Tactical Use of Low-Signature Weapons for Military and Police

By Mark White.
Copyright 2010, 2012 Paladin Press.
Soft cover, 5 ½” x 8 ½” 110 pages $15.95
Reviewed by Dean V. Roxby

Suppressed firearms hold a particular fascination for many shooters. This book explores the science and myths associated with suppressors. The book is divided into many short individual chapters covering such topics as: The True Cause of Firearm Discharge Noise- The Mach Disc, Bore Diameter and Relative Loudness, Power Levels of Subsonic Ammo, etc.

While the book does contain much useful information, it also tends to wander somewhat. Six pages dedicated to ancient spears and arrows seem a bit out of place. (Although, to be fair, there is a brief reference to the lethal range of 4,000 year old sling technology in a critical look at the 5.56×45 round later on.) As well, many of the chapters are no more than one or two paragraphs long, yet are given a full page. The result is that rather than 110 pages of info, there are perhaps 60 or 70 pages of actual suppressor information. The book is primarily text, with no plans, design sketches, charts, or graphs given, and only a few photos.

Having said that, it is a good source of firearms info, with attention paid to such the above mentioned Mach Disc, the supersonic crack of a bullet, barrel porting to keep the bullet subsonic, energy levels of a subsonic bullet, even the issue of moisture trapped in the barrel if the suppressor is kept on the rifle. Much attention is given to the matter of longer, heavier bullets suited for subsonic use, and the appropriate rifling twist required. The subject of getting bullets to yaw or turn sideways after striking flesh is addressed as well, including a chapter on Slant-Nose bullets. The author also mentions that as a subsonic round does not require a long barrel to achieve great velocity, the barrel can be made shorter and therefore stiffer, thus giving greater accuracy. The four page chapter on powder selection and charges is quite informative.

The book ends with a chapter discussing the ballistics of various supersonic cartridges often used for police and military sniping work, followed by a warning about test firing a new suppressor with subsonic ammo prior to using supersonic ammo.

Overall, this book does contain some very good information relative to the author’s targeted subjects, but it is not the complete treatise on suppressor technology.

Military Rifle and Machine Gun Cartridges

By Jean Huon
Copyright 1988. Ironside International Inc., Alexandria, VA
Hardcover, 6” x 9” 378 pages.
$34.95
Reviewed by Dean Roxby

If you are a serious cartridge collector or student of military small arms, you should be aware of this book. Very well written, and very thorough, it details military rifle cartridges in use since 1870.

The author, Jean Huon, originally published this book in French, (Les Cartouches Pour Fusils Et Mitrailleuses). He is a very prolific author, having many articles (including over three dozen for SAR) and books to his credit. He is recognized as a very thorough researcher, so it is no surprise this book is first class reference material. It must be noted that it was printed in 1988, so there are several cartridges that came later that do not appear in this edition. (There is an updated version in French).

The book is divided into two main parts, Metric calibers and British & U.S. (meaning Imperial dimensions) cartridges. A short introduction precedes the main reference section. This introduction briefly describes the chronological progression of ammunition development, starting with paper cartridges, then rimfire and pinfire, and finally centerfire. The Metric section is the largest section of the two due mainly to the numerous European designs. Each cartridge is given at least a full page, sometimes more.

The 8×57 Mauser and the .30-06 are each given seven pages and the mighty .303 British is given eight pages. Most of this is used for photographs and notes of variations of the round like ball, tracer, AP, blank, wood blank, drill rounds, etc.

Besides the usual suspects, there are some really rare, unusual rounds profiled. Ever heard of or seen a .40 Booby Trap round? It is a British WW2 era anti-personnel “set-gun” device that is left in the ground, much like a mine.

As is traditional for cartridge books, the rounds are listed in order of increasing diameter, from 4.5mm (4.5×26 Interdynamic rimfire) to 18mm (18x35R Tabatiere), and .17 (.17 SBR) to .60 machine gun. Each entry gives cartridge dimensions and weight of a complete round. (Entirely in Metric! Be aware of this if you are Metric-challenged.) There is also a brief but concise explanation and history of each round, and a photograph of a standard ball round, and often of other types. A photo of the rifle or MG most often associated with the cartridge is also shown. The photos are entirely B&W. The main photo of the round is in true scale, which makes it useful for identifying mystery rounds. A nice feature of this book is that if a cartridge has several names, they too are listed. The 8×57 has 12 aliases.

Following the Imperial section is a short section on various experimental rounds that were made in very limited amounts and never saw service. This section is only a group photo of cartridges, with no further details provided.

This book is a worthy addition to the library of any serious cartridge collector or military arms enthusiast.

MAGPUL INTRODUCES THEIR NEW MBUS PRO BACK-UP SIGHTS

The MBUS Pro is a new corrosion resistant all-steel back-up sighting solution that delivers maximum functionality and strength with minimum bulk at a price that’s even smaller than its size. The dual aperture, windage adjustable Rear and no-tool, elevation adjustable Front excel in all 1913 Picatinny rail mounting applications, including rail-height gas blocks. Positive detents keep the MBUS Pro Front and Rear at standard AR sight height when deployed, and so low when they are stowed that you’ll never notice them until they’re needed. Narrow width Front is compatible with most IR aiming laser and light installations for the professional user. For more information contact Magpul Industries Corporation, P.O. Box 17697, Boulder, CO 80308. Phone: (877) 462-4785. On the web at www.magpul.com.

TWO NEW COLT COMPETITION SPORTING RIFLES

Bold Ideas Texas, the Licensed Manufacturer of the CCR Colt Competition Rifles, is proud to introduce two new CSR Colt Sporting Rifles, the CSR-1516 and CSR-1518. Immediately available to the consumer market, the CSR-1516 and CSR-1518 Colt Sporting Rifles are ideal choices for sportsmen, target shooters, and hunters alike due to their superb accuracy and reliability. Both models are chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO (.223 Remington) and are designed to handle 50 grain to 77 grain bullets. Whether shooting tight groups at the range or competing in 3-gun matches, these new Colt Sporting Rifle models offer reliable performance at a price anyone can afford. Built on forged Mil-Spec-alloy receivers, the CSR-1516 and CSR-1518 feature match-grade Colt-branded chrome-moly steel barrels, button-rifled with a 1 in 8 inch right-hand twist, and air-gauged for quality. For corrosion resistance, all CSR barrels are finished in matte-black manganese phosphate. Each CSR rifle comes with a 12-inch float-tube handguard with a top mounted 7-slot accessory rail, a Colt-branded finger-groove rubber grip with integral beavertail, and a Colt Match-Target Trigger with a crisp 6 pound release. Each Colt Sporting Rifle ships with one 30-round magazine. The CSR-1516 weighs less than 6-1/2 pounds with a quality 16-inch mid-weight barrel, and measures 32.75 inches retracted and 36 inches extended. The buttstock is a Colt-branded 6-position adjustable carbine stock in an improved M4-style. The MSRP for the CSR-1516 is $990. The CSR-1518 weighs less than 7 pounds with an 18-inch mid-weight match-grade barrel, and measures 34.75 inches retracted and 38 inches extended. The buttstock is a Colt-branded 6-position adjustable rifle stock with a wide ambidextrous cheek rest for comfort and improved shootability. The MSRP for the CSR-1518 is $1,049. For more information contact them at www.coltcompetitionrifle.com.

TERRALUX INTRODUCES MORE POWERFUL LED FLASHLIGHTS

TerraLUX is a leader in LED technology. They are constantly thinking of new ways to improve lighting, save energy, time and money. Now, TerraLUX has developed a new state of the art portable light called the TT-5. This tactical LED light has four different stages of brightness; High, Medium, Low and Strobe. Since the TT-5 has a tempered glass lens, rest assured you will be getting the very best view straight ahead as long as 170 meters. The TT-5 can survive the most rugged and tough environments. The LED flashlight is CNC machined 6061 aluminum, type III hard anodize. However, if something were to happen, the TT-5 has a lifetime warranty. Technicians, law enforcement officers, military personnel and hardcore outdoorsmen all appreciate the durability and reliability that comes with owning a TerraLUX light. TerraLUX TT-5 is designed with the pros in mind but sold without the professional price tag, and there are no bulbs to replace and no expensive specialty batteries to buy. TerraLUX flashlights can be purchased online at www.terraluxportable.com.

Bushnell Announces Three New Extreme Range Rifle Scopes

Bushnell Outdoor Products, an industry leader in high performance sports optics for 65 years, has introduced a new Elite Tactical 4.5-30x 50mm extreme range riflescope (XRS). This high-powered first focal plane riflescope is built for long-range target acquisition and available with three reticle options: Horus H59, the TreMoR2 and the G2DMR. The Elite Tactical 4.5-30x 50mm XRS riflescope packs a robust magnification range yet measures just 14.4 inches in length. With the potential to acquire targets at extended ranges with the XRS, Bushnell has incorporated its new Z-Lok locking elevation turret, which has .1 mil clicks and 10 mil revolutions. In addition, the new Z-Lok features a zero stop that allows the shooter to preset the zero and avoid the possibility of dialing below zero. Because windage adjustments require less dialing, the T-Lok turret is used on the windage knob and can be quickly lifted for adjustments when conditions change and instantly locked into place by depressing the turret to its standard position. Bushnell Elite Tactical series scopes are built to withstand the rigors of the field, whether in military and law enforcement situations, competitions or countless rounds at the range. With fully multi-coated optics and the anti-reflective Ultra Wide Band (UWB) coating, the scope has 95 percent light transmission. This results in enhanced clarity, exceptional brightness and true color from dawn to dusk. Built from high-quality forged aluminum alloy, the scope features a robust 34 mm one-piece tube and Argon purging. Elite Tactical riflescopes are 100 percent fog proof, shock proof and waterproof. The permanent, water-resistant finish causes moisture to bead up and scatter less light, giving shooters a clear view when weather conditions present a challenge. The Bushnell Elite Tactical 4.5-30x 50mm XRS is available in a black finish with either the H59 or G2DMR reticle for a suggested retail price of $2,149.99, and in the new flat dark earth finish with the H59, TreMoR2 or G2DMR reticle for $2,199.99. For more information about the Bushnell Elite Tactical series, visit the product section online at www.bushnell.com.

CALDWELL INTRODUCES NEW PRODUCTS

Caldwell is pleased to introduce new AR Transporter Case. Caldwell’s AR Transporter Case is perfect for transporting and storing your AR-15 and separate upper assembly. This padded case is made of heavy duty ballistic fabric for durability and has a comfortable padded shoulder strap and wide carrying handles. The case features a large fully zippered accessories pouch and 6 Hook & Loop top magazine pouches. Caldwell’s AR Transporter Case will hold most configurations of AR-15s up to a full size AR-15 with A2 stock, scope, and 24-inch barrel (overall rifle length 42 inches). Internal attached Hook & Loop straps hold your AR secure during transport. An additional scoped upper assembly can be strapped in as well. Interior open cell foam padding allows you to customize the fit of the case to your AR-15 with just the use of a razor knife. Interior gun cutout accepts scoped rifles up to 42 inches long.

Also new is the Caldwell Brass Trap. Are you tired of spending as much time sifting through grass looking for brass as you do shooting at the range? Look no more with the Caldwell Brass Trap. It is specifically designed to catch the brass in most shooting environments, styles and guns. The Brass Trap quickly assembles to be set on a bench and catch all or your rifle brass or placed on tripod to catch all of your pistol brass. The heat resistant mesh bag design allows wind through so it stays put no matter what. When you are done shooting unzip the zipper for quick brass removal and break it down to store in your range bag. Spend more time shooting and less time looking for brass with the Caldwell Brass Trap. It also prevents hot brass from landing on the shooter or someone next to him as well as keeping brass clean for reloading. The unit includes a carry bag and attaches to any tripod with a 1/4-20 male threaded stud (tripod not included). For more information contact Battenfield Technologies, Inc., 5885 West Van Horn Tavern Road, Columbia, MO 65203. Phone: (877) 509-9160. Website: www.battenfieldtechnologies.com.

The upper receiver is made of 7075 T6 aircraft aluminum and has a forward assist assembly, fired cartridge case deflector and ejection port cover. Top of the rail has a Mil-Std 1913 rail. This is a standard M4-type upper receiver and the charging handle is a standard M4-type charging handle.

Due to the characteristics of the 300 Blackout cartridge a standard M4-type bolt carrier group is used. This particular carrier was a semi-auto only carrier with the sear trip area cut back. The bolt carrier had a properly staked gas key and was finished with the Mil-Spec manganese phosphate finish. The bolt was a standard bolt and the extractor was equipped with a rubber “o” ring that slides over the extractor spring greatly enhancing the extractor force lessening the probability of having the extractor slip off the rim during extraction and ejection.

The lower receiver is also manufactured from 7075-T6 aircraft aluminum. The stock is a standard military style polymer stock with the DoubleStar logo on it. The receiver extension offers six different positions. The rifle used a standard carbine buffer as well. The trigger group is a standard single stage factory trigger. It is this author’s opinion for any combat style rifle this is the optimal type of trigger. This trigger broke at 7 1/4 pounds. The standard A2 style pistol grip was used.

The rifle was provided with one C Products Defense aluminum magazine with an orange anti-tilt follower. This company, formally C Products of Connecticut, was purchased and moved to Florida under new management. The magazines are quite different from the Connecticut made magazines; many improvements have been made to the entire line and some of the magazines have been redesigned entirely. This rifle was test fired with a variety of other magazines including the 3rd generation PMag, Lancer AWM, H&K magazine as well as a standard GI aluminum magazine.

