As urbanization progresses, fewer informal ranges are available for practice. Of indoor ranges, not all have rifle-rated backstops. Of shooters, not all care to deal with the overwhelming noise and concussion of centerfire rifles indoors. Those two constraints, along with the relatively effective sound suppression of subsonic pistol caliber cartridges, have popularized the 9mm AR-style carbine. About 3 years ago, CMMG improved on the concept originated with Colt submachine guns of the 1980s with their Guard, Banshee and now Resolute lines of 9mm carbines. 

CMMG carbines utilizing a radial-delayed blowback mechanism have been continuously evolving since 2017. Retarding the opening by friction of angled surfaces dates back to the original Thompson and Blish lock, but the CMMG design works much better. This approach permits the bolt carrier to be much lighter than plain blowback breechblocks. The backs of the rotating bolt lugs are angled to match similarly angled cuts in the barrel extension, allowing the bolt to slide out of battery once the pressure has dropped. Compared to the gas operation, this design is simpler and less dependent on the load; although additional bolt weights and stronger buffer spring are required for suppressed operation. For unsuppressed operation, a standard carbine weight buffer rather than the heavier 9mm buffer is sufficient, which makes racking the gun easier. Another plus of delayed blowback is lower residual pressure by the time the breech face clears the ejection port opening, which outputs less smoke by the shooter’s face. 

Three Grades 

The manual of arms resembled the full-size AR-15, which is the main point of the pistol caliber carbine (PCC). Three grades, 100, 200 and 300 series are offered. The high-end 300 series has all the enhancements: ambidextrous charging handle, ambidextrous sling plate and ambidextrous safety lever. A crisp two-stage Geissele trigger helps practical accuracy. For the three-gun shooter, especially the Trooper class who carry all guns with them through all stages, an all-aluminum RipStock™ is included. This CMMG exclusive opens to full length with no unlocking motions necessary, saving a second or so. The textured aluminum buttplate provides a non-slip connection for the shoulder. The underside of the buffer tube specific to RipStock has spaces for a set screw, limiting the length of pull if desired. For use in a cold or hot climate, I would recommend gluing a Neo prene pad to the top of the stock for a more comfortable cheekweld. 

Resolute 300 also comes with an aggressive and fairly effective muzzle brake. The plainer 100 series has a standard AR trigger, an A2 flash hider and a simple M4 buttstock on a standard buffer tube, along with a MIL-standard grip instead of a Magpul. Both feature lightweight 15-inch M-Lok handguards. The simpler rifle is a couple of ounces lighter and about $500 cheaper, but competition shooters would probably prefer the more fully featured variant. The mag drops free in both, and the mag well is nicely beveled for rapid reloads. I would have preferred a slightly heavier, more prominently fenced magazine release. The reduction of recoil impulse by the patented CMMG mechanism even makes the narrow aluminum buttplate comfortable enough for extensive range sessions. 

The rest of CMMG’s standard features, like a beveled mag well and properly radiused and chamfered forms, are present in all models. Thanks to the delayed blowback design, the recoil is traditionally minimal even for a PCC. The guns come standard with one 33-round GLOCK magazine, a welcome improvement on the aftermarket 17-rounders included by most other makers. Given the velocity increase of light bullets from the pistol barrel length to the carbine length is 100fps to 250fps, the 9mm becomes a more potent defensive tool. With subsonic ammunition, the gain is small, less than 50fps, but the reduction of the muzzle blast and the elimination of flash make PCC a much easier weapon to handle under come defense conditions. 

I’ve used CMMG carbines and AR-style pistols in the past, they have invariably ran reliably and delivered excellent accuracy. Both 9mm and .45ACP Guard carbines shot 2MOA, which is very respectable for pistol rounds. My experience with the Resolute 300 made me wonder if the gun was damaged by a prior reviewer. After about 200 rounds, the rifle started failing to eject. The culprit was predictably a kinked ejector spring, easily replaced. However, in looking at very asymmetric soot on ejected casings, this author had to wonder if damage was done to the chamber as well, as obturation seemed very inconsistent. Good accuracy and high reliability have long been my baseline expectations with CMMG. Anything other than that gets handled very quickly by their tech support. 

The best group I got from the Resolute was 4MOA, with Winchester 147-grain subsonic JHP, American Eagle 147-grain subsonic TMJ and Seismic 185-grain HP, while Winchester White Box 124-grain FMJ was all over the place with 6MOA. The results from the 100 series were more in line with the expectations, despite the basic MIL-SPEC trigger. 

185-grain Seismic and 147-grain Winchester Suppressed both came in at 3MOA. That’s unusual, as most PPCs shoot smaller groups with bullets under 115 grain. Resolute, on the contrary, does better with heavier bullets. 124-grain Federal Syntech Match and 100-grain G2 Research Civic Duty HP shot around 4MOA. The White Box ball was all over the place again. Centers of groups for various loads differed considerably, up to 5 inches diagonally. For serious use, it would be best to pick one load and stick to it. This accuracy level is plenty good for PCC matches that seldom go beyond 70 yards. At 25-yard indoor ranges, 3MOA translates into a maximum of ¾ inch from the point of aim. 

Putting considerable amount of ammunition through these carbines made me greatly appreciate the two magazine loaders employed for filling GLOCK mags. The great “coffee mill” MagPump loader took a little time to set up masterfully but made filling 30-rounders quick and easy. It also works for several other brands of magazines. The tiny, single-purpose hand-loader from American Speedloaders, LLC, only works with GLOCK-type mags but requires no set-up time at all. Drop-in a single round, press the mag against the base and done! Resolute proved very accepting of a wide variety of ammunition, from steel-cased ball to lightweight frangibles to the heaviest of subsonics to exotics with jagged machined leading edges all fed reliably. 

Great Speed 

In sum, both variants of Resolute would be a good fit for any sport where speed counts. While my friend Bill Treanor, a highly ranked competitive shooter, was firing the 100 series carbine, another friend walked up asking: “Who brought the submachine gun?” That’s just a quick trigger finger and a CMMG carbine, pal! 

History of Modern U.S. Military Small Arms Ammunition: Vol. III: 1946–1977 

• By Frank W. Hackley, William H. Woodin and Eugene L. Scranton 
• ISBN: 978-1-4951-6616-7 
• Copyright 2015 
• Binding: Hard cover 
• Size: 8.5in x 11in 
• Pages: 650 
• Color/B&W photos: No color photos. 1,077 cartridge, bullet, case and headstamp drawings; 202 box labels illustrated by B&W photos. 
• Publisher: MRC3 Publishing 
• historyofammunition.com 
• Available through website 

It has been said in regards to collecting, that your collection is only as good as your library. That is certainly true when collecting ammunition, and especially so with rare, eclectic military ammo. 

This third volume of the History of Modern U.S. Military Small Arms Ammunition series continues the fine work of the earlier volumes. Unfortunately, both the first and second volumes are long out of print. I mention them here for the sake of continuity and as a brief lead-in to the review of Volume III. 

The origins of this third volume go back a surprisingly long way. The three authors, Frank Hackley, Bill Woodin and Gene Scranton, met in the early 1950s through their common interest in cartridge collecting. They often talked about creating a series of books on U.S. military cartridges. Hackley began writing the first draft of the first volume as far back as 1957. This volume covered cartridges from the timeframe of 1880 to 1939. It was published in 1967. Eventually, this was followed by Volume II. It covers the WWII period from 1940 to 1945 and was published in 1978. 

Volume III, the subject of this review, was released in late 2015 and covers post-war cartridge designs. There are 1,077 cartridge, bullet, case and headstamp drawings in the book and 202 box labels illustrated. 

The book is divided into Parts and then further divided into Chapters. Part I covers pistol, revolver and submachine gun ammo, specifically .38 Special and .45 ACP cartridges. Part II covers carbine, rifle and machine gun ammunition. The cartridges studied are all varieties of SAA (small arms ammunition) used in U.S. service since 1945. These range from .223 (5.56mm) through .50 BMG and the not-adopted .60 Machine Gun round. (I suppose the authors put the .60 MG in Part II, rather than in “Part III, Experimental Ammunition,” due to the amount of development done.) 

