Another tale of woe has come across my desk. One more United States citizen whose Chief Law Enforcement Officer (CLEO) refuses to sign off on the back side of the Form 4 for him to purchase a Title II firearm. In conversations with this Ohio resident, he intimated that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents in his area had gone to all of the potential signers of Form 4’s, and informed them that they were not required to sign, and the government would prefer that they didn’t do it. I do not have names and dates for all of this, these are only rumors and allegations. However, it is a story that is very familiar to many of us in the Class 3 business.

This amounts to de facto gun control. It’s bad enough when the CLEO keeps a record of your firearms, let alone keeping you from having them.

Originally, the Law Enforcement signature was intended to verify that the signature, photograph, and fingerprint cards were those of the applicant trying to get a Form approved for a National Firearms Act taxed and registered firearm. Over time, it has become a place to try to get “Approval” from the local Chief of Police. He is being asked to perform work related to federal tax collection.

Recently the Supreme Court heard arguments in the “Brady Bill” case, and ruled that the federal government could not require the local or state officials to do work around a federal statute. Brady went out the window if the local Chief didn’t want to do the “Required” background check of a handgun purchaser. Most of this was related to the labor burden being unjustly imposed on the local government, not with the Constitutionality of Brady.

In the same way, the federal government can not require a state or local official to sign off on your Form 1, 4, or 5. Since they can not require it, I do not see how they can deny your application for a transfer if the CLEO refuses to sign.

I am just stirring the pot here, friends. There is no reason in the world for a law abiding United States citizen who has not surrendered his rights, to not be able to own a Title II firearm. Dealers and Manufacturers could make a case for the federal government interfering with their ability to do business- but there is nothing new about that.

We at SAR are interested in your perspective as Title II firearms owners, or people who are desiring to own, and would like your input on this situation.

– Dan Shea

Dear SAR

First I would like to thank you and your fellow staff at SAR on producing an excellent publication. Well done and I look forward to years yet of reading.

Next, I would like to assure you that normally I do not write in to criticize the creative products of others (not even when Peter Kokalis bagged one of my favorite toys, the L-2A1, in ‘FULL AUTO’) on the grounds that no one is perfect and all of us are entitled to their opinions. Even me.

However, ‘BIRTH OF A ASSAULT RIFLE’ (SAR Vol. 1 No. 12) by Robert A. Cortese prompts me to break this habit and thus this letter results.

I do not choose to quibble with his outline of the genesis of Western & Soviet assault rifle designs. However the last three pages of the article and it’s wholly unjustified chauvinism in favour of the AK series can not go unchallenged.

To state that the mere possession of AK rifles confers a massive combat advantage to the user over all other infantry small arms (with particular mention of FAL, AR-15 & M-14) is patently ludicrous and the authors attempts to prove so are verging on dishonest. I’ll deal with his examples.

El Jiradi: I’ve read a few accounts of the actions around El Arish & El Jiradi during the Six Day War- they range from Moshe Dayan’s ‘STORY OF MY LIFE’ who describes it as “…a battle lasting more than an hour.” To round-by-round accounts by some of the IDF participants. Given that most Egyptian infantry in the campaign were armed with AK variants, it is a bit of an insult to those at El Jiradi (and other places) who got their act together to subscribe their success to the rifles they carried. Leadership, initiative & courage deserve more credit.

Incidentally, the decision to adopt the Galil is most often quoted as May 1972 and was the result of a trial process that began in the early Sixties for a replacement for the FAL. First bulk issue to the IDF was May 1973. As these events were prior to the Yom Kippur War, I doubt the war played much of a role in the decision to equip the IDF with Galil ARM & AR. Note also that the IDF still uses substantial quantities of M-16A1, M-16A2 & various carbine variants to this day

Somalia: The author provides details of casualties inflicted (presumably by AK- the Somalis used just about everything) on one only of the US units involved in the mess that occurred in October 1993 but provides no other information- would anyone care to give an estimate of how many AK toting Somali bit the pavement having stopped (or briefly entertained) an M-855 or M-856 pill?

Vietnam: I think that the Editor (Dan) handled Ia Drang (and by extension, Vietnam as a whole) quite nicely. I would rather suspect that the loss rate among SF, SOG or Ranger teams had less to do with the small arms they carried (including, as the author points out, AK) than the adverse combat environment they worked in. I’d also like to point out “…no known NVA losses.” does not mean no NVA losses.

Using isolated instances or reporting the casualties on one side only to provide an “…example of the AK’s dominance on the modern battlefield…” can be played both ways. How would the author explain the following examples?

The Battle of Long Tan (18AUG1966, Phuoc Tuy Province, RVN) pitted D Company, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (108 men) against estimated force of 2000+ NVA & VC troops. Initially ambushed as isolated platoons by the opposition, D Company formed a perimeter and beat off the enemy assaults. D Company was predominantly equipped with L-1A1, the NVA/VC units were primarily armed with AK as personal weapons- the first D Company had encountered. Australian casualties were 18 KIA & 24 WIA. The enemy left over 245 dead on the battlefield, having withdrawn in good order in the darkness.

Southern Africa: While the Rhodesian & South African SF (at least till the introduction of R-4/5/6) often used AK & RPD, the bulk of the work done by the infantry of those two nations was performed with FAL (mostly metric) against an enemy armed in the main with AK variants. Who dominated the battlefield?

Gulf War: Is the author seriously suggesting that the Syrian and other minor partners in the Coalition forces who carried AK’s ‘dominated the battlefield’ to a greater degree than those US units that carried the M-16A2? I might hazard a statement that while the Iraqi ground forces predominantly carried AK variants as personal weapons, the outcome of the war would not have changed if each and every single member of the Coalition had been carrying (say) an FAL or even an M-1 Garand.

Lest anyone at this point accuse me of being a dinosaur, I’ll state openly here that despite the above examples, I’m of the opinion that the ‘major calibre’ (eg 7.62x51mm) and intermediate calibres (eg 7.62x39mm) have seen their day as far as individual weapons go.

In conclusion, I would like to state that while the AK series are outstanding rifles within their limitations, they are not a super-weapon and their carriage does not confer an overwhelming advantage on the modern battlefield. If they did, the World would be a very different place to the one we know today.

The Army in which I serve has a saying: “It’s the nut behind the butt that counts.” and I’m sure that those Croatians who stood up to the AK armed Federal Army of Yugoslavia with little more than a sporterized K-98 would agree, as would those Muj who ‘harvested’ AKM & AK-74 for their mates with assorted Lee-Enfield. While we all have our favorite small arms (due to familiarity, nostalgia, media exposure, sheer bloody perverseness or otherwise), we should always keep this in mind.

To end this letter, I would like to leave you and SAR’s readers with an always relevant quote from one of my favorite authors:

“What are the facts? Again and again and again- what are the facts? Shun wishful thinking, ignore divine revelation, forget what “the stars foretold,” avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors think, never mind the unguessable “verdict of history”- what are the facts and to how many decimal places?” Robert Anson Heinlein

Faithfully yours,
Peter Lindsay

Dear Peter,

Always a pleasure to hear from our Australian contingent, Peter. SAR has a policy of letting the writers have some “Elbow room”. Mr. Cortese wrote what was in my opinion a fine article on the Kalashnikov’s, and we stand by it. However, not wishing to catch TOO much shrapnel, your letter has been forwarded to Mr. Cortese for his response… which we anticipate will be in an upcoming issue. The readers are invited to weigh in on this subject as well. Well thought out positions are being solicited….. are the Kalashnikov’s the ultimate assault rifle?

For the moment, I am staying out of the fray. Since I am still an M60 man, I have been told that my opinion is not relevant to mature discussions. Perhaps Peter K will weigh in on this, and SAR looks forward to Mr. Cortese’s response.

-Dan

New Nation-Wide Gun Buying Regulations Going Into Effect

Special Report: Buying Firearms Under The National Instant Criminal Background Check System

The year of 1998 will not go in gundom history as being one of the more favorable to gunowners. What with the federal imposition of a new ban on imported firearms, the domestic firearms manufacturing industry in a recession, and the ludicrous new government edict requiring gun dealers to post signs in their shops warning customers of the dangers of firearms, it almost seemed things couldn’t be worse. But there were some bright spots, particularly on the local level.

Most significantly, 1998 is the year marking the start of the implementation of the permanent provisions of the Brady Law, which on November 30, do away with the five day waiting period on handgun sales and in its stead impose a national electronic system for instantaneously checking the qualifications of all gun buyers, including rifle and shotgun purchasers, at the point-of-sale from now on.

Certainly the most critical issue facing industry and consumers alike, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will run the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) out of a facility in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Gun dealers will access the system via telephone or by computer modem and after providing information on the prospective gun buyer, will either be given an indication to proceed or decline the sale, based on whether or not disqualifying records were found on the prospective buyer.

The new regulations affect not only those buying new guns but also people redeeming pawned firearms from pawnbrokers will have to submit to the background check as well. Those with criminal records will be denied the return of their pawned firearm. Shooters retrieving repaired firearms from gunsmiths will also have to undergo a background check, with the possibility that if criminal records are found, such persons will not be able to receive their own repaired firearms.

At press time, the FBI was proposing to charge gun buyers a fee of $13 to $16 each time a background check is performed. The FBI says the fee is needed to pay for the system’s operation.

Firearm manufacturers and retailers have expressed great concerns about the effect of the background check fee, which would come on top of the sales tax. Many feel the additional check fee will result in a disincentive for consumers to purchase firearms. Makers of lower-priced handguns were adversely affected by the background check fees imposed in some states and localities by local officials when the Brady Law was first implemented as such fees often added up to one third of the basic cost of the gun.

The new regulations go into effect at the height of the hunting season and the effect on sportsmen buying hunting arms, many of whom have never before had to pay a license fee of any kind to own or purchase a hunting rifle or shotgun, remains to be seen.

The FBI says its goal is to perform the checks within 30 seconds, but the agency is saying some checks may take up to three days in cases where there is difficulty in accessing a potential gun buyer’s background information. This delay would have the effect of creating a waiting period, although the system is supposed to function “instantly.” An appeals process is available to those denied purchases. And then there is the problem of the FBI’s proposal to retain NICS records for up to two years, supposedly for “auditing” purposes, although federal law prohibits any federal government agency from maintaining a list of gun buyers names and thereby creating a national firearms registration list.

Each individual background check would be valid for the purchase of an unlimited number of firearms in one transaction. But a separate purchase conducted even the same day would require a separate background check and the payment of the $13 to $16 fee a second time. On the bright side, the in-store sale of rifles and shotguns to out-of-state buyers will continue. Licensed dealers and those persons holding valid state issued firearms possession or concealed weapons permits which involved a background check and were issued prior to November 30, 1998 while being valid for not longer than five years, will be the only persons not subject to the new provisions. State and local firearms permits issued after that date must have subjected permit-holders to a NICS background check to qualify the permit-holder for exemption from the federal background check procedures in place at the time of a firearms purchase.

New Import Gun Ban

In early April, President Clinton imposed a new ban on 58 imported firearms dubbed “assault weapons” based on the guns’ failure to meet “sporting purposes” import criteria. An Administration official bragged about the move as allowing his administration to take “the law and bending it as far as we can to capture a whole new class of guns.”

The banned firearms included versions of the AK-47, Uzi, Galil, FN-FAL, H&K 91 and 93, SKS, and other semi-auto rifles modified with the addition of thumbhole stocks, and elimination of features such as flash hiders and bayonet lugs to comply with the import criteria established by the Clinton Administration in its 1994 imported rifle ban.

Although Clinton claimed a “loophole” in federal law allowed the importation of the affected long guns over the last several years, the manufacturers and importers involved were actually only complying with the law in making changes to the affected gun models. Thus, after the manufacturers removed objectionable features from their firearms, Clinton changed the definitions by claiming they represented a “loophole.”

While police officials surrounded the President when he announced the ban, not all police groups support the initiative. Jim Fotis, executive director of the Law Enforcement Alliance of America pointed out, “So-called assault weapons are used in less than 1% of violent crimes. The President is using smoke and mirrors to make bad policy that will do nothing to save lives, but steal the rights of America’s law-abiding gun owners.”

The rationales for the ban is that the modified rifles can still accept so-called high capacity magazines manufactured before the 1994 Clinton ban on further manufacture of over 10-round capacity magazines for the civilian market.

Gun Production Down

The net effect of the federal anti-gun initiatives over the last several years, particularly the Brady Law that imposed a national five-day waiting period on handgun sales, has been a curtailment in production of firearms due to reduced demand.

The latest available figures on domestic firearm production compiled by the U.S. Treasury Department reveal that in 1996, U.S. manufacture of handguns, as well as shotguns fell, while rifle production increased slightly over 1995 totals.

Total pistol production declined to 985,533 units in 1996, down from 1,195,266 manufactured in 1995 and 2,014,336 in 1994. Similarly, revolver production dropped to just 498,944 wheelguns in 1996, from the 527,664 built in 1995 and 586,450 in 1994.

The total number of shotguns manufactured in the U.S. during 1996 came to 925,732, down from 1,173,645 made in 1995 and 1,254,926 in 1994. Rifle production, however, climbed to 1,424,319 guns for 1996, up from 1,331,780 produced in 1995 and 1,349,116 made in 1994.

The figures show the Brady Law has taken a heavy toll on the sale of small pocket pistols mostly commonly purchased for self-defense. For example, manufacture of .25 caliber pocket pistols declined to 41,156 in 1996, from 51,025 in 1995 and 110,732 in 1994.

Production of .22 caliber pistols is also showing large declines over the last several years. Just 204,819 such .22 caliber rimfire pistols were made in the U.S. in 1996, compared to 260,059 in 1995 and 456,490 in 1994.

By caliber, the greatest amount of pistol production in 1996 was for those products chambered in 9mm, while in revolvers, .357 Magnum chambered guns lead the way.

Looking at long guns, Sturm, Ruger & Co. finished 1996 as America’s top rifle maker with 417,310 units, compared to second-place Marlin Firearms Co. with 350,897 rifles.

