• Gunshot detection systems are likely to reveal high rates of citizen underreporting of random gunfire.
• The technology is likely to increase the workload of police officers, particularly if departments dispatch a patrol unit to every gunshot incident detected by a gunshot detection system.
• Gunshot detection systems are not likely to lead to more arrests of people firing arms in urban settings as it is unlikely offenders will stay at a gunshot location long enough for the police to arrive.
• Gunshot detection systems seem to offer the most potential as a problem-solving tool in assisting officers in identifying random gunfire “hot spots.”

The two studies each measured different applications of the gunshot detection technologies. In the Oakcliff community of Dallas, Texas, researchers focused on how the gunshot detection technology complements police work and affected police response to random gunfire. The field study in Redwood City, California, addressed the science of ballistics by firing test blanks from three arms under controlled conditions to measure the performance of the technology.

The .50 Peacekeeper is an exciting new innovation by J.D. Jones of SSK Industries (590 Woodvue Lane, Wintersville, OH 43953) that puts 88% of the ballistics of the .50 Browning Machine Gun cartridge in an extremely accurate, 1- to 14-pound 23” barreled, long range man portable rifle. It uses any projectile suitable for the .50 BMG cartridge or any .50 (.510) diameter soft point bullet intended for a .50 caliber-hunting cartridge.

The .50 Peacekeeper uses only around half the powder charge of the .50 BMG to give the same bullet 88% of the velocity of the .50 BMG equipped with a highly efficient muzzle brake and other recoil reducing devices. Felt recoil is substantially less than that of many 30-pound .50 BMG rifles. Formed cartridge cases, bullets, reloading dies and loaded ammunition are all available through SSK.

The new Ed Brown single-shot bolt action is one of the preferred actions for the .50 Peacekeeper when coupled with any of a wide variety of stocks. Other suitable actions include the Ruger M-77 Magnum or any Weatherby action originally chambered for the .378 or .460 cartridges.

Reloder 15 Chosen for Sniper Round

Alliant Powder has announced the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army Operations Support Command have selected Alliant’s Reloder 15(r) as the new propellant for the 7.62mm (.308) M118b Special Ball Long-Range Sniper round. The cartridge will feature Reloder 15 with a 75-grain boat tail bullet. It will become the standard issue, long range .308 round for use by all military services.

“After rigorous testing by the U.S. Army of all appropriate rifle propellants, including those known as ‘extreme powders,’ our standard, canister grade Reloder 15 was selected over all others,” said Pete Jackson, director of sales and marketing for Alliant Powder. “Not only did Reloder 15 provide superior performance in the four test categories of accuracy, chamber pressure, ballistic performance, and lot to lot consistency, but did so across a broad range of temperatures and distances,” said Jackson.

Testing by the U.S. Army was conducted at ‘ambient’ as well as ‘hot and cold’ temperatures ranging from 125 degrees F. to -40 degrees F. and at distances from short range to 1,000 yards. The new ammunition will be made at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, Independence, MO. Alliant Powder is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alliant Techsystems, an aerospace and defense company headquartered in Hopkins, MN.

ArmaLite Select-Fire Air Rifle

ArmaLite will shortly be marketing a very unique product – the M-15P select-fire air rifle. Looking much like an M-16 rifle, the M-15P (to be available in semi-auto and full-auto versions) uses pre-charged compressed air, nitrogen, argon, CO2 and other inert gases for power. The rifle delivers superb accuracy at 10, 25 and up to 50 meters with match grade pellets. With its special valve system, as gas pressure decreases, gas volume increases to ensure uniform velocity and trajectory for every shot. All M-16 and AR-type sighting systems fit the M-15P.

The M-15P recoils like a firearm (to add realism to training), feeds from a 25-round magazine, and uses .22 caliber pellets and balls. A unique aspect of the arm allows the user to adjust the amount of felt recoil from light to heavy to match the felt recoil of various .223 loads. Its fully controllable full-auto fire allows the user to fire short, medium or long bursts. The rifle weighs five to six pounds empty and will be furnished with a red dot sight as standard equipment.

For more information on the M-15P, contact Patrick Squire, president, PneuGuns, Inc., 13067 County Road 29, Clanton, AL, 35045. Telephone: 205-646-1187.

