Wolf Performance Arms has a history of finding or commissioning high-performing rifle uppers, like the Taiwanese T91 covered by SAR in 2017 (Volk, O., “Wolf Arms A1 Piston Upper,” Vol. 21, No. 5). Last year, they introduced an AR upper with 16-inch and 10.5-inch barrels chambered in 9x39mm Russian. The cartridge has been around since the 1980s, used in numerous sound-suppressed guns, mainly in the VSS Vintorez short-range sniper rifle and AS Val automatic rifle. The development of the ammo goes back decades, having begun as an alternative to subsonic 7.62x39mm, which was determined to be less effective than required. 9x39mm took the obvious expedient of increasing bullet mass and keeping penetration high with a subcaliber steel penetrator. Firearms in this caliber are in use by several former USSR republics and a few of Russia’s Middle Eastern allies, but the propagation is limited to bodyguards and Special Forces. 

With none of the guns for which 9x39mm was intended being importable, and most of the ammunition being armor-piercing by design and composition, that cartridge was more legendary than known in the West. The main reason for VSS was to engage targets without being detected, and the low velocity of the ammunition was compensated by the hardened steel penetrator designed to defeat body armor and lightly protected vehicles. With neither guns nor ammunition available in the U.S. until recently, most of us could judge the utility of the cartridge only from video games. (Small Arms Review and Small Arms Defense Journal have done extensive testing and presentations on 9x39mm since the mid-2000s; search our websites.) 

The 9x39mm Wolf Performance Arms upper is a very well-made conventional design with a long M-LOK forend and medium-weight barrel profile. It has the usual forward assist and ejection port cover, along with the less usual Picatinny rail segment for mounting an iron sight or a laser at the top front of the forend. The muzzle is threaded 5/8×24, a pattern more common in .308 than in 9mm suppressors. Fortunately, a 5/8×24 configuration was available for my Gemtech Multimount, a 9mm pistol and carbine suppressor that is plenty strong for the low-pressure, exclusively subsonic 9x39mm cartridge. 

Since none of the specialty rounds are eligible for import, Wolf developed a 278-grain lead core cullet with a copper-washed steel jacket, loaded into a copper-washed steel case. It is available at about 70 cents per round. While this solution reduced armor penetration, it improved the BC (ballistic coefficient) of the bullet slightly compared to the 250- to 260-grain Russian specialty designs. Compared to the military guns using roughly 8-inch barrels and very primitive, if voluminous, sound suppressors, the 16-inch AR with a modern suppressor should perform pretty well. The original military SP-6 armor-piercing ammunition velocity from VSS is in the 925 fps range, and the slightly heavier SP-5 ball ammunition is around 900 fps. The full-length AR barrel yielded an average of 1,045 fps using an even heavier bullet, with a standard deviation of 25.8 fps and extreme spread around 70 fps. Because of that spread in velocity, most groups showed vertical dispersion more than horizontal. Overall, unsuppressed accuracy was consistently better than expected at around 2MOA. The initial testing was done at 60 yards, and then confirmed at 110 yards against a 3-inch target: the 100% hit ratio on it was guaranteed with a 1-6x scope.

The rifle cycled fine, both suppressed and unsuppressed. I had one dud primer in 60—that cartridge wouldn’t fire even on a re-strike. Ejection was very consistent, with all empties found about 3 feet from the rifle. Even suppressed, the rifle had no gas blowback at all, making it very comfortable to shoot. Felt recoil was on par with .22 rimfire, and the noise level resembled unsuppressed subsonic .22LR from a long barrel and was mainly caused by the ejection port pop.

Magazine Selection

Magazine selection for 9x39mm is a difficult task. None of the magazines intended for other calibers works well; at best 3 to 5 rounds can be fed at a time. D&H Industries recently introduced a dedicated 10-round 9x39mm magazine for the AR platform, with pre-production samples having gone out to testers in the first half of February 2020. They plan to bring out 20-round magazines later in the year. Fortunately, I had a sample of the UNIMAG, one of several inventions from the genius of mechanical engineer Jing Zheng. Produced by Ross Defense Systems, this multi-caliber magazine with an articulated follower supports every cartridge available in AR-15, including 9x39mm. I was able to load and cycle the full 25 rounds, though Steve Dittner of Wolf Performance Arms cautioned me that the springs may be insufficient for pushing up that much weight under field conditions. Twenty rounds weigh about the same as a full mag of subsonic .300 Blackout ammunition and can be expected to feed under all circumstances. Ross Defense Systems is currently liquidating their entire stock of these magazines, so it’s a good time to buy them at a good price.

Compared to .300 Blackout, 9x39mm is more specialized, appearing only in the subsonic configuration. Comparing 220-grain .300 Blackout to 278-grain 9x39mm with both fired from 16-inch rifles, the trajectories are almost identical for drop and windage out to 500 yards. With a 100-yard zero, mid-trajectory, height is only 3 inches at 60 yards, with the same drop at 125 yards. Point blank range on a torso-sized target is about 150 yards, with trajectory compensation required beyond that. Russian military optics have BDC reticles calibrated to their barrel length and SP-5 armor-piercing ammunition, while we get to make our own dope charts. At this time, .300 Blackout has the advantage of having a vastly greater variety of ammunition types available, as well as the compatibility with 5.56 magazines and with .30-caliber sound suppressors. 9x39mm has the advantage of being a slightly heavier bullet—278 grain versus 220 grain—for improved terminal performance with ball. Ammunition with expanding bullets is in development by several companies, but none are on the market yet.

Accuracy

Unsuppressed, the rifle is accurate enough for consistent headshots past 200 yards. Suppressor compatibility was not universal. I am not sure why, as a similar .338 Spectre caliber showed no variation in accuracy with either bare muzzle or various cans. The first 9mm pistol suppressor I tried, the Gemtech Multimount, did not work well with this caliber, turning a sub-2MOA rifle into something that threw bullets fairly randomly. While the holes on paper were round and indicated no keyholing, the “group” size was around 4 feet at 60 yards! Next, I tried a Bowers Group Vers 9S, a larger tube optimized for submachine guns. Accuracy improved but only to about 8MOA. On a lark, I also tried a SilencerCo Omega 45K: despite slightly greater exit aperture and modest size, it was as quiet as the other two while delivering 3MOA groups. Once the availability of defensive ammunition increases, this cartridge will have a viable future for self-defense and short-range hunting. 

The author recently made a trip to Vietnam and selected a tour which led to the main battlefields, where the Communists fought the French and later the South Vietnamese and the American troops, and several military museums. 

History of the Country 

In the past, the Indochinese Peninsula was a meeting point for itinerant people from China and India and South seas mariners. After 1801, the Nguyen Dynasty became the leader of a large state called Vietnam, ranging from the Chinese border to the Ca Mau Peninsula at the southern tip of the country. The border was pushed to the west after annexation of the Cambodia and Laos districts. The Dynasty remained in control of the country until 1945, and the last emperor was Bao Dai. 

French Colony 

Portuguese and French missionaries settled in Vietnam around the 16th century and established a religious, commercial and strategic organization in Indochina. Protectorates were established with Annam and Tonkin in 1883, confirmed by the Tianjin Treaty in 1858 after a conflict with China. The Indochina Union, including Tonkin, Annam, Cochinchina and Cambodia, was established in 1887; later in 1898, Laos and Kouang Tcheou Wan area (formerly Chinese) joined the Union. 

An assembly of representatives for Annam and Tonkin was organized in 1928. An ambitious program permitted installations of infrastructure, industrial development and many other activities. The country was one of the most prosperous in Southeast Asia. 

Vietnamese Communists 

During the 19th century, mandarins (seigniorial) were the main assailants against the French. After WWI, the opposition was taken up by the bourgeoisie, enriched by the economic growth and by some intellectuals educated in French universities. But the most virulent opponent was a young revolutionary Vietnamese, educated by the Komintern in Moscow and the Red Chinese. His name was Nguyen Ai Quoc, but he took the pseudonym of “Ho Chi Minh” after he created the Vietnamese Communist Party in February 1930. During WWII, he established a structured organization in many places of the country and founded the Front for Independence of Vietnam in 1941. 

Japanese Occupation 

In August 1940, 30,000 Japanese soldiers invaded Indochina, but the French administration remained in place. 

War with Thailand 

On September 25, 1940, on the pretense of territorial claims in Laos and Cambodia, Thailand invaded Indochina. After some air raids, a Thai land offensive was launched, during which the French troops resisted with difficulties. 

France replied with a naval assault against the Siamese Navy at Koh Chang, where in less than 2 hours, three torpedo boats and two battleships were sunk. Japan, which was part of the conflict, proposed a mediation. It resulted in an increase of its influence in Indochina. France had to give away some districts in the west of the Indochinese confederation. These territories were returned to France only in 1947.

Act of Aggression March 9, 1945

On March 9, 1945, the Japanese tried to destabilize the French administration and its small colonial army and then give its armament to the Vietnamese nationalists. But when Japan surrendered, neither the United States, Great Britain or China wished to see the comeback of France in Indochina.

France Comes Back

France returned with Admiral d’Argenlieu as governor and General Leclerc as chief of the military headquarters. On September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed independence of the country and created the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

Jean Sainteny, a diplomat, was tasked to discuss relations with Ho Chi Minh. They reached an agreement preliminary to a conference meant to resolve the relationship between the French and Vietnamese, but Admiral d’Argenlieu denounced the agreement, and General Leclerc, who disagreed with him, asked to be relieved of his command.

A peace conference was organized in Fontainebleau on September 10, 1946, but it failed. It was the result of the admiral’s stubbornness, the intransigence of French politics and the xenophobia of the Vietnamese.

War in Indochina

General Giap, the commander of the Vietnamese People’s Army, began the First Indochina War in December 1946. Gradually, the entire country became involved. The French troops, 70,000 strong, were systematically attacked. Against guerilla warfare, tanks, aircraft and artillery were powerless. France reinforced the Southeast Asia Expeditionary Force with volunteers, but the troops were poorly equipped with old vehicles and obsolete equipment or armament.

The French Army was constrained to defensive action. In December 1950, General de Lattre de Tassigny was appointed chief commander. He tried to improve the situation, but his poor health did not permit him to succeed. He won an increase of the American supply effort and the creation of a Vietnamese Army. His successor, General Salan, followed a similar strategy. But back in France, the war was unpopular, the government was unsteady, and trade unions close to the Communist Party provoked sabotage and betrayed their country.

Dien Bien Phu

The French headquarters tried to remove resistance in the North by installing a large military base from where operation against the Viet Minh could be organized to prevent infiltrations into Tonkin. During the build-up of the French installation in the Dien Bien Phu basin, the Viet Minh built bunkers hollowed out of the limestone cliffs overhanging the base. More than 260,000 coolies were commandeered to ferry equipment, big bore guns and ammunition with their bicycles.

The offensive began on March 13, 1954, with an artillery bombardment followed by attacks of the strongholds built by the French on the hills bearing Christian code names: Anne-Marie, Gabrielle, Beatrice, Huguette, Françoise, Dominque, Claudine, Eliane and Isabelle.

Despite troops being air-dropped for reinforcement, the base surrendered on May 7, 1954. After the battle, 2,293 French soldiers were killed, 5,195 were wounded and 11,721 were taken prisoners. They walked more than 400 miles to reach internment camps where their “political reeducation” was organized. Only 3,290 returned to France.