Just in time to test this rifle, a brand new EOTech 300 Blackout optic was received. This optic is designed specifically for the 300 Blackout cartridge. The 300 Blackout model XPS2 1x holographic sight offers two 1 MOA aiming dots that provide precise points of aim throughout the effective range of the round. The 300 Blackout ammunition is offered in both sub and supersonic loads. To switch back and forth, the shooter will need to re-zero but the engraved reticle image on the hood of the sight provides simple reference points. Using the 16 inch barrel of the DoubleStar carbine and a 110 grain supersonic projectile, the top dot of the sight should be zeroed at 100 yards. At this zero distance the second dot will be zeroed at 300 yards. When using the 220 grain subsonic ammunition, the top dot should be zeroed at 50 yards. At this distance the second aiming dot will be zeroed at 250 yards. The sight is powered by a single CR123 battery that will run continuous for 600 hours set on 12. There are 20 different brightness settings of the dots. The intensity is adjustable by pressing the up and down switch on the rear of the sight. To turn the power on, press one of the buttons and to turn off, push both at once. The temperature range of the sight is from -40 to 150°F.

Also just received is the new Otis Technology 300 Blackout cleaning system. Built on their proven “breech to muzzle” cleaning system, this new kit offers every tool necessary to properly maintain a rifle in the new caliber. The kit includes the cable along with chamber brush, bore brush, slotted tip (patch holder) two cleaning picks (for reaching hard to get areas), breech face scraper, nylon all purpose brush, cleaning oil, lens brush, lens cleaner and Q-tips. Additionally, the kit is equipped with a .30 caliber Mongoose brush, which is a bore brush with the top half being a wool mop for quick cleaning in the field. The chamber brush is specifically designed to properly clean the 300 Blackout chamber and barrel extension. All of this fits in a small round package that fits in the palm of your hand. Otis Technology is known to be the premier weapons cleaning system in the world and has been the main cleaning equipment contractor for the U.S. military for many years.

The rifle was test fired with a wide range of 300 Blackout ammunition in both super and subsonic loads. It should be noted that the rifle did not fully cycle with any of the subsonic cartridges. The rifle is designed to have a sound suppressor on when firing this ammunition. When firing this ammunition with a suppressor on, the overpressure conditions caused by the suppressor offer enough chamber and port pressure to cycle the rifle completely. The rifle functioned flawlessly with all of the supersonic ammunition that was fired. The supersonic ammunition included the Barnes 110 grain TAC-TX, Hornady 300 Whisper 110 grain V-Max, Remington UMC 115 grain CTFB and Remington 125 grain AccuTip. For subsonic loads, Remington 300 Blackout 220 grain OTM and Hornady 300 Whisper 208 grain AMAX was used. Groups averaged between 1.5 and 2 inches at 100 yards with the entire variety of ammunition. More than 200 rounds of supersonic ammunition were fired with no malfunctions. Recoil was noticeably more than a 5.56mm but still very easy to control. Quite pleasant considering the recoil of an AK47 firing the comparable 7.62x39mm cartridge. The optic worked just as advertised and if you are dedicating an optic just for the 300 Blackout cartridge the EOTech sight is just what you need.

The 300 Blackout cartridge is certainly here to stay. The cartridge has bridged the gap for those who like the power of the 7.62x39mm cartridge but do not like the AK-type rifle. The DoubleStar rifle is an excellent rifle to fire this cartridge. When using supersonic ammunition, the rifle is reliable and accurate. Keep in mind if you want to fire subsonic ammunition, you will need the sound suppressor to get the rifle to function reliably. The OTIS 300 Blackout cleaning system holds everything needed to properly maintain the rifle. It would be safe to assume there will be more models of this caliber coming out in the future.

Over the years, the Stoner military M16 rifle has evolved into many weapon configurations, more than any of the current military hardware in its class combined. A Personal Defence Weapon (PDW) is a unique breed of weapon that is both fascinating and intriguing. For decades, many of the leading AR weapon producers created countless variations of the AR in compact configurations, primarily of the CQB/SBR genre. This Personal Defence Weapon is smaller than the CQB type and definitely posed more challenge to the weapon engineer who has to extensively re-design the overall mechanics of the gun to create a functional pocket gun out of an AR platform. The main stumbling block in creating a true micro size AR is the recoil spring being housed inside the butt stock. This obstacle, however, was already solved a decade ago by ZM Weapons with their variation of the AR (LR300) featuring a metal folding stock and a shortened bolt carrier incorporating a forward extension that retains the recoil spring assembly, working in tandem with the original direct gas impingement system. The right to manufacture the LR-300 was acquired by Para-USA sometime in 2008 and lasted only for several years, with Para reverting back to making only their 1911 type pistol in 2013. Current AR PDW/CQB type models utilizing a short receiver extension are the Heckler & Koch 416C and Colt Sub Compact Weapon (SCW). H&K’s 416C stock pattern is reminiscent of the vintage M3 SMG dual metal telescoping stock design, while the Colt SCW has a more unique approach by combining a folding to a collapsible stock as a single unit. It is interesting to note that North Eastern Arms Group (NEAG), an AR manufacturer in Canada, also jumped onto the bandwagon in creating their own version of a telescoping style stock that appears to be strikingly similar to that of the H&K design, which they designated as the Compact Carbine Stock (CCS). The CSS stock is sold separately as an option. Ideally, creating a true mini AR-15 PDW would require a light compact folding stock (not telescoping) since you need at least 4 inches of receiver extension for the bolt carrier to recoil past the rear of the receiver. Another interesting recent development of a side folding AR is the Rock River Arms’ piston-driven system (PDS) model. The PDS features an ambidextrous cocking handle that is non- reciprocating. This particular design can be tailored to create a micro AR no longer than 16 inches overall with the stock folded with a six inch barrel. Although the Colt SCW stock design is a folding type in a sense, it still incorporated a receiver extension to accommodate the space required for bolt recoil and spring assembly, therefore; it is more likely that it is only about two inches shorter or less than a standard M4 stock when collapsed, really not much to gain.

The micro AR concept presented here is a PDW weapon system with emphasis on concealment, ergonomics and user friendliness. As a cal. .223 set-up, it can be employed as a very formidable personal defence weapon for undercover operatives, escorts for VIP’s or as a stake out gun for DEA agents. Although the AR platform and its mechanics are very suitable to handle smaller hi-velocity cartridges in the likes of 5.7×28 mm (FN-P90 PDW), 4.6mmx30 (H&K MP7A1 PDW), 6x35mm TSWG (KAC SR-635 PDW), it is best to stay with standard service ammo like the .223 for their accessibility and availability no matter where the mission in the world would be. The shortest .223 AR barrel that is readily available is somewhere between 7 and 7.5 inches and is offered by majority of AR-15 manufacturers. They vary in quality and prices. This also holds true with many brands of AR lower and upper receivers. To achieve the 15-16 inch overall length (stock folded) to fit in a standard size briefcase, a 6 inch barrel is ideal. Obviously, with the barrel being this short, there will be major drawbacks that must be addressed. This will include excessive muzzle blast, noise, flash and loss in velocity. However, this gun is not intended as a long range weapon but a pure close-range PDW. Having closely examined the advantages and disadvantages of the compact stock design features of H&K, Colt and NEAG, I feel that the original ZM Weapon and RRA PDS folding stock ARs still holds the edge when it comes to creating a super compact AR in PDW format in .223 caliber. Ultimately, the piston driven RRA with a 6 inch barrel utilizing an ACE folding mechanism mated to Mission First Tactical Minimalist polymer stock (to keep weight to bare minimum) is definitely as close to what my ideal full bore Micro AR should be. Back in the 70s and 80s, the most sought after battle rifle was not the AR but the M14 or the AK-47. I felt the same way after the M16 had earned a reputation as a jam-a-matic during parts of the Vietnam War. Although I have personally met its creator and almost became a part of ARES legacy, I never did any work on the AR or focused much attention to it, anticipating it would be replaced soon, that even Stoner himself was counting on his new FARC assault rifles as a possible replacement for the M16.

The AR is still here, better, more refined and sophisticated than ever before, thanks to all the gadgets and upgrades it has gone through over the years. As compared to decades ago, designing and building a prototype AR the way one would want it is not only a huge undertaking on the drawing board but a costly one trying to fabricate every part from scratch. Today, you can get virtually anything you need from the internet delivered right to your door step and all you have to do is put them together. If I have to create my ideal AR PDW, it will be extreme in size, really small. It must not exceed 16 inches with the stock folded with a 6 inch barrel. For mechanics, I highly favor the RRA PDS system. It has the AK-47 bolt carrier group working in harmony with the AR trigger group. I also like the ambidextrous side cocking handle that is non- reciprocating but will activate the carrier in the event of a misfire or ejection problem. Now, in order to keep the barrel length within my specs to meet the minimum OAL, the gas block must be made as an integral part of the muzzle device. The DPMS Levang linear compensator system can be incorporated here to address the muzzle blast concern from a very short barrel. This device directs all the noise away from the shooter through its front ports while its large expansion chamber helps control muzzle flip and felt recoil. Of course the choice between opting for the classic or flat top upper in this miniature gun is up to the builder. I choose the classic carry handle type for its originality and nostalgic appeal. Undoubtedly, the flat tops are more versatile with the capability to accommodate more sighting accessories than the vintage type. For the vintage upgrade, the YHM 4-rail mini-lightweight forearm with matching end cap is selected here. It’s well made, has a pretty matching end cap and priced accordingly. It’s perfect for mounting optics, laser, light and foregrip. The choice of BUIS and optics will depend on the operator and the amount of cash he or she is willing to spend.

Obviously, everyone has a different opinion when it comes to dressing up their favorite AR or AK. We all know the market is flooded with accessories when it comes to ARs, with no end in sight. A professional tactical gun builder has to have the vision on how to combine the right accessories for the type of weapon being built in order to be effective to the environment it is going to be deployed and must work in harmony with its operator. Prices of accessories always vary, depending on the maker and the quality of the product. Although many would say, the more expensive the part, the better it is. That is not necessarily true. Having seen and tested countless AR accessories over the years, made by some of the biggest names in the industry, I say there are quality products out there that are as good and less complicated than most of the super expensive weapon attire that are less bulky, lighter and simpler to install. I recently acquired several AR accessories from Mission First Tactical (MFT) after surfing the net trying to find other alternatives to the usual brands currently flooding the market. Needless to say, I am very pleased on how efficient and quick my order has arrived. The styling of MFT’s product line is quite original and distinctly space age in styling. They have heavy input from professional weapon operators from around the world. These superb accessories are designed and made in the USA. The company currently produces a wide array of accessories for the AR and AK. I picked their latest stock, the Minimalist, along with the MFT Engage pistol grip and React Torch Grip (RTG) for combined forward grip and illumination mount to outfit my PDW Extreme.

The Minimalist stock is being touted as the lightest stock in the market, weighing less than 6 ounces. When installed on the gun, you can hardly tell it’s there. The Minimalist is quite strong and can easily take a pounding and hard use. It is made of specially develop re-enforced super tough polyamide from DuPont’s military plastic division. The Minimalist is truly an outstanding design. I am particularly impressed with its simplicity, user-friendliness and fit to the extension tube – no rattle, no wiggle, just a perfect fit. Even the locking pin fits snug to the receiver extension index holes, something I found undersize on other brands causing excessive fore-and-aft play of the stock. This is as good as it will ever get, all without any extra fancy tightening gadget that may or may not work due to poor dimensional tolerance. The downward angle of the butt is so perfect that it works in harmony with the operator in super quick target acquisition once the gun is shouldered. The cheek weld is very comfortable with just the perfect width and angle that resulted in its streamlined format and good looks. Other brands with over-emphasized cheek welds are just too wide, bulky and heavy for my taste. Wide cheek welds sometimes can affect the natural aiming posture of the operator causing neck fatigue and slower reaction time aiming with BUIS. The Minimalist stock is available in both Mil-Spec and commercial sizes. The price of this stock is unbeatable at just $59.95 it’s a winner hands down. For those who prefer built-in compartment on their stocks, you may want to try their Battle Link Utility Stock (BUS).

The MFT AR-15/M16 pistol grip features a finger groove grip design that is complemented by an all-around textured surface with deep large serrations at the back assuring a very positive purchase with wet or gloved hands. Inside the grip is a water tight storage compartment with plug retention for one handed storage access. A customizable storage sled with quick access tab diminishes the rattle. The REACT Torch and vertical grip is another excellent innovation from MFT that really enhances the versatility of this micro AR in those shoot-no-shoot situations that may involve hostages being kept in dark rooms or poorly lit areas. I have tested similar accessories made by other big names in the industry that cost a lot more than the RTG but offer little real advantage. In fact, the RTG feels more comfortable in comparison because it is shaped more like a grip, not excessively long and not round like a post. Its front and back has deep groove textured gripping surface that helps eliminate hand slippage in wet conditions. The RTG can accommodate three sizes of light or laser with a diameter of .750, .825 and 1.000. An additional feature of the RTG included is a push button safety switch to prevent unintentional activation of the light source, a side mounted pressure pad well that allows activation for right handed shooters and a thumb activation switch for wireless operation. The quality and fit of these grips are superb and they fit to the gun and forearm perfectly. For those who prefer a folding type forward grip on their PDW, the Fab Defence FGGK-S is a very suitable alternate. It was developed primarily for the Glock pistol but adapts perfectly in this PDW set up. This two-position foregrip can be instantly transformed from vertical to horizontal with a push of a button.

Now, if I can only magically transform this concept gun into a lead breathing infidel tool to join the long list of Stoner inspired AR miniatures, I am quite sure it will serve well in the right hands. (WARNING: building this type of firearm in the United States will require registration as a Short-Barreled Rifle and payment of the $200 tax.)

For complete MFT product line, visit their website at (www.missionfirsttactical.com). Fab Defence products and other related accessories featured in the article are available from Brownell’s, Inc. (www.Brownells.com). In Canada from Wolverine Supplies (www.wolverinesupplies.com).