BIRCHWOOD CASEY INTRODUCES NEW TARGET SYSTEM

What can you say about Birchwood Casey other than that they produce great gun care products? They also produce some of the most fun targets! They have now introduced their new GALLERY Resetting Target. The new target makes it possible for shooters to enjoy uninterrupted shooting; no walking, no resetting, no hassle. Just continuous shooting fun. Created specifically for .22 caliber rimfire rifles and handguns enthusiasts, the Gallery Resetting Target lets you experience all the fun of knocking down targets without walking down range or pulling cords to reset them. Four swinging targets on the bottom swing around and rest on a crossbar when hit with a .22 caliber round. When all four targets have been hit, just shoot the top target (attached to the crossbar) to drop the four targets into their original position, resetting the targets. With this target, you can sit down and shoot until you run out of ammo. Retail price of the new target is $50.00. For more information contact Birchwood Laboratories, Inc., Dept. DEPT. SAR, 7900 Fuller Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344. Phone: 1-800-328-6156. Fax: 1-612-937-7979. They are on the web at www.birchwoodcasey.com.

NEW REDI-CLIP ADDS FIREPOWER

Police officers can now dramatically increase their firepower with the new innovative magazine dispenser made by Redi-Clip, Inc. This revolutionary product is designed for the modern law enforcement officer and holds five fully loaded magazines and dispenses them in seconds. Redi-Clip is made of hardened nylon and is spring loaded for easy access. Redi-Clip was designed for back-up but can be used at the range as well. It clips to a duty belt or under the dash within easy reach. Increased firepower is now available without bulky belt inserts or cumbersome swinging pouches. Redi-Clip is lightweight and ergonomically designed to be low profile. It carries 9mm, 10mm, .40 caliber and some model .45 caliber magazines. For more information contact Redi-Clip, Dept. DEPT. SAR, 3126 South Boulevard, Edmond, OK 73013. Phone: 1-877-789-CLIP. Their website is www.redi-clip.com.

LEUPOLD INTRODUCES NEW SIDE FOCUS SCOPE

Leupold is very pleased to introduce the newest Leupold Premiere Scope-the LPS® 3.5-14x50mm Side Focus. Developed around the original LPS technology and incorporating new developments in the field of optical design the new LPS 3.5-14x50mm Side focus is certain to set new standards for riflescope design. The new scope brings the convenience of side focus parallax adjustment, which is proven so popular among Leupold’s Long-Range and Mark 4 scopes, to the LPS scopes. With the convenience of side focus adjustment, parallax distance can be set without ever leaving the shooting position. It also features a newly designed optical system for superior resolution and contrast. The new 3.5-14x50mm Side Focus also features a 99.65% light transmission rate, DiamondCoat lens coatings, four inches of constant eye relief and Leupold’s low profile adjustment dials. It offers a rugged, one piece, 30mm diameter maintube for both durability and image clarity. The new scope’s long maintube allows for mounting on even the longest rifle actions, yet it weighs only 18.5 ounces. For more information contact Leupold & Stevens, Inc., Dept. DEPT. SAR, P.O. Box 688, Beaverton, OR 97075-0688. Phone: 1-503-646-9171. Fax: 1-503-526-1475. Web Site: www.leupold.com.

TWO NEW PRODUCTS FROM HOGUE

Hogue, Inc. has now applied their Overmold technology to the AR-16/M-16 style rifles, producing the ultimate grip and forend combination. The Overmold AR-15/M-16 grip is specifically designed to retain the important lines and aesthetics of the AR, while at the same time providing a comfortable rubber grip with finger grooves and palm swells. The forend is a unique two-piece, free-floating rubber Overmolded aluminum forend tube. Free-floating your AR barrel gives maximum accuracy by eliminating all hand guard forces on the barrel. The rubber Overmolding gives a super comfortable, non-slip grasping area that insulates your hand from the heat produced during rapid fire or from the cold of extreme climates. The two-piece design installs easily on any AR-15/M-16 style rifle. For more information contact Hogue Grips, Inc., Dept. DEPT. SAR, P.O. Box 1138, Paso Robles, CA 93447. Phone: 805-239-1440. Fax: 1-805-239-2553. On the web at www.hogueinc.com.