For me, the most interesting section of the book is “Part III, Experimental Ammunition.” In this section, many strange experimental designs are covered. The official website for the book (historyofammunition.com) states: 

“Cartridge types developed during the period covered include SPIW, SAW, FABRL, SALVO, SCAMP, ’Tombstone,’ Squeeze Bore, Taper Bore, Flechette, Simplex, Duplex, Triplex, Multiplex, Folded, Tround, Caseless, Expellable, QSPR, Rocket-Propelled, Underwater, and more.” Some of these experimental projects are truly bizarre. For example, there are micro-ballistic rounds that fire projectiles ranging from 1mm to a mere 3mm in diameter. And the SPIW (Special Purpose Individual 

Weapon) is covered in detail. The SPIW round uses a dart or arrow-like flechette, rather than a traditional bullet. At the website, you can download a PDF sample of Chapter 13, “Caseless and Expellable.” 

The Salvo Squeeze Bore program is most intriguing. It combines the multiple-bullet Salvo concept with a barrel that tapers down from .50 cal. to .30 cal. Other sizes tested were .30/.15 and .45/.357. The projectiles are nested together, usually five per cartridge. As they travel down the bore, they separate and get swaged down in diameter. So, for each shot fired, five separate bullets are fired. A small lot of .50 BMG SSB was tested in Vietnam for use on the river boats but was not adopted. 

Part IV covers “Miscellaneous Ammunition.” Chapter 16 includes familiar cartridges like the .22 LR rimfire and several centrefire civilian sporting rounds that were loaded specifically for U.S. military use. In some cases, the only difference may be in the packaging. In other examples it could be a project that uses normal commercial brass cases loaded with very unusual projectiles. An example of this is the .220 Swift case loaded with a flechette dart. Other cartridges profiled are U.S.-made, Soviet-era 7.62×25 and 7.62×39 rounds. It may seem odd now, with tens of millions of rounds of cheap surplus ammo sold in the past 20 years, but this wasn’t always the case. In the 1950s, ComBloc ammo wasn’t nearly so plentiful. There are also entries for the Czech 7.62×45 intermediate round and the 12.7×108 and 14.5×114 Soviet heavy MG rounds. 

Chapter 17 details numerous strange looking projectiles for pistol and submachine gun ammo, while Chapter 18 deals with shotgun ammso. This ranges from regular .410 shotgun rounds for use by USAF personnel who have to eject, to shotgun shells filled with razor blades! These specially shaped blades were loaded into 20-gauge and 12-gauge hulls. They are known as Scimitar rounds. A related project was the Beehive round, containing multiple flechettes. Several versions of Beehive rounds are profiled. 

In addition to “shooting ammo” for firearms, the book also covers cartridges that perform other functions. Chapter 19 covers propelling, pyrotechnic and actuating cartridges. You are probably familiar with blank-firing, powder-actuated tools such as Hilti and Ramset, used to drive hardened nails into concrete. The various U.S. military branches have many such specialty cartridges for purposes ranging from cable cutting blanks that sever the anchoring cables on sea mines, to ejection-seat igniters for jet fighters. Among other cartridges featured is a 20-gauge blank for starting jet engines, a 24-gauge blank spotting charge for practicing bomb dropping, a 10-gauge blank for the same purpose and various mortar ignition cartridges. 

Following Part IV is the Appendix section. Appendix A is a long list of companies that supplied ammo or components. Appendix B, C and D are lists of assigned model numbers (either “M” or “XM”), test numbers (with a “T” prefix) or Frankford Arsenal Test numbers (originally “FAT,” later “FA” prefix). 

It is obvious that this book is a true labor of love from Hackley, Woodin and Scranton. It presents well, with Scranton’s technical drawings accompanying the related text. Sadly, Gene Scranton passed away in 2013 before the release of Volume III. There is a tribute page recognizing him. 

The Acknowledgements section credits many individuals and groups, including the research staff at the National Archives and Records Administration, many former staff from the now-closed Frankford Arsenal and a large list of fellow collectors and researchers. 

This current Volume III is designed and edited by another recognized expert in cartridge collecting, Cmdr. Melvin R. Carpenter III, U.S. Navy (Ret.), and is published by his company MRC3 Publishing. Carpenter has another book of his own out that deals specifically with the Gyrojet mini-rocket concept. He is currently working on another book about the Dardick tround cartridges. There is no release date yet for the later book, but I intend to review both books when they are released. 

This book will certainly appeal to advanced cartridge collectors, especially collectors of rare and oddball military ammo. I can also see this book being of great interest to inventors, to avoid re-inventing something that has been tried before and having the same issues repeat. 

With “black rifles” dominating the gun media of late it is easy to forget that other firearm types exist. My initial interest in firearms was hunting rifles typified by bolt-action rifles. Let’s continue to pull on this idea thread. What comes to mind if “bolt-action rifle” is mentioned? I would venture to say an image of a 26-inch heavy profile barrel in a stout stock appears in readers’ thoughts. .308Win/7.62 NATO is the standard chambering with the caveat that cartridges are only getting larger to provide extended range and punch. Where are we going with this? Other bolt-action rifle types exist. Sometimes exploring something different broadens your horizons. Our analysis will not be based on the military or law enforcement logistical chain; rather think more along the lines of a company satisfying a changing sporting market due to a hunting regulation change. 

Ruger as a company has proven to be versatile and adaptable. A diverse product catalogue supports this. When Michigan and other Midwestern states began amending hunting regulations to allow for straight-walled rifle cartridges with overall lengths of 1.16 inches to 1.80 inches in lieu of shotgun or muzzle loading only, manufacturers quickly answered consumer calls. The original intent was for big bore revolver cartridges such as .44Mag, .454 Casull and .500 S&W to be taken afield in rifle packages. Ruger decided that a cartridge designed to increase AR-15 potency would make a good candidate for this new role. Enter the .450 Bushmaster chambered in the bolt-action Ruger American® Rifle Ranch. 

The .450 Bushmaster 

The urge to expand AR-15-type rifles beyond .22-caliber “poodle shooters,” while maintaining ergonomics, has led to interesting cartridge creations. The .450 Bushmaster is an excellent example of this. The .450 Bushmaster was designed by the Hornady Manufacturing Company for Bushmaster Firearms when the latter wanted a .45 caliber cartridge that would work through the AR-15 action. The Bushmaster is based on a shortened .284 Winchester case. It is a rimless, straight-wall case with a rebated .473-inch diameter rim and a .500-inch-diameter head. The case is 1.70 inches long. It uses .452-inch-diameter bullets, as used in .45-caliber handguns, NOT .458-inch-diameter rifle bullets. The loaded overall cartridge length is 2.250 inches, and the case takes small rifle primers. 

Typical bullet weights range from 250 grain up to 300 grain. Hornady and Remington make several loads available for users. Buffalo Bore does offer a potent 360-grain hardcast .450 Bushmaster option along with multiple other bullet weights/types. Not a surprise to anyone familiar with Buffalo Bore’s innovative ammunition offerings. 

The .450 Bushmaster was specifically designed to generate stopping power at short to moderate ranges out of the AR. Two-hundred fifty- to 300-grain .450 Bushmaster loads pushing 2,200 feet per second with a 175-yard zero will give a relatively flat trajectory out to 200 yards; the 175-yard zero will have the bullet offset about 2 inches high at 50 yards, +3 inches at 100 yards and dropping -3 inches at 200 yards. The .450 Bushmaster’s heavy, large-diameter bullets and moderate velocities make it well-suited for use in multiple arenas not just urban/CQB environments as initially designed. .450 Bushmaster chamberings are expanding into sporting roles with bolt-action rifles coming on board to supplement AR types. The .450 Bushmaster’s terminal ballistics and large projectile have equal effect on engine block or large hog, assailants with body armor or penetrating the front chest of a bear. Automotive body panels are passed through as easy as a deer cavity. 