Among shotgun makers, Remington Arms Co. continued its three-year streak as the number one shotgun maker with 307,803 scatterguns produced. O.F. Mossberg & Sons held the second-place position with 286,033 units.

While long gun makers were not negatively affected by the Brady Law’s gun buyer waiting period and background check provisions until now, as mentioned, the new permanent Brady Law provisions going into effect in November 1998 will affect long gun sales in addition to handguns. It remains to be seen what effect the new regulations will have on rifle and shotgun sales.

Warning Signs

Firearms buyers will now be noticing some ominous signage displayed within their favorite gun shops thanks to a publicity stunt President Clinton pulled off in July in an attempt to scare off folks considering purchasing firearms.

Clinton’s edict requires dealers to post signs stating: The misuse of handguns is a leading contributor to juvenile violence and fatalities; Safely storing and securing firearms away from children will help prevent the unlawful possession of handguns by juveniles, stop accidents, and save lives.

Other signs detail federal law prohibitions against possession of handguns (in most circumstances) by persons under 18, as well as the possibility of the imposition of a 10-year prison sentence to those knowingly transferring a handgun (even temporarily) to a minor.

It should be noted that under federal law, a youngster who wishes to engage in some handgun target shooting on a range must have in his or her possession a note written by a parent or guardian authorizing the youngster to be in possession of the handgun while engaged in such target practice.

Pro-Gun Victories

On the positive side, a major anti-gun initiative with potential for nation-wide repercussions was defeated during the year in the state of Washington. In one of its most onerous provisions, Washington’s Initiative 676 would have required not only all handgun owners to pass a competency test but would have mandated all adult members in a handgun-owning household to pass the same firearms competency test. Those not passing muster would have had to surrender their firearms.

Six weeks before the votes were cast, polls indicated residents supported the measure by a 60% majority, but thanks to the feverish efforts of pro-gun lobbyists to fully-inform the public, the proposal was defeated by the voters in a resounding 71% against versus 39% for (the law).

And in a late-breaking development occurring as this magazine goes to the printer, the U.S. Senate approved an amendment prohibiting the FBI from charging fees for gun buyer background checks when the National Instant Criminal Background Check System goes on line. The amendment also allowed those wrongfully denied the purchase of firearms to sue the FBI. In addition, it calls for the immediate destruction of all records related to background checks conducted on law-abiding citizens purchasing firearms which the FBI had proposed to keep for “auditing purposes” for up to 24 months.

Another Senate amendment mandating trigger locks be provided with all handguns sold in the U.S., was defeated. And in a 69 to 31 vote, the Senate defeated yet another amendment that would have held adult gun owners criminally liable if a juvenile stole a firearm from them and used the gun in a crime.

SADW is a monthly electronic publication from Nick Steadman Features. Nick, intrepid world traveling reporter for much of the arms industry, files this 40,000 to 50,000 word report once a month to his loyal subscribers. Those lucky ones pay a mere $50 (US) £32.50 (UK) per year for the privilege of getting the hot tips and insights from one of the industry’s insiders. Nick’s unique perspective is globally based, as is his wit. Each issue is full of insight and information for those with an interest in Small Arms, as well as his observations on world travel.

1. NEW WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT

STEYR SCOUT – FACTORY MODIFICATIONS

Following our various reports on poor ignition reliability of the Steyr Scout rifle with certain types of 7.62mm NATO ball ammunition, Steyr-Mannlicher has notified us that it is modifying the striker assembly, which will now provide four different locations for the circlip which locks the spring tensioning adjustment nut in place.

This will have the effect of increasing the striker impact force, theoretically obviating the need for additional home-made spacers and hopefully solving the problem. Col Jeff Cooper has been rather dismissive of this particular glitch, blaming ‘inferior’ ammunition from suspect countries, though in fairness we must point out that most of the ignition trouble was with US military Lake City M118 Match. However, Steyr says it has been unable to replicate the extraction failures we referred to in earlier issues. The owner of the rifle involved now says he thinks he might possibly have been the author of his own downfall in over-enthusiastically stripping the extractor; however he is nonetheless now carrying a spare extractor and spring.

Separately, it has since emerged that the short .375 cartridge being developed for the Scout by Hirtenberg in Austria (see earlier issues) is the ‘376 JCS’, apparently intended to lob a 260gr bullet at 2,500fps. Some increase in rifle weight will result. We’re not sure the wildcat approach will generate huge sales, since the ammunition will most likely remain single-source.

The American Rifleman also said that GSI was forecasting two types of Realtree camouflage for Scout rifle stocks next year. If so, just don’t put one of these down in the forest while digging your toilet pit at dusk, or you may not find it again in a hurry. You’ll remember Colt tried this tack before with one of its revolvers. Steyr’s official comments on Scout calibres other than .308 state that 7mm-08 is in production but any additional calibres are still ‘only under investigation’. The company says a few black stocks are being made for rifles with suppressor-compatible barrels and other camouflage patterns ‘for market research services’. While Jeff Cooper hints at interchangeable bolt handles to come, Steyr says it has not done anything on this so far, and its aim at present is to continue to promote the Cooper Package in its original form.

WINCHESTER DEVELOPMENTS

Olin’s Winchester ammunition division has been pretty busy on the military & police front.

Its reduced-range 5.56mm jacketed frangible ammunition, incorporating a 45gr jacketed version of the Delta Defense frangible bullet (made from a copper/nylon & tungsten mix) is loaded with the Winchester non-toxic primer, using dinol as the basic priming mix, with tetrazine as a sensitiser, boron as a fuel and potassium nitate as an oxidiser.

The bullet’s brass jacket, which extends most of the way to its tip, is a measure to ensure reliable functioning and match its ballistics more closely to the M855/SS109 round. Accuracy at 100 yds is actually better than with the standard NATO loading. Winchester’s equivalent pistol- calibre training ammunition, all non-toxic primed and offered in 9mm, .38 Spl, .40 &W and .45 Auto, has unjacketed Delta frangible bullets.

In Winchester’s parallel SuperClean NT range of ammunition, the bullets are all jacketed, but with a malleable tin core. They are not frangible and act much like lead-cored bullets on impact, though without producing the associated contamination. Non-toxic priming is standard. Available calibres are 5.56mm (55gr), 9mm, .38 Spl, .375 Mag, .40 S&W and .45 ACP. Maximum training range with 5.56mm is about 200 yards.

One of the lesser-known Winchester products is fully-encapsulated, lead-cored pistol ammunition with non-toxic priming, along German lines – in fact, the 9mm version is already understood to be selling to police in Germany in competition with local products. There are 115gr, 124gr and 147gr 9mm loadings, .38 Spl standard (130gr) & +P (158gr), .40 loads in 165gr and 180gr plus a 230gr .45 ACP.

Winchester has also developed a ‘lead-free penetrator’ version of the 5.56mm M855/SS109 bullet, simply by substituting a solid copper core for the lead in the standard NATO bullet design. This reduces bullet weight to 55grs and increases the velocity by 100 fps, but evidently doesn’t diminish the bullet’s ability to defeat hard targets such as the standard NATO plate, which it penetrates out to 650m. It also matches the trajectory of the M855 out to around 750m. As before, non-toxic priming is standard.

Lastly, Winchester has designed a hollow-tipped, solid brass Match-grade bullet which is ballistically matched to the Raufoss .50 Multipurpose (MP) round (or its US Mk211 equivalent) and can therefore be used for more economical .50 sniper training. This is a necessary move, since the MP ammunition is about $8 a pop, and the operational APHEI bullets cannot be fired on some restricted military ranges. Again, non-toxic primers can be incorporated if required. The .50 bullet is a driving-band design with long bearing surface, increasing bore stability, and the long internal tip cavity is reckoned to improve accuracy by a third over solid nose bullets. Rifling engraving tests demonstrate that the brass material is rather softer than the jacket of the M33 ball round, so barrel wear may also be lower.

Actually, this new .50 Match round represents something of a breakthrough – we remember talking to Olin staff many times over the years and repeatedly asking when they were going to make something like this, but we were always given to understand the market was too small. Now that the military are interested, things have evidently changed.

NEW AUSTRALIAN F1 HAND GRENADE

The Australian Army says that its new F1 offensive hand grenade is planned to be issued to first line units and training establishments early next year, replacing the old US-pattern M26 HE/Frag grenade. The F1, produced by Australian Defence Industries (ADI) and in development over the past decade, is much the same weight as the M26 and contains an offensive payload of 4,000 steel ball bearings, which are more efficient than irregular fragments. It is designed to penetrate flak jackets to a radius of six metres and will injure out to 15 metres, yet is safe at 30 metres for troops wearing normal combat clothing. Anecdotal evidence from the US & UK suggests the M26 was never a particularly efficient design, and could fragment into too few pieces. Because of its bean-can shape the F1 is less likely than the M26 to roll after hitting the ground and can be expected to come to a halt within about three metres of impact.

We recall that when ADI first announced its grenade programme, it was talking about a dual purpose hand/rifle grenade. Australian sources confirm the F-1 is indeed a modular design which permits the addition of a finned tail tube converting it for use as a rifle grenade. Reportedly it was also designed to accept a range of booby trap fuzes, though this is apparently no longer PC, officially-speaking.

AUSTRALIAN SNIPER BUYS

Army magazine in Australia has published details of the British Accuracy International Model AW sniper rifle as purchased for the Australian army. Apparently it’s a modified AW-F; we understand it differs from the standard Model AW in the following respects:

– Picatinny scope rail
– Butt spike
– Multi-adjustable buttplate assembly
– Cheekpiece
– Quick detach scope mount
– Folding stock

The scope will be a variable-power Schmidt & Bender 3-12x50mm, and at least some of the rifles will apparently be supplied with muzzle suppressors, presumably for special forces. Barrels will be made in Australia, where the rifle will be designated SR98. Night sights will shortly be provided as part of the army’s Project Ninox, and the army is buying Lapua match ammunition for the SR98 in preference to local military supplies, which were found to be substantially less accurate. A spotting scope & laser rangefinder are also on the way.

We understand from our Australian sources that issues will be completed by the end of 1998. Army Magazine said the army’s old Parker-Hale sniper weapons were being superseded because of a ‘lack of user confidence’. The selection criteria required competing weapons to be capable of accurately engaging targets out to 800 metres. Troops found the AW to be very robust and accurate even after arduous stalking.

Currently, new ghillie (Oz – yowie) suits for snipers are also being trialled, including one comprising an Australian camo suit festooned with 1” strips of similarly patterned material, which has evidently been cut with pinking shears to give a zigzag edge. A neat solution, we’re told.

The army has also reported that trials of .50 long-range rifles will resume there early in 1999; meanwhile (as predicted earlier) the planned .50 users have been requested to refine their requirements, which we interpret as a reality check. The aim is to introduce a .50 rifle in the middle of next year. These weapons will reportedly be employed as battalion-level assets.

BARRETT NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Barrett Firearms has confirmed press reports elsewhere that it is conducting feasibility studies and trade-off analyses on the question of adapting the .50 Barrett M82A1 semi-automatic rifle to fire the smart 20mm and 25m HE ammunition which has respectively been developed for the US army’s Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) and Objective Crew-Served Weapon (OCSW).

It is not possible to quote a timescale for either of these projects at this point, since work is closely tied to continuing development of the ammunition itself.

National Defense said that the 25mm project would necessitate a larger Barrett receiver and, to fully utilise the smart fuzing capabilities of the ammunition, both the 20mm and 25mm approaches would need to incorporate some sophisticated fire control equipment – presumably the same type of modules presently used on the OICW & OCSW prototypes.

(Readers will recall that the NTW 20/14.5mm anti-materiel rifle designed by Tony Neophytou in South Africa can already be supplied with a conversion kit to fire the 40mm High-Velocity grenade cartridge used with the Mk19 automatic grenade launcher.)

In addition, Barrett confirms it has worked up a variant of the M82A1 suitable for use as an in-bore sub-calibre training rifle in tank guns, infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) cannon and 2.75” rocket launchers. This has also attracted interest as a primary weapon for arming light aircraft. Barrett envisages a 20-round box magazine or a 300-round linear linkless feed system.

PARKER-HALE/BREMMER ARMS NEW PROJECTS

The deal with DTL in the USA for Bremmer Arms of Birmingham to manufacture the 9mm IDW (formerly Bushman) SMG in the UK was finally wrapped up in mid-Sep 98, and Bremmer should receive the prototypes by early Oct 98.

Bremmer of course already owns Parker-Hale Ltd in Birmingham and has moved swiftly to redesign and value-engineer the popular but previously very expensive Parker-Hale bipod which has become the choice of many sniper rifle suppliers. The new steel bipod has self-leveling feet on ball joints, and legs which can be detached for cleaning. As before it will be mounted using a spigot attachment secured in the accessory rail or at the forward end of the handguard. Best of all, it should be available at £90-£99, a huge cost saving on its predecessor.

Before Christmas 98 we should also see a rebirth of the 5.56mm bolt-action rifle which Parker Hale originally developed as a contender for the UK MOD Cadet Rifle contest eventually won by the curious manually-operated version of SA80. As first built, the Parker-Hale rifle was fed from a ten-round, single-column magazine, but Bremmer has now re-engineered it to accept M16 magazines. Suppliers for the synthetic stocks are currently being explored, and Bremmer’s own hammer-forged barrels from the Parker-Hale facility will be used. Optimum rifling twist is still being discussed. The plan is to produce this weapon in a variety of configurations, including target, sniper and ‘practical rifle’ versions. We tested the Cadet Rifle in Birmingham some years ago and found it a very sturdy design.

Also on the way back is the Parker-Hale series of sporting rifles first heralded a year or so ago. In addition, Bremmer currently has a sizeable stock of unturned rifled barrel blanks of various types already in stock, and plans to develop the barrel production side as a separate sales line. And the Parker-Hale range of cleaning kit will also continue.