Development and Design

Prior to, and in the beginning years of World War II, the British had two primary infantry anti-tank weapons: the Boys anti-tank rifle and the No. 68 anti-tank rifle grenade. Unfortunately, neither proved adequate to the job as advancement in technology brought forth newer and more heavily armored tanks. Outdated by 1940, the .55 caliber Boys was only effective at short ranges against light tanks and armored cars and was totally ineffective against the newer, heavier German tanks. The No. 68 anti-tank rifle grenade was too light to do any significant damage to tanks and was rarely used. These two outdated and ineffective weapons created a large hole in anti-tank warfare for the British and something new was desperately needed.

In the early 1930s, Lt. Col. Latham Valentine Stewart Blacker OBE of the Royal Artillery began work on prototype models of anti-tank weapons. He was intrigued with the idea of a spigot discharger that eliminates a convention barrel and replaces it with a hollow tail unit in the projectile that is placed in a simple tray. A percussion cartridge placed inside the hollow tail is struck by a heavy steel rod called the spigot, upon firing. The detonation of the cartridge blows the projectile from the spigot with the length of its travel along the spigot being sufficient to impart direction. Lt. Col. Blacker received a patent for this work in the early 1930s on a spigot discharged hollow-charge projectile. He continued to work and refine his weapon and in 1937 several prototypes were built by the Parnell Aircraft Company for testing by the British Ordnance Department in 1939. Blacker called this the “Arbalest.” It was, however, rejected in May of that year since the Ministry of Defense deemed the 2-inch mortar a better proposition as a bomb-thrower.

In 1940, Lt. Col. Blacker was reassigned and became involved in MD1 (Ministry of Defense 1) that was concerned with the development of unconventional and unorthodox weapons for clandestine use. In this environment, Lt. Col. Blacker redesigned the Arbalest and resubmitted it as a combined anti-tank and bombardment weapon that, he claimed, had the anti-tank effect of the 2-pounder gun and almost the same range as the 3-inch mortar. Although viewed somewhat skeptically by most of the approving authorities, it was accepted into service in 1941 as the 29mm Spigot Mortar, or the “Blacker Bombard.” It was used extensively by the Home Guard and Airfield Defense units.

Blacker then started work on a smaller, man-portable version that he called the “Baby Bombard.” However, before much work could be done with it, Lt. Col. Blacker was transferred to another post.

The prototype Baby Bombard sat at MD1 where it was eventually taken up by Major M. R. Jefferis (later Major-General Sir Millis Rowland Jefferis, KBE, MC). The 0.625 inch No. 1 “Baby Bombard” (the measurement being the diameter of the spigot) went into field trials in June 1941 before the Ordnance Board. It was not well received with the Ordnance Board reporting, “The Baby Bombard would prove ineffective as an anti-tank weapon under any conceivable conditions of employment.” This assessment was also the opinion of the Director of Artillery and the Assistant to the CIGS (Chief of the Imperial General Staff). The problem wasn’t so much the delivery system of the bomb; it was the ineffectiveness of the hollow charge against armour. It was officially dropped on August 11, 1941.

Major Jefferis continued to work on the Baby Bombard concentrating on increasing the effectiveness of the hollow charge bomb in which he was successful and started to explain the new bomb in February 1942 to his superiors in different departments. The various authorities expressed interest and by mid-March, 1942, pilot models of the PIAT were being made. The trials using the new bomb proved to be successful and the weapon was given final approval on August 31, 1942 and went into production at Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd. (ICI). Eventually, some 15,000 units were produced and saw service from mid-1943 to 1950 with infantry units of Great Britain and the Commonwealth nations. The PIAT was used in all theaters of operation. The first PIAT combat action was with the Canadians during the Allied invasion of Sicily.

The PIAT was a simple, yet crude appearing weapon and was not without its faults. It was heavy and cumbersome. At longer ranges, the bomb’s trajectory became erratic and unreliable. Using it at extremely short ranges to assure a hit on tanks exposed the operators to highly increased danger. Cocking the weapon was extremely difficult due to the large spring. Though the spigot had to be cocked for the first shot, the recoil recocked the weapon automatically provided the firer held the weapon firmly. When fired, the gunner had to hold onto the trigger guard with his left hand pulling the weapon back hard against his shoulder. The trigger was so stiff that it took two fingers to operate and after pulling there was a noticeable pause while the spigot moved forward contacting the discharge cartridge inside the tail of the bomb thus firing the projectile. Unwary recruits tended to loosen their grip at this point, receiving a massive blow on the shoulder as the bomb flew off, and then finding that the spring had not been recocked.

Virtues of the PIAT were that it was man-portable and the hollow-charge bomb proved effective against German armor. It could also be used as a mortar with high or low angle of flight and could be used as a “house-buster.” And, unlike the M9 or M9A1 Bazooka, or the Panzerfaust, it could be fired from an enclosed position such as a room without risk to the firer and others due to there being no back-blast. It was used this way in innumerable street fights.

Characteristics

The Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank (PIAT) is a light, self-cocking, anti-tank weapon and is fired in its primary anti-tank role from the shoulder and projects a bomb that has a considerable armor piercing effect. The chief characteristics of the Projector are its simplicity, mobility, penetration, short range, and limited recoil when used correctly. The weapon is simple in design and construction, being easy to strip and maintain. Loading presents no problems and elaborate training is not required. Mobility is accomplished as a single man-portable weapon that weighs 32 pounds with a length of 39 inches. Penetration of armor plating by the High Explosive (HE) anti-tank round is about 4 inches at 115 yards (110 m) and proved most capable in defeating tanks and other armored vehicles. The short range of the Projector limited its effectiveness on tanks to approximately 100 yards, though when used in its secondary role as a high angle firing weapon against buildings, other light armored vehicles and indirect fire, effective range was 350 yards (320 m). The limited recoil allowed use without discomfort to the firer.

Description

The PIAT Mk. 1 is a spigot-type projector that is fired from the shoulder. Externally, the PIAT consists of a projectile support and guides, spigot guide tube stopper, front support, outer casing, front sling swivels, folding foresight, slings, trigger assembly grip, folding backsight, hand grip, rear sling swivels and shoulder piece with shoulder pad and laced cover.

The projectile support is U-shaped, being open at the top to facilitate loading. At the rear of the projectile support and on the front end of the outer casing are guides for the loading clip, which is to be found on the tail tube of the projectile. These guides ensure the correct location of the tail tube relative to the spigot and hold the projectile in position, preventing the projectile from falling out of the support, until it is fired.

The spigot guide tube stopper is a shaped piece of cork, attached to the projector by a chain, used to plug the hole in the front end of the outer casing through which the spigot passes at the moment of firing. This stopper prevents dust and dirt from getting into the mechanism and can only be used when the spigot is pulled back and the weapon is cocked. It must be removed prior to loading a projectile into the projectile support. The placement and removal of the guide tube stopper is done manually.

The front support is fixed to the outer casing by a hinged metal band and a wing nut. Correct location of the front support is ensured by a pin in the band that fits into a hole in the outer casing as well as guides around the outer casing that the band fits into. The height of the early type front support is not adjustable. The base of the front support is smooth to enable the projector to be traversed easily when engaging a moving target.

The outer casing contains the mechanism. The sights and sling swivels are mounted directly on the outer casing and the front sling swivels are like rifle swivels, and are welded to the outer casing. Two rifle slings are fitted for carrying the weapon.

The foresight is a bead, which folds down into the foresight casing when not in use. It is capable of adjustment both vertically and laterally for zeroing purposes.

The backsight consist of a single leaf with two (later three) apertures, ranging from 50 to 80 to 110 yards respectively. When not in use, it folds down into the backsight casing.

The trigger mechanism casing has a safety catch on the right-hand side. The entire trigger mechanism can be removed for armourer’s attention by unscrewing two bolts and nuts.

A webbing gaiter is laced round the outer casing to provide a grip for the left hand when firing.

The shoulder piece is fitted with a shock absorbing pad and the whole is enclosed in a laced canvas cover.

Internally, the principle parts of the mechanisms are the spigot guide tube, spigot with fixed firing pin, sleeve bolt, main spring, sear, tripping lever, cocking rod and cocking rod tube.

The spigot guide tube is welded to the inside of the outer casing and acts as a guide to ensure the accurate location of the spigot at all points of its travel.

The spigot is a tube with a head of high-grade steel screwed to the front end. This head is machined to form a firing pin. The spigot is rigidly attached at the rear end to the sleeve bolt.

The sleeve bolt weighs 10 pounds and when in the rear position holds the mainspring in compression. On the forward end is screwed a plate which acts as a bent. The whole assembly is free to rotate in the outer casing – this prevents localized wear to the sleeve bolt plate, which might otherwise result through contact with the sear.

The main spring drives the sleeve bolt and spigot assembly forward when the trigger is pressed. The compression of this spring on the return of the spigot reduces the shock of recoil. When new, the length of the spring is 32 inches. If, owing to use, the length is reduced to 26 inches, the spring should be replaced by an armorer.

The sear is controlled by the trigger and holds the spigot and sleeve bolt in the cocked position against the compressed main spring.

The tripping lever forms the link between the trigger and the sear. On firing, the tripping lever is struck by the sleeve bolt and it disengages from the sear leaving the latter free to rise under the influence of its spring.

The cocking rod is screwed to the spigot, and is the means whereby the spigot assembly is drawn back to the cocked position when cocking by hand is necessary.

The rear of the cocking rod guide tube is screwed to the shoulder piece. It is provided with a drilled nut at the front end which engages with the enlarged end of the cocking rod when the shoulder piece is withdrawn to the rear to cock the weapon.

Ammunition

There were four types of ammunition provided: Bomb H.E./A.T.; Bomb, Practice Inert/A.T.; Bomb, Drill/A.T. and Shot, Practice/A.T.

The color of the Bomb, H.E./A.T. (High Explosive/Anti-Tank) is green. There are identification marks on the filling band or RED x-x-x-x. Also, particulars of filling and Lot No., etc., are on the head. The Bomb consists of the fuze which, when fitted, is held in place in the nose of the bomb by a thimble. The body contains the explosive filling. The tail tube contains the cartridge and acts as a gun barrel. The drum tail attaches to the rear of the tail tube. The loading clip is a spring ring that is clipped to the end of the tail tube. This loading clip engages behind the guides on the front end of the weapon outer casing and serves to locate the bomb when in the loaded position.

For transit purposes, the bombs are carried in damp-proof ammunition carriers, each containing three bombs and identified by RED x-x-x-x on each container. The bombs are cartridged on issue, but until required they are unfuzed. The fuze is carried in a fuze container that is clipped to the tail of each bomb, the place of the fuze in the bomb being occupied by a transit piece. The tail tube is closed by a paper dust plug.

The Bomb, Practice Inert/A.T. is colored black and marked INERT in white letters on the body and yellow ring, 1/2 inch wide, round the body. It is similar in form to the HE/AT bomb but the HE filing is replaced by an equivalent weight of inert material and the fuze is replaced by a solid nose piece. This ammunition is cartridged on issue and when fired has the same trajectory as the Bomb, HE/AT. It can only be fired once. The ammunition carrier is identified by a 1/2-inch yellow ring on each container. On no account may it be used for drill purposes.

The Bomb, Drill/A.T. is colored black and has DRILL in white letters on the body. This bomb is similar in form to the Bomb, H.E./A.T., but contains no explosive filling or cartridge. The fuze container holds an inert drill fuze. The tail tube is plugged. This bomb is for drill purposes only and the plug in the tail tube must on no account be removed. The ammunition carrier is identified by each container marked DRILL in white letters.

SHOT, Practice/A.T. is colored white. This practice shot consists of a heavy steel tube screwed into a solid steel head. It is designed for training personnel in the firing of the weapon and be re-cartridged for further use a number of times. The tube is grooved at the rear end for the attachment of a loading clip. Each packing box for this type holds 20 bombs and a cleaning brush. The cartridges and loading clips are issued separately.

There is a special adaptor for the use of SHOT, Practice/A.T. and consists of a shallow steel trough with a hook clip at the front end. At the rear end a slot is cut through which the loading clip and the rear part of the cartridge fall clear. There is a hinged bar across the rear of this slot, and a screw, with a knurled nut for locking purposes, is hinged under the adaptor.

The object of this adaptor is to enable the practice shot to be fired from the projectile support by compensating for the smaller diameter of the shot, compared with the service round, and the absence of a drum tail. It is fitted to the weapon by first swinging the small hinged bar across the adaptor. Then slide the adaptor into the projectile support from the front with the smooth surface uppermost and the hook clip towards the front. When the hook clip has gripped the front of the projectile support, the knurled nut will drop through the cartridge clearing hole and the screw swivel will enter the slot provided. Check that the spring washer is immediately under the knurled nut and tighten this up hard.

Cocking and Uncocking

When the weapon is uncocked, the spigot and firing pin will protrude from the spigot guide tube into the projectile support and the spigot guide tube stopper will not be in position.

Cocking the weapon from the standing position, check that the safety catch lever is in the firing (forward) position and that the sights are down. Stand the weapon vertically on the shoulder piece with the trigger guard on the right. See that the slings are clear of the weapon. Place a foot on each horn of the shoulder piece and, keeping the heels on the ground, grip the shoulder piece under the insteps. Leaning over the weapon and bending the knees outwards, take a firm hold on the trigger guard grip with both hands. Pull the outer casing straight up for about 1/4-inch and then twist it anti-clockwise through 45 degrees. This disengages the rear cap stud from the bayonet slot in the shoulder piece body. Straightening the knees and body in one quick action, pull the outer casing tube up against the pressure of the main spring until the sear is heard to engage. The movement required is about 12 inches. Then move the safety catch lever to the safe (backward) position. Allow the outer casing to descend slowly to the shoulder piece and re-engage the rear cap stud in the bayonet slot of the shoulder piece. Insert the guide tube stopper if the weapon is not to be fired at once.