The .450 Bushmaster in the bolt-action Ruger American Rifle Ranch gives hunters .45-70 Government performance in a compact 36-inch, sub-6-pound rifle. The 16.12-inch cold hammer forged barrel is free-floated with muzzle brake affixed via 11/16-24 thread pattern. The muzzle brake is secured by an adjustable barrel nut in place of a crush washer. The steel receiver is topped with a factory-installed, 5-inch aluminum optics rail compatible with Picatinny-type scope mounting systems. This simplifies optic mounting and even allows for red dot use if the user desires. The single-piece, three-lug bolt cycles smoothly and features a full diameter bolt body, dual cocking cams and a round knob bolt handle. The bolt handle’s 70-degree throw keeps it clear of the optic. A three-round detachable box magazine feeds the stubby .450 Bushmaster into the chamber. A tang-mounted safety completes the action. 

Ruger uses a lightweight Flat Dark Earth synthetic stock featuring its patent-pending Power Bedding integral bedding block system, which gets the most of accuracy potential. A Ruger Marksman adjustable single-stage trigger set at 4 pounds further assists in the accuracy equation. The trigger is the interface between shooter and rifle in terms of producing accurate shot placement. Yes, the shooting position and way the rifle is mounted is important; however, the trigger press has the last word in terms of sending a round down range. The goal is to minimize shooter input/energy at the time the shot is taken. 

Good marksmanship in the field starts with confidence. Confidence is built through firing a rifle that is not overly punishing and is inherently accurate as demonstrated from the bench. Each of us has different standards and tolerances with this. A rifle that shoots well off the bench offers the shooter no excuses or alibis when serious practice includes field shooting positions or shooting in the woods. The Ruger American Rifle Ranch .450 Bushmaster with a Burris RT-6 1-6x24mm optic produced consistent 1.50-inch or better groups at 100 yards. Hard to ask for more than this from a compact economical bolt-action with a 1-6x power scope on board. 

Testing

The Ruger American Rifle Ranch with its portability is intended for stalk or still hunting forays. This translates into fluid off-hand shots at game and not off rests or bipods—if lucky, the hunter will be able to adopt a kneeling or sitting position in lieu of off-hand shooting This was simulated during a T&E at Echo Valley Training Center (EVTC) by setting up clay pi-geons at various ranges and then assuming sit-ting, kneeling or standing shooting positions. Another twist is to have a companion pick the target and shooting position and the shooter to engage as designated as quickly as possible. Further field testing consisted of EVTC’s Jungle Walk Range. The ability to move through its varied terrain and engage randomly placed deer targets hidden within cover suited the Ruger American Rifle Ranch .450 Bushmaster evaluation perfectly. Ranges involved were 35 to 150 yards with multiple shots fired at most of the targets. The emphasis was on accurate shot placement and working the Ruger American’s bolt without removing the rifle from the shoulder. The low 1x setting on the Burris RT-6 allowed for a wide field of view and quick target assessment/engagement. A quick crank of the magnification knob allowed for easy targeting of longer range targets. The Ruger stock and recoil pad combined with muzzle brake tamed recoil to manageable levels even with the stout Buffalo Bore rounds. The Ruger American Rifle Ranch proved to “hang” well and was very manageable in getting into and out of field shooting positions. While not empirical data, the muzzle brake on the Ruger American tames felt recoil into about the 28/20-gauge shotgun realm for reference sake. This encourages more range time, equating to increased proficiency. 

For Use Anywhere 

The Ruger American Rifle Ranch .450 Bushmaster’s appeal is not confined to only the newly opened areas of Michigan and other Midwestern states. In steep, thick terrain, i.e., Appalachian Mountains or southern swamps, game needs to be anchored quickly. A wounded animal will inevitably head downhill or the toward the most inconvenient direction, often causing a lot of extra work to extract it once recovered. The quick-handling, heavy-hitting Ruger American Rifle Ranch chambered in .450 Bushmaster is ideal for this environment, too. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION 

Ruger 

ruger.com 

Buffalo Bore Ammunition 

buffalobore.com 

Burris Optics 

burrisoptics.com 

Hornady Manufacturing 

hornady.com 

Remington Ammunition 

remington.com/ammunition 

SIG SAUER 

sigsauer.com 

Echo Valley Training Center 

echovalleytraining.com 

You may have never heard of Dawn of Defense (D.O.D.) firearms before, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t having a dramatic impact on the firearms you are using today. I met Ben Richardson through a friend during my time as an instructor at the U.S. Army Sniper Course. D.O.D. is a small operation in north Georgia, manufacturing fully customized firearms and accessories. 

One look around their store and it is easy to see D.O.D. primarily deals with AR variants; but take a little stroll into the back, and you will find suppressors, custom slides for pistols and a section dedicated to Cerakoting. The difference between D.O.D. and most “manufacturers” is they have in-house CNC machines, a full-time engineer, and they make the majority of parts on-site.

When I decided to start my newest project rifle, I knew D.O.D. would give me the best quality rifle, built to my needs, no questions asked. I needed something lightweight for shooting in sniper-style field matches but also capable of consistent impacts out to 1,000 yards. We decided to go with a .224 Valkyrie, born on the same machines supplying receivers to the firearms industry all across the U.S.

During this build, I sat down with Ben to discuss what sets him apart from other manufacturers.

Tell us a little bit about yourself? 

Ben Richardson: My name is Ben Richardson, born and raised right here in Georgia. I’m married with one beautiful daughter.

How did Dawn of Defense get its start?

BR: After about 6 years in another industry, I decided to do what I was passionate about, even if it meant making less money, so I entered the firearms industry. My start was in 2010 with another manufacturer, I’ll leave out their name. I started off doing a little bit of everything: coatings, assembly, R&D, sales, kind of had to be able to do it all. After about 3 years, I didn’t like the direction the company was going, so we parted ways. In 2015, I was ready to start doing what I loved again, but the way that made sense to me. Specifically, manufacturing and designing new products to meet needs that aren’t being fulfilled, especially for today’s warriors. I am bit of a gas gun nerd. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love shooting bolt guns, but with modern manufacturing techniques gas guns can be just about as accurate. I’ve been known to make gas guns run like a scalded dog and accurate enough that most bolt guys would be impressed. All in all, I love what I do: I look forward to going to the shop and getting my hands dirty, I still work about 80 hours a week—pretty sure my wife wants to kill me.

Where is D.O.D. located?

BR: We’re in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, which is on the border of Tennessee, about 6 miles from Chattanooga.

How many employees do you have? 

BR: We are a small operation, started off with three guys. Now, we are up to nine and hope to add two more this year. We typically only look to hire vets. Currently, our team consists of former Army, Navy SEALs and Marines. Everybody has input on product design and ideas for future products. We keep in contact with buddies still serving and get input from them. Especially if something would make their life easier or even save lives.

What is with the name? 

BR: The name is actually kind of a play on words. The word Dawn implying the beginning. Typically, the beginning of defending one’s possessions, life or country starts with small arms, which is what we manufacture. Plus it’s a catchy name that is hard to forget, and people seem to really like the logo. Keep an eye out though; a new division of the company will be coming out under the name, Alpha Omega Armament. It will become the commercial side, and Dawn of Defense will become the OEM side. Look for our new website soon for products available to the commercial market, aoarmament.com

So what would you say is the mission statement for your company?

BR: Our mission is pretty simple; it’s to make the best products available at fair prices. What I like to call “white collar quality for blue collar pricing.”

So what parts did D.O.D. start with?

BR: Well, the easiest of AR parts really. Our goal is to go through every piece of the AR platform and refine and improve each item. We are almost done with every part.

What are you producing now?

BR: We now manufacture: lowers, uppers, handguards, BCGs, buttstocks, muzzle brakes, billet accessories, Titanium suppressors, integrally suppressed bolt guns, GLOCK’s mods and more. The only thing[s] we really do not manufacture are barrels, triggers and polymer parts. We feel there are so many good manufacturers of barrels that it would just be a waste for us to start doing it. We like to use Criterion, Lothar Walther, Draco’s and a few others. Triggers we typically use: CMC, LaRue and Geissele. Both of those are up to the customer and what they want in the rifle.

Where are your products typically used?

BR: Our products have been mainly used for precision shooting and hunting. A few 3-Gun shooters are running our rifles. We had a pair of rifles used at the Mammoth Sniper Challenge in January 2019. 