Geneva Conference

After the disaster in Dien Bien Phu, the French government disengaged quickly. The Geneva Accords in July 1954 stopped the war. Laos and Cambodia became independent. Tonkin, Annam and Cochinchina were separated in two states: The Democratic Republic of Vietnam, north of the 17th parallel, and the Republic of Vietnam to the south. The French Army left Southeast Asia in 1955.

American Intervention

After the French departure, the U.S. supported the South Vietnamese government. In May 1959, 15 task forces, 46 air bases and 11 Navy bases were set up with 685 military advisors. After President Johnson arrived at the White House, the American expeditionary force increased to 543,482 men on April 30, 1969.

The Communists built up their offensive and systematically attacked American and South Vietnamese troops. In January 1969, peace negotiations were opened in Paris.

President Nixon announced a progressive retreat of the American forces. A peace agreement was reached on January 27, 1973, by Henri Kissinger and Le Duc Tho. On March 29, the last American Combat troops left the country.

The Fall of Saigon

The American pullout did not stop the war. Launched in March 1975, the North Vietnamese People’s Army’s offensive pushed across South Vietnam, and districts fell despite the resistance of the Vietnamese Army. Hue surrendered on March 25 and Da Nang on April 2.

The offensive on Saigon began on April 27 and was achieved 3 days later. The following year, the country was unified and became the Vietnamese Socialist Republic. Thirty years of war considerably upset Southeast Asia and caused 2 million victims. 

My Trip to Vietnam

After a first tour, I wished to come back for a better knowledge of the country, discover new landscapes, meet local people and visit historical museums.

The trip began in Hanoi. The city now has a new international airport, highways, bridges and high tower buildings, all generally built by Chinese, Japanese and/or Korean investors. The population is now 7.6 million people with about 3 million bicycles, auto cycles and scooters. We visited several museums: Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Temple of Literature to learn about Confucius and finally the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where we saw the guard change.

One day later we went to Dien Bien Phu (DBP). Before boarding, I imagined all the boys who at the same place 60 years ago traveled by other planes and jumped—often for the first time—for a hopeless fight.

After a 1-hour flight we arrived at DBP. The village which existed in 1954 is now a 50,000-person city. It is long and narrow, built next to the airport railway which is the site of the former runway created before the battle. The Eliane 2 entrenchment is faithfully regenerated but with concrete sand bags. Crossing through there is particularly touching, and I take to heart the glory and sacrifice here.

Military Museums

The Dien Bien Phu Museum presents several scenes of the battle, small arms and equipment. Small arms exhibited in the museum are the glint of military material used by the French Army or Viet Minh troops. A wide variety of French and other small arms from WWII include: 

• Approximately 10 variations of pistols and revolvers (the MAS 35 S, SACM 35A, P38, Colt M1911, Browning, MAB or other .32 pistol, M1892 revolver, Smith & Wesson, Enfield, Webley and more); 
• MAS-38, MAT-49, Thompson, STEN, MP40 submachine guns; 
• Berthier rifles, MAS-36 and MAS-36 CR39, U.S. M1 carbine, Garand M1, U.S. Enfield M1917, Mauser K98k and Lee–Enfield; 
• M1924/M29, Bren, BAR, MG34 and MG42 light machine guns; and 
• MAC 31, Hotchkiss, Browning M1919A4 or A6, Vickers, M2HB machine guns.

Viet Minh had approximately the same small arms, with a large quantity of M1902 “Indochinese” rifles and also Mosin-Nagants, a Chinese copy of the PPSh 41, ZB vz. 26 and various Russian machine guns, including the DShK-1938/46.

Beyond the military hospital is a necropolis where several thousand soldiers from France and former colonies are buried. This cemetery and the monument were not established by the French government, but by a lone man, Rolf Rodel, a French Foreign Legion veteran.

One day after this visit, we left on a bus headed to the North. We visited several villages and schools where Thaï and Red H’Mong people live and learn the Vietnamese language and the history and culture of living in a communist country.

Then we traveled again by a mountain road. The Black H’Mong (Meos) people who came from China in the 18th century and never joined the Vietnamese live here. Many of them joined the French and are Catholic. Some Meos resistance organizations against Communism remained after 1954. After the departure of the French, they helped the Americans, so Vietnamese do not like them very much. They lived in isolation and were particularly hermetic to Marxist culture. The Vietnamese government consolidated them in villages near roads for easier control. 

After traveling through several other towns, including Sapa, Lai Chau and Lao Cai, we returned to Hanoi where there are several military museums, such as: 

• B52 Victory Museum, with a lot of information about Hanoi’s anti-aircraft defense. Outside, there are various rockets, anti-aircraft cannons and a MiG-21. 
• Vietnam Military History Museum, near the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, covers approximately 130,000 square feet and testimonies of their fight against the French, Americans and their allies, with many pictures and documents.

On the way back to Hanoi, we visited the small city of Dong Trieu. Between 1885 and 1889, my grandfather’s uncle served here as a Foreign Legion Lieutenant. He fought “Chinese pirates” (rebels) and was wounded. His received the Legion d’honneur medal for his bravery.

From Hanoi, we flew to Hue, the “Forbidden City,” which is the former emperor’s palace. Just beside it is a military museum where there are many American vehicles, tanks and helicopters exhibited.

Heading west en route to Saigon, we followed the Ho Chi Minh Trail and crossed through the small cities of Tan An, Kham Duc, Dak Glei, Dak Sut, Plei Can, Dak To and Dak Ha and on through Dalat. In the past, it was a resort city with many old houses and monuments, miraculously saved from American bombing. We visited the summer residence of Bao Dai, the last Vietnam emperor.

Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon

Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) is very crowded with 7 million bicycles or scooters; what will happen when they can buy cars? Our visit included a stop at the War Remnants Museum, which describes the history of the country from 1945, with a large place for the atrocities of the French or American imperialists and south puppet allies! The museum also shows the devastating results of the use of napalm or Agent Orange. But there was nothing about the reeducation camps, inhuman incarceration conditions of the French prisoners after Dien Bien Phu or captured American pilots. The museum has an interesting collection of small arms and on the outside, various materials with wheels, tracks or propellers. There is also a shop with interesting English-language books on the war and nearby an authentic guillotine!

We also toured the Reunification/Independence Palace. Originally built in the late 1870s, the imperial palace was destroyed by an assassination attempt via a bombing in February 1962. At the same site, a presidential palace was built. It was both the residence of the president and the government office. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, it became a museum but sometimes official meetings are organized there. The museum covers the main events of the Republic of Vietnam and capture of the palace by North Vietnamese forces. 

The museum and palace permitted us to see firearms and material used by the Viet Cong, South Vietnamese and American forces, which are different from those used during the Indochina War. 

At the beginning of the War, Americans used the M2 carbine, Garand, M14, Thompson, Browning M1919A4 and later the M16A1, M79, M60 and a wide variety of mortars or anti-tank guns. Various armored vehicles and tanks such as M50 Ontos with six 106mm guns; helicopters used were the CH-47 Chinook, Bell UH-1 Iroquois and many others. The North Vietnamese used the Russian AK-47 or Chinese Type 56 rifles, machine guns or tanks. 

End of the Tour 

Our trip concluded with a walk on the historic Catinat Street, now Dong Khoi (“Total Revolution Street”), in Ho Chi Minh City. It is now a very luxurious area with nice hotels, restaurants and stores. The tour finished with a cruise on the Mekong River and a flight back to Paris after a fantastic 16-day trip in Vietnam. I highly recommend visiting Vietnam for all of its military history. 

In the sixth year of the War, the resources of the German Reich had become scarce. How practical would it be to fire two bullets with one cartridge? This idea woke the interest of the Waffen-SS. 

By the end of 1944, the German Armed Forces (apart from the numerous captured weapons) mainly used two types of rifle cartridges:

• 7.92x57mm with s.S. (heavy spitzer) bullet for rifles and machine guns
• 7.92x33mm kurz with the short Mkb bullet for machine gun carbines/ assault rifles

In order to make the cartridges more effective, a large number of other bullets, such as tracer, hard core or even explosive projectiles, were put in the cases.

Another way to increase cartridge performance was chosen in autumn 1944: If two bullets could be put in a single cartridge case, the double effect on the target could be achieved simultaneously with savings on raw material, weight and transport space without additional training for the soldiers. On the weapons themselves, nothing would have to be changed. With the loss of territory in the east, the ongoing supply of the necessary raw materials for the armaments industry partially dried up, and the air raids on the Reich further reduced the already scarce transport space.

Experimentation

The idea of putting two bullets in one case sounded simple. But the devil was in the details. The experiments with different bullets and powder types dragged on for a long time. In addition to the Heereswaffenamt (Army Ordnance Office), the SS ordnance office department “Research, Development Patents” (FEP for short), headed by SS-Gruppenführer Dr.-Ing. Otto Schwab, was involved in it. Some of the test firing attempts took place at the Gottow shooting range, which was part of the Kummersdorf Army testing institute and was officially named “Wa Prüf 11—Special Equipment Department.”

The experiments started with two bullets, 123.5 grains each (8g each), of the standard rifle cartridge in a case with a 24.7-grain (1.6g) powder charge. During a test with three rounds, under the direction of SS-Untersturmführer Winzer, a very large dispersion was noticed at a distance of 30m. The last shot got stuck in the barrel. Increasing the load to 37 grains (2g) brought little improvement. Also, in this case, bullets got stuck in the barrel. Two Mkb bullets were then put in the case, and the charge was increased to 37.037 grains (2.4g). With 16 rounds fired, the result was satisfactory. There were no outliers, and no bullets got stuck in the barrel.

Now it was time to increase the distance. For the next attempts, the target was hung at 100m. The case with the two Mkb bullets was filled with a main charge of 24.7 grains (1.6g) and an additional front charge of 1.23 grains (0.8g). The accuracy was again satisfactory with an average of nine rings per round. So far, so good, but the trajectory no longer matched the sights of the weapons. Calculations showed that the speed of the shorter Mkb bullets had to be increased from 665m/sec to 750m/sec.

Detailed investigations also showed that the second bullet flew in the slipstream of the first bullet and thus in a zone of reduced pressure. This resulted in a fairly constant deviation from the trajectory of the first bullet. In the meantime, it was January 1945, and the SS put the team under pressure. The SS ordnance office therefore contacted the Finower Industrie GmbH, which, as an experienced manufacturer of infantry ammunition, was to make the double-bullet cartridges ready for series production. Two SS technicians from FEP were assigned to Finower for this purpose. The best results were achieved with a cartridge containing one heavy bullet 193.7 grains (12.55g) and behind it a shorter and lighter Mkb bullet. At the beginning of February, it was clear that “the characteristics of this new type of infantry ammunition have been clearly recognized by extensive tests and that special manufacturing difficulties are not to be expected.” The Heereswaffenamt successfully carried out a mass firing test with these cartridges.

Before the new ammunition could go into series production, there was a meeting in Friedenthal near Oranienburg on March 17, 1945. The illustrious group counted many well-known names, such as SS-Standartenführer Dr. Heeß (Institute for Criminal Technology RSHA) and SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny (Unit I B Friedenthal). Plant manager Eibl explained that the double-bullet cartridge weighed 445.2 grains (28.85g), in contrast to the normal s.S. cartridge weighing 419.8 grains (27.20g). A cartridge with two bullets saves 158.2 grains (10.25g) on the case and 53.24 grains (3.45g) on the powder compared to two normal cartridges, without reducing the combat effect on the target and without putting more strain on weapon mechanics. Test firing with the machine gun MG42 was successful.