Finally, Bremmer has now completely redesigned the pump-forward service shotgun it inherited when it acquired Birmingham Gunmakers Ltd, also in Birmingham, and pre-production models should be ready by Christmas.

We understand the Parker-Hale brand name will be used for most of the new products except for the 9mm IDW, the new shotgun, the .22LR AR15s and .30-06 Springfields, which will all remain under the Bremmer Arms banner.

KNIGHT’S TUBB SR-25 MATCH RIFLE

One Reed Knight item we evidently missed at this year’s SHOT Show is the David Tubb Competition Match Rifle, a $5,995 (retail) variant of the Stoner SR-25 named after Tubb, a national match shooter, and offered in .308 and .260 Remington calibres. It differs from the standard ‘flat top’ rifles in being canted 10 degrees and has a 26” match barrel, an extended vertical match trigger, enlarged trigger guard, lightweight high-speed hammer, ambidextrous bolt stop, a hand stop, a skeletonised buttstock with rotating cheekpiece & buttpad and an extended ventilated handguard with mirage stopper. The cocking handle is on the side of the bolt carrier instead of at the rear of the receiver. Scope mounts, scopes and competition aperture iron sights are extra.

TWO BARRELS WITH CZ-700 RIFLE

National Defense reported that the 7.62mm NATO/.308 CZ-700 bolt-action sniper rifle, a 13.6 pound weapon from Ceska Zbrojovka in the Czech Republic, comes with two interchangeable barrels, one of them suppressed, allowing users to employ 200gr subsonic ammunition. This is clearly a neat move, which gets around the need for additional discrete suppressed weapons with tighter rifling twists, which are usually quite pricey.

SWEDEN’S NEW SNIPER ROUND

Some readers will recall that for years now the Swedish MOD’s FMV (Army Materiel Command) has been seeking a new sniper cartridge to use in the British 7.62mm NATO Accuracy International Model AW rifle adopted as the Swedish army’s new PSG90 sniper weapon. The ammunition programme began with a study in 1989 focused on establishing the chief criteria to ensure first-round hits, despite errors in range, crosswind and lead calculation. Its conclusion was that a short time of flight was the key factor, which could be obtained with high initial velocity and low downrange drag.

Full-scale development started in 1993, and not surprisingly studies centred on a sabot-discarding sub-calibre bullet. Competitors included Lano & Bofors from Sweden, Lapua from Finland and Olin/Winchester from the USA. In Feb 98, Winchester – with a modified 7.62mm SLAP cartridge – won the first Swedish contract for 1m rounds, for delivery starting next year.

Selected round is designated locally as ‘7.62mm sk ptr 10 prick’ (the last a rather unfortunate abbreviation of Prickskytte or sniper). Velocity is 1,340m/s (7.62mm ball is 850m/s), and weight of the 4.8mm calibre tungsten carbide projectile is 3.4g. Breech pressure is 385 MPa (360 MPa for ball) and the price US$2 a round, as opposed to 50c for ball. Seated below the tungsten projectile, inside the plastic sabot, is an aluminium ‘area multiplier’, a metal disc customarily used in SLAP ammunition to assist with sabot separation. We note also that the Swedish literature describes the propellant as ‘compacted ball powder’, so we assume Olin’s velocity-enhancing compaction technology has been used.

With the new round, time of flight at 1,000 metres is reduced by 34% and trajectory height (it’s only about 2.5m) by 58%. Wind drift is down 32% and muzzle velocity up by 58%. 100m penetration (rated as 50% penetration) of a NATO armour test plate (hardness 400 Brinell) at 90 degrees (zero degrees NATO) is 30mm, as opposed to about 17mm for Bofors 7.62mm AP.

According to FMV figures, the new sniper round increases hit probability by a factor of two to four at ranges from 400 to 1,000 metres. As might be expected, the tungsten projectile does not break up in soft target simulants, and is claimed to be fully stable, with no tendency to yaw. What’s not said in FMV material is that the idea of a hard, solid bullet also allows the Swedes to avoid any criticism of the projectile’s terminal ballistics from a humanitarian viewpoint, a significant political aspect in that country. Of course, it would also do serious damage to hard targets at close range, though the holes would be pretty small.

Though we’re not sure who’s actually planning to invade Sweden just now, the official message of FMV is ‘Don’t mess with the Swedes, ‘cause we’ve got the world’s best sniper system and will quickly turn you into a casualty.’ You’ve been warned.

5.7MM P-90 BALLISTICS IMPROVED

It appears that we, along with other pundits, have been caught napping by ballistic improvements to the 5.7x28mm ammunition for the FN P-90, consequent upon the redesign of this round a few years ago to meet revised NATO penetration criteria, which include defeat of Russian-style titanium plates interspersed with soft body armour fabric.

Volume 3, No 3, of Wound Ballistics Review, the journal of the International Wound Ballistics Association (IWBA), carries a report by Col Marty Fackler (US Army, retd) of tests carried out on the improved P-90 ammunition at an RCMP Wound Ballistics Seminar in Canada during Sep 97. That publication has been highly critical of the P-90 concept in the past.

The original P-90 bullet with plastic core was noted for its propensity to divert wildly at right angles from the line of fire shortly after entering tissue simulant, but Fackler found that in test firings of the new bullet at ten feet into 10% gelatine the projectile consistently started to yaw about 6cm into the target, rotated 180 degrees and subsequently penetrated to a total of 25-28cm – and in a relatively straight line.

The improved bullet is 3mm shorter than the original, at 2.1 cm, it weighs 31grs and has an aluminium core with an internal steel penetrator tip like the 5.56mm M855. Fackler notes however that in truncating the new projectile the maximum diameter of the permanent wound track is also fractionally reduced. He also observes that the new bullet does not deform in tissue simulant and that for all but the central 10cm of the wound track, the hole made in the target is only about 5.6mm.

And he further notes that, at the bottom line, the P-90 projectile has just 60% the momentum of the commercial .22 Hornet, with around 52% of its energy. A closer analogue, Fackler says, would be the 1922fps .22 rimfire Remington Viper round, with momentum within 5% of that achieved by the P-90.

He also suggests that one reason why the P-90 has not apparently caught on with police, as FN clearly hoped it would when its military take-off was slow, was the serious risk of body armour defeat (for which the bullet was of course specifically designed) in ‘own gun’ shootings on the street.

2. INDUSTRY & FOREIGN NEWS

GERMANY HELPED ARM THE KLA?

A story in The European suggested that the German intelligence services had a hand in training & arming the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in a move the paper says had ‘the aim of cementing German influence in the Balkan area and tackling the refugee problem’. According to The European’s sources, KLA training and ex-Stasi communications equipment was provided by the German Militarabschirmdienst (MAD) counterintelligence agency and the Bundeswehr’s KSK special forces, together with ex-GDR weapons.

The matter has (not surprisingly) created serious friction between the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) (the German security service) and the CIA, who feared a backlash from the Serbs.

We believe it also raises substantial questions relating to Germany’s much-vaunted 1961 War Weapons Control Act (Kriegswaffenkontrollgesetz), which forbids the export of military weapons to any parties engaged in conflict. This Act is the reason why production to meet various overseas contracts for Heckler & Koch weapons has been delegated by H&K over the years to Royal Ordnance in the UK.

No doubt there will be some nifty footwork exercised over the precise definition of ‘conflict’ in the Albanian context but – on the face of it – if the KLA story is true the BND and MAD would appear to have breached German domestic law, never mind any EU or UN prohibitions. Observers outside Germany may now also be legitimately asking themselves whether it was really such a good thing for the Bundeswehr to be finally authorised to conduct operations outside German borders in support of UN resolutions, if the intelligence services are able to use them abroad for covert sectarian purposes.

Nor were we very happy to note The European’s comment that the KLA equipping was said to be funded via an Albanian foundation called ‘The Fatherland’s Call’, with offices (inter alia) in Germany, Sweden & Switzerland. It all sounds a bit WW2 for our liking.

BIG THAI AMMO BUYER

The Bangkok Post said that a special forces colonel in the Thai army was found to have 700,000 rounds of ammunition at his home. He reportedly said it was purchased for a secret mission, but the army denied this. The Post said he actually appeared to be running his own ammo business, which is perfectly legal.

MEMORIAL SHOOT

A Times story said that, in accordance with his last wishes, former British gamekeeper Tony Goldsworthy’s ashes were fired from the guns of 40 of his fellow members of the Bath Muzzle & Historic Breechloaders’ Association at a special event on their shooting range. His other dying wish was that one of his friends should shoot a crow – not his favourite bird – with his ashes.

PHILIPPINES POLICE WITH P-90

One of our sources who was recently in the Philippines reports that members of the Special Action Group of the Philippines National Police patrolling Manila airport are armed with 5.7mm FN P-90 SMGs. He understands they have 20 of these weapons.

AUTO-ORDNANCE FOR SALE

In mid-Sep 98 Firearms Business (FB) in the USA said that the Gun Parts Corp was offering its Auto-Ordnance Corp New York subsidiary for sale, saying it wanted to concentrate on its core business & new ventures. Auto-Ordnance makes Thompson carbines (aka Tommy Guns) and M1911A1 type pistols. No asking price was mentioned.

GUN BUYBACK IN EL SALVADOR

In August the Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy announced another of his government’s projects aimed (in his words) at curbing small arms proliferation, a $130,000 contribution from the Peacebuilding Fund for a ‘Goods for Guns’ buy-back program in El Salvador.

This project, originally organised by several Salvadorian business people with the assistance of the Rotary Club, is intended to persuade former combatants to exchange weapons for coupons redeemable against consumer goods. Canada also made a contribution to this programme in 1996/97.

KAZANLAK HOPES FOR AK SALES

An International Herald Tribune report in Aug 98 came to readers from Kazanlak in Bulgaria, home to the Arsenal arms plant (formerly Kazanlak Arsenal), which the Tribune said makes everything from CNC machines to tank guns, in 200 production halls. It has 10,400 employees.

Apparently Arsenal is setting great store on selling Kalashnikov (AK74) rifles in 5.56x45mm calibre and breaking into Western markets, but would not be drawn on whether Bulgarian forces were going to adopt these weapons themselves – or who any other customers for them might actually be. Of course, all the former Warsaw Pact countries can also offer Kalashnikovs, including various AK74 derivatives chambered for 5.56mm NATO; in fact the last thing the market needs just now is another prospective Kalashnikov exporter. There really isn’t any money in it. (nb: though previously we’ve also seen the spelling ‘Kazanlac’, we’re informed ‘Kazanlak’ is in fact the correct way)

SECRET SERVICE UZI SMGs

In the USA we recently examined one of the famous Secret Service attache-case 9mm Uzi SMG systems which we assume the service’s current requirement for new subguns will now supersede. The gun itself is secured in the attaché case by two powerful magnets, and there are three spare magazines in the foam-lined case. Where you might normally stick your initials by the handle on the edge of the case there is a handy arrow to indicate which way the muzzle of the gun is pointing.

Apparently the suggested modus operandi is to pop the catch, let the lid of the case drop down and simply pull the SMG away from the magnetic catches. The only problem we see with this is the spare magazines, which will at that point still be firmly embedded in the foam, so you’d better bank on one magazine doing the trick!

GUN-TREE FIREARMS SECURITY RACK

Don S. Graham, inventor and owner of Firearm Security Racks, Inc., has announced the availability of “The Gun-Tree” gun rack for secure storage of handguns in the home. The rack holds up to 3 revolvers or automatics of any size or caliber, providing locked security from theft or access by children. Made of steel, the rack is plasticol coated to protect the finish of guns while being stored. The patented rack is mounted directly to a single wall stud with screws featuring tamper proof screw heads. While providing secure storage, quick access to the guns is available with the removal of the owner supplied padlock, allowing the locking bar to drop downward, giving access to all stored handguns. The narrow profile of the rack allows it to be mounted in a closet behind hanging clothes for additional security. Retail price for the new rack is only $39.95. Firearms Security Racks, Inc., offers cost effective firearm security solutions for both long guns and handguns. For more information contact Don S. Graham, Firearm Security Racks, Inc., Dept. SAR, 13349 CR 1141, Tyler, TX 75709. Phone: 1-903-592-6221. You can also visit them on the web at http://gunracks.tylerrose.com.

NEW FROM DICK KRAMER STUDIOS, INC.

Dick Kramer, long known for his outstanding, highly detailed drawings of tactical personnel and firearms, has introduced even more fantastic drawings and tee-shirts. Just some of the new drawings include his H&K Series II, additions to his SWAT Series, a new line of Firefighting drawings and the “U.K.” Series. These new drawings as well as his existing line of drawings, posters and T-shirts have the same attention to detail that have made his work the leading advertising artwork for most of the heavy hitters in the firearms and related industries. Dick’s corporate accounts include Zodiac, Remington, H&K, Smith & Wesson, Camelback, Surefire and Colt, just to name a few. He has now also expanded his line to include military and E.O.D. art. (Editors Note: I have some of Dick’s Work hanging in my office and everyone that walks in immediately wants to know where these fantastic drawings came from, the detail is incredible.) For more information contact Dick Kramer Studios, Inc., Dept. SAR, 26 Plaza Street, N.E., Suite E, Leesburg, VA 20176. Phone: 1-703-443-0422. Fax: 1-703-443-0423. Their internet address is www.mnsinc.com/capitol/ .

LASER SIGHTING SYSTEM FOR MARK 19/.50 BROWNING MG

If you happen to have a Mark 19 40mm grenade launcher sitting around, or are in a unit that does and you need a sighting system for it, one is now available. B.E. Meyers & Co., Inc. has developed and is now offering a laser sighting system that can be mounted to the Mark 64 Model 5 cradle which can mount either the Mark 19 launcher or the .50 caliber Browning MG. The new system uses two lasers. The long laser on the bottom is a 3 watt infrared laser illumination system that projects a cross hair as well as the scene of targets beyond 5km. At 5km it will illuminate an area 400 X 400 meters and project a cross hair like a giant infrared slide projector. The second smaller laser on the top is a pinpointing laser. It pulses a hot dot at the center of the field and allows an individual soldier to accurately target on any target at ranges beyond the standard range of each weapon. For more information contact B.E. Meyers & Co., Inc., Dept. SAR, 17525 NE 67th Court, Redmond, WA 98052. Phone: 1-425-881-6648. Fax: 1-425-867-1759. They are on the web at www.bemeyers.com.