What makes your products different or better?

BR: Well, let me first say, there are a few companies that make outstanding products. I am a big fan of companies like Knights Armament [and] LaRue Tactical, to name a few. I like companies like that because they manufacture a lot of their products in-house like we do. Most people do not know that a lot of companies they buy from don’t actually manufacture anything. Now there is not anything wrong with that; we feel that we want to have more say in the quality control side of things. We do a good bit of manufacturing now on the OEM side for other companies—we can make sure the products are good to go before they leave. What I really hate to see are the companies selling these rifles with foreign crap, $400-rifle-type of stuff. It is only a matter of time before that cheap of a rifle fails.

There are several things that separate us from other companies. First, we are what I like to call “a small batch company.” One thing I have learned over the years in the manufacturing/CNC sector is quality control is absolutely critical, especially when someone’s life might be dependent on said product. We typically manufacture our products in batches of 50 to 100. What this does is allow us to make sure the quality of each product is up to our standard. 

Second, this is where we really shine, our custom rifle builds. You can choose what receiver set: forged, billet, AR-15 or AR-10, all made in-house. Then from handguard to Cerakote. Hell, we can do custom serial numbers and laser engraving. 

What surprises most people is the price. On average an AR-15 platform is between $1,200 to $1,800 depending on barrel choice, and the .308 platform averages between $1,600 to $2,300 depending on caliber and barrel. These are custom precision gas guns being built to your specs at pricing less than most of the high-end gas guns off the wall! 

Wow, that is really fair. What kind of wait do your customers have?

BR: As of right now, lead times are between 2 to 4 weeks depending on the barrel choice. The customer puts down 50% when ordered and the other half when finished. Our overhead is relatively low which allows us to charge less to the end user. This goes back to my saying of “white collar quality for blue collar pricing,” all of that with a lifetime warranty. 

Any special projects in the works?

BR: We do have new products coming out soon. One is a new platform that uses some AR parts but operates differently. I call it the “Moreau” project, based off the H.G. Wells novel about hybrid humans/animals. It is like an FN SCAR®, AK and an AR had a baby. Also, we’ll be releasing our integrally suppressed bolt guns. There are a few other products we are excited about, like a new suppressor design that is currently under testing. It is the quietest thing I’ve ever heard! 

Are there any companies you’re producing for or LE/MIL organizations you are providing products to?

BR: Ehh, we’ve got Non-Disclosure Agreements with a few … I’ll just leave it at that. It is an exciting time here and [I] cannot wait to see what the future holds!

If you want to learn more about the company or get details on a custom build reach out to Dawn of Defense via email info@dodefense.com or their website dodefense.com. Or follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/dawnofdefensedod or on Instagram at instagram.com/dawnofdefense. 

Israel’s fight for independence after the Second World War is filled with spectacular and courageous exploits and daring moves in order to thwart both the British government in Palestine and the resulting Arab advances. One such story is that of the “Ayalon Institute” on Kibbutz Hill outside of the town of Rehovot, south of Tel Aviv. It was here that for several years after the war, several million rounds of 9x19mm ammunition were produced for the Haganah under the supervision of Ta’as. This military industry wing would later morph into Israel Military Industries (now, IMI Systems) after independence. 

In preparation for the independence of Israel, the Haganah leadership understood the importance of having a stable supply of ammunition. One of the more widely used small arms that the Haganah used were captured or smuggled 9mm STEN submachine guns (of which Ta’as is reported as having actually produced over 4,000 from improvised workshops). In order to supply both current ammunition needs and to prepare a dispersed stockpile around Palestine for an eventual outbreak of hostilities, Ta’as began a covert 9x19mm ammunition manufacturing operation. Everything about the operation had to be shrouded in multiple layers of secrecy and redundancy. From disguising the need to import copper in order to make lipstick tubes to timing the test fire of ammunition to exactly when a nearby train would pass by in order to mask the sound of the gunfire, everything needed to be kept in utmost secrecy from the British authorities.

Such was the secrecy during and even after the ammunition production that the underground factory wasn’t known publicly until 1987 when a local school teacher had been reading the diary of one of the workers. Thereafter it was turned into a museum where visitors can still take a guided tour of the factory in Hebrew or in English for a small fee. There has also been some research conducted outside of the museum, so researchers are welcome to learn even more about the operation in more depth than this article has to offer or even make a visit to the factory. For example, we know more about the types of headstamps that the factory produced, which can be found throughout Israel, and some have even made it into cartridge collections in the United States.

When arriving by car to the Ayalon Institute, one can park directly outside the visitors’ office entrance. Visitors need to schedule a visit ahead of time by calling the center and specifying an English or Hebrew tour. Admittance is 30 Shekels paid at the counter. The tour begins by watching an informational movie about the factory, its origins and some of the operations post-Second World War. Then the tour guide takes over and guides visitors through many of the important talking points situated throughout the small factory.

The underground factory was built in less than a month under the guise of making a storage cellar for the local kibbutz that was established above ground. It was essentially a long hall that was around 50 meters in length and had a ceiling approximately 6 meters in height. This entire facility was 8 meters underground with a laundry above one end and a bakery above the other. Workers entered through the laundry through a mechanism that lifted up a heavy laundry machine for 3 minutes, in which the entire staff would have to either come out or go in at certain periods in the day. At the other end where the bakery was, the oven was built on hidden rails that allowed it to be moved several meters forward, thus making a wide opening for the lowering of the heavy machinery needed to roll cases or punch headstamps out.

The factory itself was very well-organized as a standard assembly line for ammunition production, starting with the beginning stages of shaping raw material on one end to filling cases with powder, pressing in bullets and primers on the other. The factory even had a test range where different lots of ammunition would be tested for velocity and penetration standards. It also had a dining section so workers could eat, a bathroom and even a UV room where workers would have to spend a certain amount of time so that their cover stories of working in the fields all day could be justified to those in the kibbutz and more importantly to the British, who had a base almost next door to the community center.

In order for visitors to get a better realization of what the factory might have looked like during operation, the museum has dummies in positions of working on the machines and has printed out, scaled-up photographs of actual workers during their time at the factory. We like the creative attempt to make these life-size cutouts of the real people involved with the factory as it gives a visitor a real sense of the kinds of young people that took enormous risk to work covertly.

Workers would complete 10-hour shifts in extremely hot conditions, always fearful of an accidental explosion from the propel-lants. Estimates in the factory claim that at times almost 14,000 rounds could be completed in a single day of work; another source even stated that almost 40,000 rounds were produced at the factory’s peak. An initial figure of 2.25 million rounds is quoted for total ammunition production during the 3 years of operation from 1946 to 1948, but there are others that quote an even higher amount. The completed ammunition would be boxed in standard 50-round cardboard boxes and then transported above ground at the end of every day. It would be picked up by a driver who was already delivering various supplies for the bakery and would come in the evening. This driver would then deliver the ammunition to Ta’as authorities which saw to it that it was distributed across the numerous rebel groups throughout Palestine. Very little of each operation was known to the other division due to the need to keep the secrecy of the entire organization.

In conclusion, we would highly recommend a visit to the Ayalon Institute; it is well worth the drive down to Rehovot and the admittance fee to peak into a fascinating aspect of Israeli history. Especially in light of the current closing of the IDF History Museum for the foreseeable future. The visitors’ center also sells various books and CDs about the factory that are not available online for purchase internationally 

THE AYALON INSTITUTE

Visiting Hours

Sunday–Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Saturday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Make sure to call ahead and lock down a spot on an English or Hebrew tour ahead of time as slots can fill up quickly. If you are not slotted for a tour, they cannot let hop on.

Contact Info

Tel: 08-9406552, 08-9300585
Fax: 08-9407534
Email: ayalon@shimur.org.il

When the machine gun appeared at the beginning of the last century, researchers were made to enhance, at best, its mobility to keep up with the infantry during attacks.

In Belgium, the army used machine guns on a wheeled carriage towed by dogs.