SS-Untersturmführer Schürmann of the SS-paratroopers praised the development and agreed to order 15,000 cartridges for the special infantry battalion Friedenthal (named after the castle Friedenthal). However, the delivery was initially to be seen as an “emergency solution” without special requirements at any point in the manufacturing process, and any problems that might occur were accepted. The main thing was that the cartridges could be delivered as quickly as possible. It is unclear whether and where production actually started. Reports or other evidence of use in action are not known. In any case, all cartridge production in Finower ended due to a lack of raw materials in March 1945.

On April 25, 1945, the SS-FHA T-Office (SS-Führungshauptamt Technical-Office, SS-FHA’s main operational department), which had meanwhile relocated from the encircled capital Berlin to Dachau in Bavaria, discussed the future manufacturing options. Since there were no suitable factories in the still unoccupied part of Bavaria, production would begin in Italy, the Protectorate or Tyrol. The Austrian inspector for armament and equipment in Salzburg would explore new companies and workshops. But ultimately, nothing came of it. In May, the War was finally over in Europe. 

Czechoslovakia is a country with a long, long history of innovation in making arms. In fact, central Europe was at the very heart of firearms development from the start. While not every design was a success, the ones that were made history. The first in the modern era was the ZB26 and ZB30 light machine guns which evolved into the British BREN light machine gun. The BREN, originally in .303 British caliber, was modified to accept 7.62 NATO rounds and served from the late 1930s well into the 1980s. The most common Czech design seen these days started as the 9mm CZ 75 pistol, and variants are in use today in the U.S. for personal protection and high-level competition.

But the failure of a design can come from any number of reasons, including design flaws, changes in perceived needs and … political issues. The rifle we will be looking at here was a real innovation, strangled by purely political demands. Even in gun design, politicians and the demand for total uniformity have a say. Like it or not, the world evolves along political lines.

Evolution from Battle Rifles to Semiauto Carbines

The late 1940s and early 1950s saw major changes in the service weapons of the various countries. Keep in mind that the U.S. was the only country to issue a semiautomatic rifle to most troops in WWII. All the other combatants relied on versions of their WWI bolt-action rifles for their soldiers. While most countries had an overabundance of WWII rifles on hand at the end of the War, the need for less powerful cartridges and thus lighter, smaller rifles—carbines, if you will—to fire them had become clear. All sides entered WWII with rifles and ammunition that could reach 1,200 yards; after-action reports defined the battle space as much smaller at 300 yards or less. So the rifles were too big, too heavy and fired unnecessarily powerful rounds. Of course, there was no desire to lighten the loads of the troops (called “grunts” for a reason: it‘s the sound they make when they try to stand with all their gear), but with lighter guns and ammo, they could carry more ammo. A post-War study concluded that most casualties from small arms were not caused by aimed fire, so the conclusion was to put more bullets in the air and cause more casualties. 

The Germans had led the way, with their Sturmgewehr assault rifle, using a shortened 8mm round. The Soviets, having suffered the most casualties in the War, paid attention and developed the 7.62×39 round, the SKS and later the AK-47 to fire it. The Russians had enveloped Czechoslovakia into their “sphere of influence” after WWII, bringing them behind the “Iron Curtain,” while allowing a pretense of self-control. The Czech arms designers pressed on, thinking their developments would produce a better rifle, regardless of who ran the country. 

The M52/Vzor 52 (adopted in 1952) is commonly known as the “SHE,” for the three letters stamped over the serial number. What they mean is unknown. It was an interesting evolutionary step which was a contemporary of the Soviet SKS, and similar in many ways. Both rifles used 7.62 (.30 caliber) rounds but also different rounds. Both are gas-operated and load from 10-round magazines—detachable on the M52, fixed on the SKS. Both at one time or another were fitted with folding bayonets, permanently attached to the rifle. And both became side notes to other developments. 

Design Factors 

As noted, the M52 was designed around a 7.62 round—an intermediate round. But this round is the 7.62×45. The NATO round for comparison is the 7.62×51. The Czechs went for more powder space, and thus more velocity, than the 7.62×39. And, in a snub to the Soviets, it is NOT compatible with the SKS; it will not fit into the magazines, let alone the chambers. 

The rifle, while gas-operated, works slightly differently than the designs we are familiar with. It does not have an operating rod like the M1, FAL, M14, SKS and so many others. Nor does it have a gas tube like the M16/M4 family, currently so popular. It utilizes an annular gas cylinder concentric around the barrel, a sliding gas cylinder piston or sleeve and a sheet metal piece which moves the “actuator,” which imparts the impulse from the gas piston to the bolt carrier via two prongs at 3 o‘clock and 9 o‘clock. The use of two rather than one prong means the force is more evenly distributed to the bolt carrier. Thus, they avoided the twisting and wear issues found in the early piston-driven ARs. The sheet metal piece is formed as a close fit to the barrel, reducing the weight and height of the forend, while avoiding the problems of dumping the products of combustion into the bolt/bolt carrier. 

In a fully automatic rifle, heat from full-auto fire and magazine dumps could become a problem, but the M52 was designed only as a semiauto with that small, 10-round magazine. Long before the heat retained on the barrel and the actuator could become a functioning problem, the wooden handguard would most likely burst into flames. 

It uses a tipping, rather than a rotating bolt, with front locking lugs. All the M52s were fitted with a side folding bayonet—a poor idea, as most former infantrymen will tell you. Bayonets are used far more often for opening boxes and cans than stabbing the enemy, so the bayonets either get removed, bent, or the troops have to be issued a knife as well—even more weight to be carried around. The example pictured in this article still has its leather sling, and two spare magazines were found at a local gun show, priced right because the owner had no idea what rifle they fit. 

The biggest complaint with the rifle was its all up weight of 9.5 pounds, almost as much as the .30-06 M1 weighs. 

The 7.62×45 Round 

The rear sight is marked up to a very optimistic 950 meters, which brings us to the cartridge. Most of the 7.62×45 ammunition found is in steel cases with a lacquer finish, with a few brass-cased rounds in small lots. The extra 6mm of cartridge length produced only 100 to 200 fps more velocity than the 7.62×39. It uses a 131-grain projectile. 

Every round the author has fired has been a hang fire: the pop of the primer is followed by a 2- to 3-second delay before the powder ignites with a bang. The first time this happened was very disconcerting; these are the only true hang fires the author has ever experienced. Sadly, ammunition was only made for a few years, until the 7.62×39 was issued to all troops. Some, dated 1967, turned up in Grenada when we invaded. It is currently quite rare. 

The M52 was only made for 5 years, before the Soviet Union lowered the boom and required all further guns to be in their 7.62×39 round, creating the M52/57, or just M57. It was identical to the M52 in all respects except caliber, and some M52s were converted to the Soviet round. This rifle only lasted 1 year before the M58 was introduced, a selective fire 7.62×39 rifle with a 30-round detachable magazine and an external resemblance to the AK-47. 

The M52 was, as usual for the Soviets, passed on to client states such as Cuba and may occasionally be encountered in Africa. As long as they have a gun and a few rounds, nothing is discarded. 

Why Was the Design Dropped? 

Even in the U.S., good designs were sidetracked by the NIH (Not Invented Here) syndrome. Perhaps the most notorious was the 1941 Johnson Rifle, a recoil-operated .30-06 semiauto, which our Ordnance Corps bypassed by rushing the M1 Garand into production. John Garand worked for the Ordnance Corps, while Johnson was a lawyer and a U.S. Marine Corps Captain and thus was clearly not the “proper” type to design the new U.S. service rifle. 

Equally ignored was the FN FAL when we switched from the .30-06 round to the 7.62 NATO round. The M14, a modified M1 designed by the Springfield Armory, was adopted by the U.S. The few other countries that adopted the M14 did so because they got it basically for free from the U.S. Yet 90 countries adopted the FN rifle and paid for it or for the rights to make it. That alone shows which is the better rifle, but politics overwhelmed quality on both sides of the Iron Curtain. 

It is interesting to speculate on what an M52-type rifle would look like made with modern materials. With a polymer stock (and heat shields under the forend), the rifle could be more “tubular” in appearance. Without the gas block and tube (or piston) of the M16/M4 types, it could be quite svelte. Of course, the folding bayonet would go, and magazines would be larger. One feature that would be kept is the threads on the exterior of the end of the barrel and the thread protector. It would make it easy to fit a “sound moderator” (silencer). 

Ultimately, the Soviet demand for uniformity killed the M52 and the 7.62×45 round. To the absolute rulers of the Communist Bloc, it made sense. 

REFERENCES 

W.H.B. Smith, Small Arms of the World, 9th ed.,1968, and 11th ed., 1977. 

Gary Paul Johnston and Thomas B. Nelson, The World’s Assault Rifles, 2010. 

There are certain mechanical contrivances that have fundamentally shaped the human experience. Born in 1836, an English businessman and plumber named Thomas Crapper ultimately held nine patents, three of which governed the function of the ubiquitous water closet. He developed the U-bend trap used in every flush toilet on the planet today. Crapper also supplied the sanitary fixtures for King Edward VIII’s abode at Sandringham House in Norfolk, becoming, in essence, the man responsible for managing the royal poop. In 1910, the guy whose name inspired countless sophomoric epithets died, appropriately enough, of colon cancer. 

In 1899, Johan Vaaler, a Norwegian inventor who held degrees in mathematics, science and electronics, patented the humble paperclip. The sheer volume of printed treatises kept orderly by this pedestrian device boggles the mind. Kleenex tissue was sold originally in 1924 as a cold cream remover and disposable handkerchief. In 1973, John Mitchell and Martin Cooper demonstrated the world’s first cell phone, a massive device weighing some 4.4 pounds. 

Each of these inventions changed the way people interacted with their world. If we were to apply these same discriminating criteria to the genre of firearms there are several that might make the cut. Comrade Kalashnikov’s mechanical monster certainly shaped the planet’s geopolitical landscape. John Moses Browning’s timeless 1911 made an undeniable splash as well. On this side of the pond, however, it is the AR-15 that really dominates that conversation today. 

Origin Story 

The tale of the most radically advanced firearm of the modern era begins, appropriately enough, at the end of World War II. The American Infantry company of late WWII sported no less than six different firearms and three different cartridges issued in five different configurations. Faced with this undeniable logistical nightmare, military planners set out to contrive a single firearm to replace the rifle, carbine, submachine gun and squad automatic weapon. Just as a camel is a horse designed by a committee, the end result didn’t really leave anyone fully satisfied. 

The resulting M14 was and is a remarkably effective weapon in its own right. Elegant, reliable and beautiful in a martial sort of way, this holy amalgam of Parkerized steel and deep-stained American walnut sets my heart aflutter even today. However, anyone who has ever executed a 15-mile forced march or tried to clear a cluttered building appreciates that a weapon that is 44 inches long and weighs 9.2 pounds empty gets burdensome fast. Now hold that thought. 

Ultimately destined to address this sticky conundrum, in 1954 George Sullivan formed a tiny little company called ArmaLite in a leased machine shop on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, California. ArmaLite was never intended to mass produce firearms. Sullivan envisioned his little subsidiary of the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation as a mechanical think tank of sorts. Their first creation was the AR-1 Parasniper, a novel weapon that used a foam-filled polymer stock and a composite aluminum barrel with a steel liner. AR stands for ArmaLite Rifle, a designation that has endured to the present day. 