THE LIGHTNING LOADER FROM SALLY SPEEDLOADERS

The Lightning Loader is a great new speed loader for M-16/AR-15 type magazines. Made from a lightweight, very durable injection molded plastic, the new loader offers fast, one-handed loading of AR-15/M-16 type magazines. The loader is very easy to use; After attaching the Lightning Loader to any belt up to 2 inches wide (the loader includes built-in Alice clips), simply slide a loaded stripper clip into the top of the speedloader and attach an empty magazine to the bottom of it. Push the bullets straight down with your thumb in one smooth motion. Repeat this until the magazine is full. When the magazine is full push the release lever on the Lightning Loader and the magazine will fall free into your hand. It’s that simple! The whole process takes as few as 5 seconds! Because the speedloader attaches to your belt, it is easily accessible and virtually impossible to lose.

It works with standard military stripper clips and all kinds and sizes of AR-16/M-16 rifle magazines using .223 ammunition. Production will begin in the near future for the Mini-14 and AK-47 Lightning Loaders. The Lightning Loader comes with 2-stripper clips and a handy little tool that allows the user to unload loaded magazines and it also can be used to remove the baseplate from magazines for disassembly. For more information or to place an order contact: Sally Speedloaders, Inc., Dept. SAR, 2344 North Old Bethlehem Pike, Quakertown, PA 18951-3910. Phone: 1-888-773-5637. Fax: 1-215-529-7817. Visit them on the web at www.user1.netcarrier.com/~speed

AIMPOINT “XD” SIGHTS FROM SPRINGFIELD ARMORY

As the recognized leader for red dot sight innovation and performance, Aimpoint now introduces XD technology, a radical advancement in red dot sighting performance. With a 300% brighter dot and 500% longer battery life, Aimpoint XD delivers the brightest dot, at the lowest power consumption, of any red dot sight available. It is now the choice of the U.S. Army and elite forces around the world. Aimpoint’s both-eyes-open, heads-up, rapid target acquisition and superior accuracy deliver unmatched precision for a variety of applications. The improved XD models include the 5000XD, 5000XD-2X, CompXD, CompMXD and the CompMLXD. Of special interest to a lot of SAR readers will be the CompMXD and the CompMLXD both with matte black finish, flip-up lens covers and water-proof windage & elevation caps with military style security wires. The CompMXD is also night vision compatible, allowing it to be used with both weapon mounted as well as head-mounted night vision. For more information on these great new optics contact, Aimpoint, Dept. SAR, 420 West Main Street, Geneseo, IL 61254. Phone: 1-309-944-1702. Fax: 1-309-944-3676. On the web at: www.aimpointusa.com .

By Scott R. Lynch

For three consecutive Mondays in July and the first Monday in August, the general public, ROTC cadets, and Allied military personnel are treated to an outstanding show of U.S. Army Combined Arms Warfare. The display demonstrates the destructive capabilities and lethal results that are obtained when you combine the power of Armor, Field Artillery, Infantry and Close Air Support. The show is presented by the 1/16th Cav Regiment (The largest squadron in the Army ) and takes place on the Lawley/O’Brien Ranges at “The Home of Armor” Fort Knox, Kentucky.

From a central parking area on the post, Army buses carry the visitors out to the range. Upon arriving at the range you have a couple of hours to climb in, on, and around the various pieces of equipment that make up the modern Army. Qualified personnel are on hand to explain weapon systems operation and answer any questions. All the vehicles in the show, as well as a few from WWII, Korea and Vietnam are on display for several hours before and after the show. Infantry soldiers in full combat gear and camo painted faces display their M16’s and M249’s while describing the tools of the trade. While at the range, cold water and sunscreen are provided, with food and other refreshments available for purchase.

The show opens with a “BANG,” and two M1A1 Abrams tanks roar past the seating area, firing on the run at enemy tank silhouettes down range. The shaded bleachers give you a first hand perspective of the battlefield, and for the next hour your heart pounds and the earth shakes under the explosive barrage being sent down range. The commander leaps from his tank, welcomes the crowd, and signals one by one the start of the individual firepower demonstrations.

First two infantry squads patrol the hill below us, as Ghillie suited snipers dig in at the left and right flanking positions. Reactive targets pop up from a trench line and the squads hit the deck as machine gun fire erupts. The enemy drops back and the squads advance using the SAW’s for covering fire. Spotting enemy tanks, they drop flat again. A soldier from each squad springs up, aims and fires an M136 (AT4) Light Anti-armor Weapon, which explodes into the tank. M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles (BFV) roll in with 7.62mm coaxial machine guns blazing, drop their rear doors and pick-up the squads. As they move to safety, the M3’s launch TOW missiles at the advancing armor.

Next, a demonstration of the power and accuracy of the “King of Battle,” Artillery. An M109 Paladin Self Propelled Howitzer unlocks its barrel in front of the bleachers and lobs several 155mm rounds on a distant hilltop. To the left of the crowd the MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) unloads its tubes firing 227mm rockets in six-second intervals. As the artillery moves off the firing area, an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter flies in, spinning 360 degrees in front of the crowd while hovering 100 feet off the ground. The pilot moves it to the edge of the grandstand and lights up the 30mm cannon under its nose. He finishes the demo by launching 2.75 inch rockets from the side pods to the excited clamor of the crowd.

It’s time for a battle! The section commanders exit their vehicles and meet the squadron commander in front of the seating area. Using a terrain model board of the range area, each leader explains his unit’s objectives and their plans for achieving them. Smoke grenades are ignited downrange to highlight areas of importance for the spectators as they listen to the battle plan. Enemy vehicle silhouettes have been strategically arranged in various formations downrange.

As the battle begins, the vehicle to vehicle communications is piped over the P.A. system. A team of M3 Bradley mounted scouts have identified an enemy recon element and report the grid position back to the unit.. The enemy recon element discovers the scouts and launches a Rocket Dispensed Minefield, effectively cutting off the BFV’s retreat route. A thunderous explosion rocks the range as the scouts deploy a Trailer Mounted mine Clearing Device consisting of a tethered projectile and a couple hundred pounds of C-4. The blast clears the road and allows the scouts to make their getaway.

Once the scouts are clear of the engagement area, an M1A1 tank platoon, Mechanized Infantry, and a platoon of Apaches work together to destroy the forward security forces. Paladin 155mm Howitzers suppress enemy air defenses clearing the skies for two USAF A-10 Warthogs. The A-10’s make several low passes, blasting deep at the enemy with their GAU-8/A 30mm Gatling guns. While the opposition scrambles to establish a firing line on what has (intentionally) been exposed as an area of weakness, the MLRS destroys follow-on forces isolating the main element from any reinforcement.

The finale unfolds as the main body attempts to penetrate the U.S. position and are cut to ribbons by six M1A1’s firing a series of 120mm volleys. (NOTE: If your pulse isn’t racing at this point call for a doctor…’cause you may be dead!) The Apaches join in firing rockets and the 30mm chain guns, while the BFV’s take out dismounted troops with 25mm cannons, and 7.62mm machine guns. To end the battle the tanks pop a solid wall of smoke, masking their movement to a defensive position.

The show, although very expensive to produce, is free of charge, and open to all ages. For information on CALFEX ’99 contact: Fort Knox Public Affairs Office (502) 624-3351

As readers of SAR may know, I recently completed a military tour in Bosnia and was able to observe and handle many foreign weapons. One which caught my eye was that carried by the Belgium contingent – the Fabrique Nationale Carabine. Upon returning to America I kept on thinking about that FNC. I discovered they were available and decided (actually, my wife Linda gave me permission) to get one. A phone call to Gene Guilaroff, who has supplied me “black rifles” in the past, had an FNC Paratrooper with 18” barrel on the way to me.

After becoming quite familiar with my FNC, I wanted to learn more about it but quickly discovered there was little information available. Well, that situation has now ended with the publication of this two-part series on the FNC. This first article will provide a detailed overview of the rifle, including its background, technical details and operating characteristics. The second article, to be published shortly, will cover in detail its conversion to a factory-correct select fire weapon. Hint for all Class III enthusiasts: registered sears are plentiful and relatively inexpensive!

Installment 1 of the FN FNC in America.

Background

The birth of the FNC begins with its grandfather, the world famous FN FAL 7.62mm battle rifle. In the period 1963-66 as the arms market showed interest in smaller calibers, particularly the 5.56mm round, FN responded by designing the 5.56mm CAL rifle. Essentially the CAL was a smaller version of the FAL and continued to use the unique adjustable gas system. Unfortunately, the CAL was costly to manufacture/unreliable and therefore discontinued in 1975. It should be noted that 15-20 semiauto CAL’s were imported into America and sell (if available) for around $7500.

During 1974-76 FN redesigned the CAL into what we now know as the FNC. This was done for two reasons: 1) to compete in the 1976 Swedish arms tests and 1977-80 NATO cartridge evaluation trials; and, 2) to market a reliable 5.56mm rifle which could oppose the M16. Ultimately, in addition to Belgium, Sweden and Indonesia became licensed manufacturers of the FNC. At last count the FNC remains used by these three countries’ military forces and also is exported to parts of Asia and Africa.

Three importers are known to have brought semiauto FNC’s into the United States. Steyr of Secaucus, NJ and Howco of Laurel, MD brought in a total of about 1000 into the US during 1982-early ’83 timeframe. Gun South Inc. of Birmingham (later Trussville), AL imported approximately 5000 from mid 1983-88. When first imported in 1982 the price for an FNC was between $1000-1100. In 1985 this dropped to around $750 for either version to stimulate sales. In 1989 the importation of FNC’s, along with SIG, etc. was halted upon order of President Bush.

There were three imported versions of the FNC:

*Standard Model – Fixed stock with 18” barrel

*Paratroop Version 1 – Folding stock with 18” barrel

*Paratroop Version 2 – Folding stock with 16” barrel

Interestingly enough, while the folding/collapsing stock versions of military style weapons tend to be more rare, this is not the case with the FNC. Almost 90% of all imported FNC’s were the folding stock variation while the fixed stock comprised just 10% of the total. Also, the short 16” barrel is relatively uncommon and quite desirable.

Technical Details

Layout

The FNC is constructed of steel and aluminum alloys that are designed for reliability of operation and straightforward construction. Most of the parts are finished with a rugged satin black enamel which is baked on. The aluminum parts are black anodized while several steel items are dark gray parkerized.

With an overall length of 39.25” and unloaded weight of 8.3 lbs. (Para Version 1) it is of similar dimensions when compared to other 5.56mm rifles. The relationship of stock, trigger and handguard is excellent and readily lends itself to ease of handling and shooting. The handfilling front handguard is particularly well designed and remains cool to the touch even after periods of extended firing.

The trigger is designed by FN as a single-stage model and is fairly stiff. Trigger slack takeup requires 2.5 lbs. of pressure while sear disengagement needs an additional 8 lbs. to achieve release. Creep is typically .04-.05” which is well within specifications for a rifle designed for hard battlefield use.

The FNC is designed to use the NATO STANAG 4179 (Colt AR15-type) magazine. While a blued all-steel 30-round mag was originally available, it is generally hard to find and expensive. This is not a problem as the Colt 20 and 30-round versions work perfectly well and are found everywhere. For you serious collectors, the Beta-C mag should work properly in the FNC.

Receiver

The upper receiver is composed of stamped sheet steel with all welding performed robotically. The barrel extension, which includes the cartridge feed ramp, is spot welded into the front of the receiver. The rear of the receiver is given structural integrity by having the rear take down support also spot welded in. The rear sight assembly, too, is welded onto the receiver. To carry the bolt assembly, two U-shaped guide rails are spot welded inside the receiver. Next to the right guide rail is the ejector, which is riveted in place. Finally, to keep debris from getting inside the receiver there is a cocking slot cover which is spring loaded to ride over the cocking handle when the bolt assembly reciprocates.

The lower receiver is milled from aluminum alloy stock which is black anodized to reduce visibility. The magazine release is very similar to the Colt AR15 and is well positioned for one finger use. The trigger mechanism replicates the FALs’ and is easily accessible for maintenance. By rotating the safety switch vertically upwards it can be slid out to permit greater internal access for mechanism adjusting and/or replacement.

Barrel

The FNC’s imported into the US had two different length barrels. One was 18” and the other was 16”. Paratroop FNC’s came with both lengths while the standard fixed stock model came with the 18” version. Unlike the AR15, there has never been a heavyweight or “target” FNC barrel.

The barrel is hammer forged with a 6-groove RH twist which, is then hard chrome plated. Twist is 1/12” and designed to stabilize the US M193 55gr. bullet. It may not fully stabilize the newer US M855 62gr green tip slug. Interestingly enough, the Swedish Bofors-manufactured FNC (entered service in 1987 as the AK5) initially used a slow twist barrel due to humanitarian concerns about excessive wound trauma. They have since adopted the 1/7” twist as used on the M16A2 rifle.

The FNC barrel has a parkerized NATO-standard 22mm flash suppressor (LH thread!) which is very similar to the FAL “shorty” factory model. Flash suppression is adequate, but the main purpose of this device is to allow the mounting/launching of rifle grenades. Finally, the barrel is ribbed to support a clip-on bipod and front sling swivel.

Operating System

The gas-operated recoil system is a combination of the AK and FAL systems. A takeoff port in the barrel directs expanding gases through the gas block and into the gas tube. This tube carries the gas piston, which is part of the bolt carrier assembly. The gas slams into the head of the gas piston and forces the entire bolt carrier assembly to move backwards. As it begins moving to the rear, a camming action causes the bolt to unlock from the barrel extension and extract the spent cartridge case. Further bolt assembly movement causes the case to hit the ejector, recock the hammer and compress the recoil spring. The spring then drives back into battery the bolt carrier assembly, which strips off a fresh cartridge from the magazine and cams the bolt back into engagement with the barrel extension locking lugs. It is now ready for another round to be fired.

