly good news for armorers in military and law enforcement where SureFire suppressors have been making impressive inroads. One example: every Marine Corps M40A5 sniper rifle now comes standard with a SureFire MB762SF adapter and a SureFire FA762SF suppressor. Not that SureFire makes a .308 caliber Mini or Micro, but the point is that their cans are gaining kudos wide and far in the U.S. military.

In fact, sources within the industry tell this author that SureFire product will soon be replacing AAC product as the issue-suppressor for FN’s SCAR system. The competition has led to some contentions that will be played out in the end-user community and final contracts. When the smoke clears, SAR will bring you the report.

SureFire has been issued patents for its repeatable barrel attachment method of a muzzle brake/adapter interfacing with the suppressor via an eccentric locking ring that sucks the two together with in-line tension. Threaded-on attachment methods are useless for securing two parts; threads serve only to align, not fasten.

The primary benefit of the SureFire attachment method is that a repeatable point-of-aim/point-of-impact is achieved. Most suppressor brands cannot hold a repeatable zero from suppressed to unsuppressed, or even from attachment to removal to attachment again. Not SureFire. The engineers that developed high-intensity WeaponLights have also worked out how to make a rifle hold its zero – with or without a can.

SureFire suppressors are not inexpensive. The street price for a SureFire can is around $1,300, not including a muzzle brake/adapter.

During the last century, John M. Browning gained well deserved prominence in the field of firearm design. None have been able to equal his record for developing a wide variety of novel gun systems. There is one individual who stands out as the developer of not only guns, but some of the most varied and unique ammunition feed systems. That man is Lewis K. (Lew) Wetzel. He began his career at the General Electric Company working on the final development and first production of the M61 20mm Gatling gun. The high rate of fire capability of this new externally powered weapon was unprecedented and would not have been successful without flawless storage and feeding of the ammunition. It required screw conveyors, sprockets, carefully machined guides, and complex geometrical shapes to guarantee perfect round control throughout the cycle. Perfecting the ammunition storage and feed was as important as the development of the weapon itself in the achievement of their legendary high reliability.

GE assigned engineers and mechanical designers for these developments, and these teams usually had one common denominator: Lew Wetzel. From linked feed fed from ammo boxes to complex linkless feeds, Lew Wetzel distinguished himself as the premier designer. What resulted from his efforts and those he directed as a manager was a high level of gun and feed system reliability never before having been achieved.

During most of my 15 years at GE Burlington, I worked for or alongside Lew and gained valuable insight into his techniques for design, analysis, and testing. I recently called Lew and asked him if he’d consent to do an interview and was glad he accepted.

When the General Electric Armament Systems Division took over the Bell gun turret factory in Burlington, Vermont, a new era had begun in the design of high speed cannons and machine guns. GE transferred the ongoing development work for the M61 from a New York plant to the Burlington, Vermont facility. This was to be the first production of an externally powered Gatling gun. Success of this cannon was important to arm future fighter aircraft on their way to fight a new war in Vietnam. In this war, 20mm cannons armed jet aircraft, and 7.62mm Gatling guns were invaluable in helicopter and fixed wing applications. GE Burlington could only meet these urgent wartime needs by hiring top engineering and manufacturing personnel. The company quickly rose to significant prominence as a weapon designer, developer, and producer, and Lew Wetzel was one of their most prized secret weapons. We met at Lew’s house in Colchester, Vermont:

George: Tell us, Lew, where are you from and where did you go to college?

Lew: I’m originally from Michigan, but I studied engineering in an Ohio school, Antioch College. I fell in love with the school’s co-op program, where you alternate semesters between work and classes. It’s great because you can work in a field before you spend four years learning it and then decide that’s not what you want to do for the rest of your life. You make contacts and find job leads too. It was an excellent school with a well-rounded curriculum. I had some interesting jobs and classmates including Corretta Scott King and Rod Serling – the guy who created The Twilight Zone. I knew them both very well. Rod had started a campus radio station. I was a nerd then too, and I helped him build some of the equipment. He was the nicest guy you will ever meet. He graduated a year ahead of me.

George: So when did you start a full time engineering job?

Lew: It was right after the Korean War and they were still drafting people. GE and a lot of other companies came in to recruit. They explained their engineering test program and the opportunity to get critical skills draft deferment. I didn’t want to go back to Michigan. The test program involved three month assignments in different GE locations. I figured it would be interesting and I’d get around the country. I went to the Ohio, Evendale plant and worked in jet engines. After three months I put in GE-Burlington as my third choice and was a little disappointed at not being selected for the other two. But, on the way up driving on Route 7, I saw Lake Champlain and the mountains. I figured this would be a place I’d like to spend the rest of my life. So far I have.