While testing some of his creations at a local range, George Sullivan bumped into a young Marine recently back from the South Pacific named Gene Stoner. Impressed by the young man’s mechanical acumen, Sullivan hired him on the spot as ArmaLite’s chief design engineer. By 1956 ArmaLite sported a grand total of nine employees, but they had big ideas. 

World War II saw an explosion in the fields of engineering and materials science. Aviation, in particular, pushed the use of lightweight alloys and radical polymers to produce flying machines that delivered countless tons of destruction on enemy cities and kiss the edge of space. Stoner and Sullivan planned to take these radical aerospace materials and use them to build new and unconventional small arms. 

The Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection 

ArmaLite, like most ably-helmed startups, focused initially on low-hanging fruit. Their AR-5 fired the .22 Hornet cartridge and was eventually adopted by the U.S. Air Force as the MA-1 Survival Rifle. The subsequent AR-7 was chambered for .22LR and marketed for civilian shooters. 

The AR-7 sported a radical takedown design wherein the barrel, receiver and magazines could be stored within the gun’s polymer stock. The rifle would even float. The Israelis used a few operationally as aircrew survival weapons, and James Bond brought down a SPECTRE helicopter wielding an AR-7 in “From Russia with Love.” Henry Repeating Arms offers this basic gun as the U.S. Survival Rifle today. 

The AR-10: ArmaLite’s First Battle Rifle 

In 1955 and 1956, ArmaLite focused on the AR-10. The 7.62x51mm AR-10 was their first effort at designing a serious combat implement. Powered by a novel, lightweight, direct gas impingement operating system, the AR-10 called into question most everything about conventional gun design. 

Two hand-built versions tepidly entered the competition that ultimately led to the aforementioned M14, but an unfortunate catastrophic barrel failure during testing left the AR-10 on the sidelines. In 1957, however, ArmaLite sold a 5-year production license for the AR-10 to the Dutch firm Artillerie-Inrichtingen (AI). 

AI AR-10 rifles can be fractionated into three discrete models. The “Sudanese” version stems from a lot of 2,500 copies sold to the government of, you guessed it, Sudan. The “Transitional” versions incorporated lessons learned in combat operations with the Sudanese variants. The “Portuguese” sort was the definitive Dutch variant used in combat by Portuguese Special Forces, particularly in their variegated operations in Africa. 

This Portuguese AR-10 took on many of the attributes we see in our ubiquitous black rifles today. The charging handle was a trigger-like appendage located within the gun’s iconic carrying handle, but the pistol grip, bolt release, magazine catch and safety/selector were all in their familiar spots. When combined with advanced polymer furniture and lightweight aluminum receivers, the AR-10 raised the bar for human engineering in small arms. 

Scaling Everything Down 

By the late 1950s, revenue from the full-figured AR-10 was disappointing, so ArmaLite engineers Gene Stoner, Bob Fremont and Jim Sullivan focused their efforts on a smaller caliber version of the basic AR-10 action intended to compete for the USAF’s new rifle contract. Chambered for Stoner’s radical 5.56x45mm high-velocity cartridge, the resulting AR-15 took the company and the gun down an exciting new path. That path, however, was not without its potholes. 

In 1958, ArmaLite submitted 10 AR-15s along with 100 25-round box magazines to the U.S. Army for testing. These early rifles retained the trigger-style charging handle of the Portuguese AR-10 along with the larger gun’s basic morphology. The AR-15 performed well in testing, but General Maxwell Taylor, of WWII Airborne fame, ultimately vetoed the AR-15 in favor of the larger, heavier M14. 

By 1959, ArmaLite was losing money, and the basic business model was being called into question. In frustration ArmaLite sold the rights to both the AR-10 and AR-15 to Colt, a company with much more extensive production facilities and institutional gun manufacturing experience. Now divested of these two designs, the ArmaLite crew launched in an entirely different direction. This endeavor ultimately produced the AR-18 and AR-180 family of rifles. This basic action went on to drive such stalwarts as the Steyr AUG, the HK416, the British SA80 and the Israeli Tavor combat rifles, but that is a tale for another time. 

The Colt Dynasty 

Colt took the basic AR-15 design and streamlined everything for mass production. Colt relocated the charging handle to the rear of the receiver and rebranded the rifle as the Colt ArmaLite AR-15 Model 01. After a marketing tour of Southeast Asia, Colt sold its first military versions of the rifle to Malaysia in September 1959. 

In the summer of 1960 Air Force General Curtis LeMay ordered 8,500 of the lithe little guns after enjoying an informal demonstration of the rifle on a friend’s farm. Internecine conflicts between the services and individual officers drove the purchase of the radical new weapon in fits and starts, but 10 of the rifles eventually made it to Vietnam in 1961 for limited use by Special Forces personnel. 

SF operators were thrilled with the lightweight weapon’s fast handling and the devastating downrange effects of the gun’s high-velocity, small-caliber rounds. These early rifles sported barrels with a 1-in-14 twist. Subsequent tubes pushed that rate to 1-in-12 starting in 1964. 

In 1963, the AR-15 morphed into the “Rifle, Caliber 5.56mm, M16,” and the Army went all in on the revolutionary little weapon. This rifle featured black polymer triangular handguards, an open three-pronged flash suppressor and no forward assist. After some well-documented function problems that stemmed from poor maintenance and the precipitous adoption of ball powder not originally intended for use with the weapon, the M16A1, the ultimate evolution of the Vietnam-era M16, developed into a mature and reliable combat implement. 

There Is Ever Room for Improvement 

The M16A1 saw service with U.S. and Allied troops around the globe, eventually cementing its reputation for reliability and effectiveness despite its rocky start in Southeast Asia. However, by 1983 it was time for an upgrade. Championed by the U.S. Marine Corps, the improved M16A2 was the ultimate result. 

The M16A2 was about a pound heavier than the previous M16A1 and sported a buttstock some 5/8-inch longer. The barrel had a heavier profile from the front sight base forward but retained the slimmer geometry on the near end so as to accept existing M203 grenade launchers. The bottom slots were eliminated from the birdcage flash suppressor so as to minimize dust signature when firing in dirty spaces. The pistol grip got a new texturing scheme and an additional finger rest. 

The two most radical changes from the M16A1 platform were in the sights and fire controls. The previous round front sight was replaced with a new version sporting a square cross section. The improved rear sight was also now easily adjustable for both elevation and windage without tools. 

The fire controls on the new A2 swapped out the full-auto function for a controversial three-round burst feature. The burst limiter on the M16A2 does not automatically reset. This means that if you squeeze off a two-round burst, the next trigger squeeze will only fire a single round, allowing the limiter to reset for a subsequent three rounds. While this was intended to reduce the profligate expenditure of ammunition, today’s grunts are simply trained to use their weapons predominantly in semiauto mode. 

An M16 for the Information Age 

In 1984, Colt began work on a new shorter version of the M16 rifle. The Vietnam-era XM177E2/CAR-15 submachine gun was used as a starting point. By melding the collapsible stock and stubby round handguards of the XM177E2 with the upper receiver and improved sights of the M16A2, Colt produced a carbine version of the M16 that struck a nice balance between portability and power. The new rifle’s 14.5-inch barrel offered decent velocities and terminal performance, particularly with the M855 62-grain loads then being adopted by the military. The new weapon was christened the M4 and first saw service with U.S. troops in Kosovo in 1999. 

Now some two decades later, the M4 is the standard combat rifle across all the American armed services. The M4 includes the three-round burst limiter of the M16A2, while the M4A1 features safe, semi and full-auto settings along with a slightly heavier barrel. The addition of railed forearms and flattop upper receivers has made the M4 the most customizable firearm on the planet. 

The Kleenex of Guns 

It is beyond the scope of this article to outline all the labyrinthine directions the AR-15 rifle has followed in the modern era. The Marines’ M27 is an HK version powered by the short-stroke gas piston system pioneered in the AR-180. Nowadays, AR rifles span the spectrum from Lilliputian handgun versions with stubby 7.5-inch tubes all the way up to big bore sniper rigs powerful enough to take elk and moose at long ranges. 

Today’s AR-15 is the most popular rifle in America. Most all gun nerds own one. Many of us own several. The advents of the Pistol Stabilizing Brace and subsequent favorable rulings by the ATF have opened up exciting new applications for Gene Stoner’s time-tested action. 

The key to the AR-15’s popularity is its unrivalled modularity. By pushing out a pair of pins, the upper and lower receivers are easily separated allowing a single serialized lower to be used across a variety of platforms. Think of the AR-15 like Garanimals for gun guys. 

Despite several expensive efforts, Uncle Sam has been unable to find another combat rifle that is a substantive improvement over the current M4. Estimates regarding the number of AR-variant guns in American civilian hands runs into the tens of millions. Given that these receivers can now be inexpensively, easily and legally finished out at home, the exact number is simply imponderable. Legislative schemes to confiscate, restrict or further regulate the ownership of these ubiquitous guns are nothing more than pipe dreams. 

Born in a tiny rented machine shop in Hollywood and fielded by militaries around the globe, the AR-15 rifle and its descendants changed the way military and law enforcement personnel did their jobs. In the hands of civilian shooters, the AR-15 has driven countless competitions, whiled away innumerable hours of recreation on the range and saved more than a few lives in real-world defensive applications. Sleek, inexpensive, capable and cool, today’s AR-15 is an integral part of modern Americana. 

Back in the old days, having a short barrel on your gun typically meant that you were expecting something at close range. Target shooters had 6-inch barrels on their .38s. People who thought they might encounter a fight typically went with a barrel shorter than 2 inches. Longer guns are, and always have been, harder to bring up quickly and deploy when haste is the order of the day.

There has always been a tug-of-war between the overall length of a given type of weapon and the theory of end-use it has. Since we are talking primarily about AR-type rifles in this article, we’ll stick to that, but there is the necessary mention of the bullpup rifle. Many types of bullpup rifles allow a longer barrel length for shorter overall length by moving the action behind the grip, but there is the school of thought that says that ergonomics suffer as well as accuracy. Both of these things are true, as it is rare to find a comfortable, well-balanced and accurate bullpup rifle.

The most common barrel length for today’s AR platform rifles is 16 inches. This is the legal minimum without going the way of the NFA. The next two common lengths are 18 inches, usually found in SPR-type rifles, and 20 inches. The 20-inch length, while offering what is generally the highest velocity capabilities out of any of these barrel lengths, has fallen out of fashion with most crowds, the exception being National Match shooters. 

The world of AR pistols is another animal entirely. Common barrel lengths in this class of firearms range from 7 inches to 11.5 inches. There is a significant difference between many of these pistol-length barrels, even from each other. For the most part, these barrel lengths in civilian hands have been somewhat of a novelty. Up until recently, with the introduction of the pistol stabilizing brace, they served almost no real functional purpose except for the “cool” factor.

Floating in the middle of this rifle and pistol dilemma is the pinned barrel. It is standard practice to pin and weld a muzzle device to a 14.5-inch M4 barrel to make it stretch out to the legal minimum of 16 inches. Some people prefer this, as it saves a little bit of overall length on the rifle, but it severely limits the ability of the gun to accept suppressors or other muzzle devices. Once you decide which one you want, it’s essentially going to stay there forever.

The modern theory of barrel length has evolved substantially, even in the last 5 years. Today’s weapon systems are substantially different than they were when introduced. Ammunition technology has increased dramatically, as has precision manufacturing. Because of this, there isn’t a tremendous functional difference between a 14.5-inch and a 20-inch barrel at most of the distances to which the 5.56mm cartridge is effective. Eight hundred yards are widely considered to be the furthest distance at which the 5.56mm is effective; although it will of course fly further. Five hundred yards are what most people consider the further limits for an off-the-shelf AR-type rifle. The sky’s the limit when it comes to upgrades, but the average man with a carbine and mid-powered optic is at his best inside 500 yards.