Upon initial usage, or if the weapon fails to automatically recock, when firing in the prone position, the following method of cocking can be carried out with the least exposure to the firer, who must keep the upper part of his body in contact with the ground throughout. Check that the safety catch lever is in the firing (forward) position and lower the sights. Turn on the right side and draw the weapon down until the shoulder piece is opposite the feet. Then follow the same cocking procedures outlined above.

Uncocking the weapon is to be carried out in the standing position. Remove the spigot guide tube stopper if inserted. Stand the weapon vertically on the shoulder piece and keeping the heels on the ground, grip the shoulder piece under the insteps. Lean over the weapon, grip the trigger guard grip with both hands and pull the outer casing straight up for about 1/4-inch then twist it anti-clockwise through 45 degrees thus disengaging the rear cap stud from the bayonet slot in the shoulder piece body. Pull the outer casing straight up to the end of its free travel, about 12 inches. Move the safety catch lever to the firing (forward position. Gripping the weapon firmly with both hands, pull the trigger with the right thumb and allow the outer casing to descend slowly under control to the shoulder piece under the action of the main spring. Re-engage the rear cap stud in the bayonet slot of the shoulder piece.

Functioning

When cocked, the sleeve bolt and the spigot, to which it is rigidly attached, are held to the rear by the sear; the sleeve bolt holding the main spring in compression. When the trigger is pressed, the sear is lowered releasing the sleeve bolt and spigot that then move forward under the influence of the main spring. The spigot travels along the spigot guide tube. It enters the tail tube of the bomb and the firing pin strikes the cartridge cap, which in turns ignites the propellant charge, thus firing the projectile. The back pressure of the gases drives the rear portion of the cartridge against the firing pin and this checks the forward movement of the spigot and sleeve bolt and then returns them to the cocked position compressing the main spring.

The initial forward movement of the sleeve bolt depresses the tripping lever and disengages the sear from the trigger. The sear is thus left free to rise under the influence of its spring, whenever the sleeve bolt returns to the cocked position.

Loading

The Bomb, H.E./A.T. is issued with the cartridge in position. To fuze the bomb, detach the fuze container from the bomb tail, extract the fuze and retain the fuze container. Remove the thimble from the bomb nose by pressing it towards the back of the bomb and turning it anti-clockwise. Remove the transit plug and place it in the fuze container for use if the bomb has later to be unfuzed. Insert the fuze with the sharp nose pointing towards the front. Place the thimble over the fuze and lock it into position by turning it clockwise until home. To prepare the bomb for loading, remove the dust plug from the tail tube.

Loading consists of three specific actions normally carried out by a No. 2. He will generally load from the left of the weapon with the right hand, but must be able to carry out the three actions with either hand. The first action is to grip the tail tube and drum tail lightly in the hand with the bomb head pointing forward and downward. Place the head of the bomb in the center of the projectile support and push the nose of the bomb under the front ring of the support. The second action is to slide the bomb forward until the tail can be lowered. Keeping the loading clip against the front end cap of the weapon, engage it behind the two guide plates. The third and final action is to release the grip on the bomb, press it down with the flat of the hand until the drum tail rests in the projectile support thus bringing the tail tube in line with the spigot guide tube and in position for the spigot to enter making sure that the loading clip is behind the guide plates and the drum tail is fully down.

Firing

The sights are a bead foresight and a leaf backsight with three apertures ranging from 50 to 110 yards. Although the weapon is fired from the shoulder, the action that takes place in the weapon on firing is very different from that of a rifle or machine gun. When the trigger action has released the spigot, a total weight of about 12 pounds travels forward for 1/10th of a second before the round is fired. The backward thrust on the shoulder is increased and the balance of the weapon changes slightly. The aim has to be kept steady against these effects that require a firm grip and some practice.

There are two basic means of firing: standing from a slit trench or lying prone from a shallow trench.

Modifications

The PIAT was modified in 1944 so that the weapon could be used in a secondary role for high angle firing, much like a mortar. The modifications were a telescopic front monopod that was fitted in place of the original static monopod. A straight shoulder piece replaced the original curved pattern and the quadrant sight, affixed to the rear sight casing, was graduated for ranges from 100 yards to 370 yards, high and low angle, was fitted.

The second model front monopod consists of an inner and outer tube with a lever fitted to the left hand side of the outer tube engaging one of a series of serrations in the wall of the inner tube under the action of a spring. By pressing in the lever and raising or lowering the weapon, the height of the front monopod may be varied as required. The monopod is clamped to the outer casing of the weapon by similar means to those used in the original Mk. I model and the square metal base is also identical with the original base.

The shoulder piece was modified by being straightened and an additional hole was drilled in the rear end cap. The shoulder piece could then be rotated anti-clockwise through 90 degrees into a horizontal position and locked in this position by the rear cap retainer thus providing a more solid “footing” when braced on the ground. When fired from the shoulder at close-range targets, the shoulder piece is in a vertical position to be placed against the shoulder for support.

The quadrant sight comprised a plate calibrated in yards from 100 to 370 and fitted with a leveling bubble. The quadrant sight is fitted to the rear sight casing by means of a lengthened rear sight leaf axis screws. It is free to rotate through 90 degrees and can be clamped in the required position by means of a knurled nub and spring washer.

A white line is marked on the rear sight casing at right angles to the major axis of the weapon. When the low angle zero line of the quadrant sight is coincident with the white line and the weapon horizontal, the bubble of the sprit level is centrally disposed.

These modifications allowed the PIAT to be used as a crude mortar by placing the rotated shoulder piece on the ground and the front of the weapon elevated by the adjustable monopod. This allowed the PIAT to be used at greater distances, up to 350 yards (320 m), in “house-braking” roles with a high arching trajectory to particularly knock out buildings, houses, and bunkers used by the enemy.

Victoria Crosses

The PIAT figured in a number of immediate combat actions that resulted in six Victoria Crosses being awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces, four of which are highlighted below.

Fusilier Frank Arthur Jefferson

In repelling a German counterattack against his unit along a section of the Gustav Line during the Italian Campaign on May 16, 1944, Fusilier Frank Jefferson destroyed a Panzer IV tank using a PIAT The account is taken up from a supplement of The London Gazette, 13 July 1944: The KING has been graciously pleased to approve award of the VICTORIA CROSS to: No. 3663590 Fusilier Francis Arthur Jefferson, The Lancashire Fusiliers (Ulverston, Lancs.). On 16th May, 1944, during an attack on the Gustav Line, an anti-tank obstacle held up some of our tanks, leaving the leading Company of Fusilier Jefferson’s Battalion to dig in on the hill without tanks or anti-tank guns. The enemy counter-attacked with infantry and two Mark IV tanks, which opened fire at short range causing a number of casualties, and eliminating one PIAT group entirely. As the tanks advanced towards the partially dug trenches, Fusilier Jefferson, entirely on his own initiative, seized a PIAT and running forward alone under heavy fire, took up a position behind a hedge; as he could not see properly, he came into the open, and standing up under a hail of bullets, fired at the leading tank which was now only twenty yards away. It burst into flames and all the crew were killed. Fusilier Jefferson then reloaded the PIAT and proceeded towards the second tank, which withdrew before he could get within range. By this time our own tanks had arrived and the enemy counter-attack was smashed with heavy casualties. Fusilier Jefferson’s gallant act not merely saved the lives of his Company and caused many casualties to the Germans, but also broke up the enemy counter-attack and had a decisive effect on the subsequent operation. His supreme gallantry and disregard of personal risk contributed very largely to the success of the action.

Rifleman Ganju Lama

In an area of Burma, Indian Army Rifleman Ganju Lama on June 12, 1944, knocked out several Japanese tanks using a PIAT advancing on his unit’s position that prevented his unit from advancing. The account is taken up from a supplement of The London Gazette, 7 September, 1944: The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the VICTORIA CROSS to: No. 78763 Rifleman Ganju Lama, 7th Gurkha Rifles, Indian Army. In Burma, on the morning of the 12th June, 1944, the enemy put down an intense artillery barrage lasting an hour on our positions north of the village of Ningthoukhong. This heavy artillery fire knocked out several bunkers and caused heavy casualties, and was immediately followed by a very strong enemy attack supported by five medium tanks. After fierce hand to hand fighting, the perimeter was driven in- in one place and enemy infantry, supported by three medium tanks, broke through, pinning our troops to the ground with intense fire. “B” Company, 7th Gurkha Rifles, was ordered to counter-attack and restore the situation. Shortly after passing the starting line it came under heavy enemy medium machine gun and tank machine gun fire at point blank range, which covered all lines of approach. Rifleman Ganju Lama, the No. 1 of the PIAT gun, on his own initiative, with great coolness and complete disregard for his own safety, crawled forward and engaged the tanks single handed. In spite of a broken left wrist and two other wounds, one in his right hand and one in his leg, caused by withering cross fire concentrated upon him, Rifleman Ganju Lama succeeded in bringing his gun into action within thirty yards of the enemy tanks and knocked out first one and then another, the third tank being destroyed by an anti-tank gun. In spite of his serious wounds, he then moved forward and engaged with grenades the tank crews, who now attempted to escape. Not until he had killed or wounded them all, thus enabling his company to push forward, did he allow himself to be taken back to the Regimental Aid Post to have his wounds dressed. Throughout this action Rifleman Ganju Lama, although very seriously wounded, showed a complete disregard for his own personal safety, outstanding devotion to duty and a determination to destroy the enemy which was an example and an inspiration to all ranks. It was solely due to his prompt action and brave conduct that a most critical situation was averted, all positions regained and very heavy casualties inflicted on the enemy.

Major Robert Henry Cain

During the Battle of Arnhem in September, 1944, with a German Tiger tank advancing on his company’s position, a PIAT was used by Major Robert Henry Cain to disable the tank. In a later assault by three German Panzer IV tanks, Major Cain again effectively used the PIAT causing the tanks to retreat. The account is taken up from a supplement of The London Gazette, 31 October 1944: The KING has been graciously pleased to approve award of the VICTORIA CROSS to: Captain (temporary Major) Robert Henry Cain (129484), The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, (attd. The South Staffordshire Regiment) (I Airborne Division) (Salcombe, Devon). In Holland on 19th September, 1944, Major Cain was commanding a rifle company of the South Staffordshire Regiment during the battle of Arnhem when his company was cut off from the rest of the battalion and during the next six days was closely engaged with enemy tanks, self-propelled guns and infantry. The Germans made repeated attempts to break into the company position by infiltration and had they succeeded in doing so the whole situation of the Airborne Troops would have been jeopardized. Major Cain, by his outstanding devotion to duty and remarkable powers of leadership, was to a large extent personally responsible for saving a vital sector from falling into the hands of the enemy. On 20th September a Tiger tank approached the area held by his company and Major Cain went out alone to deal with it armed with a PIAT. Taking up a position he held his fire until the tank was only 20 yards away when he opened up. The tank immediately halted and turned its guns on him, shooting away a corner of the house near where this officer was lying. Although wounded by machine gun bullets and falling masonry, Major Cain continued firing until he had scored several direct hits, immobilized the tank and supervised the bringing up of a 75mm howitzer which completely destroyed it. Only then would he consent to have his wounds dressed. The next morning this officer drove off three more tanks by the fearless use of his PIAT, on each occasion leaving cover and taking up position in open ground with complete disregard for his personal safety. During the following days, Major Cain was everywhere where danger threatened, moving amongst his men and encouraging them by his fearless example to hold out. He refused rest and medical attention in spite of the fact that his hearing had been seriously impaired because of a perforated eardrum and he was suffering from multiple wounds. On the 25th September the enemy made a concerted attack on Major Cain’s position, using self-propelled guns, flame throwers and infantry. By this time the last PIAT had been put out of action and Major Cain was armed with only a light 2” mortar. However, by a skillful use of this weapon and his daring leadership of the few men still under his command, he completely demoralized the enemy who, after an engagement lasting more than three hours, withdrew in disorder. Throughout the whole course of the Battle of Arnhem, Major Cain showed superb gallantry. His powers of endurance and leadership were the admiration of all his fellow officers and stories of his valour were being constantly exchanged amongst the troops. His coolness and courage under incessant fire could not be surpassed.

Private Ernest Alvia (“Smokey”) Smith

In action that helped secure a bridgehead on the Savio River in Italy the night of October 21-22, 1944, Canadian Army Private Ernest Alvia (“Smokey”) Smith destroyed a German Mark V Panther tank using a PIAT and assisted in disabling two self-propelled guns that were attacking his small group and then, using a Thompson submachine gun, killed or repelled attacks by about 30 enemy infantry support troops. The account is taken up from a supplement of The London Gazette, 19 December 1944: The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the VICTORIA CROSS to: No. K 52880 Private Ernest Alvia Smith, The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada. In Italy on the night of 21st/22nd October, 1944, a Canadian Infantry Brigade was ordered to establish a bridgehead across the Savio River. The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada were selected as the spearhead of the attack and in weather most unfavourable to the operation they crossed the river and captured their objectives in spite of strong opposition from the enemy. Torrential rain had caused the Savio River to rise six feet in five hours and as the soft vertical banks made it impossible to bridge the river, no tanks or anti-tank guns could be taken across the raging stream to the support of the rifle companies. As the right forward company was consolidating its objective it was suddenly counter-attacked by a troop of three Mark V Panther tanks supported by two self-propelled guns and about thirty infantry and the situation appeared almost hopeless. Under heavy fire from the approaching enemy tanks, Private Smith, showing great initiative and inspiring leadership, led his PIAT Group of two men across an open field to a position from which the PIAT could best be employed. Leaving one man on the weapon, Private Smith crossed the road with a companion, and obtained another PIAT. Almost immediately an enemy tank came down the road firing its machine guns along the line of the ditches. Private Smith’s comrade was wounded. At a range of thirty feet and having to expose himself to the full view of the enemy, Private Smith fired the PIAT and hit the tank, putting it out of action. Ten German infantry immediately jumped off the back of the tank and charged him with Schmeissers and grenades. Without hesitation Private Smith moved out onto the road and with his Tommy gun at point blank range, killed four Germans and drove the remainder back. Almost immediately another tank opened fire and more enemy infantry closed in on Smith’s position. Obtaining some abandoned Tommy gun magazines from a ditch, he steadfastly held his position, protecting his comrade and fighting the enemy with his Tommy gun until they finally gave up and withdrew in disorder. One tank and both self-propelled guns had been destroyed by this time, but yet another tank swept the area with fire from a longer range. Private Smith, still showing utter contempt for enemy fire, helped his wounded friend to cover and obtained medical aid for him behind a nearby building. He then returned to his position beside the road to await the possibility of a further enemy attack. No further immediate attack developed and as a result the battalion was able to consolidate the bridgehead position so vital to the success of the whole operation, which led to the eventual capture of San Giorgio Di Cesena and a further advance to the Ronco River. Thus, by the dogged determination, outstanding devotion to duty and superb gallantry of this private soldier, his comrades were so inspired that the bridgehead was held firm against all enemy attacks, pending the arrival of tanks and anti-tank guns some hours later.