The FNC bolt is similar in size to an AR15 bolt and has two large dual-opposed locking lugs. The firing pin rides within the bolt, but is unusual in that it is retained by the bolt carrier and floats for 7mm. A firing pin spring is used so that an accidental inertia impact with the cartridge primer (which AR15’s are known to do) is eliminated. This firing pin is very thin and perhaps the weakest point in the FNC system.

Finally, the FNC gas system is adjustable in two separate ways. Should crud build up and more gas pressure is needed to cycle the action, an extension on the gas piston tube is rotated 90 degrees clockwise. This will cause the gas piston tube to close over an exhaust port located on the gas block and result in increased pressure being diverted against the gas piston head. The second adjustment is in regard to the firing of rifle grenades. By flipping up the grenade sight the gas is then cut off from flowing through the gas block and the FNC will not cycle. This permits the full force of the gas to be directed against the base of the grenade. Of course, a special ballistite (blank) cartridge is required to generate the high pressures required for launching.

Sights

Sights on the FNC are clearly in line with those of the FAL. The rear is an aperture type that flips into two positions: one for 250m and the other for 400m. It is protected from accidental knocks by two ears, which extend up from the base. Each adjusting click of the detent will traverse the bullet point-of-impact 1cm at 100m. The front sight is a spring-loaded post, which is also protected by two ears. Although there is no detent, each 1/4 turn of the post will elevate the bullet 1cm at 100m. While the sight adjusting function is performed with the combination tool, the Uzi SMG tool is also perfect for the job. Sight radius for the FNC is 20”.

Furniture

All the furniture on the FNC is rugged black plastic. The handguards are compression molded and riveted with brass nibs to steel liners. These liners give excellent structural integrity while being vented to dissipate the heat both forward and through the top. The pistolgrip is a direct takeoff from the FAL and is wedge shaped with a fairly steep rake to increase control while in rapid fire. The pistolgrip also contains the oiler/cleaning kit.

The sturdy folding stock is also a copy of the FAL paratroop unit. The two legs and buttpiece comprising the stock are made of aluminum, which has been finished in a baked-on satin black enamel. Also, the top leg of the buttstock is encased in plastic to reduce the effect of temperature extremes on the shooter’s face. The stock is fixed to the lower receiver via an aluminum mounting block which has been black anodized. To fold the stock, simply thumb aside the lock button, disengage the stock from the mounting block and fold against the right side of the rifle.

The fixed stock is also made of hard black plastic with a steel buttplate. It is mounted directly to the lower receiver via one screw. Swapping folding and fixed buttstocks is quite simple and requires no modifications to the bolt carrier, recoil mechanism, etc. Simply remove the screw, replace the stock, and reinstall the screw.

Spare Parts

Just recently the import of Indonesian-manufactured spare parts has taken place. Spare barrels, firing pins, magazines, tools, etc. are all available from Tampa Bay Military & Police Supply Inc. These items are officially licensed from FN and built to military specifications by the quasi-governmental firm of Bandung. Since Indonesia has been fighting terrorists and internal unrest for many years it is safe to say these parts have stood the test of time and will work quite well in the FNC. Two particularly interesting items are the 16” and 18” barrel assemblies with the 1/7” twist which will permit stabilization of the heavier M855 62gr. bullet.

Accessories

The FNC factory manual dated March, 1982, shows the following accessories to be available:

M16 Bayonet Adapter – This is attached to the barrel and permits the US M7 bayonet to be used. Otherwise, the FN “tubular” bayonet is used by sliding it over the NATO-standard 22mm flash suppressor.

Telescopic Sight – This is a superb 4×28 milspec scope manufactured by Hensoldt. It has the typical picket-post crosshair and sports an olive green finish. It is attached to the scope mount via two STANAG screws and is adjustable for windage and elevation.

Telescopic Sight Mount – This is a quick disconnect mount very similar to the SIG AMT design. The forward end of the mount is inserted into a cutout that is machined into a protrusion coming up from the barrel extension. The rear is then lowered until it lays against a dovetail which is part of the rear sight base. A lever on the mount is then pushed which cams into the dovetail. Neat, simple and very quick.

Bipod – This is a sturdy cast aluminum “claw clamp” design similar to the model used on the AR15. It functions by squeezing the spring-loaded legs together and placing the open mouth against the barrel. Releasing it will cause the mouth to close around the barrel and remain in place. With a working height of 11” it gives excellent support to the FNC.

Combination Tool – This tool is very handy for cleaning the gas piston, gas block port and adjusting the sights. Normally quite difficult to find, it is now being imported by Tampa Bay Military & Police Supply Inc. and an excellent addition to the tool box.

Operating Characteristics

The FNC is a fun firearm to shoot. Its simple, yet solid, construction gives it a balance and heft which yields confidence. Whether in the paratroop or fixed stock versions, it remains an excellent firearm to employ.

To load the FNC simply insert the magazine into the feed well and push until it locks into place. Grasping the cocking handle on the right side of the receiver, pull it to the rear and release smartly. A round will be chambered. Take it off safe, aim through the sights and press the trigger. Recoil is well dampened and presses directly back into the shoulder. Recovery onto the target is rapid for followup shots.

Accuracy testing with 210 rounds of first quality (not surplus) IMI M193 ball ammo provided by Cole Distributing revealed my particular FNC fired a consistent 10-round group of 2 1/2 MOA. This was with iron sights and stiff trigger, while the average velocity clocked at 3281 fps. The accuracy with this particular FNC/cartridge combination was outstanding and exceeds any military requirement I am aware of. One comment: many shooters avoid “surplus fodder” due to concerns about overpressure, corrosion, etc. This is clearly not true with Cole’s .223 IMI cartridge. It is very accurate/clean burning and is highly recommended!

For reloading purposes the FNC is not as friendly as the AR15. Most cases being ejected from the FNC are dented due to impacting the cocking slot cover. Unlike the H&K series of rifles, there is no optional ejection port buffer to snap on and reduce case damage.

Breaking down and cleaning the FNC is similar to the AR15. First, take out the magazine and make sure the chamber is empty. Cock the weapon and place it on safe. Push out the two captive takedown pins that connect the upper and lower receivers together. Grasp the cocking handle and retract the entire bolt carrier assembly towards the rear. As the handle reaches the cutout at the rear of the cocking slot pull it (the handle) out from the bolt carrier assembly. Use your finger to slide out the bolt carrier assembly from the upper receiver rails.

Next, press on the recoil spring retainer plate and rotate it 1/4 turn in either direction. This will disconnect the recoil spring/guide from its attachment point inside the gas piston. Slowly withdraw it towards the rear as spring tension is released. Finally, separate the bolt from the bolt carrier by rotating it 1/4 turn counterclockwise and remove it from the bolt carrier. Be careful the firing pin spring does not accidentally fall off the pin and get lost! Remove the handguards by snapping off their spring retainer clip located in front of the gas block.

Cleaning the FNC is very simple. Standard solvents and oils are used, but make sure all ammonia-based products do not come into contact with the aluminum lower receiver. It will attack non-ferrous metal! Cleaning the barrel from the breech end is simple and the only proper way to do so. Make especially sure you address the receiver extension where the bolt locks up as it will harbor a good amount of crud. Other places to make sure are clean include the hard chromed gas piston area, the gas tube it travels in and the gas block with its porting hole. For really stubborn carbon deposits in these areas I use a wooden popsicle stick or the combination tool to scrap them away.

Reassembly is the reverse of disassembly. Items to watch for include making sure the cocking handle is placed back into the bolt carrier assembly (it’s easy to forget) and the gas selector lever is placed into the “normal” and not full power position.

Conclusion

The FN FNC is one of the “best kept secrets” in military-style rifles to be imported into America. It is clearly one of the best. When comparing its cost to similar imports the true value of the FNC will become even more apparent. In fact, I consider it one of the few remaining “bargains” to be found. Where else can you get a firearm of this type from an internationally respected manufacturer for the price of a green label AR15?

Firing the low recoil and commonly available 5.56mm cartridge makes it a pleasure to shoot and even easier on the pocketbook. Further, its supply of high capacity magazines is assured for years to come. As an additional incentive, the import of licensed spare parts has begun and will keep the FNC running long into the future.

Fabrique Nationale’s FNC until now has been little known in America and deserves much greater respect than has been accorded. Belgium, Indonesia, Sweden and a host of other armed forces cannot be wrong. Now, with your knowledge of the FNC, you will not be either.

Stay tuned for a future article on how to convert the FNC to select fire – with registered transferable factory parts!

Arclight
Attn: Gene Guilaroff
PO Box 173
Alvaton, KY 42122
(502) 622-7309

Tampa Bay Military &
Police Supply, Inc.
Attn: Dana Reed
501 S. Falkenburg Rd.
Tampa, FL 33619
(813) 662-9433
fullauto@gte.net

Cole Distributing, Inc.
Attn: Gary Cole
PO Box 50271
Bowling Green, KY 42102-2871
(502) 843-6844
www.cole-distributing.com

Vang Comp Systems, named for its owner Hans Vang, is a company specializing in custom upgrades to the combat shotgun, both pump and semi-auto of various marques, intended to give police officers and hard-core self-defense oriented citizen shooters more efficient weapons. I recently had Vang Comp do up one of their MMC Ghost Ring model custom shotguns for my review. Let’s take a closer look at this gun:

I shipped to Vang Comp a plain Jane, inexpensive Remington 870 Express and they shipped me back an exquisite custom scattergun. As part of the Vang Comp package the 870’s standard wooden furniture has been replaced with a black composite forend and stock fitted with thick rubber recoil pad, both these from Speed Feed, Inc.

The heart of this gun is the Vang Comp Systems (VCS) modification, which both tightens shot patterns and decreases felt recoil. This system consists of back boring the barrel and lengthening the forcing cone. “Back boring” refers to actually opening up the diameter of the bore .002” along its entire length except the last 1-1/4”, which in effect creates a choke to tighten shot patterns, and also make the gun more accurate with slugs.

To understand the concept of lengthening the forcing cone and its advantages, picture a standard cylinder bore barrel which what most “riot guns” have. The forcing cone is the portion of the barrel that transitions from the chamber to the bore of the gun. Think of it as the on-ramp to a freeway. In a standard factory gun the forcing cone is about 1/4” long and very sharply angled. By the time Vang Comp is through with it the forcing cone is 1/1-2 to 2” long, and thus has a far more gradual taper. The number one advantage of this is that when the shot begins to leave the shell it won’t instantly hit the “wall” of a sharply angled forcing cone and deform. Rather the shot is “babied” as it’s guided into the barrel far more gently. Since the shot is not deformed, it flies more accurately, thus you get better patterns over longer distances.

Lengthening the forcing cone also gives you the perception of less felt recoil. In a normal shotgun, almost as soon as the shot begins to move it hits the forcing cone and you instantly get whacked with all that recoil. The lengthened forcing cone extends the recoil impulse out over a longer period of time. That doesn’t really lessen the amount of recoil, it just makes it seem lighter, which makes the gun far more pleasant to fire. Recoil perception is a very subjective thing. My personal take on it, from firing this shotgun both before and after modification: I would say that running Federal Tactical Loads though a VCS’ed 12 gauge feels like firing a stock 20 gauge.

There are two versions of VCS, the Comp and Non-Ported models. Both of these systems feature the same internal modifications to the barrel (back boring, lengthened forcing cone) the only difference being that the Comp model has ports drilled toward the front of the barrel, to vent expanding propellant gases upward and thus hold down muzzle flip during recoil, and the Non-Ported version, naturally, doesn’t. Both systems have their virtues:

The Comp model offers enhanced control of barrel rise during rapid fire. Another positive trait is that the ported barrel has about half the muzzle flash of a standard barrel. You’d expect a ported barrel would vent burning powder gases upward across the line of sight and give you more muzzle flash than a non-ported barrel (that’s certainly what happens on compensated auto pistols) however this data was gathered by Larry Nickols of the Burbank PD and apparently that’s the truth. The porting does make the gun louder, since noise also travels up and back toward you as well as simply out the front of the muzzle and away. Hans Vang reports that about 90 percent of his customers opt for the Comp model VCS.

An advantage to the Non-Ported system would be if an individual or police department didn’t want any outwardly visible modifications to the barrel. And the gun is a bit quieter. Also, if officers were going to do an entry in the “stacking position” with one officer right above the other, it’s possible with a ported gun the guy right above it might get some muzzle gas in the face when the lower man fires.

Sights are from MMC, a high visibility ramp front mated to a fully adjustable ghost ring rear. Says Hans Vang, “As far as I’m concerned, MMC makes the best ghost rings sight available today. I’m of the old school, I like things machined from billeted steel.” These sights feature tritium inserts for low light shooting, consisting of a dot up front and a bar beneath the rear ghost ring aperture.

The 870 Express started out with a simple round barrel. Hans takes a standard Remington 26” or 28” vent rib barrel and cuts it down to 18-1/4 or 18-1/2”, then installed the sights. Combined with the MMC ramp/ghost ring set-up, the vent rib configuration on this gun really looks nice.

Out-of-the box the gun came with Remington’s “shorty” four-round magazine tube. Fitted with a Scattergun Technologies (SGT) tube extension, mag capacity jumps from four to six 2-3/4” shells, making this a seven-shot gun with one in the chamber. The stock magazine tube follower of black plastic has been replaced with a follower in high visibility day-glo orange, also from SGT; this makes it much easier when inspecting the gun to visually verify the magazine is empty.