Another consideration is the prevalence of optics. Longer barrels have a longer sight radius and are thus comparatively more precise than a gun with a short site radius. If you were to take two identical scoped rifles and cut one barrel at 20 inches and another barrel at 16 inches, you would hardly notice a difference in the field. This is true not just for 5.56mm, but also for 7.62mm. A great many 7.62mm rifles are going to 16-inch barrels, even for precision shooting. The 7.62 reacmost of its velocity in just a foot of barrel. The author conducted testing some time ago with special bolt-action rifles with barrels as short as 13 inches and found no reason to go with barrels over 16 inches inside of 600 yards.

What it all comes down to basically, is that modern weapons are more compact and equally (or more) effective as their predecessors. A shorter barrel, 16 inches or less, is a do-all for most people.

Probability of Hits

This topic deserved its own segment in this article. One of the major reasons why people choose long barrels is higher velocity. Many modern weapon systems don’t need to be small or compact. An excellent example of this is a cartridge that is designed around long barrels for long ranges and not general use. The 6.5 Creedmoor is a cartridge that has taken the shooting world by storm. On average, the standard barrel length for this cartridge is between 22 and 26 inches. That is not to say that it would be ineffective at something shorter, but you’re really not reaping the benefits and unless you can get the velocity up there, especially with 140-grain and above bullets.

Higher velocity equals a flatter trajectory. A flatter trajectory means a higher likelihood of hits at any given distance. Therefore, you think that having a short barrel on your gun means it is totally useless. In reality, there isn’t a huge difference between the M400’s 10.5-inch barrel and a 20-inch barrel at combat ranges inside 300 yards. With a red dot sight zeroed for 200 yards, there is a difference in terms of handling but not in the number of hits put on target. Greater precision can be achieved with sights like the Trijicon ACOG® if desired, though the bullet drop compensator will be off the further you get out there.

For the average carbine shooter, a 10.5-inch barrel is perfectly adequate on man-sized targets out to 300 yards. Would that person be better served with a 14.5-inch barrel or 16-inch barrel? Hard to say. Today’s AR pistols (and SBRs) are so good that many people who the author knows have not returned to longer barrels. The shorter weapons are infinitely more maneuverable and, thanks to advances in ammunition, are essentially just as effective.

The M400 TREAD Pistol

SIG SAUER has been constantly innovating in recent years. They were among the first companies to embrace the idea of the pistol brace, and they continue to do so today with the M400. This article is not designed to go into the intricacies of the pistol brace and its controversial history, but its introduction and acceptance have been instrumental in normalizing short barrels for the general public. Pistol braces were really the first products that made the short-barreled AR into something more than just a range toy or novelty.

The pistol brace that comes with the M400 is surprisingly adjustable for length, just like an M4 stock. It has several points of adjustment and locks firmly into each. It is easy to get a good solid cheek weld. The footprint of the brace itself is minimalist, and some of the angles are not the most comfortable, but it is extremely functional and is certainly a step above the fixed braces otherwise available today.

The M400 is essentially SIG SAUER’s direct-gas standard AR. They make a variety of other systems that are piston-operated, but this one is compatible with all existing AR parts. The manual of arms and controls are identical to all standard AR-type systems. It should be noted that SIG SAUER has its own complete line of accessories for the M400, which is a big plus if you want to stay within the brand. Most of these parts are available through the company, and they encompass everything from hand stop kits to different types of sights.

In testing, there was no failure to feed or fire. The author received both rifle and pistol versions from the M400 TREAD line, and there were no failures of any kind to speak of. Accuracy was exceptional, but more on that later. What SIG SAUER managed to do with the M400 series is excellent in that it provides a complete system of weapon, optics, accessories and ammunition to the end user. Because it is all designed together, there isn’t much guesswork that goes into setting your gun up. If you’re looking for an upper-level entry class AR, you have to look quite far to beat what is available in the M400 product line at the cost.

As far as features go, the M400 TREAD pistol features a 10.5-inch barrel, a free-floating slim handguard, a black finish, multiple QD sockets, ambidextrous controls and neat slot covers that have the TREAD logo on them. They are removable, in case you’re wondering. When it is all said and done, this is a feature-loaded AR pistol that has everything you need and nothing you don’t.

The Test

To test rifle against pistol, the author assembled a lightweight 14.5-inch pin and weld rifle with the help of Brownells. All of the parts used to construct the lightweight carbine are available currently at Brownells, and all of them are sold off the shelf with no special tweaks.

The carbine features a Faxon Firearms barrel with an integrated flash hider. It makes use of many standard parts, but most prominently has a set of lightweight V7 receivers. The author wanted it to be as comparable in weight and size as possible to an AR pistol, but without crossing that line into pistol territory. The idea of the test was to see just how much of a difference there was between two guns that are comparable in size, weight and intended end use.

The Brownells’ build was finished and tested for reliability and accuracy. The author is an expert on the AR platform, and you should always consult a gunsmith before attempting to build one yourself at home. It is easy and quite straightforward, but a mistake can destroy your new parts and, worse, result in severe injury or death.

Both guns were zeroed for 25 yards. Accuracy at that distance was identical. While not a tremendous distance, 25 yards is where most competitions take place, and most ranges have bays at that distance. A 25-yard zero for most carbines will result in a trajectory that roughly places bullets’ center mass at 200 yards. While not as precise as a true zero at that distance, it is sufficient for most duty and match guns and certainly acceptable for most general use rifles.

The ammunition was tested for velocity to see how much of a difference it makes between a 14.5-inch and a 10.5-inch barrel. Velocity was recorded for the average of 10 shots over an Oehler 35P chronograph 10 feet from the muzzle. As you read the table, you will note that the baseline 16-inch velocity is not tremendously faster than the 14.5-inch. Overall, a roughly 300-fps difference could be detected from 10.5 inches to 16 inches. The general difference between a 10.5-inch and 14.5-inch could be considered roughly 200 fps. This is important in respect to the overall length choice, as a pinned and welded barrel doesn’t actually lose that much compared to a standard 16-inch. With some types of ammunition, it was hardly noticeable. A 200-fps difference between the 10.5-inch and 14.5-inch was much more noticeable but didn’t actually come into play much.

Once zeroed for 25 yards, the author took the guns out to 200m, about 220 yards. At that distance he fired on both paper silhouettes and steel plates. It was definitely easier to handle the carbine at that distance. The full stock and slightly better balance allowed it to edge out the M400 in general, but the contest was much closer than you would imagine. There was not a tremendous amount of difference on paper and steel. In fact, for most ammunition tested, the author achieved a 100% hit ratio at 200m.

At closer distances, it was also a close game. The M400 handled very well at short range, 25 to 50 yards, and it was pretty hard to tell them apart when steel was ringing. So what does this mean as far as you should be concerned?

The take away here is essentially that there is not a lot of difference between a 10.5-inch AR pistol and a 14.5-inch carbine. You would be well-served with both at short distances, which is where these guns excel. Past 200 yards, neither one does spectacularly well as compared to a 16-inch or 20-inch rifle.

A consideration when making a choice, especially for first-time buyer, would be what you want to achieve with the legal classification of your weapon. The AR pistol is legally a handgun and can be stored loaded and concealed in most states where you can carry handgun. There is not a distinction between it and other common pistols in that sense. If you store a weapon in your vehicle in case of an emergency, it makes great sense to do so with the legal protections you would have, considering the handgun status of this M400. That is not to say that a carbine could not be just as readily available. There are few, if any, areas that allow a rifle to be transported or carried while loaded. It could be argued that the time it takes to deploy an AR pistol could easily be spent loading a standard carbine, but that is based on personal need.

What Is Right for You?

Because of the fact that there are advantages to an AR pistol, especially one as well thought out as the M400, the casual AR enthusiast could bypass the carbine entirely and go for a pistol. Because it is shorter and more maneuverable in a home or an enclosed space where you may encounter danger, there is a distinct advantage to such a small overall package.

The technology and benefits of the AR pistol will continue to advance in the coming years. It is very likely that SIG SAUER will be at the forefront of those advancements as it continues to evolve and perfect its excellent products. 

MEOPTA

Optika5 Riflescopes

Meopta USA Sport Optics introduced the 1-inch, Optika5 series of premium riflescopes. This newest Meopta riflescope line features a 5x zoom, zero-reset turrets and advanced MeoBright lens coatings that deliver edge-to-edge clarity and exceptionally bright, sharp images. Available in 2-10×42 RF (rimfire), 2-10×42, 3-15×44, 4-20×44, 4-20×50 and 4-20×50 RD models, the Optika5 riflescopes are available with reticles in the second focal plane. All come with capped hunting turrets made of rubber-armored metal for the perfect combination of durability and functionality. The rear-facing magnification display allows for easy viewing of the power setting from behind the scope, and the zoom ring comes with a multiposition throw lever for quick adjustment of the power setting in the field. Windage and elevation adjustments are ¼ MOA. All Meopta Optika5 riflescopes are made of aircraft-grade aluminum alloy. meoptasportsoptics.com

FOXFURY LIGHTING SOLUTIONS

D3060 Drone Light

Foxfury Lighting Solutions announced the arrival of the D3060, the newest addition to its family of drone lights. The D3060 is a small format drone and utility light. Dual LEDs give the D3060 360-degree lighting. There is 30-degree light on the front and a 60-degree light on the top of the unit. Each one has three modes: low, high and strobe. These lights can operate independently or simultaneously depending on the user’s needs. The D3060 weighs 1.3 ounces, so it has a minimal impact on flight time. The D3060 comes with dual lock fasteners as well as a strap insert in the base plate, so you can mount it to most drones in addition to wearing on helmets, clothing, bags, etc. Various mounting options can make the D3060 into a utility, anti-collision or navigation light. The strobe mode meets FAA and global regulations for UAV night flight and anti-collision drone lighting. The D3060’s base plate swivels 360-degrees, allowing it to point in any direction necessary. foxfury.com 

AIMPOINT 

CompM5b Sight 

The Aimpoint CompM5b is a ballistic compensating red dot optic in the CompM5 series of sights. The sight allows the user to quickly adjust the position of the 2 MOA red dot based on target distance and wind conditions. The CompM5b comes with interchangeable turrets that adjust the point of aim for different calibers of ammunition. While shooting, the user can switch between longer and shorter distances without having to compensate ballistic drop or re-zero the sight. Wind compensation can be adjusted on 3 levels: mild, moderate and severe. The CompM5b is an enclosed system and fully submersible up to 150 feet. It is compatible with all generations of night vision devices, as well as Aimpoint’s 3X-C, 3XMag-1 and 6XMag-1 magnifiers. aimpoint.us 

TRIPLE F FIREARMS 

AR-Style Shotgun Stock Adaptor 

Triple F Firearms makes stock adaptors for a variety of AR-style shotgun platforms. These adaptors allow the installation of collapsible or folding stocks on AR shotguns such as the MKA 1919, the BR-99 and the AR-12 to name a few. These adaptors are made of aluminum and are hard-coat anodized. They fit the contour of the shotgun’s polymer stock. gunindustrymarketplace.com 

STREAMLIGHT INC. 