During WWI, many designers proposed several devices: 

• Gounouilou mount (August 1916); 
• Mount designed by Captain Colleau from 251st Infantry Regiment (August 1916), several variations exist: No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3. The weight was 7.7 pounds, 6 pounds and 2.2 pounds. The Model 1907 machine gun could not be used with mount No. 2 and No. 3; 
• Mount invented by Captain Breche, 39th Infantry Regiment; made with a sole and a support. Weight was 22 pounds (October 1916); 
• Lieutenant Fulchiron mount (October 1916); 
• Captain Bedu mount, 26.5 pounds (July 1917).

All these mounts were unsteady, and the adoption of the Chauchat light machine gun made them useless.

In France, during WWI, an Invention Secretary was set up to register proposals and inventions which could improve the war effort. Ingenious ideas were proposed, beside crazy ones, and the most interesting of them were forwarded to the Commission d’Expérience Auxiliaire de Paris to put them on trial. Many reports on these trials still exist and are kept at the Armament Archive Center in Châtellerault (formerly MAC).

There, we discovered the report pertaining to the test of the Vélo-mitrailleur Blanchard. This vehicle is known since a picture of it was hanging on a wall of the Section Technique de l’Armée de Terre, or Versailles Proving Ground of Versailles established in Camp de Satory, located on a hill 1 mile south of Versailles. The text and the picture were a happy marriage! The idea to set up an automatic gun on a bicycle was not new, since the Italians tried it in 1915, with a twin Villar Perosa submachine gun fixed on the handlebar of a bicycle.

On June 15, 1917, the Commission d’Expérience Auxiliaire de Paris filed a report on the trials of the devices presented by Mr. Blanchard: 

• a bicycle with a Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun; 
• another to carry ammunition; 
• a light mount, nicknamed “toad,” carried on the ammunition carrier bicycle.

Each bicycle was fitted with a stabilizing device which allowed immediate fire after stopping. The “toad” mount was meant to set the machine gun for shooting in a prone position. The mount had two curved sectors, one of them with slots. It was made to have its axis permanently vertical, allowing a mowing (Traversing) fire without any adjustment in height. This device did not exist on the service mounts.

Trials

The first trials were made at Camp de Satory on March 28, 1917, with Major Porteret from the Commission d’Expérience Auxiliaire de Paris; Captain Roux vice-ministry from the Invention Secretary; and Mr. Blanchard, the designer. They went on with an M1907 Saint-Étienne machine gun, with sighting and shooting exercises at 200 meters. Sighting and locking the machine gun proved unsatisfactory, and the designer was asked to improve them. New trials were organized on May 25 and 31, 1917.

The mount could be fitted with the M1907 Saint-Étienne, the M1914 Hotchkiss or the Chauchat light machine gun. The mowing device was improved and now had two hollow sectors joined by a spring-operated brake.

The field trials began with bicycling with soldiers coming from the bicycle section of 1st Cavalry Division. They donned the battle dress of the time: helmet, cartridge pouches, belt, suspenders, coat, rucksack, calf strips and shoes with nails on their soles. They handled two Vélo-mitrailleuses, one with an M1907 Saint-Étienne MG and the other with an M1914 Hotchkiss MG. Another bicycle carried reserve ammunition and the “toad” mount.

After a short warm-up session inside Camp de Satory, the three bicyclists rode to Versailles, up to the entrance gate of the city and then to the Engineer Regiment depot. There the road turns up very steeply. Then, with the Vélo-mitrailleur in hand, they crossed an uneven exercise ground next to the depot, passed over a ditch and over an embankment. After a 100 yards’ run, they drove by the road to the shooting range of “La Minière” and set up the machine guns for shooting. The report says that the handling of the machines was very convenient, and the bicyclists were able to use their equipment easily. After the travel, they were able to set up the machine guns quickly for shooting. But the men complained that the brakes of the bicycles were not efficient.

Results

Shooting trials were done on May 31. The results in terms of precision were compared with an M1907 Saint-Étienne MG on the M1915 service mount and the same gun installed on the Vélo-mitrailleur, with 25-shot bursts at 400 meters (437 feet): 

• With M1915 mount: the rectangle around impact is 59 inches high and 56 inches wide, at medium rate of fire; 
• With bicycle used as a mount: 39”x75”, at medium rate; 
• With M1915 mount: 82”x153” at high rate of fire; 
• With bicycle: 67”x63”, at high rate.

Several other shots were fired on designated targets. The results of shooting with a gun mounted on the bicycle were similar to those obtained with the service mount, but the shooter had to hold the machine gun firmly.

With the Hotchkiss machine gun, the results on the bicycle were not as good as on the service mount, but they were better when using the “toad” mount.

Others trials showed a slight increase in range when using the Vélo-mitrailleur: 100m more between 400m and 800m, and 50m between 800m and 1,000m. These devices were like wheeled mounts and allowed a quick use of any machine gun. The ammunition carrier bicycle was able to carry 300 cartridges and a “toad” mount. Other bicycles could carry accessories and more ammunition. This piece of equipment was an ingenious device and easy to use; the instruction of soldiers was quick and effortless. Shooting results were the same as with an M1915 mount; a slight deviation in height was observed but insignificant.

In his conclusion, the reporting officer writes: “Le Vélo-mitrailleur Blanchard is able [to] fulfill the purpose of its designer: To carry a machine gun with a bicycle and convert it quickly in a steady mount. This equipment can be very useful for the service, and it is has to be presented at the Army headquarters.”

But no answer was given to this suggestion, and nobody heard of the Vélo-mitrailleur Blanchard. New tactics were developed for attacks, and it turned out more efficient to resort to tanks rather than to bicycles for the fire support of infantry assaults! 

Hank Williams doesn’t own the only old family tradition. On a sunny summer afternoon, a petite and very capable 12-year-old girl stared down the sights of her brand new birthday-gift Ruger AR-556, and with breathed-out precision, squeezed the trigger. After firing off a volley of successive rounds, with sparkling eyes she smiled big at her shooting mates and said simply, “This is really fun.” 

This was a Life Moment that Kara Windfall was destined to have. For some families, traditions are held in high esteem. For others, carrying on their family’s legacy is a forgotten pastime, much like Sockie and Kick the Can. However, in some traditional American families, honoring those who came before as well as continuing the fight and pursuance of freedom runs as deep as the blood in their veins. And for Kara, she hopes to continue that long-held tradition starting with those first shots with her new semiautomatic rifle. 

Kara’s family military history can be traced back generations. The first recorded account of one of her ancestors (a Polish knight of the highest order and a heroic warrior) in battle was during the 1410 Battle of Grunwald, where Poland and Lithuania came together to defeat the German-Prussian Knights of the Teutonic Order. 

“This was the first account of ‘one of us’ putting it to the bad guys,” said Sidney Windfall, Kara’s father, a native of Western Pennsylvania who works as a communications consultant. He and Kara currently reside in Europe. 

The Windfall family is found in the annals of the American Civil War under the Yankee government and also fighting for America in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and now in the Middle East. 

“Seems like there was a grandfather, dad, uncle, son or cousin in our family tree, with a grin or grimace, who was always ready to roll up their sleeves when the opportunity presented itself,” Sid adds proudly. His own grandfather served as a Navy LST fireman in the South Pacific during WWII. His father was with the 82nd Airborne, while his uncle served in Vietnam as an Air Force intelligence officer. Finally, his cousins were all Army infantrymen during Desert Storm. 

Birthday Tradition 

Another Windfall tradition goes hand-in-hand with their military history. Following after a beagle-breeding grandfather who loved the thrill of the hunt, if a family child shows interest and is responsible enough, he or she will receive a firearm on his or her 12th birthday. “That is when I got mine,” Sid Windfall recalled. “It was a Sears and Roebuck single-shot, hinge-action .410. Most all the others got simple bolt-action .22s.” 

But, back to our current birthday girl’s AR-556 baptismal. 

When it came time to honor his daughter Kara’s 12th birthday, Sid Windfall kept this old family tradition alive by introducing her to her first gun, the Ruger AR-556, on their recent trip back to the United States. “I presented her with her first real rifle, the semiauto Ruger, which we got from ACE Sporting Goods in Washington, Pennsylvania,” Windfall said. “Up until now, her exposure had been limited to Airsoft replicas and pellet guns. Regardless, she knows what a bull’s-eye is and surely knows gun safety.” 