George: I recall at that time GE had just taken over the plant from Bell. What did you do there?

Lew: I started in test equipment design, then engineering had problems with certain guns and they wanted somebody to run some tests. One of the problems was the 20mm Hispano Suiza in the turret; it was the electric primed M24. Anyway, that gun would misfire if it got dirty, and particularly at high altitude. Nobody could figure out why. So, I got them to send some guns in after test firing and before cleaning and put them in the environmental chamber. I quickly found out where the electric circuits were shorting out. Just about the time I figured out how to fix it, they stopped using the gun. Years later, after I retired, one of my engineer buddies at GE called me and said the Portuguese Air Force was having misfire problems with their M24’s. We put together a proposal to go to Portugal to investigate the problem. “You pay our way, for us and our wives, and I can solve your problem.” They didn’t go for it and it kind of ticked me off because I figured I was probably the only guy in the world who could solve that problem in a hurry and that would have saved them a lot of time and money. (Lew proceeds to describe the problem and the way he fixed it. He jokingly voices some concern about how he is now releasing details of the fix).

George: That’s OK, Lew. When I write this interview up, I’m going to say that the problem was easily solved by: dot, dot, dot. (laughter-Too bad for you, Portugal!)

Lew: I could have solved it in five minutes. Anyway, that was one of my jobs on the test program. We had taken over the turret business from Bell aircraft. After the turrets were assembled, I had to sell them to the USAF, and I had an Air Force inspector who watched as I put the turret through its drills.

George: Which aircraft would that have been?

Lew: These were for the B29, and B47. The gun was the 20mm Hispano Suiza single barrel cannon. This was before Gatling guns. I managed to wrangle two assignments in Burlington, but still had to do a fourth, so I went down to Lynn, Mass and worked on steam turbines for a few months. Then it was back to Burlington for about a year. Then I got drafted. The armament business was slowing down so the Pentagon decided they would stop sending out deferments and start drafting the engineers that had them. The Army was smart though, they still needed engineers, so they set up the science and professional program in the Army. Instead of putting us in infantry they put us in jobs where we could do engineering.

I was sent to Aberdeen Proving Grounds. Two years at Aberdeen as project engineer on the new 110mm howitzer. If you go to downtown Aberdeen, Maryland, in front of the police station is a prototype of the howitzer. The Germans were developing a new artillery piece. The Allies found a prototype in Poland after the war and sent it over to Aberdeen so they could look it over and test it. They decided it was a neat one. I was the project engineer for testing – “Proof Director,” as they called it. I worked on it almost exclusively for the whole two years I was there. It was a nice size – very compact. It had a range of nine miles.

George: Did the howitzer go into production?

Lew: No, Too bad too, because it was a very neat design. It had four trails, so it could fire in 360 degree positions. It had variable recoil. As you elevated the gun the recoil adapter would diminish so it didn’t have to be staked down. I had a gun crew trained to fire 40 seconds after the vehicle stopped. It would also lift the wheels off the ground automatically.

One day on the test range, we were test firing at maximum elevation. I got clearance to fire and they said, “There’s a lot of wind, but we’ll try to track it.” After the first round I got the command, “Hold your fire – that one landed on the eastern shore!” Another time we were putting on a demo at Aberdeen and we had all these weapons lined up to take turns firing. After this one guy fired a bazooka, he laid it on the ground next to us. The next system up was my 110mm howitzer with a muzzle brake on it. The blast from that muzzle brake shattered the bazooka into a million pieces.

We had a 155mm we were developing too. These were both cancelled in 1955 or ‘56. I have a picture of myself in front of the gun. Years after that, one of the GE engineering technicians, Ski Beckwith, and I were in Aberdeen driving down the main drag when I spotted it. I said, “Ski, pull over, I need to take a picture.”

George: Sounds like the Aberdeen experience wasn’t bad at all, why didn’t you stay there?

Lew: They did make me an offer. At the time I was a buck private and I had a second lieutenant working for me. I had become the right hand man of the branch chief. He introduced me to the lieutenant and told the guy, “This is private Wetzel. You work for him. Do whatever he says.” (laughter)

After they offered me a permanent job, they said “We’ll have to put you on a different project until your security clearance comes through.” I said: “What? I already have a security clearance.” “Yeah, but that’s all gone when you leave the service.” I thought to myself: “Do I want to put up with this kind of bullshit?”