TLR-9 Rail Mounted Tactical Light 

Streamlight Inc. recently introduced the TLR-9 rail mounted tactical light, designed for use with full-frame handguns. Featuring a slim, compact design, the new light offers ergonomic rear switches with either a low or high position to match users’ shooting styles, while providing 1,000 lumens for a variety of tactical and home defense uses. The light’s strobe mode offers 3 continuous hours of run time. Securely fitting to a broad range of weapons, the TLR-9 features a one-handed, snap-on-and-tighten interface that keeps hands away from gun muzzles when attaching or detaching it. The light also includes a Safe Off feature, locking it to prevent accidental activation. A key kit is included to securely fit the light to a broad array of handguns. streamlight.com 

HIPERFIRE 

PDI Drop-In Triggers 

Many aftermarket drop-ins are notorious for light primer strikes (LPS). Not so with the new PDI line of triggers. These drop-ins pull at around 2 pounds and sport HIPERFIRE’s unique HIPERSHOE that now mounts onto a curved bow, not just straight. The hammer strikes surpass SAAMI’s copper crusher spec and hit harder than MIL-SPEC M4/16 hammers. The four PDI versions feature a hammer collision bumper. hiperfire.com 

COLT 

Python .357 Magnum 

Colt has released a refined and upgraded Colt Python. The legendary double-action revolver, which originally debuted in 1955, returns in stainless steel in 4.25-inch and 6-inch barrel lengths. Numerous improvements were made to reinforce the revolver, including the use of stronger stainless steel alloys and a re-designed rear sight which allows for a 30% increase in the cross-sectional area of the top strap, meaning more steel beneath the rear adjustable target sight, for a stronger revolver and more robust shooting experience. Finally, Colt built on the modern Snake Gun legacy by adding features such as a recessed target crown, user-interchangeable front sight and an updated walnut grip to make this the most user-friendly Python ever. The DA revolver is chambered in .357 Magnum and also accommodates .38 Special cartridges. colt.com 

LYMAN / MARK 7 RELOADING 

Mark 7 Reloading Autodrives 

Lyman® Products Mark 7 reloading autodrives are designed to work with Dillon presses, incorporating the latest digital technologies to increase efficiency, performance and accuracy while increasing the round rate per hour. The Dillon 650/750 Pro automates the 650/750 series of progressive presses (Dillon machine is not included) and allows users an impressive cycle rate of 900 to 1800 rounds/ hour. It is compatible with Mr. Bulletfeeder (by Double-Alpha) and is upgradeable with Mark 7’s patented sensors. The autodrive comes pre-assembled and ready to bolt to the Dillon press. All Mark 7 autodrives include a 10-inch, high-resolution tablet and heavy-duty tablet holder. All the features are monitored by the tablet and software downloads are available free for life. lymanproducts.com / markvii-loading.com 

Black Hills Ammunition will be debuting four new cartridges this year as the company continued to expand its ammunition offerings to the public. Of note for this year is a .357 Magnum lever-action round, an updated commercial offering of the MK 262 MOD 1, a .308 Win lead core offering and a new 6.5mm Creedmoor round that is aimed at the hunting market. All these rounds will be available for purchase this year from dealers and online stores that market Black Hills ammunition.

.357 Magnum HoneyBadger

The .357 Magnum load from Black Hills comes with a 127-grain HoneyBadger monolithic bullet that is CNC-machined. The round is intended for hunting with revolvers or can be used safely in the tubular magazines of lever-action rifles. Black Hills states revolver terminal ballistics in tests as penetrating up to 18 inches with a 4.5-inch wound cavity, while carbine-length barrels (18 inches tested) show a penetration of 24 inches and a wound cavity of 6 inches in diameter. In both cases, bullets are reported to retain 100% of their weight. 

Originally the HoneyBadger bullet design fell under the nomenclature of Lehigh Defense due to the collaboration during development, but it has been subsequently changed. The line includes a number of handgun loads for 9x19mm, .38 Special, .44 Special, .45-70 and even .380 ACP. What makes the round unique are three to four (depending on caliber) spiral flutes that form the composition of the copper bullet, in addition to the non-deforming and non-fragmenting characteristics when penetrating animals or barriers.

According to Black Hills’ press release: “Since the projectile is a precision-machined monolithic bullet (solid copper), there is no chance of failure due to bullet fragmentation even at the much higher velocities generated when fired though the carbine. … This exceptional performance comes as the result of specially designed, fluted copper projectile, which does not rely on expansion to produce the desired terminal effect. The projectile instead is designed so the machined flutes cut and grab tissue as the bullet passes through tissue at high velocity, focusing and accelerating the tissue flow radially from the bullet.”

Cartons come in 30-round segments marked as “.357 Magnum 127 Gr. HoneyBadger.”

MK 262 MOD 1 Commercially Packaged

Black Hills first began working with the U.S. military in 1996 when the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit needed a more accurate 5.56x45mm round for their shooting competitions. A successful 80-grain bullet was produced that proved accurate out to the 600m that the AMU was shooting at. This led to the beginning of a relationship with Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane in 1999 for fielding a better 5.56x45mm round for the MK 12 Special Purpose Rifle that began use in special operations but later migrated to the Marine Infantry as its use in combat with what would become the MK 262 MOD 1 77-grain bullet made by Black Hills Ammunition. Specifically paired with the MK 262, the MK 12 project sourced a number of different components over its timeline, but generally the rifle used M16A1 lower receivers and A1/A2 buttstocks, 18-inch barrels, Knights Armament handguards, Leupold optics and a quick detach suppressor. These rifles continued to see service with the Marine Infantry into the final stages of Operation Enduring Freedom where they were still being used in combat in 2014. The Marine Corps specifically liked the MK 262 enough to extend issue to beyond the MK 12 shooters and to Marines armed with M16A4s, M4s and M27 IARs.

Black Hills initially offered the MK 262 MOD 1 to the civilian commercial market as the 77-grain Open Tipped Match (OTM) in standard 20-round cardboard packaging. This new offering from Black Hills will be explicitly packaged as MK 262 MOD 1-C in metal ammunition cans and the cardboard DOD packaging, with the “C” meaning “Commercial.”

“This round is the exact construction and performance of U.S. Military MK 262 MOD 1. (Since this is not being shipped to the U.S. Military, it does not undergo full U.S. military acceptance procedures.) MK 262 MOD 1-C is available in a military can containing 460 rounds in 20-round cartons. It is otherwise identical, and each can comes with the same lot acceptance accuracy documentation that is provided on military lots. No lot of MK 262 MOD 1-C will ship unless it shoots group averages of 2 inches or less at 300 yards (.64 MOA maximum/10 shot groups),” according to Black Hills.

The price of 460 rounds is going to be approximately $460 where it is available through dealers and distributers. Ammunition will come packaged in cardboard cartons that are packed in metal ammunition cans. Cartons are marked, “20 Cartridges, 5.56x45mm Special Ball, LR 77 Gr. Sierra OTM MK 262 MOD 1-C” with their respective lot number.

Dual Performance .308 Win and 5.56x45mm

New for this year on the hunting scene is a monolithic copper bullet for both the .308 Win and 5.56x45mm platforms. Loads are available in 62-grain 5.56x45mm and 152-grain .308 Win bullets.

According to Black Hills, “The Dual Performance projectiles are precision-machined, monolithic copper projectiles that immediately expand upon impact to form a large temporary cavity exceeding that of conventional bullets. Once the large primary cavity is created, the petals release from the body of the projectile to cut separate wound tracks through the stressed tissue. The body of the bullet, still retaining a very substantial portion of the original weight, but now free from the unnecessary drag, penetrates deeply to ensure maximum effect on the target.”

.308 Win rounds will come in yellow and black cartons packed in 20-round segments with “.308 Win Match 152 Gr. Dual Performance” marked on the side of the carton. 5.56x45mm rounds will come in red and black cartons packed in 30-round segments with “5.56mm 62 Gr. Dual Performance” marked on the sides.

6.5 Creedmoor 120-Grain Hornady GMX 

Black Hills is now loading 6.5mm Creedmoor with 120-grain Hornady GMX bullets. Gilded Metal eXpanding (GMX) is a bullet line that Hornady introduced in 2009. The design uses a monolithic bullet with a polymer tip that initiates the expansion of the round once it penetrates wild game. Black Hills went with Hornady GMX due to the increased performance over lead core bullets in weight retention (100% as compared to 50% to 70% as quoted). 

Black Hills stated: “The excellent GMX design causes the bullet to open immediately upon impact, over a wide range of velocities, causing large diameter wound cavities that anchor game quickly and humanely. Monolithic gilding metal bullets, because they retain their weight, do not need to be as heavy for caliber and application as conventional bullets and can thus be pushed to higher velocity.” 

Cartons will come in yellow and black packed in 20-round segments marked with “6.5 Creedmoor 120 Gr. GMX” on the side of the carton. 

MOSSBERG 

MMR Pro 

The MMR Pro is a full-featured AR, built for peak performance, beginning with Mossberg’s new JM Pro Match trigger; suppressor-ready SilencerCo ASR 3-port muzzle brake; an 18-inch, button-rifled 416 stainless steel barrel; and highly coveted Magpul MOE+ grip, trigger guard and M-LOK-equipped handguard. At the core is a direct-impingement gas system for smooth, shot-after-shot reliability; 7075 T6 aluminum-forged receiver; free-floating; phosphate and MIL-SPEC hard-coat anodized metal finishes; forward-assist; and ejection-port dust cover. 

• Species: Semiautomatic 
• Price: $1,393 
• Caliber(s): 5.56mm NATO | .224 Valkyrie 
• Overall Length Standard Model: 39in fully extended | 35.75in collapsed 
• Barrel Lengths Available: 18in 
• Weight, Standard Model, Empty Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: 7lb 
• Weight, Standard Model, Full Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: N/A 
• Feed System: N/A 
• Effective Range: N/A 
• Mfg Accuracy Tests (MOA): N/A 
• mossberg.com 

MOSSBERG 

MMR Carbine 

The MMR Carbine delivers great performance and is highly customizable. Standard features include a direct-impingement gas system for reliable, smooth operation; free-floating, button-rifled 4140 carbon steel barrel; removable rail-mounted, adjustable target sights; single-stage trigger; and black phosphate/anodized metal finishes for enhanced durability. A flat-top, full-length Picatinny rail provides for alternate sight systems or accessories. Add-ons include 6-position adjustable stock, Magpul MOE+ grip and trigger guard and a 30-round magazine. 

• Species: Semiautomatic 
• Price: $938 
• Caliber(s): 5.56mm NATO 
• Overall Length Standard Model: 36.25in fully extended | 33in collapsed 
• Barrel Lengths Available: 16in 
• Weight, Standard Model, Empty Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: 7lb 
• Weight, Standard Model, Full Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: N/A 
• Feed System: N/A 
• Effective Range: N/A 
• Mfg Accuracy Tests (MOA): N/A (per manufacturer) 
• mossberg.com 

ARMALITE 

M-15 3GN 13-inch Competition Rifle 

Purpose-built for 3-Gun and practical rifle competition, the M153GN13’s is ready to dominate, right out of the box. A Timney Triggers 4-pound, single-stage trigger and ergonomic wide grip come standard. The lightweight MBA-1 buttstock features an adjustable cheek piece and length-of-pull. The factory ambidextrous safety and Raptor charging handle provide ease of operation for all types of shooters. This rifle is highly customizable, with an adjustable gasblock and tunable muzzle brake to tune the rifle for specific purpose or ammunition. 