The gun has been fitted with an SGT magazine cap with quick detachable sling swivel. The swivel holds the sling off to the left, which could be a very nice thing if you ever wanted to put a tactical light on this gun; with the sling off to the side it won’t get in the way of the light. The sling itself is the Giles Tactical Sling, which is considered by many experts the best tactical sling available. One of the nice things about the Giles sling is that it doesn’t require a sling swivel on the butt, being instead affixed with a Velcro loop. When worn by a right handed operator the “loop” of the Giles sling goes over the right shoulder; when the gun is released the gun simply hangs across the chest, barrel angled downwards. This allows you to have both hands free but not lose instant access to the gun. The Giles unit can also be used as a conventional carry sling.

One of the most common upgrades among serious defensively minded shotgunners is finding some way to carry a spare ammo supply that is fixed in an accessible manner to the gun. Probably the best system existing is the side saddle ammo carrier, and one of these is included in the Vang Comp custom package. Mounted on the gun’s right side aft of the ejection port, this unit holds six 12-gauge shells ready to hand.

The Remington 870’s standard small safety button, located on its right side behind the trigger guard, has been upgraded with the installation of a greatly oversized part for more positive manipulation.

Trigger pulls on an out-of-the-box Remington 870 tend to be around 4-1/2 pounds. Vang Comp doesn’t really lighten the trigger pulls, just makes them crisper by very lightly touching up the sear. If the gun needs it, Vang Comp also polishes the slide rails and hones internal parts so the gun cycles very smoothly.

For my testfiring of the Vang Comp Systems custom Remington 870, Hans Vang recommended Federal’s Tactical Load as the best choice. Since this is an extremely popular load for the tactical 12 gauge both among police and serious citizens, limiting my buckshot testing to this load was no great hardship. The Tactical Load carries the familiar nine 00 buckshot pellets traditional in a 2-3/4” 12 gauge shell, but with velocity downloaded from 1,600 to 1,400 feet per second. This is Federal’s approach to giving police and other shooters 12 gauge stopping power with less recoil.

Let’s compare the accuracy of the gun both before and after Vang Comping. We’ll refer to the gun’s performance as BVC (Before Vang Comp) and AVC (AfterVang Comp).

BVC at seven yards the 870 printed a nicely centered 4-1/8” pattern. AVC at the same distance pattern size shrank in half (actually a bit less) to 2”. Lengthening the range to 15 yards, BVC pattern size was a mediocre 9-1/8”.

AVC pattern size again at 15 yards was only marginally larger than at seven yards, a quite impressive 2-13/16”. Perceptive readers will recognize this means the VCS equipped 870 actually printed tighter patterns at 15 yards (2-13/16”) that it had at seven yards (4-1/8”) before being Vang Comped!

When I received the customized shotgun back from Vang Comp, they included a test target fired at 50 feet, marginally farther away than my own 15 yard shooting. On this target were five different patterns fired with the Federal Tactical Load. Average group size hovered right around five inches, a bit more or less, with one superb though anomalous group of 2-3/4”. Also on the target was a three shot group fired from the bench with Brenneke low recoil slugs. All three slugs went into a tight 1-1/8” cloverleaf that bears an amazing resemblance to Mickey Mouse.

Back to my own testing; at 25 yards BVC I wasn’t able to measure pattern size because the gun couldn’t put all nine pellets on paper. AVC it could, albeit barely, in a group of 12”. Hans Vang has commented, “For decades the 12-gauge shotgun has been characterized as being a 15-yard gun, if you want to be safe. With the Vang Comp it’s a 25 yard gun!” Vang Comp Systems literature states, “The VCS modification increases the effective range of the 12 ga. shotgun using 00 Buck to an excess of 50 yards.”

I’m not sure I can buy that. Even at 25 yards, pattern size is loose enough to pose an unacceptably high risk of several pellets from even a well-centered group missing the target and whizzing past to endanger innocent bystanders. This is simply unacceptable in an urban environment. As far as I’m concerned the Vang Comped 870 is still a 15 yard gun…but it’s a far safer 15 yard gun, since compared to a stock weapon its condensed patterns give you a much better chance of keeping all nine 00 buck pellets inside the thorax area. The tighter the pattern, the safer things will be for noncombatants during the gunfight.

Moving ever to the rear, and switching to slugs as we traveled far, far beyond prudent buckshot range, another target fired by Hans Vang was sent to me along with the gun, this one bench rested from 50 yards. On this target the first two sighting-in shots went low, approximately two inches below the bull’s-eye. After the adjustable ghost rings were fine-tuned, of the five shots fired for record four went into a slightly vertically strung group measuring 2”. The final, fifth shot was alas a flyer opening up overall group size to 4-1/2”. Still, four shots into 2” at 50 yards is not too shabby for a slug loaded 12 gauge!

There were no malfunctions of any kind encountered during my testing of the Vang Comp Systems custom Remington 870, just perfect operation.

The cost of this weapon from Vang Comp Systems is $815 (plus shipping & handling, of course) and that’s not a “done up on your gun” price but includes the base gun. There are also several other custom packages available from Vang Comp that are less expensive than the one reviewed here. Simply having the VCS modification and nothing else done to your gun costs $195 for a ported barrel and $145 for a non-ported one, and you don’t need to send them the entire gun, only the barrel. For more information you may write to Vang Comp Systems, Dept GAH, 234 Orange Avenue, Goleta, CA 93117 or phone (805)964-7956. The fax number is (805) 964-6467. The web-site address is www.vangcomp.com.

Belt-fed machine guns have played an important role in nearly every major military battle since the “The War to End all Wars”, World War I. Across the open fields of France in “no man’s land” belt-fed machine guns commanded the flow of battle and were always the focal point of attacking forces within the defensive lines of their enemy. The utter devastation of sustained, full-power rifle caliber automatic fire against attacking infantry is well known and still every bit as lethal today even with all of our many technological advances in individual weapons and protective equipment.

World War II proved that the belt-fed machine gun had successfully progressed into the “light machine gun” role allowing the gun to be carried easily by one “shooter” during the assault. The use of air-cooled versus water-cooled sustainment methods, lighter yet stronger materials and designs, more streamlined weapons employing bipods, assault slings, belt boxes and drums made the belt-fed machine gun mobile without lessening its lethality.
The frightening target effects of the heavy machine guns of World War I, like the Vickers, Maxim and Browning guns had not changed. The weapons designers of the world had simply designed into the lighter, smaller weapons all of the capabilities of the heavy machine guns but with new enhancements to make them even more lethal than their more bulky predecessors.

The world learned very quickly to respect the German MG34 and MG42 machine guns for their high rates of fire and almost assured lethality of anyone seen through the gunners sights. The MG34 and MG42 are generally recognized as the earliest successful examples of a true “General Purpose Machine Gun” (GPMG). GPMG’s are commonly defined as guns that can be used effectively by a lone gunner in the light assault role from the shoulder, assault firing position or from the prone position using a light bipod. By placing these same weapons onto field tripods, fixed or vehicular mounts the GPMG serves well in the role of a medium machine gun serviced by a crew for defensive, sustained fire engagement.

During World War II the Germans favored high rates of fire in their machine guns for numerous reasons, not excluding the bone chilling psychological effects on the enemy. German designers believed, and it was well proven in actual combat, that a higher rate of fire would saturate the beaten zone produced by the weapon down range with more projectiles. On an enemy squad in the open for example, this would increase the probability that any personnel within this area would be hit before they could “go to ground” and seek cover after the initial engagement.

Anyone who has seen the recent film “Saving Private Ryan” can better appreciate the abilities of a machine gun like the MG42 in competent hands. Referred to as “Hitler’s chain saw”, the report of the MG42 with it’s 1,200 – 1,400 cyclic rate of fire was often described as sounding like the tearing of canvas. That sound, and the guns immense capability for suppressive fire both in the defensive role and during the assault, were feared in its day and are still revered in modern times by many who believe the MG42 to be one of the worlds best all-around belt-fed machine guns. In fact, the MG42 is still used by the German Bundeswehr today as the MG3 chambered for the 7.62X51mm NATO cartridge.

The attributes of all of today’s successful belt-fed GPMG’s are similar. Lightweight (generally under 26 pounds) man-portable and sustainable by a single operator with quick change barrels for sustained fire and a bipod and buttstock for assault firing. Beyond these common attributes, the designs, features, accessories, methods of operation, reliability and performance vary wildly.

Without question, one of the worlds best though severely underrated GPMG’s is the 7.62X51mm NATO caliber HK21E Machine Gun from Heckler & Koch. To many, the HK21E is without question the world’s most flexible weapon of its type, offering its users features and capabilities not available in competing designs. It is for this reason that the special units in the world that understand and appreciate the unique capabilities of the HK21E have selected it for use in both classic machine gun roles and for military and law enforcement special applications.

The HK21E (E for “Export”) is a true lightweight, general-purpose machine gun in caliber 7.62X51mm NATO. The HK21E can be fired from a tripod, bipod or from the shoulder. In the belt-fed configuration fitted with a 22-inch barrel the weapon weighs just over 20 pounds with the bipod, unloaded. With the 17.7 inch barrel installed the HK21E weighs in at 19.40 pounds and at 17.96 pounds without bipod. Detailed specifications for the HK21E and its many modular variations are included within the following pages.

Some may remember the less than stellar long-term performance of the first belt-fed HK machine gun, the HK21. Little more than an HK 7.62mm G3 assault rifle with a belt feed mechanism added to feed the weapon, early HK21s and later the improved HK21A1 models found favor with many Armies around the world. Some of the current users of the HK21E machine gun and its numerous variants include the armies of Thailand, Peru, Mexico, Finland, Ecuador and many others too numerous to mention here. Even special units like the U.S. Army’s elite Delta Force used the early model of the HK21 during the attempt to rescue the American hostages in Iran in 1980 during Operation Eagle Claw. Today various U.S. special operations units and federal law enforcement agencies as well as security elements within the Department of Energy use HK21Es.

However, early HK21s were not without their problems and in many ways could be described as immature in their design. The early prototype 5.56X45mm NATO HK23s, basically HK21s fitted with 5.56mm bolt, barrel and feed unit, submitted to the U.S. Army for testing as the XM262 candidate for the Army’s SAW trials performed poorly. At the end the Army’s testing the HK gun was surpassed by the performance of the FN MINIMI which was ultimately selected and fielded within the U.S. military as the M249.

Exposure of many to “converted” HK21’s built by American Class II manufacturers from semi-automatic HK91 assault rifles or the inferior HK21s built by HK licensed plants throughout the world did little to improve the collective admiration of the HK21 design.

Parts breakages, buffer problems and other weak points in the early HK21 and HK23 models resulted in almost continuous improvements in the design, throughout the life span of the HK21 and HK21A1 and finally into the current model today known as the HK21E. In the E model the length of the receiver was increased by a full inch to provide additional recoil length for the bolt group. Reinforcing bars were added to the receiver to provide additional strength and rigidity. The bolt head, extractor and locking roller holder were completely redesigned as were the bolt carrier and recoil spring assembly, belt feed unit, buffer, barrel and trigger group. Little remains unchanged in the design or performance of the HK21E from its earlier iterations.

During its 35+ years of life, many variants to the basic weapon have been produced, primarily due to the HK21’s unique modular design, typical of the HK family of weapons. A simple swap of the barrel, feed unit and bolt group allows the weapon to be converted in any one of three calibers to include 7.62X51mm NATO, 5.56X45mm NATO and even 7.62X39mm Russian in a model never produced called the HK22A1. This caliber conversion of the HK21 can easily be accomplished by the operator without tools, in a matter of seconds. Simple conversion from belt to box magazine or drum feed is also possible at operator level in the field. There were even plans at HK for a .50 BMG caliber HK25 machine gun, a gun that by all accounts never progressed beyond an advertisement that once appeared in an HK catalog.

HK21Es imported into the U.S. prior to 1995 would function with disintegrating M13 or DM6 link belts or the continuous German DM1 belts without adjustment. In 1995 HK redesigned the belt feed units and bolt heads of the HK21E to optimize the reliability of the weapon when using belts assembled with U.S. M13 links. As the pitch or distance between the M13/DM6 and DM1 links varies, HK21Es produced after 1995 are no longer designed to work reliably with continuous, non-disintegrating DM1 belts, though HK21Es can be special ordered for use with these belts. A true series production caliber and feed convertible general-purpose machine gun, the HK21E is unique in the history of the breed. Even today the truly modern HK21E machine gun can still be fitted with caliber and feed conversion kits that allow for flexibility unheard of in competing designs. The component parts that need to be exchanged to effect these conversions are listed in the specification table on page 50.

What is it that reputedly makes the HK21E so superior to other designs? As is often the case with successful products there is no single feature that reserves its place in the history books. With the HK21E its unmatched capabilities come from its combination of unparalleled flexibility, features and uncompromising performance.

The HK21’s closed bolt operation and free-floating barrel provide excellent accuracy like that of a sniper rifle. While many rightly contend that historically a machine gun has been an area fire, suppressive weapon, the HK21E with its cyclic rate of fire of 800 rounds per minute (13 rounds per second) can definitely suppress a target area. However, the superior accuracy, which its design brings to the user, allows it to be used in ways and in roles never before envisioned for a machine gun. For example, HK21E’s are used by the German Border Guard in a 7.62mm box magazine-fed version called the G8 Rifle. Employing a special 50-round drum magazine and telescopic sight the G8 is used in a paramilitary/law enforcement role as a light support weapon when highly accurate, surgical or suppressive fire is required against vehicular, aircraft or massed personnel threats.

The HK21E, or its box magazine-fed variants, is often used in conjunction with or in place of a sniper rifle for precision long-range engagements across the full target spectrum. Its capabilities allow it to be used to engage single personnel targets, to accurately mark targets for other weapons, to disable vehicles or equipment, or for any task where the capabilities of putting .30 caliber slugs onto or through a target with repeatable accuracy is required. The HK21E can easily accomplish this task and, unlike the fully automatic fire from a conventional machine gun, without creating the liability of rounds that miss the intended target and could cause unwanted collateral damage to surrounding personnel or materials.