SUPER TRAP BULLET CONTAINMENT SYSTEMS

Super Trap now has a new bullet containment system designed with the tactical user in mind. Their new Tactical Target has a 24 inch by 36 inch target strike face. The new bullet trap has a replaceable rubber face that allows attaching any style target to it as well as eliminating bullet splatter. The new trap disassembles without tools for compact storage and has wheels mounted to its base to allow it to be portable. The trap has a 3 inch thick target face and will stop all pistol rounds even when fired from a submachine gun. The new Tactical Target trap features a bottom mounted bullet catch tray for catching and retrieving expended bullets. The Super Trap can be shot at all distances, including point blank, without fear of ricocheting bullets. The durable unit is very well built and weights 180 pounds. For more information contact Super Trap Bullet Containment Systems, Dept. DEPT. SAR, 42380 Rio Nedo, Temecula, CA 92590. Phone: 1-909-296-6272. Fax: 1-909-296-6279. They can also be reached on the web at www.supertrap.com.

7.62mm Nagant

Used by communist forces in the Nagant revolver. This cartridge uses an unusually long case which seals gas in the chamber as the cylinder of the gun is pushed forward on firing. The full metal jacket (FMJ) bullet weighs 108 grains and is said to develop 1,100 fps in Soviet military loadings. I have found less velocity is more common. A very weak caliber, probably used very little. Penetration of web gear and heavy clothing would have been minimal, much in 8mm Nambu class.

7.62 x 25mm Tokarev

Adopted largely due to large stocks of 7.63mm Mauser ammunition for the popular Broomhandle pistol, this is a stronger round than the Nagant. Most sources give the military loading as 86 grain .30 caliber FMJ bullet at 1390 fps. It develops as much as 100 fps extra when fired in the ‘burp gun’. Good condition Tokarevs are often surprisingly accurate. This cartridge has excellent penetration.

.38 Smith and Wesson

Standard military revolver cartridge of the commonwealth, used in the Webley revolver. This round jolts a 200 grain lead bullet to about 700 fps or a 176 grain jacketed bullet to a bit more. Its penetration would be sadly lacking against heavily clad Chinese in a winter battle. Worthless as a military round.

9mm Luger

Used in the new French MAC 50 and a number of Browning Hi Powers in both commonwealth and Chinese hands. This cartridge jolts a 9mm (.355 inch) 115 to 124 grain bullet to 1100 to 1300 fps. Used in British Sten and Sterling submachineguns among many others. Accurate and offering plenty of penetration, an adequate battlefield round.

.45 acp

This cartridge saw a great deal of use in American hands in Korea, adding to an already excellent reputation. However, the Marines found that if the enemy was close enough for a pistol it was best to ‘feed him a grenade.’

Rifle cartridges

.30 US Carbine

This is a controversial little round. Those who used it in combat either loved it or hated it. The M 1 carbine is short, light, and handy. The M 2 full auto version came into use in Korea. One authority who used the M 1 carbine stated that reports of the .30 caliber carbine’s ineffectiveness were largely due to misses with the full auto version! The carbine saw great use in Korea. Ballistics are 110 grains at 1975 fps.

7.5 x 54mm French MAS

Manufactured by the Manufacture d’Armes de Saint Etienne, this round is similar to the later 7.62mm NATO round. Functional ballistics are a 140 grain FMJ bullet at 2600 fps. Used in the French M 36.

.30-06 Springfield

Easily the finest full power battle rifle cartridge ever fielded. The .30-06 is the standard by which the others are judged. Known as the 7.62 x 63mm in Europe, the .30-06 offers plenty of powerful and excellent accuracy even in standard military rifles such as the Springfield and M 1 Garand. Capable of extreme penetration against heavily garbed adversaries, the .30-06 is a fine military round. The military standard was a 172 grain FMJ-BT at 2640 fps.

7.62 x 54 mm Russian

Much that is said about the .30-06 could apply to this Soviet round. Dated by its rimmed cartridge case, the 7.62mm Russian as it is often called can be counted on for extreme accuracy. It is about as powerful as the .30-06. Military loads varied but included a 147 grain ball round at 2886 fps.Both the US and Soviet .30 caliber rounds were used in light machineguns as well as both bolt action and semi auto rifles.