It would have been an interesting job, but I was living in the South, in a trailer with no air conditioning. I thought, if I had a civilian job, I could afford air conditioning. Then I decided to go back up to Burlington. I interviewed other places too, though. Raytheon was one. They had a crazy project they were working on to cook food with microwaves! Can you imagine that? They were looking for engineers to develop what they called a “Radar Range.” I could have gotten in on the ground floor. I went to TRW too. Their office was in downtown Cleveland and they said they’d be moving to Port Clinton, but didn’t say when. Did I want to commute down there every day? So I turned it down and went back to GE Burlington.

It was very shortly after that they got the first production contract for the Gatling gun. Up to that time, the engineers and all of the development work had been done in GE-Schenectady. I spent a few days down there and a few days back in Burlington basically moving the whole project. Not all of the engineers moved up, so I took over responsibility for the engineering work of people who stayed back.

George: How far along was the development of the M61 when it moved up from Schenectady?

Lew: You know, it was just barely working. They had prototypes but they had a crash at least once a week. We had a production contract for a gun that still wasn’t working. The biggest problem was the feed system. You know the major problems are always there; trying to feed a high rate of fire gun. We really tore into it and tried to figure out what was going wrong while at the same time production people were trying to figure out how to build it. I was responsible for all the feed systems and for the clearing methods for the Vulcan. We used a hold back clearing for the first guns while other guns used diversion clearing or declutching feeders. A cookoff in one of these guns could be disastrous, so they had to be clear at the end of every burst.

It wasn’t up to the 6,000 shot per minute rate we use today. The linked ammunition caused us to hold the firing rate to 4,000 shots per minute. The F104 aircraft was the first aircraft to use the M61.

George: It takes a lot of power to move all the ammo at full speed.

Lew: It’s not just the power; it’s the wear and tear on the parts too. The F104 was the first application and the F105 was coming along. The Roy Sanford company had developed the double lead, helical auger, linkless feed concept and they had a prototype which they could make work – once. They had only one technician, who would tinker the system for a week and only then could they get one burst off. Sanford had convinced the Air Force that the prototype was working, but we had the production contract and we spent a lot of time tearing into it. Here again, we were trying to design the production system and at the same time trying to get the prototype to work.

We did a combination of debugging and production design and built another prototype and it worked out very well. That was the very first linkless feed system for the electric powered Gatling. It did work. This was the first Gatling aircraft system used in Vietnam.

After the Vulcan was in production I went right into the design of the feed system for the M75 40mm grenade launcher. It was a Ford externally powered gun that went into a turret on the front end of a Huey helicopter. It was classified at the time. There was never any publicity on it. I talked to some pilots from Vietnam who told me it was super for hitting sampans. That 40mm grenade is wicked. The guys used it and loved it. I developed the turret too. After we got it into production, I got to fly all over the range at Underhill making helicopter strafing runs. Our favorite target was the abandoned Doyle farm down range. We’d shoot into the roof. That was a lot of fun.

My next project after they designed the 7.62mm Minigun was the Minipod….

George: Hold it, Lew! Tell us who designed the Minigun?

Lew: It was Ray Patenaude, but you know, in the beginning we had two Miniguns. One was designed by Bob Chiabrandy and the other was Patenaude’s. Chiabrandy’s worked all the time and Patenaudes’ only some of the time. There was no question Chiabrandy’s was superior.

But for some reason…. Well, you know Ray intimidated the hell out of people. So anyway, after developing the gun, I got to design the Minipod. We built prototypes. My position was to develop the feed system. I was almost always working on feed systems. I was lead engineer and I had Bert Clark and Bob Kirkpatrick working for me as a designers.

George: Tell me Lew, who came up with the ammunition handoff between the feed drum and the Minigun?

Lew: I can’t remember who it was right now, but I do want to say that it was one of the neat things about the GE system. The engineer and the designer worked together. Nowadays, the engineer works alone on a design project. I think you lose a lot because we used to have two guys tossing ideas back and forth.

George: It’s a mini brainstorming session.

Lew: It really is. I think the GE system was just so super. Bert Clark and I butted heads all the time. I was forever telling Bert: “If you think that will work, then draw it up and we’ll build it.” He was on notice and the pressure was on to get it done. Most of the time he came through. You know, Bert had worked for Werner von Braun on the space program when he was in Huntsville, Alabama. He was really sharp.

George: So we’re at Minipod – you were doing feed systems…

Lew: It was during Vietnam and we had to get that thing going really fast. The stupid thing was that the Minipod and the Minigun were on separate contracts. After we finished acceptance testing the pod, we’d check everything over, take the gun out, and pack up the pod less the gun. The gun went into another box. Each went on its own way, shipped on its own contract. One day we got a call from Vietnam: “We have a bunch of pods but no guns.” And another base called and said they had guns but no pods. We sent George McGarry over there. Do you remember him?