• Species: Semiautomatic 
• Price: $1,699 
• Caliber(s): .223 Wylde | .223 Rem | 5.56x45mm 
• Overall Length Standard Model: 35.5in extended 
• Barrel Lengths Available: 13in, 18in 
• Weight, Standard Model, Empty Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: 6.9lb 
• Weight, Standard Model, Full Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: N/A 
• Feed System: One 30-Round Magpul PMAG 
• Effective Range: Depends on conditions 
• Mfg Accuracy Tests (MOA): N/A 
• armalite.com 

ARMALITE 

M-15 16-inch Tactical Rifle 

With its 16-inch barrel at the heart of its design, the M15TAC16 blends rugged durability with exacting precision. The tactical handguard’s slim, octagonal profile sports a full-length MIL-STD 1913 12 o’clock rail for sights and accessories. The adjustable gas block allows the user to tune the rifle for their preferred ammunition and/or suppressor use. Like all tactical series rifles, it comes standard with Magpul MBUS flip-up sights. 

• Species: Semiautomatic 
• Price: $1,599 
• Caliber(s): .223 Rem | 5.56x45mm 
• Overall Length Standard Model: 36.6in extended 
• Barrel Lengths Available: 14in, 16in, 18in 20in 
• Weight, Standard Model, Empty Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: 7lb 
• Weight, Standard Model, Full Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: N/A 
• Feed System: One 30-Round Magpul PMAG 
• Effective Range: Depends on conditions 
• Mfg Accuracy Tests (MOA): N/A 
• armalite.com 

DANIEL DEFENSE 

DDM4 PDW 

Compact and easy to transport, the Daniel Defense DDM4 PDW is the kind of pistol you can rely on for home and personal defense, plus it’s a ton of fun to shoot. The 7-inch .300 BLK cold-hammer forged barrel keeps subsonic loads subsonic and provides great ballistics for a shorter barrel. Featuring an overall length of 20.75 inches, the DDM4 PDW easily fits into a backpack for convenient transport. 

• Species: Action 
• Caliber(s): .300 BLK 
• Overall Length: 20.75in 
• Barrel Length: 7in 
• Weight, Standard Model, Empty Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: N/A 
• Weight, Standard Model, Full Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: N/A 
• Weight: 5.7lb 
• Feed System: Mag fed 
• Effective Range: N/A (per manufacturer) 
• Mfg Accuracy Tests (MOA): N/A 
• danieldefense.com 

CMMG INC. 

5.7 AR Conversion Magazine 

CMMG offers a 40-round 5.7x28mm magazine that feeds into a standard AR-15 lower paired with a CMMG 5.7x28mm complete upper. This adds another caliber option to your AR-15 lower. 

• Species: 40rd magazine for 5.7x28mm 
• Weight: 8oz (unloaded) 
• cmmginc.com 

CMMG INC. 

Banshee 300 Series in 10mm 

CMMG Inc. offers AR lovers the hard hitting Banshee 300 10mm in the AR platform. The system runs on a lighter BCG group with less felt recoil using CMMG patent radial delayed blowback. This is the do-it-all firearm for recreational, home defense, truck-gun and bear defense. The 300 series comes in many other calibers as well. 

• Species: Semiautomatic 
• Caliber(s): 10mm 
• Overall Length: 24.3in 
• Barrel Length: 8in 
• Weight: 5lb 9oz 
• Feed System: CMMG patent radial delayed blowback 
• Effective Range: 100yds 
• cmmginc.com 

AERO PRECISION 

AR-10/M5E1 Rifle Platform 

The M5E1 semiautomatic AR-10 rifle platform features .308 and 6.5 Creedmoor barrel options ranging from 16 to 24 inches in length. Standard color options include anodized black or FDE Cerakote. Aero Precision manufactures or sells all the components required to assemble your preferred rifle configuration giving the builder the freedom to customize to his or her liking. Aero Precision also has dedicated resources to answer questions and assist builders in the build process. 

• Species: Semiautomatic 
• Price: $1,700 
• Caliber(s): .308 | 6.5 Creedmoor 
• Overall Length Standard Model: Varies based on configuration 
• Barrel Lengths Available: 16in to 24in 
• Weight, Standard Model, Empty Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: Varies based on configuration 
• Weight, Standard Model, Full Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: Varies based on configuration 
• Feed System: Magazine 
• Effective Range: 800 to 1,000yds 
• Mfg Accuracy Tests (MOA): Sub-MOA guaranteed 
• aeroprecisionusa.com 

AERO PRECISION 

AR-15/M4E1 Rifle Platform 

The M4E1 semiautomatic AR-15 rifle platform features 5.56mm, .300 Blackout or other AR-15-compatible calibers. Barrel options range from 7.5 to 20 inches in length. Standard color options include anodized black or FDE Cerakote. Aero Precision manufactures or sells all the components required to assemble your preferred pistol or rifle configuration giving the builder the freedom to customize. Aero Precision also has dedicated resources to answer questions and assist builders in the build process. 

• Species: Semiautomatic 
• Price: $1,100 
• Caliber(s): .300 BLK | 5.56mm | .223 Wylde | 6.5 Grendel 
• Overall Length Standard Model: Varies based on configuration 
• Barrel Lengths Available: 7.5in to 20in 
• Weight, Standard Model, Empty Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: Varies based on configuration 
• Weight, Standard Model, Full Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: Varies based on configuration 
• Feed System: Magazine 
• Effective Range: 250 to 500yds 
• Mfg Accuracy Tests (MOA): Sub-MOA guaranteed 
• aeroprecisionusa.com 

BLACK RAIN ORDNANCE 

Crypt AR-15 / Ordnance Spec + Series 

Black Rain Ordnance has made a promise to make your firearm exactly that, YOUR firearm. With the addition of the Spec + Series, you have over 100 different build configurations and 21 different finish options to choose from, if you are looking to add something special to your arsenal, without breaking the bank. 

• Species: Semiautomatic 
• Price: $1,229 
• Caliber(s): 5.56mm NATO | .300 BLK 
• Overall Length Standard Model: 34in 
• Barrel Lengths Available: 10.5in | 16in 
• Weight, Standard Model, Empty Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: 7lb 8oz 
• Weight, Standard Model, Full Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: 8lb 9oz 
• Feed System: Direct impingement 
• Effective Range: 300m 
• Mfg Accuracy Tests (MOA): Sub-MOA 
• blackrainordnance.com 

BLACK RAIN ORDNANCE 

Subatomic AR-15 Pistol / Recon Series 

The Black Rain Ordnance Recon Series is Black Rain’s line of elite tactical AR rifles and pistols for the shooter who values the highest quality and craftsmanship the firearms industry has to offer, built on a foundation of 7075 Billet Receivers. If you’re looking for top tier quality, the Black Rain Ordnance Recon series is the choice for you. Species: Semiautomatic 

• Price: Starting at $1,839 
• Caliber(s): 5.56mm NATO | .300 BLK 
• Overall Length Standard Model: 27in 
• Barrel Lengths Available: 10.5in 
• Weight, Standard Model, Empty Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: 6lb 6oz 
• Weight, Standard Model, Full Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: 7lb 7oz 
• Feed System: Direct impingement 
• Effective Range: 300m 
• Mfg Accuracy Tests (MOA): Sub-MOA 
• blackrainordnance.com 

SIG SAUER 

SIG MCX VIRTUS 

Conceived for the demands of the Special Operations community, the MCX VIRTUS is engineered for adaptability, accuracy and longevity. Hammer-forged barrels are user-changeable and available in 5.56mm NATO and .300 BLK, offering the utmost in mission-specific flexibility. SIG’s internal recoil system offers reduced recoil and a compact platform. Ambidextrous controls and a folding, adjustable stock enable the MCX VIRTUS to be tailored to any shooter. Built with the highest-quality components, the MCX VIRTUS is the apex predator of the carbine world. 

• Species: Semiautomatic 
• Price: $2,099.99 
• Caliber(s): 5.56mm NATO | .300 BLK 
• Overall Length Standard Model: 35.5in/901mm 
• Barrel Lengths Available: 16in (5.56mm and .300 BLK), 11.5in (5.56mm), 9in (.300 BLK), 6.75in (.300 BLK) 
• Weight, Standard Model, Empty Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: 7.9lb/3.6kg 
• Weight, Standard Model, Full Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: N/A 
• Feed System: 30-round magazine 
• Effective Range: N/A 
• Mfg Accuracy Tests (MOA): N/A 
• sigsauer.com 

SIG SAUER 

SIG M400 TREAD Rifle 

The M400 TREAD is an optics-ready, aluminum frame rifle. TREAD features a 16-inch stainless steel barrel with a free-floating M-LOK handguard, a single-stage polished/hard-coat trigger, ambidextrous controls, a Magpul™ SL-K 6 position telescoping stock, a mid-length gas system and is available in 5.56mm NATO. 

• Species: Semiautomatic 
• Price: $879.99 
• Caliber(s): 5.56mm 
• Overall Length Standard Model: 30.8in/782mm 
• Barrel Lengths Available: 16in, 11.5in 
• Weight, Standard Model, Empty Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: 7lb/3.2kg 
• Weight, Standard Model, Full Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: N/A 
• Feed System: 30-round magazine 
• Effective Range: N/A 
• Mfg Accuracy Tests (MOA): N/A 
• sigsauer.com 

ROCK RIVER ARMS 

BT-3 20-inch Select Target Rifle 

The RRA BT-3 20-inch Select Target Rifle features a cryogenically treated, 20-inch fluted stainless steel heavy barrel chambered in .308 Win with a 1:10 twist and A2 flash hider. The rifle includes a billet upper and lower platform, RRA two-stage trigger, Hogue® rubber grip, Magpul PRS® GEN3 Precision-Adjustable Rifle Stock and RRA’s 17-inch lightweight, free-float rail–M-LOK® compatible. 

• Species: Semiautomatic 
• Price: $1,800 
• Caliber(s): .308 / 7.62x51mm NATO chamber 
• Overall Length Standard Model: 42in 
• Barrel Lengths Available: 20-inch fluted stainless steel heavy, 1:10 twist, cryogenically treated 
• Weight, Standard Model, Empty Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: 8.6lb 
• Weight, Standard Model, Full Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: 9.6lb 
• Feed System: 20-round magazine 
• Effective Range: 1,000yds 
• Mfg Accuracy Tests (MOA): 1 MOA 
• rockriverarms.com 

ROCK RIVER ARMS 

BT92152 4.5-inch Pistol with SBA3 Arm Brace 

Based on RRA’s billet aluminum lower receiver with a GLOCK® magazine-compatible flared magazine well, the 4.5-inch BT92152 features a 4.5-inch chrome moly, 1:10 twist barrel with a Smith Enterprise Vortex flash suppressor (1/2-36 threads). The BT92152 pistol includes an SB Tactical SBA3™ pistol brace (with five-position LOP adjustment) for an ultra-compact AR-platform, a Hogue® pistol grip, a two-stage trigger, winter-style trigger guard and RRA’s 4.25-inch pistol-length, lightweight, free-float M-LOK-compatible handguard. 

• Species: Semiautomatic 
• Price: $1,350 
• Caliber(s): 9x19mm 
• Overall Length Standard Model: 23.5in extended 
• Barrel Lengths Available: Chrome-lined 4.5in chrome moly, 1:10 twist 
• Weight, Standard Model, Empty Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: 5lb 
• Weight, Standard Model, Full Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: 6lb 
• Feed System: 17-round mag 
• Effective Range: 100yds 
• Mfg Accuracy Tests (MOA): N/A 
• rockriverarms.com 

HECKLER & KOCH 

MR762A1 

Based on the famous HK417 rifle, HK’s MR762A1 has piston-driven reliability, superior accuracy and combined German and American quality manufacturing. 