.303 British

A powerful round which never showed the accuracy potential inherent in the US and Soviet .30 caliber cartridges. Loaded with Cordite powder, the .303 was clearly powerful enough for battlefield use. Standard ballistics are a 175 grain ball round at 2440 fps. Dated by a revolver like case rim, this cartridge was also used in the Bren light machinegun.

7.7 mm Japanese

Used in great numbers by the Chinese early in the war as thousands were captured from the Japanese. While the description may seem simplistic for practical purposes this is a rimless .303 British. Ballistics are a 175 grain FMJ at 2400 fps. This cartridge is accurate in a rifle with a good bore, and is much in the same class as the .303 British.

7.62 x 39mm

Used in the SKS, this is among the first true medium power battle rounds. A FMJ 122 grain bullet at 2300 fps is standard. I have found that most Soviet ball ammunition does not have bullets that break in half or fragment as US 7.62mm Nato bullets will. As a result, penetration is excellent but wound potential is often low. The 7.62 x 39 is not particularly accurate in military rifles but with proper load practice can be an accurate, powerful round.

The .303 British and .30-06 would soldier on for many years, but the rest of the cartridges listed would soon be gone from front line combat. The newcomer 7.62 x 39mm Soviet, conversely, would become the most popular military cartridge of all time, chambered in the Russian AK 47.

By Robert Bruce

“Though the .50 caliber figures little in the hilltop fighting, it has paid its way in Korea, particularly in defense against infiltration of ground rearward of the infantry main line. Close defense of the artillery gun positions could hardly hold together without this weapon.” Operations Research Office Report R-13, Oct 1951

First introduced into the US military inventory in the 1920’s, John M. Browning’s .50 caliber M2 Heavy Barrel machine gun is still the best in its class. Indeed, “Ma Deuce,” as she has been affectionately called by GI’s for more than seventy years, is still on active duty today. During the Korean War, the powerful M2 HB proved versatile and lethal not only as a single weapon, but particularly so in multiple mounts.

Bigger is Better

While the .30 caliber Brownings were relatively light, portable and effective in combat when properly maintained and utilized in tactically sound roles, their range and hitting power were often inadequate. Faced with well dug in enemy defenses at ranges in excess of 800 to 1000 yards, the rifle cartridges fired by these smaller machine guns fell short in reach and penetration. Fortunately, an excellent solution to the problem was readily available.

The .50 caliber M2 HB can be considered a beefed up version of the Browning M1917 and 1919 guns, sharing many of their mechanical characteristics and combat proven as a star performer in WWII. Although setting of its headspace and timing could be a bit tricky to the uninitiated, the big beautiful Browning earned a reputation for reliability and lethality in ground, air and seaborne operations under the worst conditions.

Plenty of M2s were on hand with Army and Marine units at the outbreak of the Korean War. Of course, each infantry battalion had tripod mounted “Fifties”in headquarters and heavy weapons sections, and this was also the case in artillery, engineer and other combat or combat support formations. These heavy machine guns were a mainstay of perimeter defense as well as giving significant protection against low flying enemy aircraft.

“With the .50 which I was operating, and with an LMG (light machine gun) which PFC Lloyd A. Perry was firing from right next to me, we put up the covering fire which enabled the (artillery) battery to hit the road. As the position was laid out, the guns had to come from my left and turn around the .50 to get on the road…they were a pretty well exposed target. But the .50 and the LMG, together spraying the area ahead of us, kept the enemy fire pretty well dampered.” Sgt. William F. Aragon, 8th Field Artillery Battalion, quoted in ORO-R-13.

Ammunition Options

The exceptional performance of the M2 HB’s ammunition, impressively measuring some 5.45 inches long and weighing a hefty 1800 grains or more, deserves comment. Even ordinary ball cartridges, also designated M2, have a muzzle velocity of about 2930 feet per second and range in excess of 7000 meters. Penetration of the 709 grain gilding metal covered lead-antimony slug at all ranges is also a dramatic leap beyond that of .30 caliber bullets. At 600 meters, for example, the M2 ball would chew through a foot of dry sand and more than two feet of clay, ruining the day for North Korean and ChiCom soldiers even when they are hunkered down in bunkers.