Prior to having this, her first live fire with the AR-556, Kara has had extensive firsthand gun safety and personal instruction in gun handling and use at home in the U.S. and in Europe. Handing over the Ruger AR-556, which Kara promptly named “ARlene” (showing her puckish sense of humor, another family trait), Sid Windfall couldn’t help building off the life lessons his grandpap taught him by passing along some those bull’s-eyes of wisdom to his daughter. 

“Grandpap taught us that once you decide to squeeze that trigger that the bullet ain’t coming back,” said Windfall. “And, check how you feel when you see what game animal you have shot and killed. If you feel hungry, that is good,” he added with a chuckle. 

For her first crack at the shooting range, Windfall said he knew that he needed to find the right instructor to properly tutor Kara on those initial shots. And, that’s where I did my walk on. 

“Grandpap taught us that once you decide to squeeze that trigger that the bullet ain’t coming back. And, check how you feel when you see what game animal you have shot and killed. If you feel hungry, that is good.” 

– Sid Windfall 

Fort Truby 

Sid was my son’s college roommate back in the ‘80s, way back when I was a university professor, book author, magazine editor, writer and a military historian. Plus, many years earlier I had been an Army Combat Intelligence NCO and later a civilian military advisor and instructor. So, for a couple of days, I invited Kara and Sid out to the boonies of Western Pennsylvania (we call it “Pennsyltucky”) and what neighbors and friends call Ft. Truby. 

After a review of the basics by Kara and myself, the shooting began. Lying in the prone position on my very informal shooting range, Kara was the picture of comfort and poise. Outfitted with her shooting ear muffs, protective eyewear and trusty ARlene, the birthday girl was ready to take aim. Kara confidently fired her first round, then many, many more. Kara expertly handled her weapon, hitting the target with precision. She said that proper safety training and respect for firearms made her feel totally in control of her AR-556 rifle. 

“It seems to me a gun is only as dangerous as the person holding it,” she said. Looking at her father, she thanked him for putting his trust in her and instilling her with “some serious responsibility.” “It’s hard to say who had the most fun on that very loud morning,” Sid told us. “We did however expand our family tradition to include lead covered in lipstick.” 

With the Windfalls temporarily residing in gun-unfriendly Europe for now, who knows when Kara will be able to shoot ARlene again. But, if Kara has anything to say about it, it will be sooner, rather than later. An active member of her school’s Paramedic Team and Red 

Cross First Aid Group, she plans to be back in school in the United States. After graduation, she told me that she would attend college and also join the U.S. Army to pursue her dreams of helping the oppressed by her chosen career in medicine. 

And, their respect for and use of firearms will always be there, too. Sid is a long-time NRA member, and Kara signed on as a Junior NRA member. Both pledge to be very dedicated proactive members. 

Kara is a very impressive young lady with a good head on her shoulders. She is ambitious and has clear-cut goals in her life which is evident in everything that she does, including her shooting. She plans to be the next generation of Windfalls to exhibit her love for America through military service and the 2nd Amendment. And, judging by her first shots on target at Ft. Truby, she will succeed with all. 

For years, the firearm suppressor manufacturing icon known as Gemtech has produced a number of superlative designs. One of their older offerings, the Aurora, was listed in the catalogue for years but only teased the reader. Caught between the boundaries of regulation and better innovations, until recently it was only available to government customers. This model was intended for a very specific role and uses wipes and an artificial environment (coolant) to achieve the necessary sound reduction for a 9mm pistol in an uncommonly compact size. 

The unfortunate downside of this arrangement is an exceptionally short service life. Wipes are a disposable technology, and the official ATF regulatory position requires only licensed Class 2 manufacturers be authorized to produce replacements. For this reason, the Aurora was relegated strictly to government and military customers willing to send the used units back to their maker for restoration if and when it was necessary. 

The design, a specific and task-oriented one, was to equip a compact 9mm pistol (like a GLOCK 26) with a quiet, reliable and compact suppressor that was ideal for use in emergency situations like a downed pilot or some other overseas contingency operation. The Aurora, as specified, fit this mission admirably without the need for hyper-engineered baffle stacks or large suppressor bodies that would limit reliability or otherwise interfere with the mission. 

For the Public 

Recently, Gemtech released an upgraded version to the general public—the Aurora-II, complete with a rebuild service for all to enjoy. For less than $40, an Aurora-II can be returned to the manufacturer and have the wipes and coolant replaced; the good-as-new unit is then re-sent to the customer (turnaround time is less than 2 weeks). Current owners in need of this service should contact Smith and Wesson, the new home of Gemtech, for a return authorization and shipping instructions. 

The advertised performance of the Aurora-II is 137dB, and recent testing verified that value for a majority of the first 20 shots (a reduction of 25dB or more). Because of the nature of a wipe suppressor design, subsonic ammunition must be selected that uses a round nose and a non-expanding bullet type. Figures below come from test shots using a brand new Aurora-II and PPU brand 158-grain 9mm round nose subsonic ammunition. Sound measurements were conducted with a Larson Davis Model 800B using the A scale. 

Wipe Design 

One advantage that comes from a wipe and spacer design is the suppressor can be used in either direction. Gemtech’s Aurora-II has threads on both ends to accommodate 1/2×28- inch right-hand and metric 13.5×1 left-hand threads. On the other hand, one disadvantage is that the initial shots fired through virgin wipes can suffer from accuracy limitations. Test shots recorded above were simultaneously fired into a target, but it was found that accuracy and bullet stability was only affected for the first four shots. Accuracy limitations at 10 to 15 yards would still keep a center of mass shot within the target area of a man-sized silhouette. 

The semi-rigid polyurethane wipes are manufactured with an “X” cut through the center to allow passage of the fired bullets but enough sturdiness to resist damage from the shot and maintain back pressure necessary for cycling a recoil-operated pistol. The test firearm, a GLOCK 26 equipped with a Lone Wolf Distributors threaded barrel, cycled reliably for the first 20 shots, but once the wipes were shot through, stoppages were frequent. A blowback pistol subsequently tested continued to fully function regardless of the condition of the Aurora-II wipes. 

It should be noted that while expended wipes may not be replaceable by the user, the coolant within the spacers may be replenished and will offer some restoration of sound reduction—just not as much as with fresh wipes. Gemtech has traditionally used Vaseline® or a similar type of petroleum jelly as an artificial environment, but other options are listed in the Owner’s Manual. 

Final Thoughts 

Suppressor designs of the 21st century have evolved to the point where the state-of-the-art consists of efficient baffle designs and adaptive couplers capable of quiet and reliable functioning on a variety of host firearms. If properly mounted, these designs will give years and thousands of rounds of faithful maintenance-free service to their users without any need for coolant material or specialized ammunition. All of this notwithstanding, the Aurora-II occupies a small corner of compact effectiveness that still makes use of older technology in a way that the best modern cans can’t … at least, not yet! 

On November 10, 2019, Russia celebrated the 100-year anniversary of the birth of Mikhail Kalashnikov, one of the most famous firearms designers who ever lived. 

From Indonesia to Uruguay, from South Africa to Sweden, it is hard to find someone who does not know this name or has never heard of the AK-47. This rifle was used in every major conflict since the 1950s and remains to be the most prolific automatic weapon in the history of mankind.

Kalashnikov died at the age of 94 on December 23, 2013, but even now, there seem to be a lot of controversies that surround the history of the AK-47 and Kalashnikov himself. 

How did a young, uneducated farm boy manage to design this weapon? Were German engineers involved at any point? Maybe Kalashnikov was just a poster boy, appointed by the Communist Party, and the real inventor of the venerable weapon perished somewhere in the GULAG?

Last year, the author was offered a position of technical advisor for the major Russian motion picture “Kalashnikov,” a biopic dedicated to life of the famous firearms designer and history of the AK-47’s creation. While filmmakers were reluctant to take any advice, working on a film allowed the author to get access to many previously unavailable sources and collect a lot of fascinating information that perhaps can shed light on some of the above-mentioned controversies.