(Technical information taken from the British manuals Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank Mk. 1; Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank Mk. 1, Supplement No. 1, 1944; and Small Arms Training Volume 1, Pamphlet No. 24, Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank (PIAT) 1943 (Provisional). (Courtesy Royal Armouries, Leeds and private collection)

In the fall of 1941, an adaptation of the Winchester Model 94 rifle in .30-30 Winchester caliber was considered. 2-300 rifles were available in England already and could be easily equipped with Cochrane Barnett night sights and Parker Hale would be called upon to produce Maxim silencers for the lever action rifles. Handloaded ammunition would be necessary to achieve subsonic velocities. Shortly thereafter it was suggested to equip a number of Martini Henry carbines in .577/450 caliber with silencers and smokeless powdered ammunition. A small number of Luger pistols were equipped with Parker Hale-type silencers, and while some examples are extant, it is not known today whether they were issued or not.

Silenced submachine guns became a demand from both the SOE and the regular army. With the introduction of the Mark II Sten with its easily detachable barrel and shroud, it was inevitable that a silencing unit would be developed for it. The first tests were held during the summer of 1942 when a number of silenced Sten guns and Thompsons were tested. The tests were rather optimistic and involved the reduction of sound and flash signatures, precision at 200 meters and penetration at 300 meters. The Sten silencers were made by Enfield, while the Thompson units were made by J. Armstrong & Co.

The silenced submachine guns were designated Special Sten and Special Thompson and the Sten was most favorably received. Both of the Thompson silencers used in the test burst during firing while the Sten silencers were still operable after the test was finished. The nomenclature “Special Sten” was decided on for official use.

Unfortunately, we have no photographs showing the various prototypes of the Sten silencers except for a couple of surviving examples in the former MOD Pattern Room collection, which is now part of the National Firearms Centre in Leeds, UK. The surviving prototypes have silencers that are 22 inches long and would make the weapons clumsy for handling in combat. They feature a lightened bolt that was necessary in order to make them function as their ventilated barrels would reduce the power of the ammunition. It is likely that this silencing unit is the one reported to have been designed by the Polish lieutenant Kulikowski for the SOE. A surviving Thompson with silencer also resides in the same collection.

It is apparent that the SOE distributed small series of silenced Sten guns to the agents and resistance forces while the testing was still going on in England and no model had been approved for official use. In September 1942, a batch of 110 silenced Stens were delivered to the SOE. The distinctive rattling sound of the bolt of the silenced Sten was a concern for the British and several steps were taken to try to muffle this sound without any success. The bronze bolt has been rumored to have been introduced for the purpose of eliminating the steel “clank” of the bolt in the silenced Sten. It must be noted that the bronze bolts had nothing to do with the silencers. Bronze was simply an available material that could be used to make bolts in quantity with reduced machining costs.

More than one organization was involved in designing silenced versions of the Sten. The regular army had its eyes on this project as well and The Small Arms Group of the Ministry of Supply Armaments Design Corporation was responsible for designing what became the Sten MkII(S). The SOE were in more of a hurry than the army and a number of silencers were tested during the development.

Further tests were carried out in October and November of 1942 with silencers designed by the C.S.A.D. (Chief Superintendent of Armament Design), who appears to have been the one developing the silencing units for the army, and C.I.S.A. (Chief Inspector Small Arms) design department who appears to have developed the SOE silencing units. A host of various silencers were tested, but again there are no surviving illustrations explaining the differences or showing the various models that we have been able to find so far. At this point it was decided to abandon all tests with silencers for Thompsons and go further with only the Sten gun silencers. It was also decided to try to make one Sten gun silencer that would combine the best features of the prototypes and would be easy to manufacture. This turned out to not be the final result.

In Norway a number of silenced Sten Mk.II have been observed with what appears to be a shorter version of the 22-inch long prototype mentioned above. As several reports refer to shortened Kulikowski silencing units, it is possible that this silencing unit, described below as the first production model, is indeed a “shortened Kulikowski.” Most of the silencing units in Norway appear to have their origin from the resistance forces and the SOE.

In January 1943 yet another batch of silencers were completed. Hand guards made of webbing material to protect the operators hands from getting burned were also ordered to place around the asbestos string wrapped around the silencers. During the same time tests were carried out with the short and compact Welgun and Sten Mk.IV submachine guns, some of which were also silenced. It was quickly decided that it would be desirable to stay away from adopting new designs into the service if it could be avoided and only a few specimens were produced of these models.

Throughout 1943 the testing continued and small batches of silenced “Special” Stens were also shipped off and used in various operations in Europe. It appears that a model from C.E.A.D. (Chief Engineer Armament Design) was chosen as the official Sten silencer for the British army. Experiments with lighter bolts and shortened recoil springs had been undertaken.

On January 31, 1944, the designation Sten 9mm Machine Carbine Mk.II(S) was used for the first time. At the same time it was decided to stop using the nomenclature Special Sten and refer to the weapons as Mk.II(S) instead.

In July 1944, a letter was sent from the Director of Infantry to the Director of Artillery, Small Arms regarding the use of two similar silencing units for Sten guns and the fact that “Attachment no.6, Sten Machine Carbine, Mark 1, design E.S.6(W.D.)” was not approved for use by the British army, but still found in army stores. The E.S.6(W.D.), (Experimental Station 6, (War Department)) silencing unit was made for use by the SOE agents and E.S.6(W.D.) was a cover name for SOE Station XII.

No reason has been found for the SOE procurement of different silencing units than the one adopted by the army. SOE participated in the developments and it seems strange that they would make their own models, but all three models exist in numbers. The only reason was, as mentioned above, that the SOE were in such a hurry that they were not prepared to wait for the final decision by the army. The use of the army silencing unit was discontinued in March 1945 and all further manufacture would be of the E.S.6(W.D.) model.

One of the challenges found with silencing the Sten guns was the recurring double taps or even runaway guns because the silencing units reduced the power of the ammunition so much that the bolt did not go far enough to the rear to get caught by the sear. This was also a problem with the regular Sten guns.

The British 9mm ammunition was the Mk.Iz, adopted in December 1941, using a 115 grain bullet at 1,200 fps. This ammunition turned out to be a little weak for the Sten gun, so a new cartridge was adopted in September 1943, the Mk.IIz, which used the same 115 grain bullet and a muzzle velocity of 1,300 fps. The introduction of the Mk.IIz loading cured some of the reliability issues, but made silencing more difficult. The silenced Sten guns were never intended for automatic fire, only for single shots. The guns retained their fully automatic capability to be saved for instances where it was necessary to use full auto fire to save lives or to secure the task at hand, but it was stressed that this would quickly ruin the silencing capability.

In design, the Sten gun is intended to have the primer set off by the firing pin when the cartridge stops against the chamber shoulder, but before the bolt stops its movement forward. In this design, some of the chamber pressure is used to stop the forward motion of the bolt. With the ventilated barrels of the early silenced versions, a lightened bolt and recoil spring had to be used in order to make the guns work. The E.S.6(W.D.) SOE design utilized a deeper chamber where the bolt would make contact with the breech end of the barrel before the cartridge was fired, so the chamber pressure in full could be used to work the bolt to the rear. This design allowed the use of a standard bolt and recoil spring in the silenced Sten and a theoretical use of the silencing unit in any Sten Mk.II available. In practice the SOE silencing units also had reliability issues.

Three main types of Special Sten/Sten Mk.II(S) have been observed in quantity as follows:

First production model silencing units are found on B.S.A. manufactured guns with B prefix in serial number series B 341000, B 360000 and B 363000. The silencing units are two inches in diameter and are not equipped with any web handguards. The insulation is integrated in the silencer between the inner and outer tubes of the silencer. All the weapons observed have had the letter “S” stamped on the bottom of the magazine housing. These Sten guns are typically marked STFN instead of STEN, indicating a worn die used for marking the guns.

The silencer has a number of metal discs in front of the 7.2 inch barrel, which is ventilated with 6 bleed holes. A thick rubber disc is placed at the muzzle of the silencing unit to stop the powder gases from escaping. The effect of the silencing unit decreases as the rubber disc wears out. A number of silencing units have been observed with light bullet strikes at the muzzle, possibly caused by firing in recent times after the rubber had hardened thus diverting the bullets.

The silencing units are serial numbered and observations have been made in a range from 1-3400. It is not possible to say if as many as 3,400 were made but the observed numbers from 1-1500 have been so many that it’s quite possible that this range was filled. A number of these weapons were also equipped with night sights. Guns with night sights had the silencing unit permanently attached to the submachine gun. Most of the observed silencing units with night sights were in the 1-350 serial number range with one exception around serial number 3400. This model appears to have only been used by SOE agents. As mentioned above, these silencing units are possibly the shortened Kulikowski silencing units mentioned in the reports.

Second production model silencing units are found on guns with Serial numbers with TF prefix and a one and a half inch diameter silencing unit with asbestos string as insulation covered by a web handguard. These silencing units have a large threaded front cap in the muzzle that may be unscrewed for disassembly and cleaning. Instead of the metal discs, this silencing unit used a series of baffles stacked in front of the barrel and held in place by the muzzle cap. A felt disc was positioned inside the muzzle cap to help in sealing off the gases inside the silencing unit. The barrel is 3.62 inches long and has 10 bleed holes. The guns and silencing units are numbered to each other and the bolts appear to have been lightened on all the specimens observed. The guns are marked STEN MkIIS and are textbook examples of the official British army Sten MkII(S) as described in books and manuals.

Third production model silencing units are found on Fazakerley manufactured guns with FP prefix on the serial numbers. This silencing unit also has a one and a half inch diameter tube but it is quite different from the previous model. The silencing unit has a collar about one third from the rear where it can be taken apart. Internally it has the same disc pattern as the first production model mentioned above, but it has a number of thin mesh discs in each end of the set of discs. The length of the barrel is 4.75 inches and it has 6 bleed holes. These silencing units were developed by E.S.6(W.D.) and used by the SOE. It appears that this silencing unit is a direct successor of the two inch diameter type. The guns and silencing units are numbered to each other and the serial number on the silencing unit will be found on the side of the tube in front of the web handguard. The insulation is provided by asbestos string, but on this silencer it is covered by insulating tape. The Sten guns do not have any special markings on the magazine housing. As mentioned above, the silencing units are visually very close to the Army Sten Mk.II(S) type and were named “Attachment no.6, Sten Machine Carbine, Mark 1, design E.S.6(W.D.).”

Although far from identical, all the known variations of the Sten gun silencing units have been made on a similar pattern. The silencing unit has a total length of 13-14 inches and a diameter of 1.5 to 2 inches. The barrel is fixed to the silencing unit, which replaces the barrel and shroud of a regular Sten Mk II. The silencing units of the first and second production model were specifically mated to their Sten guns and were not intended to be used on other guns. The third production model was also numbered to the guns but the intention was that it could be used on any Sten Mk.II.

The quantities made of the various models of the Sten gun silencing units are very difficult to make estimates on. As mentioned, the first production model will be found with numbers between 1-3400, but it’s quite possible that only blocks of serial numbers were used. The second production model, the textbook STEN MkII(S), is reported to have been made in quantities of 2,500-6,000. The third production model is just as vague as neither the first nor the third model are often encountered outside Norway where they were sent by the SOE. It is probably safe to assume that the total number of silenced Mk.II Sten guns lie somewhere between five and ten thousand guns total.

During the research for this article more than one hundred silencing units were examined. Many of them were specimens that had been separated from their original weapon, but quite a few matching sets were also found. As the silencing unit easily disassembles from its Sten host, many of them have become lost souls over the years.

The barrels are short and ventilated to reduce the muzzle velocity to approximately the speed of sound to make the sound reduction more successful. Silenced Sten guns may not be as quiet as today’s MP5SD and other special weapons but they offered a significant reduction in sound signature and did away with the muzzle flash. Norwegian Resistance fighters used silenced Stens with great success in several documented killings of Nazi collaborators.

In Norway, the author’s native country, the textbook Sten Mk.II(S) by far the scarcest of the three main models and is very seldom encountered. This indicates that most of the silenced Sten guns in Norway were delivered by the SOE and not through the British Army.