George: Yeah, George was a Marine who worked for Col. George Chinn studying the guns and helping him write the first four volumes of The Machine Gun. He came to GE after he retired from the Corps.

Lew: Well, McGarry commandeered a C47 and got the two back together. George knew how to get people to do things. He put the pods back together. Unfortunately some of the pods got shipped upside down. They had NiCad batteries with phosphoric acid which leaked out and he had to repair a lot of things. Eventually he got them working and on the aircraft. I don’t think it could have happened without McGarry. You know, someone with his experience.

That was right after we tried to side fire. You’re aware of how Puff the Magic Dragon came about?

George: Not exactly

Lew: There was an Army Captain at Wright field – his last name was Terry – I can’t remember his first name. CPT Terry came up with the idea to side fire out of an airplane flying a pylon turn around a target. His thinking was that that was a good way to bring a lot of firepower on a target. At the time, the Vietnamese were having a problem in their walled cities, with the Viet Cong getting on ladders and invading them. These cities were being attacked at night, and CPT Terry believed the side firing technique would work.

Terry asked if we would help mount some Minipods on a C47. We gave them a technician and tried it at Hurlbut Field and at Eglin: it looked pretty promising. They tried 20mm Vulcan pods too, but the Vulcan pod was overkill. For anti-personnel the Minigun was fine. After using it for a while, they decided to make a pedestal mount (Minigun Module) just for that purpose; which they did. That helped in the Vietnam War. When CPT Terry came up with the idea, General Lemay was Chief of Staff and said “That’s the dumbest idea I ever heard.” But CPT Terry was so convinced; he risked his career on the decision to go ahead with it. It’s the kind of thing that it takes some times to move the technology forward – to try things you are convinced will work. Luckily, it really did.

George: Did you work on the Minigun module?

Lew: I did the concept for the module. I basically developed the whole feed system for it. It was a helical feed drum, like a Minipod but turned on end. I developed the whole thing, and then we were starting on the 25mm caseless Gatling cannon and they put Jay Trumper in charge of the Minigun module. The module was designed with the gun at a right angle to the linkless ammunition feed system. It was designed with simplified controls so an operator could reload it easily at night. As soon as they went into production the Module quickly replaced the Minipod on the C47 Dragon ships.

George: So, after you left the Minigun Module project you started working on the 25mm Caseless cannon that was designed to be used in the F15?

Lew: That’s right. We set up a separate unit that I headed up.

There were two 25mm caseless guns in competition. Ford Aerospace and GE had parallel contracts, and each of us used different ammo contractors. We farmed out the ammo to Hercules and had a shoot off. We both had problems. You know that ammo is uncased and it can just go up in flames. They had a special water deluge system to douse the fires. I know both GE and Ford had fires. We might have had one more than Ford, but in the end, the Air Force decided Ford was the winner.

During final negotiations, the Air Force decided the contractors should respond with a Firm Fixed Price contract with guaranteed performance. You know, this is kind of dumb for a high risk program. Not only was it risky, but they tried to get me to agree to their technical requirements too. I said, “These requirements are mutually exclusive. We can’t meet the recoil requirements and at the same time use the energy to drive the gun. You have to back up the recoil with something!” In the end, I priced it accordingly and Ford won. Ford ended up investing about $20 million of their own money and finally the program was cancelled. You know that’s really sad because it is a good idea.

George: We’re still trying to get into case telescoped and caseless. AAI’s new machine gun works just like our old 25mm case telescoped gun.

Lew: Well of course, how else are you going to do it? You know the real problem was that if you have a misfire you have to eject it. It might just be a hangfire and that gets really hairy. They had some interesting concepts on coating the round – like using intubescent paint as a fire retardant. This gun system was going to be the primary armament of the F15. The whole system could be jettisoned so in case you had a fire you’d push a button and the whole thing would eject. It was part of the original design.

The interview with Lew Wetzel continues with a look at the only medium caliber cannon to be designed for “no-tools” assembly/disassembly. Lew explains how to take one of these cannons along with you for a briefing in the Pentagon. After some design work on single barrel cannons, Lew explains how and why he designed the 30mm GPU 5/A as a companion weapon system to the gun system on the A-10. These and other interesting tales that offer a unique insight into his unique design ability where he makes extensive use of modeling to prove out the most challenging parts of his designs, reducing risk, saving time and minimizing costs.