Let us start with the most obvious question. When you read the “official” biography of Kalashnikov, it looks like the whole story is awfully convenient for a Soviet propaganda machine. A young soldier who came from a poor peasant family became an inventor and with help from the Army and the Communist Party turned into a distinguished weapon design engineer. 

The story looks so perfect that it seems fake—because it is. 

Kalashnikov’s Truth

Kalashnikov was, in fact, a farm boy. And his family was, in fact, poor, really poor, but simply not poor enough by Soviet standards. With hard work, the Kalashnikovs managed to rise out of poverty, but because they lived in a socialist state, in 1930, their entire family was arrested and exiled to Siberia simply because they were just a bit wealthier than some other people in their village were. 

It was a nationwide campaign, and if you were a successful farmer you were declared “an enemy of the people.” All your property was confiscated, your house was repossessed by the state, and the entire family was sent to exile. Millions of families lost everything they had, and Kalashnikov’s family was one of them. This campaign led to a disastrous famine also known as Holodomor, which killed millions of people all across the Soviet Union.

Kalashnikov’s brother, Victor, was hiding from authorities only to be arrested a few months later. He was sentenced to several years in labor camp just for his refusal to be exiled. He escaped the labor camp three times, was arrested while on the run, and each time had a year added to his sentence. 

One more year was added when Victor was about to be released, and during his prerelease interview, he simply asked the authorities: “What was my crime to begin with?”

Kalashnikov’s father died soon after exile, and for several days the family couldn’t bury the body because of a terrible snowstorm. The kids had to live under the same roof with a decaying corpse in the middle of Siberia, stripped of all their rights, property and any hopes for the future. 

Years later, Kalashnikov managed to escape exile, faking a letter and stamps from a local police station. To raise money for his escape, Kalashnikov and his friend sold other exiles fake police letters that would increase their chances of getting a proper passport in a different region after they escaped. 

With this kind of past, Kalashnikov was perhaps the worst candidate to be a “poster boy” for the Communist Party. If any part of his family history became public, the propaganda image of “devoted communist from a poor family” would fall apart. 

In other words, people claiming that Kalashnikov was a “communism poster boy” know nothing about Kalashnikov’s family history and the country he lived in. Kalashnikov was hiding his real family history until 1997, long after the Soviet Union collapsed.

Another Myth Busted

Now let’s talk about a different misconception: Was Kalashnikov the sole creator of the AK-47? Obviously not.

Actually, one of the main reasons Kalashnikov became so successful was the fact that unlike many other design engineers, he was willing to listen to suggestions, accept criticism and seek advice when in doubt. Kalashnikov was never shy about the fact that many helped him along the way and even dedicated an entire book called I Walked Along the Same Road as You Did to the people he worked with.

Who were those people, and how much did they really influence the design of the AK-47? 

There is one name that comes up very often—Hugo Schmeisser. Schmeisser designed several prolific German weapons such as the MP18i submachine gun and StG44 assault rifle and without any doubt was a talented engineer. 

In 1946, he was forced to move to the Soviet Union and worked at the factory #74, also known as Izhmash, in the city of Izhevsk. He was a part of a group of German engineers: Werner Gruner, designer of the MG42 machine gun, Kurt Horn, Karl Barnitzke and others worked with him in Izhevsk. 

That definitely looks very suspicious, a group of successful German engineers working in the birthplace of the AK. Surely they were involved with the design, some might say.

Only there is one little nuance. Izhevsk was not the birthplace of the AK. In fact, it had absolutely nothing to do with the development of the AK-47, which now is a symbol of the city and essentially put the city of Izhevsk on the map for the entire world.

Development of the AK-47 is very well-documented and took place in two different places—a town of Kovrov, 600 miles from Izhevsk and the Shurovski testing ground, 750 miles from Izhevsk, factory #74 and all the German engineers.

Kalashnikov only came to Izhevsk when the design of his weapon was complete, already tested and accepted by the military for field trials. And even when he came to Izhevsk, he first started working at the factory #524, commonly called “motorcycle plant” that manufactured Maxim machine guns during the war. 

Only after military trials were completed, the blueprints of the AK-47 were transferred to Izhmash for serial production, and at that time, in 1949, Kalashnikov finally could have a chance to work with the Germans. However, by that time, the AK-47 already was a weapon that we all know, with its stamped steel receiver, rotating bolt with two locking lugs and long-stroke gas system. 

Soon, in 1951, the stamped receiver of the AK-47 was replaced by a milled one, which goes against every principle German engineers implemented during the war with the MG42 and MP40, when they always moved in the opposite direction, getting rid of milled parts and replacing them with stamped ones. In other words, there is nothing in the AK-47 design that would indicate that Germans had any influence on it in the late 40s and early 50s.

And there is a question that I always hear: But if Germans did not design the AK-47, what were they doing in Izhevsk until 1952 when they were finally sent home?

In fact, that is not a secret. Thanks to Russian firearms historian Andrei Kulikov we now have access to many documents that outline the work of Germans in Izhevsk. The documents are in Russian and describe the projects that German designers worked on, how they behaved and how they felt about being forced to work for a former enemy. 

And while most German engineers sucked it up and carried on, Schmeisser was the biggest troublemaker of them all. He simply did not want to work with the Soviets, and his profile (translated from Russian) really shows it:

PROFILE

Of German specialist Schmeisser, Hugo Schmeisser, Hugo – born in 1884 in the city of born [sic] in Jena (Thuringia), German by nationality. Has no specialised education.

Schmeisser works at the factory from November 5, 1946. During this time, he worked on the following projects:

A. Consultations regarding the development of infantry small arms.

B. Developed a project of the box magazine for 1941 submachine gun (P.P.Sh.).

C. Developed a project of a magazine for 1891 rifle (Mosin-Nagant).

D. Developed a sketch project of an assault rifle chambered for German 0,8 round (7,92×57 Mauser).

Since Schmeisser has a very narrow specialty and only used from time to time, his work at the moment is not classified.

From 1925 to 1945 he worked as the factory director and co-owner. Because of lack of technical education, he is unable to do any work. Did nothing useful during his stay. Has a capitalist mindset. Corrupts other German specialists. 

Not familiar with factory’s classified projects, but we can’t guarantee that he does not know current product line.

Director of the factory 

Secretary of factory’s Communist Party cell

September 1951

German Influence?

With all that facts I think we can finally answer the question: Did Germans influence the design of AK-47?

The answer is yes, they did. After Red Army troops captured their first Sturmgewehrs, the Soviet government decided to develop an assault rifle and an intermediate round of its own, issued a request for proposal for a round and assault rifle and started trials that ended up with the AK-47 becoming a new standard weapon of the Soviet infantry. But that is about it for German involvement. There is no way Schmeisser or any other German engineer could have influenced the design of AK-47 being so far away and lacking a necessary security clearance.

There were other people who really influenced Kalashnikov a lot, and I believe that every serious Kalashnikov enthusiast should know their names. 

The three most important names every AK enthusiast should know are Vasily Lyuty, Vladimir Deikin and Alexander Zaitsev.

Let’s start with Vasily Lyuty, military engineer, who was one of the most distinguished experts of his time when it came to testing and evaluation of firearms. 

His surname means “ruthless” in Russian, and in a way, he was ruthless—to unreliable firearms and their creators. Lyuty ’s resume was very impressive—after graduating from an Artillery academy in Moscow, he, Vladimir Deikin and another engineer, Afanasiev, designed “LAD,” a lightweight and reliable belt-fed pistol caliber machine gun. 

But creation of the Russian intermediate 7.62×39 round made the idea of a pistol-caliber machine gun obsolete, and on top of that, Soviet Army leadership decided to bar military engineers who tested weapons from designing firearms to keep trials fair and objective. 

That deprived Lyuty of his passion, and the only chance for him to design a weapon now was to advise someone else, put the right ideas in his head and make sure the final product would survive the most rigorous testing possible.