A small number of Sten Mk.V submachine guns were also equipped with silencing units for trials. Silencing the Mk.V was complicated by the fact that it had the front sight on the barrel. A special clamp with a front sight was made for the Mk.V(S). The Mk.V(S) used the Mk.II(S) silencer and lightened bolt, but was not adopted. Instead it was decided to use the E.S.6(W.D.) units described above with the Sten Mk. V. A total of 50 guns were used in trials equipped with this silencer and the SOE method of deepened chamber appeared to work.

The last official Sten gun was the Sten Mk.VI, which was the Sten Mk.V with an E.S.6(W.D.) silencing unit attached and a front sight similar to the one on the Mk.II Sten. The Sten Mk.VI was first mentioned in a letter dated January 1945. It seems likely that this silencing unit is the “Attachment no.6, Sten Machine Carbine, Mark 2, design E.S.6(W.D.).” The silencing unit for the Sten Mk.VI is very close to the E.S.6(W.D.) unit for the Sten Mk.II except for minor details, the barrel is easily removable on the Mk.VI silencing unit. The serial number markings are found on the front end of silencing unit for the Sten Mk.VI, and match the guns they were issued with.

The Mark V and VI Sten guns had the sear positioned a bit further to the front than the Mk.II, so the problem of double taps or runaway guns was theoretically eliminated. In spite of this, these faults remained also with the Mk.VI. The Winchester ammunition had primers that were more sensitive than the ones used with the Mk.IIz ammunition. This resulted in the primer being ignited earlier and the weapon worked the same as any other Sten, with the recoiling case spending its energy to stop the bolt from going forward.

A large number of Sten Mk.VI appears to have been made, possibly as many as 25,000 guns according to some sources, but it seems that the production was stopped at 14,300 as the weapon proved unsatisfactory. 80% of the guns were issued to the SOE and 20% to the army.

Correspondence dated June 1945 indicates that the Mk.VI Sten was not successful and that most of them were never issued to the troops. Troubleshooting and altering of the bleed holes had been tried but the results were still not satisfactory. As the war was coming to an end it appears that the British army decided it would make do with the Sten Mk.II(S) guns that were already in stock.

The Sten Mk.VI was declared obsolete as early as January 1946. Most of the Mk VI Sten guns were first decided to be converted back to Mk V configuration due to a lack of Sten guns in the British army in late 1945. It appears that the end of the war made this work unnecessary and it also appears that there was some reluctance to get into a work operation that could warrant another “mark” of Stens. Some silenced Stens of both MkII and Mk.VI types remained in use and were finally replaced by the Sterling L34A1. It is unknown today whether the Mk VI were scrapped for parts or supplied to unknown users, but it is a weapon that is seldom encountered.

After World War Two a number of “Stay Behind” organizations were formed in many European countries. These organizations were part of the countries’ secret service operations and were not known to the general public. The Stay Behind units were small but had access to a number of weapons and equipment that could be brought into service in the case of an attack from the Soviets. After the Cold War most of the units were disbanded and the equipment turned over to the military authorities that had supplied them. In Norway, the Stay Behind units had silenced Sten guns in their stores, mostly Mk.VI guns but also a good supply of locally made silencing units. The silencing units were made by Stay Behind armorer Bjørn Grøtting, and were rather crude in their appearance although quite effective. The Stay Behind silencing units were not made to be disassembled.

(Thank you: Askild Antonsen, Gjermund Fjeld, The Norwegian Armed Forces Museum, Oslo, Norway. Royal Armouries, Leeds, Dutch Army Museum, Delft, Hallvard Aasdalen, Morten Støen and a special thank you to Per Ove Bø, Richard D. Jones, Ian Patrick, all of whom greatly assisted in the research of this article.)

Rules and Regulations

Amazingly, there really aren’t any. If it uses separate ammunition and loads from the front you can build, buy, or own most anything you want without so much as a nod to the federal government. Coehorn mortars, Parrot rifles, and Napoleon howitzers – the world is your playground, go wild. Without all-encompassing government regulation how is it that we are not simply awash in cannon-related crime? Indeed, I suppose some things are simply imponderable.

Interestingly, it does not cost a great deal to get into miniature artillery so long as you are handy in a workshop. The same money that might get you a low-end black rifle would set you up with everything you need to add a truly respectable black powder cannon to your collection. The modest version profiled here cost less than half that.

We selected a 1/3-scale Napoleon howitzer. The originals sported a three-inch bore so ours is an inch exactly. That is the equivalent of a 4-gauge shotgun. This yields a size and footprint small enough to be manhandled readily without a team of horses yet still sports enough boom to put a little hair on your chest.

Now a bit of explanation is in order. This project really is within the capabilities of the average American handyman in possession of a back porch, an electric drill, and a few basic carpentry tools. The components are available at very reasonable cost from the internet and Home Depot and the resulting artillery piece will add a definitive flair to any decent gun collection. If properly executed, the resulting gun and carriage are quite attractive and your spouse may even let you display it as décor in the living room – maybe.

Components

The barrel is the hard part. Everything else you build yourself. A little internet research uncovered a howitzer barrel of the appropriate dimensions. There are sizes and configurations available for any budget ranging from those that launch little musket balls all the way up to the full-scale Civil War-era real steel. The barrel liner in our example is high quality steel nested within a sand-cast iron casing. The fuse hole must be drilled by the user but the barrel is otherwise ready to go out of the box.

Our cannon was a home-school project and it took a day at a local military park to draw and dimension the carriage from the static display versions at the Vicksburg, Mississippi, battlefield. The American South is dotted with these parks but if you do not live near one the internet will provide whatever pictures or schematics you might need. Don’t fret too much about the details. Just make it really stout.

The wagon wheels used on this artillery carriage would be a bit tedious to build from scratch so a pair of decorative wheels from Harbor Freight Tools provided a starting point. These wheels are available online and are dirt cheap. The downside is that they are subsequently fairly flimsy. The wheels are designed as garden decorations and are not intended for hard use. However, after firing this cannon regularly for fifteen years these cheap decorative wheels are still soldiering along. We did form rims for the wheels out of aluminum stock to make them a bit more robust.

The lumber for the carriage itself came from Home Depot. The center piece to the trail began life as a 4×4 fence post. Figure out what you want and design it from scratch. That is half the fun. If the artillery carriage with its wagon wheels and elevation device seem too onerous just build a naval carriage. This design uses the same gun tube but incorporates small solid wooden wheels and can be fabricated by stacking two-by-fours in place. It is little more than a chunky box. If having fun on the range overwhelms your desire for historical accuracy just forget the wheels altogether.

Details

The elevation device began life as a hefty machine screw and a nut secured in the carriage. This is not really necessary, some naval carriages just used a wooden wedge, but it is cool to be able to dial-in your shots. The bore mop is at its heart a cleaning attachment designed for a 10-gauge shotgun mounted on a dowel. A homebuilt ramrod had a similar genesis. Large bore eyebolts mount both attachments on the carriage.

A steel rod serves as an axle and clevis pins allow the wheels to be removed for transportation in an SUV. A little time with a hammer and some small-caliber steel bar stock beats out the rest of the appliqué accessories for the carriage. The internet will provide pictures of the originals.

Drilling the fuse hole is painless with a hand drill just be careful to get it aligned properly. Measure the depth of the bore with a dowel or cleaning rod to set the position of the hole along the tube’s length. If desired the gun can be fired with nothing more than waterproof cannon fuse available in rolls online. For a little extra bit of coolness we designed a lanyard system that uses musket caps.

Thread the hole with a hand tap to accept a standard musket nipple. The tap is maybe three bucks from the local hardware store and anyone can use it. The nipple seats in place and accepts Civil War-era musket caps. An old belt and some scrap steel form a little housing with a manual hammer that pivots on a machine screw. A little work with a Dremel tool produces a groove for the lanyard cord that applies enough mechanical advantage to detonate the cap. It is easier to build than to describe and works swimmingly though the lanyard must be snatched with some vigor to detonate the cap consistently.

There are a few aspects of the design that are critical for safety. The recoil on this gun with a full charge is impressive so the carriage itself needs to be robust. Drill and glue dowels across the grain on all load-bearing portions and use long lag bolts to secure the mounting straps over the trunnions. The mounting straps are built from light gauge steel stock beaten into the right shape with a ball peen hammer.

The finish is at the discretion of the builder. Deep walnut stain makes the carriage look classy and some decent spray paint designed for barbecue grills has kept the tube rust free for more than a decade and a half. Now that the carriage is complete and the priming system in place it is time to retire to the range.

Turning Black Powder into Air Pollution

The barrel manufacturer will provide recommended black powder loads. Never use modern nitrocellulose powders unless you crave a fast and gory death. Black powder is a fairly slow-burning propellant and modern gunpowder would result in unacceptable pressures that can rupture the barrel. Pack your powder charges in paper or foil and secure them with thread or tape in advance. Use a piece of wire to puncture the charge through the flash hole to provide an unimpeded path between the cap and the propellant. Track down or build a couple of simple wooden boxes with rope handles for your ammunition and firing supplies to complete the effect.

As regards projectiles let your imagination run wild. Molds for cannonball fishing sinkers are available online to produce cannonballs of any reasonable size. Your local tire place can either give you tire weights or sell them to you for practically nothing. A cheap hot plate and an old cooking pot will melt the lead. I typically use a propane torch to accelerate the process.

Be forewarned, lead is quite toxic and if you spill molten lead on your foot you will wish you hadn’t. Look around online to find the safest ways to manage your own lead casting and don’t handle the stuff without gloves. Interestingly, a four-ounce lead ball has a one-inch diameter but the sleeve in our cannon barrel had a tiny seam that originally prevented our using true one-inch balls. The most convenient projectiles come from steel bar stock cut into little cylinders with a cutoff wheel on a table saw. They are not particularly accurate but they do make a massive splash downrange. Cardboard tubing filled with concrete works great as well and can be made in volume for pennies.

Dixie cups filled with BBs, fishing sinkers, or musket balls properly loaded over wadding yield splendid service as grapeshot. Old batteries shoot just fine as well if your sense of ecological responsibility allows you to deposit them three feet deep into your backstop. For the most part anything you can stuff down the bore in reasonable quantities makes for effective ammunition. Load the gun with nothing more than newspaper and it still makes an awesome bang.

Theatrics

The practical effect of miniaturized cannon fire must be seen to be believed. Even this modest gun is amazingly powerful. Steel bar projectiles sink deep into tree trunks and the crack of firing is audible for miles. Fire the gun at dusk and the fireball is the size of a washing machine. Even in bright sunshine the massive cloud of white smoke and the inimitable smell of burned black powder strike a visceral cord.

As with all pursuits involving firearms, such things are terribly unforgiving of inattention or stupidity. A home built cannon can kill or maim you but so can your high-end black rifle. The same basic gun safety tenets that drive your forays to the range with more conventional iron hold you in good stead with miniaturized artillery. Don’t walk in front of the gun, be completely certain of your back stop, use eye and ear protection, swab the bore between shots with a little water, and check everything several times before firing. Just remember that this gun is incredibly powerful and shoots a really long ways.

Parting Shots

So, if your collection has expanded to the point that your last trip around the local gun show left you feeling unfulfilled you might want to consider a little DIY artillery. For a surprisingly small investment in materials the typical American gun guy with even a little mechanical aptitude can build up a Napoleon howitzer aesthetically pleasing enough to sit next to the coffee table in your living room. This same gun will launch a quarter pound lead ball through a tree trunk or spray the countryside with a charge of grapeshot. Should your aspirations take you in a different direction you could build a Coehorn mortar that will launch a soft drink can filled with sand into low earth orbit. I think that may be my next project. Stay tuned.

STS Arms offers a full line of rifles. They offer basic carbines, MOE carbines, Improved Basic and Improved MOE. In the near future STS plan to reveal their Competition Tactical, Mini-Tactical and Tactical. STS Arms is also very well known to produce complete custom rifles for their customers. This is an excellent service considering most of the top tier manufacturers do not offer custom models as they are geared up for mass production only. Prices will vary considering exactly what the customer wants and the size of their budget. Generally, STS Arms offers 16 inch production barrels. So far custom rifles have been made in 20, 18, 16, 14.5, 11.5, 10.5 and 7.5 inches. To qualified military and law enforcement agencies, STS Arms manufactures selective fire rifles and carbines. STS Arms is also very well known for producing custom 300 Blackout barrels.

STS Arms specializes in Cerakote, which is a ceramic coating manufactured by NIC Industries. There are different types of coatings depending on the part. The Cerakote coating improves the performance and corrosion resistance in firearms. The flexibility of Cerakote offers the customer numerous colors. STS offers Cerakote in black, flat dark earth, olive drab green, foliage green, tactical grey, tungsten grey, patriot brown, orange, hot pink, cobalt black, titanium blue and many camouflage and even red. NIC Industries offers 200+ colors though not all stocked by STS Arms. STS Arms applies Cerakote to all types of firearms ranging from pistols to M2 machine guns. As of this writing, STS Arms just completed applying Cerakote to two M240’s for Troy Industries.