• Species: Semiautomatic 
• Price: $4,129 
• Caliber(s): 7.62mm 
• Overall Length Standard Model: 35.94in 
• Barrel Lengths Available: 16.5in 
• Weight, Standard Model, Empty Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: 9.84lb 
• Weight, Standard Model, Full Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: N/A 
• Feed System: Gas piston operating system 
• Effective Range: N/A 
• Mfg Accuracy Tests (MOA): N/A 
• hk-usa.com 

HECKLER & KOCH 

MR556A1 

Based on the famous HK416 carbine, HK’s MR556A1 has piston-driven reliability, superior accuracy combined with German and American quality manufacturing. 

• Species: Semiautomatic 
• Price: Starting at $3,499 
• Caliber(s): 5.56mm 
• Overall Length Standard Model: 33.90in 
• Barrel Lengths Available: 16.5in 
• Weight, Standard Model, Empty Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: 8lb 6oz 
• Weight, Standard Model, Full Magazine, No Optic or Bipod: N/A 
• Feed System: Gas piston operating system 
• Effective Range: N/A 
• Mfg Accuracy Tests (MOA): N/A 
• hk-usa.com 

SHOT Show 2020 has come, has excited and now is over. This year was similar to previous years and, if anything, might have seen an increase in participating vendors, necessitating a mid-week Pop-Up booth section on the 5th floor of the Sands Expo and Convention Center for the second year in a row. Despite the enormous diversity within the firearms industry, there were some trends that became clearly relevant to those who wandered the booths throughout the week. Possibly the biggest in terms of the defensive handgun market was the mass adoption of handguns with red dot optics mounts, or at least having an optics-capable plate on handgun slides. Last year, some of the larger companies were trickling in with limited optics capability, but this year it certainly took the industry by storm with a significant percentage of every handgun manufacturer, importer or distributor offering a wide breadth of optics, optics plates or optics-ready slides in everything from their standard offerings to their custom shop product lines, standard duty packages and subcompact defensive setups. Also of note, in terms of product trends, was the continued march of the pistol brace, starting with SB Tactical, Gear Head Works and now Magpul; industry partners across the board were sprouting up with improved designs of their own or supplying products with some of the aforementioned companies. 

This has also been a significant year of military acceptance trials, with SIG SAUER taking home the SOCOM .338 Norma Magnum acceptance and Barrett Firearms being awarded the Advanced Sniper Rifle (ASR) contract also by SOCOM. Development continues on polymer-cased ammunition in the form of True Velocity’s selection to supply significantly lighter and reportedly more reliable rounds to the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program, which is still ongoing. Meanwhile, Dillon Aero has upped the game with both .50 BMG and .338 Norma Magnum redesigns of its M134D Minigun.

Otis Technology Purchases DRD Tactical

DRD Tactical recently fell under the Otis wing in October last year and demonstrated its APTUS® rifle at the show this year. This rifle recently won a contract with a close U.S. ally in Asia in August 2019.

Magpul Pistol Brace

The polymer magazine company is diving deep into the accessories field this year with several new products. Of particular note is the new Magpul AR-15 pistol brace, of which there are two variants, the BTR and the BSL. Also added to the product line are a number of drum magazines for the CZ EVO, dedicated GLOCK interface drums for pistol caliber carbines and polymer stocks for the Savage 110 and Ruger PC-9. 

Trijicon Ventus Rangefinder

Alongside new optics and magnifiers was the Trijicon Ventus™ Rangefinder. The device is touted to be able to read six different wind values up to ranges of 500 yards and then able to lase as a rangefinder out to 5,000 yards. The ability to mechanically make wind calls is a very rare capability in the industry despite a pressing need for accurate wind call measurements in the precision rifle community. 

CZ-USA Bren 2 MS Carbine

CZ is bringing a 16.5-inch barrel rifle variant of their Bren pistol line which has been on the U.S. civilian market for over a year now. The rifle is a semiautomatic civilian variant of the select fire Bren rifle which has seen limited adoption by the Czech Armed Forces. Handguards are M-LOK-compatible with built-in rail sections along the sides and bottom while a full-length optics rail runs the length of the rifle. CZ officials have hinted at a possible .308 Win release for the U.S. market as well.

Patriot Ordnance Factories Handguns and AR-15 Pistols

POF-USA made some news earlier last year when the company introduced a .22 LR AR-15 pistol with brace that was compatible with Ruger 10/22 magazines called the Rebel .22LR. This was certainly an attraction at the show, but what also got attendees’ attention was the P19 handgun which is a 9x19mm semiautomatic patterned after a GLOCK 19 Gen4 frame while using some of the aftermarket parts that POF already makes for the GLOCK market.

Century Arms AK-74 Rifles

The military surplus and budget rifle manufacturer Century Arms is introducing 5.45x39mm AK-74-patterned rifles to the U.S. civilian market amid a large marketing campaign aiming at getting more 5.45mm rifles into the hands of U.S. shooters.

Christensen Arms .22 LR Precision Rifle, 5.56mm and 9mm AR Rifles

New this year is the Ranger 22, a 5.1-pound precision bolt-action rifle that is compatible with Ruger 10/22 magazines. Also new this year are lightweight competition AR-15-patterned 5.56x45mm and 9x19mm rifles and carbines.

Heckler & Koch VP9-Optics Capable

While not coming with a particular optic, HK is bringing their VP9 handgun to market with five mounting plate options that customers can specify on their orders. These plates are drilled and threaded to accommodate miniature reflex sights from Trijicon, Leupold, C-More Systems, Holosun, Burris and Vortex, among others.

FN America 6.5mm Creedmoor SOCOM Request

New at the FN America booth was FN America’s answer to a request from SOCOM for a 6.5mm Creedmoor variant of the MK 48 light machine gun. Essentially identical to the MK 48 except for caliber and internal components, the version on display was equipped with a suppressor as well.

GEMTECH Lunar 9

Gemini Technologies was present at the show with a new modular suppressor called the Lunar 9. Benefits of the Lunar 9 are that it can be converted from a 7-inch model to a 4.7-inch model in order to shorten the length when desired but still remains hearing safe. Decibel metering ranges from 129 Db in the 7-inch configuration while rising to a 135 Db in the 4-inch version.

Smith & Wesson 9x19mm “EZ”

The Military & Police line of handguns is getting an upgrade in the form of a 9x19mm Shield EZ M2.0 carry handgun. Previously, the grip-safety-equipped handgun was only available in .380 ACP. 

SureFire Suppressors

As SureFire digs deeper into the suppressor market every year, the company is expanding the product lineup. Of particular importance here is SureFire’s SPS 50, designed for use on .50 BMG precision rifles. The suppressor uses a proprietary mount that has to be installed before use and has an added blast mitigation bracket at the muzzle, reportedly helping significantly with felt recoil.

Remington 700 Upgrades

Pistol braces are coming to Remington in the form of the Model 700-CP Armbrace equipped with a short barrel and SB Tactical arm brace along with a sub-16-inch barrel. The pistol configuration Remington 700 is intended for backcountry hiking as a short package that can still make precision shots out to several hundred meters.

Aimpoint CompM5b

The CompM5b is the latest in the optic line at Aimpoint, decreasing the previous M68/CCO-sized optic to something much more manageable on a shorter carbine. One of the important design features are the adjustment turrets which use an external tab to lock in place, not requiring a special tool or cap to make those fine adjustments.

Maxim Defense SBRs

Maxim had two new offerings for SHOT 2020. Both are pistol-brace- or SBR-configurable AR-15s that are coming in 7.62x39mm, 5.56x45mm and .300 BLK. The MDX 508 has an 8.5-inch barrel, while the MDX 510 has a 10.3-inch barrel. Designations are as follows: SCW Pistol, SCW SBR, CQB Pistol and the CQB SBR.

Condor Recon Chest Rig

Condor brought the latest version of a chest rig that the company is experimenting with, a minimalist design that allows for central magazine pouches with an admin pouch on top that has internal pockets, PALS laser cut webbing on the outside and a waist-level utility pouch as well. 

SHOT SHOW 2021: Show Master Info

Location
The Sands Expo Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. is situated on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip just off the I-15 interstate and easily accessible from McCarran International Airport. The convention center is within walking distance of hotels such as Caesars Palace and The Mirage.
Contact
Registration
Customer Service
regmgr@shotshow.org
(855) 355-7468
Exhibitor 
regmgr@shotshow.org
(855) 355-7468
Exhibit Space
Chris Tatulli
ctatulli@nssf.org
(203) 426-1320, ext. 214
Next Show
SHOT Show 2021, January 19-22, 2021, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Focus of Show
This show has an astoundingly broad spectrum of exhibitors, from firearms to accessories (e.g., scopes, flashlights), from soft-gear equipment to ammunition. Aside from the floor where exhibitors can display their products and interact with buyers, NSSF also hosts a number of educational programs. The Law Enforcement Educational Program (LEEP) addresses current police topics such as active shooter. Retailers can attend sessions from SHOT Show University discussing human resources topics, ATF compliance and many more. 
An industry day at the range is held on the Monday prior to the show so vendors can provide a live-fire demonstration, with the morning being dedicated to media and the afternoon being reserved for buyers. 
Statistics
Thousands of exhibitors and attendees from across the globe attended the show. Along with IWA, SHOT ranks as one of the largest firearm trade shows on the globe. 
Dress
While there is no dress code per say, business attire is a sensible choice.
Hotel Hints
The show is located near hotels on the Las Vegas Strip and has partnered with a number of hotels to offer discounted rates. Details are published on the show website (shotshow.org). Henderson, Boulder City and Sloan offer lodging alternatives within reasonable driving distance.
Power & Plug Types
120V, 60Hz, grounded wall outlet. It is always advisable to protect sensitive electronics with an uninterruptable power supply. 
Country Warnings
Consult Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for any local advisories and the U.S. Department of State—Bureau of Consular Affairs for U.S. travel warnings (Travel.State.Gov). 
Cultural Hints
Americans and Las Vegans are used to receiving overseas visitors. English is the spoken language. 
Tipping
It is common practice to tip 10% to 15% for lunch and 15% to 20% for dinner. Tip 10% to 15% for taxi drivers who offer courteous service and about 15% for limo drivers.
Getting Around
Rental cars are available at McCarran International Airport, with left-hand drive and automatic gearboxes. Parking structures are readily available along the Las Vegas Strip; although some charge a fee. The airport is very close to the Strip and hotels. It is conceivable to attend SHOT Show without hiring a cab at all; however, there are many cab companies, Uber and Lyft.
Firearms-Related Points of Interest
Battlefield Las Vegas offers machine gun rentals where one can shoot a number of automatic firearms. There are 12 MG rental groups in the area as well as several shooting ranges. Concurrent with the SHOT industry day, ATAC Global holds a law enforcement / military demonstration event. Pre-registration is required.
Tourism
Immediately near Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and Valley of Fire State Park offer beautiful vistas and hiking experiences. Mt. Charleston to the Northwest has skiing and hiking. To the east, there is Hoover Dam, and Lake Mead forms one end of the Grand Canyon while the National Park is about 300 miles away by car. Of course, the Las Vegas Strip itself offers entertainment in the form of casinos and numerous shows. 
NOTE: All information subject to change. Go to www.shotshow.org for up-to-date information.