And Lyuty knew a lot about rigorous testing. When he was in charge of trials for the SG-43 Goryunov machine gun, the final stage was conducted in the frontline. For three months in 1943, Lyuty tested new machine guns right in the heat of battle to liberate Southern Ukraine from Nazi invaders. He analyzed feedback from the troops, made changes and redesigned certain parts of the machine gun based on actual combat experience. 

Regrettably, the Soviet state did not appreciate the effort. Until the end of his life, Lyuty was not officially recognized as a combat veteran and had to fight for his rights and recognition with the bureaucratic system which declared “you were assigned to a testing ground, you can’t possibly be a combat veteran.” 

Later, in 1951, Vasily Lyuty, who had to leave the testing ground because of 80% hearing loss and start scientific work, was arrested and tortured by KGB based on made-up charges. He was sent to the GULAG for 25 years and had to survive life in the prison camps of Siberia until his case was dismissed 4 years later. 

He returned to work as a weapons design engineer and was behind the creation of the mobile, short-range, low altitude infra-red guided surface-to-air missile system 9K31 Strela-1, proving again that he was an immensely talented design engineer.

In 1946, when Kalashnikov entered the competition for the new assault rifle, Lyuty was a project manager for the trials. Lyuty and Kalashnikov became close friends and when the first prototype of the Kalashnikov rifle was rejected, it was Lyuty who convinced everyone to give Kalashnikov another chance.

Later on, Vladimir Deikin, another military engineer, joined the team. He was not just a brilliant designer but also a masterful facilitator. When Kalashnikov was sent to the factory in Kovrov to work on his gun, everyone knew the project would have no future. 

Kovrov was a “home” for at least two of Kalashnikov’s competitors; there was no way they would let Kalashnikov use the test-firing range and all the equipment. Somehow, Deikin convinced the factory to give Kalashnikov, an outsider, everything he needed so he could work on a new design and defeat Kovrov’s “home team.” 

He also introduced Kalashnikov to the third and last member of “Team Kalashnikov,” Alexander Zaitsev, design engineer from the Kovrov factory.

A young combat veteran, who spent the majority of his WWII service in recon units, Zaitsev was more educated than Kalashnikov and became another co-creator of the AK-47, helping with drawings and blueprints. He was the one who suggested that the prototype AK-46 should be redesigned to increase reliability—a bold but ingenious move that made AK-47 the top contender for the victory in a competition, since other designers were too afraid to make any significant changes at the last moment.

Final Thoughts

The contribution of Vasily Lyuty, Vladimir Deikin and Alexander Zaitsev does not diminish the work of Kalashnikov. He always told in his books that creation of the AK-47 was a team effort and never understated how much other people helped him.

Now, 70 years after it was officially accepted into service, the AK remains the most recognizable weapon in history. There are many things we can learn from Kalashnikov and his team, and hopefully this article will only be the beginning. 

•••

Editor’s note: At a dinner in Kragujevac, Serbia, many years ago, General Kalashnikov once again debunked the “MP-44 is father of the AK” connection and touching his eye, said, “Look to the Garand” when discussing the operating system – Dan Shea

DS Arms, Inc, provides a one-stop shop for surplus Israeli light-barrelled FALs. They sell both complete rifles and parts kits from which this author assembled his rifle, under supervision of Harold Adams (SBD Arms, Arizona). This piece discusses parts conditions across two kits, 922(r) compliance (18 USC §922) and a brief mechanical comparison with its predecessor: FN-49. 

Parts

The kit contains all necessary parts except barrel and receiver. The wood furniture contained a lot of Cosmoline, and one buttstock featured soldier carvings. Both stock sets are “C-”type with metal flanges and no cleaning compartment. One set of front handguards is cut only for one spacer around the gas tube; another set has two cuts but wear marks show it was only issued with one. 

The kits feature both vertical and horizontal receiver lock levers. Both lower trigger housings feature Hebrew selector markings as well as the distinctive Israeli selector. One kit had copious Hebrew markings across various parts, while the other had less. The finish wear matches service rifle expectations. 

The original “4-”marked front sight post proved so tall that the author must use 500m aperture to zero at 25m. DS Arms related that all kits contain similar height posts; thus they produced new posts as a remedy. Although any metric post (including the later “two-hole” style) functions, new production uses “square base” to keep the original look. Of the two new posts examined, one was trapezoidal in keeping with the original (thick base tapering to tip), and the other was uniformly thin. 

The original barrel was not provided; the supplied original gas block was still pressed onto a cut section of the barrel. DS Arms offers a new, light-profile, U.S.-made barrel with and without gas block installed; this author chose the latter for simplicity. This gas block matches the surplus one in featuring the latter style “closed” type wings. The barrel crown is hardly recessed, and the author covers that with a thread protector from a hardware store for storage and transportation. 

The new production, semi-automatic-only receiver reproduces exterior markings. It lacks the cut that allows the selector to rotate into full-auto position, and the material around the trigger axis pin is not milled to accept a full-auto sear. This unambiguously restricts the rifle to semiauto only. 

922(r) and Assembly

U.S. Code, Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 44, §922 typically referred to as 922(r), prohibits assembly of a rifle with more than 10 imported parts. As applied to this FAL, one only needs to exchange four imported parts; barrel and receiver are U.S.-made while muzzle attachment is absent. Generally speaking, the cost-effective route utilizes a magazine (3 parts) and pistol grip. On a quest to keep the rifle exterior as original as possible, the author kept his Hebrew-marked trigger (changing hammer and sear), utilized an Israeli-marked magazine with U.S. followers (DSA item #119120-K) and installed a U.S. gas piston (DSA item #019IS). Note that the Israeli gas piston is a special length that is neither in inches nor metric. 

To barrel a receiver, metric barrel shoulders are faced down until the gas port clocks correctly; variously sized locking shoulders are available to ensure proper headspace (similar to different sized SMLE bolt heads). This author elected to have DS Arms perform this process as he has no lathe access, and the ancillary equipment (e.g., barrel vice, headspace tools) is not economical to purchase just for one rifle. One must take care to include all required parts, else risk incurring surcharges.

Improved FN-49

FAL directly traces it lineage to the FN-49, a design started pre-WWII, evacuated to Britain and languished till 1949 and used primarily by “non-aligned” nations. The heart of the action remains the same: short-stroke gas piston with tilting bolt. FAL also carried over the same gas plug design: the Columbian FN-49 is marked “A” for semiauto operations, and “R” cuts off gas to launch rifle grenades. The Israeli FAL has Hebrew character markings for semiauto and unmarked for gas cut off. Both rotate 90degs to disassemble. 

The FAL exposed the gas adjustment sleeve, while the FN-49 covered its sleeve under the front handguard. While both ostensibly require a special wrench to turn, one could adjust the FAL sleeve with fingers (if loose enough) or with a flat-head screwdriver and mallet (if obstinate) as field expedient measures. The FN-49 sleeve is more difficult to work without the wrench. 

Early FALs, including early Israeli rifles seen in Six-Day War photographs, use “open” front sight wings like the FN-49. The FN-49 rear sight is integral to the action cover while FAL moved it to the lower. Although there is no discernible movement in the FAL upper-to-lower connection, there is considerable wiggle in the rear-sight-to-track fit. FN-49 has some lateral wiggle no worse than that of M1 Garand at high elevations. Both have small rear apertures that are similar in size to the small M16A2 one which the author found to be detrimental for rapid engagements. Both rifles have acceptable “combat” accuracy given the heavy single-stage triggers and non-free-floated barrels. 

In addition to reconfiguring the traditional stocked FN-49 to a pistol grip on the FAL, the main spring was also moved into the stock via a captured assembly and connected to the bolt with a “tail.” This arrangement is reminiscent of the Johnson 1941 rifle and eliminates the chance of flying springs when disassembling to clean. 

These improvements make the FAL easier to maintain while keeping the proven action. It is easy to see why the FAL achieved such success and became the right arm of the free world. 

Conclusion

DS Arms provides a one-shop stop for purchasing parts to build or to buy a complete Israeli FAL. Parts were in good service rifle conditions, and they assembled without trouble. The rifle functioned reliably on the firing line. The assembly process gave the author an appreciation of mechanical intricacies and added to the joy of owning a historical piece.