Another finish that is used by STS Arms is Microslick. Microslick is a form of dry film lubricant that is used in the racing industry. These high performance race cars are coating piston skirts, cylinder walls, crank shafts, cam shafts, bearings, gears and valves and other high temperature and high stress components. The finish is designed to reduce friction and to operate without lubricants and allow smooth and consistent cycling of parts while also acting as an anti-seize agent. In firearms, the Microslick ceramic coating increases reliability, reduces galling, reduces heat and friction and allows consistent smooth movement of the bolt and bolt carrier. Microslick creates a permanent bond with metal parts and penetrates a few microns deep and is extremely thin (.25 -.5 mil is the recommended coating thickness) and will have basically no affect on the tolerance of the components. Temperature wise, Microslick can withstand temperatures exceeding 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, which is around the transformation temperature on a M4 barrel. Microslick has a blue/grey appearance and is an air cured ceramic coating. STS coats the entire bolt carrier group including the firing pin with Microslick as well as the inside of the upper receiver and the inside of the receiver extension. To get the best benefit of Microslick, both surfaces that contact should be coated. All internal parts of STS Arms rifles are coated with NIC Industries Microslick. According to STS Arms, “In our testing of the BCG (bolt carrier group), we started with a dry system and attended several police demos and other demonstrations in the course of a year. The initial test was 1,800 rounds as fast as the officers could reload and shoot it. During the course of more demos, the round count exceeded 3,000 rounds with most of it being full auto. The only failures we experienced on the system were fouling plus time and air moisture changes (caused powder fouling to expand). The failures were only initial loading related. Hand cycling the first round was a little sticky. Firing resulted in no failures. Probably 90 to 95% of rounds fired through the test/demo gun were also suppressed (which is exceedingly dirtier). Other Microslick coated AR platforms have been reported to us to have exceeded 10,000 rounds or more before cleaning was done just to alleviate the crunchy sound of the fouling in the system during shooting and hand cycling (rental guns).”

The rifle supplied for test & evaluation was one of the STS Arms Oregon Special models, which is a limited special occasion model (Ron Downs’ personal demo rifle).

The upper receiver is a standard M4 upper receiver with M4 feed ramps. The inside of the receiver is Microslick finished and the outside is Cerakote H series flat dark earth. The forward assist, charging handle, delta ring and ejection port cover are all Cerakoted as well but in olive green. The Magpul MBus rear sight was mounted on top of the upper receiver.

The barrel is rather unique. STS Arms call this barrel an Improved Barrel Profile and was born of the desire for a non-government profile mid-length gas barrel. The mid-length gas system makes for a more durable and reliable rifle over the standard carbine length gas system. The carbine length gas system creates higher residual pressure upon extraction causing the extractor to work harder and the bolt to take more of a beating due to the higher bolt velocity. The theory of the mid-length system is that it finds that sweet spot between the carbine and rifle length gas system that lowers residual pressure making for an easier extraction and a lower bolt velocity. This both increases reliability and longevity of the rifle’s components. The M5 profile was there merely because the A2 and M4 profile used those diameters under the handguards. STS Arms felt it served no purpose as they felt the meat of the barrel could be redistributed for greater utility. They increased the diameter under the handguards to 0.700 inches and reduced the diameter ahead of the 0.750 inch gas block seat to 0.640 inches. The end result, they said, was the barrel was stiffer where it counted and had less weight up front to further reduce vibration. In recent testing, the barrel retains accuracy a lot longer than an M4 profile barrel when heating up. As far as handling, the barrel is a lot stiffer than a pencil profile barrel, yet is almost indistinguishable from them in the feel of what STS Arms calls “swing weight,” when the shooter is raising/pointing the rifle and when transitioning between targets. STS Arms said after investigation, they determined that salt bath nitride was far superior to chrome lining. Although less expensive than chrome plating, salt bath nitride was fond to be superior in barrel life and accuracy over the hard chrome plated barrel. All barrels are coated with C series Cerakote for high temperatures. Dynamic Arms Development Group, Inc. is the manufacturer of the currents STS Arms improved barrels from 4150 chrome moly vanadium steel. They are button rifled. Standard M4 carbine barrels are produced by various manufacturers and are sourced to STS Arms based on quality and performance. The Improved profile barrels are 1/8 inch twist with 5 lands and grooves. Earlier barrels had a 6 land and groove 1/8. The M4 carbine barrels are the standard 1/7 twist. All Improved barrels are Melonite coated. The rifle was equipped with a Magpul mid-length MOE handguard in olive drab color.

The muzzle device on the T&E rifle was the Primary Weapon Systems FSC556 hider/brake. This is the preferred muzzle brake of STS Arms. However, other muzzle devices are offered if the customer requests something specific.

The lower receiver is manufactured from a 7075 T6 aluminum forging and then coated with a Cerakote H series coating. All exterior components such as selector, bolt catch and mag catch are coated in Cerakote as well. The test and evaluation rifle had all of these components olive drab in color. Due to many of the STS rifles being duty grade weapons, they are standard Mil-Spec trigger groups that are Microslick coated. Some of the custom builds use match triggers including Geissele SSA-E and S3G and Jard non-adjustable models. The rifle received for test and evaluation was a Jard trigger group. As previously stated, the receiver extension had a Microslick coated interior and the exterior was finished in Cerakote in flat dark earth. The stock on the rifle was a Magpul MOE olive drab stock and MOE olive drab pistol grip. The trigger guard was also by Magpul, their enhanced aluminum trigger guard. The KNS anti-rotating hammer and trigger pins were also used on this rifle.

The buffer used was the Enidine AR-restor hydraulic buffer. Although mostly beneficial in fully automatic weapons as a rate of fire reducer, the hydraulic buffer will slightly dampen recoil on semiautomatic fire. The buffer is also Microslick coated for friction reduction. Along with that the action spring is coated in red Cerakote.

As previously stated, the bolt carrier group was entirely coated in Microslick ceramic coating. That included the firing pin and firing pin retainer. The extractor spring was Cerakote coated in red. There is a black extractor buffer as well. It is a blue gray finish and anti-reflective. The carrier key was staked as per Mil-Spec.

The rifle was equipped with Trijicon ACOG optic for testing. It was a nice day in the Nevada Desert; the Pro Gun Club Range in Boulder City was an excellent place to conduct testing, especially in the hot dry desert environment. The ammunition used was 5.56mm M855 ball. The fit and finish of this rifle was superb. It was clear STS Arms pays very close attention to every detail in the finishing process.

At the same time this rifle arrived, this author received two of the newly imported Hera Arms H3T and H3 polymer magazines manufactured in Germany. These are imported by LAN World, Inc. exclusively. These are new polymer magazines and the H3T has a translucent spine which allows you to see the cartridges. There are two holes in the rear of the translucent material that indicate the 20th and 30th round. The H3 is the same magazine minus the translucent window. Both were black polymer. Fit and finish is excellent. The magazines come with an anti-tilt follower as well.

More than 200 rounds were fired during testing of the rifle. There was no lubricant added. There were no malfunctions with either rifle or magazine. The target was placed at 100 yards on a windy day and the rifle shot from a bench. The rifle shot consistently under 2 MOA. If better ammunition would have been available at this time, I expect the rifle group size would have improved with some 69 or 77gr match ammunition. The rifle certainly exceeds combat accuracy.

Due to the claims made on the Microslick finish, the bolt carrier was removed and examined. Clearly there was carbon and other firing debris all over the carrier group. The bolt carrier group was wiped down with a shop rag. All of the external debris wiped right off, only the small areas where a rag could not reached remained. Then the bolt carrier group was disassembled and again heavy amounts of powder fouling were seen. The firing pin, cam pin and retainer pin were wiped clean. On the bolt, the bolt wiped clean except for the tail where carbon builds up. That had to be scrubbed off with a bronze Otis AP brush. If the rag could reach it, all the fouling came off. There was no notable wear on the bolt carrier group components. The inside of the upper receiver wiped clean easy with a rag as well.

Overall the rifle performed as advertised. This rifle was very impressive in its fit and finish. The receiver was nice and tight and the rifle felt solid. The use of the mid length gas system is a major plus for any carbine length barrel. The use of the Magpul furniture is a enhancement to any rifle system as well. The MOE handguards are far more comfortable than the standard round M4-type handguards plus they can have rail sections added to them easily. The STS Arms rifle is certainly a high end AR built for the serious end user. STS Arms will Cerakote or Microslick any components a customer wants to provide them with as well. So a customer can take their favorite firearm and have it coated with these high speed ceramic finishes. It was most interesting to test the finishing processes. Many manufactures have these wonder finishes and few of them work as advertised. STS Arms makes a high quality arm for the professional as well as the advanced commercial customer. It does not appear as though you will find STS Arms in your local gun shop, they seem to be rather high end that are taken and built custom. STS Arms’ products are in select gun shops, though they are looking for a wider distribution through stocking dealers.

At first glance the new magazine has a similar appearance to the Magpul PMag but once you get a closer look at it, the magazine is quite different. There are two variations offered by Hera Arms. The first is the H3T magazine with a window and the H3 version, which is a solid version without a window. The window on the H3T magazine is positioned along the rear spine of the magazine allowing the operator to easily identify visually the approximate number of rounds remaining while the weapon is in use. The H3T is a fiberglass filled polyamide body with an anti-tilt follower. The round-count window is made out of transparent and 5% tinted polycarbonate. The window is an over molded part to increase the strength and stability of the construction of the magazine. The magazine spring is made out of stainless steel and pre-coated for rust protection. There are two holes placed in the rear of the window; the top is placed over the 20th round and the bottom one is placed on the 30th round allowing a very accurate way to tell how many rounds are in the magazine. The inside of the magazine is made out of a glass-polished mold to provide a smooth travel for the follower and shot column. The H3 variation shares all the same specifications but without the window. The magazine can be fully seated with the bolt closed with a full 30 rounds in the magazine.

Both the H3T and the H3 are offered in black, olive drab and flat dark earth colors. The quality of the mold is quite nice and the appearance of the magazines is flawless – this is what you come to expect from Germany – they place just as much emphasis on cosmetic appearance as they do on functionality. Maintenance is quite simple. The magazine comes apart quite uniquely compared to the norm. There is a locking tab on the bottom that is pushed out with a cartridge tip, knife or any other suitable tool. The floorplate cams out and is unhooked from the rear of the magazine and the magazine spring and follower may be removed from the magazine body for cleaning. All in all the magazine is quite solid.

Of course, the question is, “Does it work?” Many manufacturers have released polymer magazines that are just not reliable. SAR was able to put the magazines through a pretty good test that involved several firearms including fully automatic fire. Two magazines were used; one of the H3 and one of the H3T magazines. The first rifle the magazines were tested in was a Chinese CQ-A, which is a Chinese copy of the M4A1 carbine. More than 500 rounds were fired through this rifle, mostly on fully automatic fire. Only the Hera magazines were used. There were no malfunctions of any sort. The magazines locked back on the last round and dropped free from the magazine well whether loaded or empty. There was not any noticeable swelling of the magazine when it was fully loaded. The next rifle the magazines were tested in was a STS Arms AR rifle. More than 200 rounds were fired with no malfunctions. Then a LMT Guardian MRP was tested with the magazines both semi as well as fully automatic and there were no malfunctions. The last rifle tested was a Colt LE6920 with 100 rounds and no malfunctions. This was a decent cross section of rifles; although there was limited quantities of magazines available for testing the two magazines were ran quite hard being dropped and thrown as well. According to LAN World, Inc. Hera Arms has sold these magazines to military and law enforcement customers in Europe. They are too new in the U.S. at this point to get any serious consideration from the American law enforcement community. This market usually likes a successful track record before they consider buying something new. In time as more come into the country and more people get experience and gain confidence in this new product the larger sales are bound to come. The magazines tested performed well and proved quite reliable. They will continue to be tested to see how far they can go. They are undoubtedly a high quality and well thought out and executed magazine. The only issue this author had with the magazine was its inability to be loaded from stripper clips as there are no guide grooves for the striper clip guide. However, the magazines are compatible with the Maglula LuLa but not the Benchloader.

LAN World has told SAR that Hera Arms is in the process of producing 20-round versions of the H3 magazine as of this writing and 10-round magazines are in the works as well. As soon as these become available SAR will acquire test and evaluation units and run them through the gamut as well. The Hera magazines will find acceptance without a doubt in the industry as well as many customers looking for advanced polymer magazines for their AR-platform rifles.

Kerry Signs U.N. Arms Trade Treaty

The United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, has signed the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) regulating the $70 billion global trade in conventional arms, which will attempt to violate the Constitutional rights of Americans.

“The Obama administration is once again demonstrating its contempt for our fundamental, individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action. “This treaty threatens individual firearm ownership with an invasive registration scheme. The NRA will continue working with the United States Senate to oppose ratification of the ATT.”

Among the NRA arguments against the treaty are that it undermines American sovereignty and that it disregards the Second Amendment. A bipartisan majority of the U.S. Senate is already on record in opposition to ratification of the ATT.

Notably, the ATT includes “small arms and light weapons” within its scope, which covers firearms owned by law-abiding citizens. Further, the treaty urges recordkeeping of end users, directing importing countries to provide information to an exporting country regarding arms transfers, including “end use or end user documentation” for a “minimum of ten years.” Each country is to “take measures, pursuant to its national laws, to regulate brokering taking place under its jurisdiction for conventional arms.” Data kept on the end users of imported firearms is a de-facto registry of law-abiding firearms owners, which is a violation of federal law. Even worse, the ATT could be construed to require such a registry to be made available to foreign governments. Fortunately, it has no force of law unless the Senate ratifies it.

NFATCA Statement on ATF Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

The National Firearms Act Trade & Collectors Association, has issued the following (excerpted by the author) statement on ATF’s proposed rulemaking regarding acquisition of NFA firearms by entities.

“Many are livid over the fact that it appears as though NFATCA caused or asked for the changes discussed in the Executive Action presented by Vice President Joe Biden in a draft Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM). The NFATCA shares the anger and venom of the firearms community in response to these proposed actions and rule-making efforts. Be clear: We did not ask for what the White House is trying to deliver. Let’s take a look at how we got to this point.

“The NFATCA began in the Bush administration and enjoyed the benefit of working with an ATF that was willing to engage in constructive dialogue. That cooperative environment actually worked for many years, until our current President was elected and subsequently re-elected. Our cooperative resources within ATF still existed, but they became increasingly reluctant to engage in productive activity with us.

“The NFATCA began its efforts to eliminate the Chief Law Enforcement Officer (CLEO) signature requirement on several NFA forms over nine years ago. In 2009, ATF was reluctant to engage in a dialogue to address this issue and others that were considered to be important to the NFA and firearms communities. Although we had previously engaged in a productive and collaborative work environment, ATF’s hesitance forced us to retain counsel to file a formal petition to attempt to achieve meaningful discourse.