Even firing belted military ball ammunition using iron sights HK21Es regularly will shoot sub-MOA groups at almost any range. Three-shot groups measuring .75 inches at 100 meters are well within this machine guns capabilities when fired from a bipod supported prone firing position. This level of accuracy opens the door for the users of the HK21E to engage pinpoint targets with accurate, effective semi-automatic fire precluding the need to waste precious ammunition in the sustained fire mode. If necessary, as the tactical situation demands, a simple flick of the safety/selector lever will allow that same shooter to “hose down” targets with sustainable automatic fire. This unique capability is not an HK “sales pitch” that is promoted and never used in the “real world”. This capability is available only in the HK21E and is one that is being used every day by military and law enforcement units around the world.

An ambidextrous 4-position trigger group with semi-automatic, 3-round burst and fully automatic modes of fire and “pictogram” markings (HK’s unique and universally understood colored bullet symbols) for the modes of fire are standard on the HK21E. Few machine guns offer other than the fully automatic mode of fire or safety/selector levers for left hand firing though these features are often used by the HK21E gunner during normal training and deployment.

Like the German MG42 and MG3 machine guns, the HK21E provides the user with a simple, quick-change barrel capability. The HK design takes the simplicity and ease of the barrel exchange to new heights of simplicity. To change the barrel of the HK21E the bolt is locked open, the barrel release lever depressed with the thumb and the barrel rotated 35 degrees and removed rearward from the weapon using only one hand. This procedure can be easily accomplished even after firing 1,000 rounds, as the well-insulated barrel handle precludes the need for an asbestos glove, as with many other machine gun designs. A special insulated spare barrel carrier is offered for the HK machine guns that allows a scalding hot barrel slung across the shoulder to be safely carried by a member of the gun crew. The layout of the HK21E allows the gunner the means to easily change the barrel with one hand, in the prone without the need to break out of the firing position or expose himself unnecessarily to unwelcome enemy observation or fire.

Unlike the American M60 and FN MAG58 (known in the U.S. as the M240) machine guns, only the barrel of the HK21E is removed during barrel changes. There is no bipod, gas system, carrying handle or front sight attached to the barrel. This well thought out and executed arrangement simplifies and speeds barrel changes from all firing positions and all but eliminates any change in zero of the weapon from barrel to barrel. This design also reduces the total weight of the machine gun crew’s load as spare barrels are carried free from attached bipods and gas systems that add to the weight of competing designs. Without a gas system and its required gas port, the structural integrity of the cold hammer forged HK21E barrel is not compromised.

Anyone who has attempted to change a hot barrel on an M60 from a prone position when firing off the bipod can attest to the complexity of this procedure. Lift and hold the gun off of the bipod to free the barrel, disengage the barrel latch, don your asbestos glove, remove the hot barrel (remember not to lay the hot barrel on the spare barrel bag or it will melt through the bag), insert the new barrel and align the gas piston, fully seat the barrel in the receiver and hold it in place while you engage the barrel latch. None of this is required with the HK21E.

The HK21E provides the operator with a forward assist for silent loading or to help chamber a round due to improper loading procedure, such as riding the cocking lever forward. The receiver of the HK21E has a guaranteed 60,000 round minimum service life. Barrels regularly withstand the firing of 40,000 rounds or more with no sign of accuracy degradation, even after being abused by long bursts of uninterrupted automatic fire.
A removable folding carrying handle on the receiver, used most often to lift the weapon from the ground as the gunner rushes forward, is positioned at the weapon’s balance point and folds out of the way when not being used. The HK21E provides a cook-off rate in excess of 1,000 rounds (cyclic), a fact proven by extensive testing, despite some claims that this is impossible from a closed-bolt design like the HK21E.

Removable belt boxes can be used to hold 100 rounds of 7.62X51mm NATO on the HK21E for firing from vehicles or during the assault. Special belt starter tabs allow the weapon to be loaded with the bolt open or closed and with the belt feed unit locked in the normal firing position. A quick drag of the belt through the unique ratchet drive wheel arrangement of the HK21Es belt feed unit using the belt starter tab places the belt in the position for loading. Retracting and releasing the cocking lever chambers the first round and prepares the weapon for firing.

It is possible with the HK21E to actuate the cocking lever and bolt of the weapon while the safety/selector lever remains in the safe position, a safety feature not available on many machine guns. “Run away” firing wherein the gun continues firing after the trigger is released (dangerous and not uncommon in the M60 due to it’s simple but unreliable sear/operating rod design), is unlikely in the HK21E due to the unique design of the gun’s trigger mechanism.

The weapon is of a closed-bolt design and is delayed blow-back operated using the classic HK roller-locked bolt to delay the opening of the breech. With the fluted chamber common in many HK weapons, the cartridge case actually pushes itself from the chamber, insuring positive extraction and ejection even under the most inhospitable environmental conditions. In most gas-operated machine guns the empty cartridge case is pulled from the chamber by the bolt as it is driven rearward by the gas system. Should the extractor or extractor spring of the gas-operated machine gun fail, the spent case may well remain in the weapon causing a stoppage. Unlike gas-operated machine guns (such as the FN MAG58) in the HK21E there is no need for a gas regulator to adjust the gas flow into the system to account for sluggish operation due to fouling in the weapon. In fact there is no gas system in the HK21E at all to be maintained. The cyclic rate of fire of the HK21E decreases in cadence to 700 rounds per minute when the weapon is converted to anyone of the box magazine-fed variants.

The HK21E is unique in its modular approach. Each of the assembly groups of the weapon can be removed in seconds by the operator without tools. This allows the configuration of the HK21E to be “tailored” to meet the specific operational needs of the operator. Maintenance is also simplified with the HK21E, as all of the modular assembly groups and individual parts of the weapon are 100 % interchangeable without the need for hand fitting. Damaged or unserviceable assembly groups can simply be exchanged by the operator with a new one and fixed by an armorer when the opportunity allows, without having to pull the complete weapon out of service. Like all HK weapons, the HK21E is simple and quick to field strip and reassemble and requires no tools to accomplish this. The removable assembly group construction and accessibility to the breech area in the HK21E receiver makes for quick and easy cleaning.

The iron sights of the HK21E are of the classic style found on most HK long guns. The front sight post is protected by circular hood that is in fact an integral component of sight alignment with the rear “peep” aperture. The rear sight offers external knobs for elevation and windage adjustment to ranges matching the 1,200 meter maximum effective range of the weapon. The rear sight provides a means to zero the weapon independent of the external adjustment knob settings using a simple Philips head screwdriver.

The HK Export model machine guns have a well thought out quick-detachable sight mounting system that provides 100 percent return-to-zero capability for all types of targeting devices including telescopic and reflex sights and visible or IR laser aimers. This system is used on HK sniper rifles and provides sub-minute of angle accuracy, even from the HK21E. It allows various types of targeting devices to be interchanged on the weapon with the assurance that the zero will remain unaffected even after repeated mounting and dismounting. This sight mounting system allows the standard iron sights and optional targeting devices to be mounted in tandem on the weapon. The special box magazine-fed light machine gun version of the HK21E used with a telescopic sight by the German Border Guard unit GSG-9 as a light support weapon provides excellent accuracy approaching or even exceeding that of many precision sniper rifles.

As an example of the weapon’s incredible performance, many public live-fire demonstrations have been conducted by HK, each year in fact at the annual Small Arms Division meeting of the American Defense Preparedness Association (ADPA, now NDIA). HK demonstrators prove the reliability of the HK21E by firing a single continuous 500 or even 1,000-round belt in the fully automatic mode of fire without interruption. During this firing the unique feed system of the HK21E drags the 32-foot long, 25 pound 500-round belt along the ground and up into the weapon without assistance from the gunner or assistant gunner. Immediately upon completion of firing the barrel is removed from the weapon and held by the shooter in his bare hand to illustrate the advantages of the HK21Es quick-change barrel system. The barrel, hot enough to easily light a cigarette on, is dunked in water to return it to the ambient temperature and reinstalled in the weapon. Afterwards the gun is placed in the semi-automatic mode of fire and then used to accurately and easily engage 3-inch targets at ranges up to and including 300 meters in rapid-fire cadence. This same barrel can and will be used time and time again in other similar demonstrations due to the quality of the materials and the cold hammer forging production process used during its manufacture.

The HK21E can also pull a free hanging belt longer than 7 feet in length into the weapon during firing without assistance, a mark of excellent belt pull and reliability, a characteristic especially appreciated in less than ideal environmental conditions.

Often times the demonstrator will convert the weapon from caliber to caliber and from box feed to belt feed and back in under a minute without tools as the crowd looks on, finishing each manipulation by firing a box, drum or belt of ammunition to demonstrate the weapon’s proper function. This kind of performance is typical of that which has made the HK21E appreciated by those who know machine guns.

The standard U.S. military published price for the HK21E complete with 22.0 or 17.7 inch barrel, detachable bipod with adjustable folding legs, assault grip, carrying handle, pistol grip cleaning kit, plastic muzzle cap, a combat carrying sling and operators manual is @ $4,600 U.S. This price is comparable to or less than many competing designs that offer far less in the way of performance and features than those offered as standard on the HK21E.

Accessories and mounts for the HK21E are endless and are listed within the enclosed specification table. New accessories being developed for the HK21E include adapters to allow for the use of ammunition packaged in cloth U.S. M60 100-round bandoleers, belt box carrying pouches, multiple MIL-STND-1913 (Picatinny) Rail sections for attachment to the weapon’s scope mount and receiver, a special helicopter firing platform, a cartridge case deflector with detachable collection bag, extended safety/selector levers and even screw-on sound suppressors for the weapon.

The preceding leads to the obvious question “If the HK21E is so good, so superior to other machine guns, then why is it not used by the American military in other then a few select special units?” This question is actually quite easy to address. A common phrase “The logistical tail wags the operational dog” applies in this case. Often times throughout history the infantry has asked for proven, superior weapons available off the shelf to carry the fight to the enemy yet were denied them due to the intervention of influential factors associated with the logistical support for the weapon. Through the last half of the 1800’s the single-shot U.S. Springfield Trapdoor rifle remained in service with American infantry even though the superiority of repeating weapons like the Henry, Spencer, Winchester and other rifles had been proven, demonstrated in battle and requested by unit commanders, and even approved by the U.S. President himself. Managers of the armories where the Trapdoor rifles were made, seemingly more concerned with their positions and jobs then the lives of the combat soldiers carrying the weapons into battle, used their political influence from within the logistical system to delay and even prevent the issue of superior weapons available in that day. This is only one example, there were many others.

In the United States the M60 was developed within our national armory system. American armory designers made use of existing design features from various weapons, many of them WWII German machine guns, and combined these features into what should have been a superior weapon. In the eyes of many however the M60 was and still is today disturbingly inferior in countless ways to the German guns that had come decades before the M60, and in the case of the HK21E decades after. Yet with all of its shortcomings the M60 and its E3 variant remain in service today within the U.S. Navy and Air Force. However, the U.S. Army, the Marine Corps and various special operations groups have seen the light and within the past five years have replaced almost all of their M60s with a ground model of the FN M240 machine gun (called the M240G in the Marine Corps, the M240B in the U.S. Army). While this gun is far superior to the M60 in the minds of many informed individuals, its selection to replace the tired old M60 was not made simply on its own merit.

For many years the Marine Corps was dissatisfied with the reliability of the M60. During the 1980’s it became aware that the Army had in its war stock a large surplus of new, unissued M240 machine guns that had been purchased for use on the M1A1 tank. These guns were made available to the Marines who, with the help of FNMI, quickly developed a ground modification kit to allow the weapons to be used as a GPMG in place of the M60E3s then fielded in the Corps. Though weighing nearly 26 pounds, some three or more pounds heavier than the new improved M60E4, test sample of the M240E4 proved to be far more reliable than those of the M60E4 in extensive firing tests and was thus selected for issue within the Marine Corps.

Based on the finding of the Marine Corps tests, the U.S. Army has since replaced all of the M60s within units like the 82nd Airborne Division, the Ranger Regiment and other conventional infantry and special operations units with the M240B. The Army’s version of the M240 differs slightly from the Corps version and weighs approximately 28 pounds. In the case of the Army’s decision to field the M240B to replace the M60, they did for a short time consider conducting a side-by-side comparative test that was also to include the lighter HK21E. This was the point where the logistical tail wagged the operational dog. The HK21E was never tested by the U.S. Army against the M60E4 and M240E4 because “it was not in or supported by the U.S. Government supply system”. Try explaining this to the grunt carrying the M240B or G model, an admittedly excellent 26 to 28 pound weapon but one designed in 1958 and without any of the many desirable features found on the HK21E. With all of the equipment that makes up the infantryman’s current minimum combat load which can often exceed 100 pounds or more, instead of issuing a new machine gun that was lighter than the 23 pound M60E3, we issued him one that was actually three to five pounds heavier. (This was done without considering the fact that there are lighter machine guns available off the shelf with a proven record of performance that would preclude the need to spend precious R&D dollars, like the 18 pound HK21E). Eight full pounds, the difference in weight between the M240G and the HK21E, nearly one tenth of his total 100-pound combat load, or 125 rounds of belted 7.62X51mm NATO ammunition. This is a significant difference one that could mean the difference between mission success and failure. For those special units who can afford to and are able to buy the best available weapons to get the job done, the HK21E is very often their first choice.

What is it like to shoot the HK21E? From the classic light machine gun, bipod supported position the weapon handles like a slightly bulky semi-automatic rifle on a bipod. The weapon is normally loaded in the “cleared” condition, safety on, bolt locked open. The belt is laid across the belt feed unit against the cartridge stop with the open side of the links facing up. Unlike the M60 where the bolt travels below the feed cover, the bolt of the HK21E rides over the belt feed unit and thus the open side of the links must face the bolt so that the cartridges can be stripped from it. The cover to the belt feed unit is then locked in place to secure the belt. The belt feed unit is then pivoted up and locked in place on the receiver. If belt starter tabs are available the belt can simply be pulled through the belt feed unit with it in the normal firing position. Of course, the HK21E fires standard 7.62X51mm NATO ammunition assembled with American M13 or German DM6 disintegrating links. The HK21E is also compatible with special purpose ammunition to include match, special ball, armor piercing, visible and IR tracer. From this point once the belt is inserted the cocking lever is then released with a practiced slap of the non-firing hand and a round is chambered.