“Once the petition was formally delivered, ATF began working with us on advancing the CLEO signature removal issue. We went through several rounds of clarification and patiently observed the effort moving back and forth between ATF and DOJ over a period of years.

“In early 2011, and again in 2012, ATF clearly demonstrated their intention to remove the CLEO signature requirement in RIN 1140-AA43, though they still had not consulted with us regarding the trust/corporate items. We awaited the formal rule-making process to begin. On August 28, 2013, the RIN was changed without notice. In addition, a lengthy draft of a proposed NPRM was released.

“Our petition acknowledged the understanding that ATF was concerned about prohibited persons skirting background checks by utilizing trusts and corporate entities to purchase firearms. We had been warning people for years that ATF was going to shut down the “trust loophole” regarding unqualified people obtaining weapons, and that NFATCA was trying to mitigate the damage and get rid of the antiquated CLEO signature requirement as part of this negotiation.

“We sounded this clarion because ATF had clearly indicated that they wanted to discontinue it. NFATCA didn’t make this a problem or bring it to ATF’s attention; the people abusing the system did. ATF was already aware of it because they had such a massive increase in trust transfers, and they read the Internet boards, following the way people bragged about getting NFA weapons anonymously and advising each other how to do so. ATF is engaged with cases of prohibited persons who have acquired weapons through trusts and corporations without background checks. Some may point to the fact there have not been any violent crimes as a result of the loophole, but prohibited persons in possession of firearms is a crime in itself. ATF was in the untenable position of approving those transfers to prohibited persons. Something was absolutely going to change.

“Class 3 dealers formed the method of using trusts back in 1993-1994, after consulting with lawyers and ATF counsel to circumvent local law enforcement who refused to sign off on purchases, in order to help the collectors in Dade County and Houston in particular.

“The dealers who engaged in discussions with ATF at the time made all of this possible, and for fifteen years this method worked very well. It was the Internet braggarts who created a problem for the general public, and now they’ve burned the bridge. Dealers’ sales are going to hurt due to the actions of a few individuals who have unlawfully cheated the system. The abusers of the trust situation set off ATF’s radar. If there is anger that should be displayed, it should be towards the people who abused the system and brought all of this to the attention of ATF and the Executive Branch.

“While the NFATCA has acknowledged in our petition that there is concern regarding prohibited persons receiving firearms without background checks via trusts and corporations, the draft NPRM does not reflect any discussions or negotiations we had with the Federal Government. We did not support nor advocate for the efforts of the Executive Branch that were recently published as the proposed NPRM. The proposed NPRM is being used as a political expedient to address areas of negligible concern. The Executive Branch proposals unduly burden the law-abiding public, will restrain lawful commerce and bury an already overwhelmed agency with an administrative infrastructure that will not serve the public’s safety.

“The NFATCA supports the elimination of the CLEO signature requirement. The NFATCA is willing to engage with DOJ/ATF and the Executive Branch to investigate reasonable, effective and manageable approaches to preventing prohibited persons from acquiring firearms. We cannot and will not support the NPRM in its current form. Unfortunately, it does not appear as though ATF, the DOJ or this administration wishes to enter into a constructive dialogue. As a result, the NFATCA will adopt a much more aggressive stance.

“We are currently soliciting resources to mount an offensive on multiple fronts:

• A legal review and dissection of the draft NPRM,
• Soliciting information regarding the costs of such an effort that would prohibit that level of spending,
• A legal counter-offensive to the draft NPRM via petition or other suitable means,
• Solicitation of Congressional inquiry,
• Creation of a massive grassroots effort to combat the NPRM, should it actually be published in the Federal Register.”

NRA Joins ACLU in Opposing NSA Records Collection

The National Rifle Association plan to press members of Congress in the coming weeks to block the National Security Agency’s controversial program collecting records of Americans’ phone calls, arguing that the surveillance efforts can be used as a “backdoor” to construct a national gun registry.

“We will be up there and we will be making our feelings known,” David Keene, a member of the NRA’s executive board who served until this spring as the group’s president, told NBC News. “Our members are concerned about this. This metadata can be used to construct a list” of every gun owner.

Keene’s comments signaled a new determination by the gun lobby to take up opposition to the NSA surveillance efforts as a political cause, joining with civil liberties groups and others on the left who have been lobbying against the program for months, and potentially complicating the Obama administration’s efforts to preserve the phone surveillance program.

The comments came as NRA board members gathered in Arlington, Va., for a quarterly meeting and to celebrate the latest political coup: Defeat of two state senators in Colorado — including the state Senate president — in a special recall election as payback for the lawmakers’ support of gun control measures.

Board members also will hear a report on the NRA’s surprise decision to file a friend-of-the- court brief on behalf of an ACLU lawsuit to halt the NSA collection program as an unconstitutional violation of American privacy rights.

Laura Murphy, legislative director for the ACLU in Washington, claims credit for recruiting the NRA to join efforts to stop the program and said its participation will have a big impact. “We’ve got momentum going,” she said. “They (the NRA) have got access to all the Republicans.”

Murphy said a recently declassified FBI training manual on how agents can use their authorities under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in the course of terrorism and espionage cases helped sway the NRA leadership.

The manual instructs agents how they can use the Patriot Act to collect a wide range of “sensitive records” – including “firearms sales.”

Although there was nothing especially secret about using the Patriot Act to obtain such records — all business records, including firearms sales, are routinely subpoenaed during federal law enforcement investigations — the fact that they were specifically highlighted in the manual made a big impact with the NRA, Murphy said. “They were surprised,” she said.

Keene, the NRA leader, said the FBI training manual was especially disturbing because other federal laws require the destruction of records of gun purchases after they are used for a federally-mandated background check. And it showed how federal agents can stretch their legal authorities to collect data on gun owners.

Under the so-called NSA “metadata” program, first disclosed last June by ex-contractor Edward Snowden, the agency has collected tens of millions of records on the time, duration and destination of every phone call in the country as part of a wide-ranging and highly-classified surveillance effort aimed at supposedly identifying potential terrorist threats. The agency has received the records from phone companies under secret orders by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) based on a provision of the U.S. Patriot Act that allows the FBI to collect “business records” deemed relevant to “terrorist” investigations.

In its friend of the court brief filed September 4, the NRA argued that the NSA collection of all phone records, as well as other agency collection efforts revealed by Snowden, threatens NRA members’ First Amendment rights.

“Under the programs revealed so far, the government may already possess information about everyone who has called the NRA by phone, emailed the NRA or visited the NRA’s website,” it wrote in the brief. In addition, the brief states, the mass phone collection would make it easier for the government to create a nationwide “registry” of all gun owners. “For example, a person whose phone records show a pattern of repeated calls to gun stores, shooting ranges, and the NRA, is considerably more likely to be a gun owner than a person who makes no such calls. If phone records are combined with other information, far more detailed profiles could be assembled,” it said.

Ruger Finalizes Purchase Of N.C. Facility

Sturm, Ruger & Co. has announced that it has finalized the purchase of a 220,000-square-foot-facility in Mayodan, N.C. This will represent the company’s first major expansion in more than 25 years. Production at the new facility is expected to begin during the first quarter of 2014.

ATF’s Proposed New NFA Rule

ATF states that since existing regulations do not require the identification of responsible persons of a legal entity, the proposed rule, if finalized, would provide public safety benefits by enabling ATF to identify and perform background checks on such persons.

Currently, if the seller of an NFA firearm is a licensee, the officer or trustee must complete Form 4473. If it turns out that one of the officers or trustees is prohibited, then one of the other officers or trustees may pick up the firearm and complete the Form 4473. If the seller is not a licensee, then no form is completed. Once the firearm is picked up by the officer or trustee, then it becomes corporate or trust property and can be possessed by any of the officers or trustees.

In Texas, ATF became aware of a situation in which the member of an LLC was an illegal alien, living in the U.S. under an assumed name, and had a felony warrant outstanding. At that time, the LLC had 19 firearms registered to it and ATF lacked the necessary information to conduct any background checks to determine whether the member was a prohibited person.

In Tennessee, as a result of information provided by a FFL, ATF became aware of applications submitted to transfer two NFA firearms to a trust in which one of the trustees was a convicted felon. If there had been no referral, ATF would not have known of the need to conduct any background checks for the trust members to determine if any were prohibited persons. The proposed rule will make the requirements for background checks the same for certain legal entities as they are now for individuals. ATF estimates the cost increase per entity of complying with the proposed rule to be $293.93.

ATF Costs Related to New NFA Proposed Rule

Buried within the ATF proposal to require background checks and chief law enforcement officer (CLEO) letters for entities applying to make or receive an NFA firearm are some interesting estimates of costs to applicants and to ATF itself.

To submit information for each of an entity’s responsible persons to ATF in order for ATF to ensure such persons are not prohibited from possessing NFA firearms, ATF estimates a total cost of $14.9 million annually.

This figure would cover the costs of (1) legal entities to gather, procure, and submit such information to ATF; (2) for ATF to process the information and conduct a background check on responsible persons; and (3) local and state agencies possibly to review the information, and conduct their own background checks.

In calendar year 2012, ATF received 84,435 applications that were either ATF Forms 1, 4, or 5. Of these, 40,700 applications were for unlicensed legal entities (e.g. corporations, companies and trusts) to make or receive an NFA firearm; 29,448 were for individuals to make or receive an NFA firearm; and 14,287 were for government agencies or qualified FFLs to make or receive an NFA firearm.

Cost of Completion of Responsible Person Form

Under the proposed rule detailed in FB’s last issue, a legal entity would be required to complete the following steps in addition to completing the applicable Form 1, 4, or 5 before it is permitted to make or receive an NFA firearm:

(1) Complete and submit proposed Form 5320.23 for each responsible person; (2) Submit fingerprints, photographs, and CLEO certificate for each responsible person; and (3) Submit a copy of the documentation that establishes the legal existence of the legal entity.

ATF estimates the time for each responsible person to complete Form 5320.23 to be 10 minutes. Based on an estimate of 2 responsible persons per legal entity and 40,700 entities, the estimated annual cost of proposed Form 5320.23 is $417,854.

Cost of Photographs

ATF estimates the cost of the photographs is $8.00 (cost based on the average of the costs determined for seven large retailers); and the time needed to procure photographs is 50 minutes. (ATF personnel apparently went out and canvassed retailers to determine this figure).

Under the proposed rule, legal entities would incur costs for obtaining and submitting photographs. Based on an estimate of two responsible persons per entity and 40,700 entities, the estimated total cost for legal entities to obtain and submit photographs is $2,740,467.

Cost of Fingerprints

ATF has reviewed various fingerprinting services. Presently, ATF is only able to accept fingerprints on hard-copy fingerprint cards. Thus, the cost estimate is based on submission of two fingerprint cards for each responsible person. The estimated cost of the fingerprints is $24 (based on the average of the costs determined for seven fingerprint services); and the estimated time needed to procure the fingerprints is 60 minutes.

Each responsible person of a legal entity would be required to obtain and submit fingerprints to ATF. Based on an estimate of two responsible persons per entity and 40,700 entities, the estimated cost for legal entities to obtain and submit fingerprints is $4,460,720.

Estimated Cost for CLEO Certification

ATF estimates that the time needed for a responsible person to procure the CLEO certificate is 100 minutes (70 minutes travel time and 30 minutes review time with the CLEO). Based on an estimate of 2 responsible persons per legal entity and 40,700 entities, the estimated cost for legal entities to obtain CLEO certification is $4,178,533.

Cost to Establish Existence of Legal Entity

A legal entity applying to make or receive an NFA firearm would provide ATF with documentation evidencing its existence and validity under the proposed rule. Currently, legal entities are not required to do so.

ATF estimates this documentary evidence will require the submission of 15-pages of photo-copied material without notarization. The cost of the copied documentation is $1.50, based on 10-cents per page cost while the time needed is 5 minutes. Assuming 40,700 entities would provide ATF this documentation each year, the estimated annual cost to submit the documentation is $165,513.

Legal Entity Responsible Person ID Info Costs

The total estimated new cost of the proposals for legal entities to provide to ATF identification information for each of its responsible persons is $11,963,087 annually.

To restate, the cost estimates of the time for an entity to comply with the proposed rule’s requirements are: Completion of Form 5320.23, procure photographs, procure fingerprints, obtain CLEO certificate, and copy attachments: $9,297,237.

Additionally, the estimated entity’s costs for paying for the photographs, fingerprints and providing documentation of a legal entity is an additional $2,665,850. The grand total comes to $11,963,087.

Costs to ATF of the New Proposed Rule

ATF, of course, currently incurs costs to process forms, fingerprint cards, photographs, and to conduct and review background checks. Currently, ATF incurs these costs for the 29,448 applications for individuals to make or receive NFA firearms. Under the proposed rule, ATF estimates:

• ATF’s cost for the FBI to process a set of fingerprints is $14.50.
• The cost for an examiner at ATF’s NFA Branch to conduct and review the results of a background check is $7.70 (15-minutes at $30.80 per hour): and
• The cost to print the new 5320.23 forms is one cent per form.

Thus, based on an estimate of two responsible persons per legal entity and 40,700 entities, the estimated cost for ATF to process forms, fingerprint cards, photographs, and to conduct and review background checks for applications for legal entities to make or receive NFA firearms is $1,807,894 annually.

Cost to State & Local Agencies

The cost of a responsible person to obtain a CLEO certificate may increase costs to state and local agencies as they review the information provided, conduct their own background checks and determine whether to complete the certificate.

Based on an estimate of two responsible persons per entity and 40,700 entities, ATF estimates the cost to state and local agencies at $1,253,560.

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