The actuation of the firing controls of the HK21E, the use of the sights and firing are just like that of most other HK weapons, a distinct advantage from the training aspect of the operator. In the small arms currently in the U.S. inventory with the exception of the M16 rifle and M4 carbine there is no similarity between the operating controls of the weapons, each one is different. The HK weapons “system” reduces training time and increases the familiarity of the operator with all of the weapons in the inventory, whether it be a rifle, submachine gun, sniper rifle or machine gun.

A good firing position from the bipod can be improved by placing the feet of the bipod well into the ground or against support, such as the edge of a pavement, windowsill or fighting position. With the rubber buttstock of the weapon in his shoulder the gunner slides his body forward against the fixed bipod.

This creates a rock solid and stable firing position that is undisturbed by even prolonged bursts of automatic fire. Even inexperienced gunners find it easy to get two or even three hits on an E-type kneeling silhouette at 100 yards when firing in the three-round burst mode from this position. The gunner’s non-firing hand grasps the toe of the buttstock and holds it securely into his shoulder pocket. The design of the bipod allows for a limited amount of left to right traverse of the weapon without moving the placement of the bipod’s feet. The elevation adjustment required to get the sights on target requires only a slight shift forward or backward of the shooters body. The gunner makes firm contact with his or her cheek against the comb of the buttstock. This brings the rear and front sights into easy alignment. Centering the circle created by the front sight hood within the rear sight aperture, by intended design a skill almost naturally accomplished by the eye and brain, automatically aligns the sights. The front sight post is then simply placed on the target at the desired point-of-impact. A quick adjustment of the non-firing hand (always free to manipulate the controls of the weapon while in a firing position, an HK trademark) to the elevation adjustment knob corrects the sight setting for the estimated range to the target. The gunner’s now ready to “smoke” the target. Rotate the combined safety/selector lever into one of three available modes of fire. 7 to 11 pounds of constant rearward pressure applied to the trigger will release the hammer from the sear and fire the weapon. The design of the HK21E’s trigger group insures that the hammer will not release if the weapon is handled roughly or dropped from a height of up to 2 meters with safety/selector set in the safe or fire positions. Recoil of the HK21E is most often described as mild, less than from HK assault rifles of the same caliber, mainly due to the weight of the weapon in comparison to that of a rifle, its enhanced spring buffer and the solid bipod supported position described above.

In the 3-round burst mode, the three rounds are fired quickly enough that a clear vision of the sight picture as seen before the first round is fired is still visible to the shooter when the weapon stops firing. Unlike the 3-round burst mode of the M16A2 rifle, there is no memory in the HK burst device so the weapon will always respond with a full three rounds each time the trigger is pulled and held to the rear, regardless of how many rounds were fired during the previous burst.

It is in the fully automatic mode of fire, represented on the HK21E trigger group as seven little red bullets in a red box with an open-end meaning “infinite”, that you know you are firing a belt-fed weapon. Short six to nine round bursts are most effective from the bipod-supported position. As is the case in most machine guns fired from the ground, after the second or third shot the gunners view through the sights is obscured by the smoke and dust created from the muzzle blast of the weapon. This is where the eyes of the assistant gunner to help direct the gunner’s aim pays large dividends in hits on target.

There are the telltale signatures, sounds and sights common in all guns and unique to each specific model. Like the sound of the buffer recoiling through the buffer spring and housing in the buttstock of an M16/AR15, the HK21E is not without its own unique character. The high rate of fire is felt in the shoulder as a mild whack as the bolt group meets the waiting spring buffer in the buttstock. At 800 rounds per minute the visual signature of the weapon comes mainly from the brass colored “stream” of empty cartridge cases being ejected from the weapon to the right and forward of the firing position. Expended links form a tidy pile below and to the right of the belt feed unit. Violent is one word often used to describe the ejection pattern of the HK21E. Cases are thrown 25 feet or more from the weapon due to the blow-back operating principle unique to the HK weapon. The always-unpopular police call of empty brass on the range can be reduced or even eliminated by an experienced gunner by the careful selection of a firing point for the HK21E so that the empty cases land in an area not included in the clean up! A cartridge case deflector with detachable collection bag is available for the HK21E and is popular in roles where ejected cases pose a serious threat to the well being of the shooter, especially a shooter firing from a helicopter in flight. 7.62mm brass does not mix well with rotor and turbine blades common in today’s modern helicopters.

The gunner can make barrel changes while still in the prone position and without the burns often received from less user-friendly weapons. Barrel changes in the HK21E can only be made with the bolt locked rearward and thus the weapon in a “cleared” condition, an additional safety feature of the gun.

When firing in the assault mode from a standing or hip firing position, a few select accessories are desirable and in fact come with the weapon. The detachable assault grip can be fitted without tools in seconds to one of the many slots in the barrel casing. Right handed gunners usually prefer it positioned at about the 7 o’clock position midway along the barrel casing below the cocking lever’s “rest” position. The adjustable cotton web sling attaches to the sling mounting points on the left side of the weapon and is slung over the shooter’s head and under his firing arm. The gunner may then adjust the size of the loop so that the sling is pulled tight just as the elbow of the non-firing arm is locked out.

With the gunner assuming an aggressive “fighter’s” stance the control of this relatively lightweight 18 pound 7.62mm machine gun, even in long sustained fire bursts at 800 rounds per minute, is impressive, especially in the hands of an experienced HK21E gunner. For more accurate aimed fire the HK21E can be raised to and fired from the shoulder using the sights of the weapon as a rifle might be.

Firing the HK21E from one of the many available tripod or fixed mounts is generally just a matter of aligning the sights and pulling the trigger. The unique buffered mounts offered for HK machine guns removes most of the vibration and recoil from the weapon normally imparted to the shooter, improving hit probability. “Soft mounts” with integral recoil buffers are relatively new developments in U.S. military mounts more common within the past 5 to 10 years. HK mounts have always included this useful feature, like the WWI and WWII German mounts that came before them. The HK mounts designed for anti-aircraft use include the unique “free-aiming” feature wherein the weight of the gun is supported by the mount itself to ease aiming and firing at fast moving targets.
After firing the gun is “cleared” and the last link or two is removed from the belt feed unit and the hits on the target can be assessed. If everything was done correctly the target should be showing signs of the serious damage that only a belt-fed machine gun can inflict.

There is a great deal more to the HK21E machine gun then meets the eye. It is certainly a machine gun that, when compared to even more modern designs, has a lot going for it. Users who have experienced the HK21E know that it offers unmatched tactical flexibility in a lightweight, reliable design, with mission capability second to none.

Harry Constance is a highly decorated U.S. Navy Seal, who served three combat tours in Vietnam between 1967 and 1970. He participated in 300 Special Ops behind enemy lines, as a member of the Seventh Platoon of SEAL Team Two. What follows is a story of one of those operations, the small arms used by Harry, and how a suppressed High Standard pistol helped save his life. Harry’s life story can be found in his excellent autobiography “Good To Go”, which is now in paperback.

Harry had many small arms available to him during his tours of duty in Vietnam. His primary issue weapon was a Stoner 63. He had several alternate weapons depending on the mission at hand. These weapons included the standard M-16, CAR-15, and Remington 700 .308 sniper rifle, as he was assigned to be the platoon sniper. More exotic weapons, which were used less often, included the Swedish K, Sten, M-3 Grease Gun, and the suppressed High Standard pistol. Open bolt weapons were often preferred by the SEAL’s, who would swim in from the ocean, and often hit the beach shooting. Open bolt machineguns could be brought into action faster than close bolt weapons such as the M-16.

One of Harry’s most exciting experiences with a suppressed handgun took place during his second tour, when he was a PRU advisor in 1969, in the town of Soc Tran. Word had been received that there was a high level Viet Cong sector chief who wanted to defect. This individual happened to be the intelligence officer for the whole region and had a great deal of valuable information. The mission was to kidnap him and take him alive. The sector chief’s home was completely surrounded by two rings of guards, so no one could get in to him without the alarm going off. The only weakness in their defense was that the house and guards were very close to the edge of the main river. The guards had a san pan in the river to monitor other boats in the area. Whenever a boat would approach the beach, the guards would send a signal to run the boat off. No boats could approach, and no one could walk near the house.

Harry’s chief at the time, Bob Gallagher, reminded him that they were frogmen, and suggested that they swim in to retrieve him. The two SEAL’s took a Chu Hoi ( a former Viet Cong, who had surrendered and changed sides and was working with the American’s) on the mission. The three men loaded their gear for the swim to grab the sector chief. Harry’s weapons for that night included a CAR-15, a 9mm Smith and Wesson Model 39 pistol, knife, and grenades on all of which were stowed on H-gear suspenders. The men had to swim 600 yards down river from the point of land, after sliding off their PBR (Patrol Boat River) into the water. Life jackets were tied to the gear, and the men breast-stroked toward the shore pulling their equipment behind them. About half way to shore, the former VC’s life vest failed and he started drowning. Harry swam to the man, who was splashing wildly in the water, to quiet him down, and prevent discovery. As Harry approached, the scout jumped on him in an effort to save himself. This action forced Harry underwater from the weight of the two men and his own gear. Harry was wearing jungle boots, instead of fins, and was barely able to hold up the scout, his own head, and his gear. The scout continued to struggle and climb further up on Harry’s arm, which was holding onto the gear. During the struggle, the scout ruptured Harry’s life jacket, leaving the two men with no floatation devices, and Harry holding 80 pounds of gear in one hand and a 90 pound man in the other. Harry dropped the gear, placed the scout in a crossed chest carry, and swam to the beach.

The good news was they survived to reach the beach. The bad news was that the two men had lost all their weapons and gear, and were deep in Indian country. Luckily, Gallagher had made it safely to the beach with all his gear. Harry leaned over to Bob and told him they needed to return home. Gallagher replied that they could still accomplish the mission, as the house was only a short distance away. The element of surprise was still on their side for the snatch and grab. As Harry had no weapon, Bob gave him his own backup weapon- a suppressed High Standard .22 pistol with a spare magazine and the radio wrapped in a plastic bag. The men covered themselves with lily pads as they laid against the bank of the canal, and waited for first light. As the tide went out, the men became more exposed, but the mud that they were covered with kept them camouflaged.

As the sun rose, Harry heard a Viet Cong soldier walking in the mud behind him. The VC had his hands on the bow of a san pan. There were three more VC in the san pan, which was attempting to come ashore through the mud. The VC pulling the boat had mud up to his calves and walked right between Harry’s legs. Harry rolled over to look, and when he did the VC spotted his eyes. Harry shot the man twice in the chest. The man merely flinched and didn’t realize he was shot, because the pistol made no noise. The VC reached into the boat for his AK-47, but Harry took careful aim and shot him in the throat, dropping him immediately.

The next VC in the boat stood up with his AK-47 to see what had happened to his buddy. He saw the body of his friend laying in the mud, but before he could react, Harry shot him several times with the High Standard. These shots had a minimal effect and the VC started to turn his AK toward Harry. At the same time, Harry had emptied his ten round clip, and the slide locked to the rear. Luckily, Gallagher heard the slide lock and turned with his CAR to finish off the wounded VC, and shoot the other two Viet Cong in the boat. The gunfire had alerted the VC at the house to their presence, and Harry suggested that this would be good time to leave. Gallagher said no that they should attack and went off by himself towards the house. The scout, who was unarmed remained put. Harry ran up to the middle of the courtyard, about 30 yards from where he was laying, and attempted to get the radio working.

Gallagher had taken the fight to the VC. Harry heard shots being fired, and a fight inside the house. Once the radio was working, Harry requested immediate extraction. The response from the Mike Boat which was assigned to pick them up came as, “No problem, we’ll be there in 30 minutes.” Harry responded that the fight would be over in one minute, and they were needed right away. They responded to Harry that they would do their best to be there as soon as possible. Harry’s friend Scott Kelly was a Gunner’s Mate on the Mike Boat and was armed with a GE Minigun.

The fight in the house continued, and Harry took a look around. Forty-five degrees from the house and inland, across five hundreds meters of rice paddies, Harry sighted twenty to thirty uniformed soldiers with guns running down the treeline. Harry yelled for Gallagher so they could escape the oncoming soldiers. He then directed the scout to retrieve an AK-47 and ammunition pouch from the dead VC in the mud. Gallagher emerged from the house dragging the sector chief, who was shot in the femur. Harry directed everyone to the main canal where they could easily be picked up by a boat or a helicopter. Once they were in position, Harry heard his call sign on the radio, “Moose Jaw 7 Bravo, be advised we’re right off your flank and coming hot!”

The PBR had turned off their engines during the night after dropping off the men and floated towards Harry’s position in anticipation of trouble. It was a good thing the PBR had stayed in the area as the Mike Boat was too slow and too far out for an immediate rescue. Harry stood up, waved his hat, pointed first at his blond hair and then at the approaching enemy troops 150 yards away. The PBR cranked up its engines and slid around the corner. Harry again pointed out the enemy and the gunner on the bow of the boat smiled at Harry, and then opened up his twin .50’s. As the boat slammed into the embankment, Harry and Gallagher shoved the wounded sector chief and the scout up into the boat while brass was streaming down on them. Their efforts got the two Vietnamese into the boat, but also sunk Harry and Gallagher hip-deep into the mud. The boat crew reached down and pulled the two SEAL’s to safety, slammed the engines into reverse, peeling the boat backwards and upwards into the river. The gunner on the front never lost his sight and continued firing at the enemy as the boat spun around.

As Gallagher and Harry laid exhausted on top of the other men, Harry wondered out loud if there would be many more days like this one. Gallagher responded with, “See, I told you that High Standard would work for you!”