Other types of ammunition are available for special situations such as dealing with lightly armored vehicles. The M2AP cartridge, with its manganese-molybdenum steel penetrator, will punch through a half inch of face hardened steel plate at 600 meters. Then, combined with an incendiary element to light up what’s behind that armor, the M8 API round can be particularly nasty at any range. Tracer fillers to assist fire control are also available in various combinations. The most common at the time was the Tracer, M1, which lights up at about 250 yards and continues to burn out to some 1700 yards.

.50 Caliber Sniping

Although Korea’s abundance of seemingly endless parallel ridgelines was a limiting factor in “by the book” tactical employment of many infantry and support weapons, this terrain feature also prompted a revival in the science and art of long range marksmanship. It is readily understandable why, when the enemy is dug into or advancing along a hillside right across from your position with only air in between, GIs would experience the natural desire to “reach out and touch him.” This was done at moderate ranges with accurized and scoped versions of the ’03 and M1 rifles, but something more was needed when the distance got well 600 or 800 yards.

The 84 pound M2 HB machinegun on its sturdy 44 pound tripod with precision traversing and elevating mechanism is a very stable shooting platform – sort of a self-contained bench rest setup. In addition, its massive “bull barrel” is inherently accurate and 45 inch length helps develop maximum velocity for the bullet. Luckily, performance of the M2 .50 caliber ball cartridge was pretty good despite being mass produced in the tens of millions. Army specs called for “…average of the mean radii of all targets at time of acceptance at 600 yards is not greater than 9 inches.”

Then, since the gun fires from a locked breech and can be operated in single shot mode, it compares favorably with bolt action rifles. “Ma Deuce’s” conversion from workhorse machine gun to sniper weapon is completed with addition of a telescopic sight, and she found gainful employment in numerous observation posts all along the battlefront.

Quad Fifties

M2HBs were also found on tank turrets, truck ring mounts and on other vehicles; notably the halftrack-mounted “Quad Fifty.” Fielded in WWII for both antiaircraft and ground support roles, the Multiple Gun Motor Carriage M16 had four heavy Brownings in a power operated M45 Maxson Mount piggyback on an M3 halftrack.

“…it is an adjunct of infantry fighting that the AA (anti-aircraft) gun has had its most decisive impact upon Eighth Army operations. This is particularly true of the quad-50 (M16). Which has a greater tactical flexibility in ground fighting and a visibly greater demoralizing effect upon the enemy infantry line than the Bofors twin-40. It would be difficult to exaggerate the effectiveness of the quad-50 when used in this role.” ORO-R-13

The M16 system was a good combination of mobility and firepower, able to travel quickly to places it was needed and immediately relocate within an operational area in response to the direction and intensity of enemy actions. The total rate of fire for all four M2s in this system is an awesome 2000 rounds per minute with an effective range approaching 2000 yards. Enemy MIG fighter jets knew better than to make close strafing attacks where Quad Fifties were on the job.

This combo served particularly well in supporting infantry attacks by saturating enemy defensive positions with a hail of steel, severely limiting their ability to resist. In defense of American positions against Communist assaults, a Quad Fifty could drive to the best location needed to repel the spearhead of an enemy assault. Armored sides on the halftrack and a protective shield on the gunner’s station were impervious to rifle caliber small arms fire.

Primary References

FM23-65 and TM 9-1005-213-10 Brig. Gen. S.L.A. Marshall, “Commentary on Infantry Operations and Weapons Usage in Korea; Winter of 1950-51,” Johns Hopkins University, Operations Research Office Report ORO-R-13, Oct 27, 1951
Terry Gander, “The Browning M2 Heavy Machine Gun,” PRC Publishing, Ltd., 1999

By James L. Ballou

When the North Korean Army crossed the 38th parallel on 25 June 1950, the United States was just as unprepared for War as on 7 December 1941. Demobilization and downsizing had weakened the post World War II armies to an anemic force incapable of stemming the flow of the enemy.

Fortunately, the supply lines were much shorter for the defenders, the Eighth Army under General Walton H. Walker, General of the Army. Japan lies less that two hundred miles south of Korea. This offered an ideal staging area for the strategic response of the fifteen nations making up the NATO alliance.

General of the Armies Douglas Mc Arthur was firmly ensconced in Japan, an American Shogun, as well as supreme commander of US Armed Forces; he was also the Military Governor of Japan.

In his after action report, Infantry Operations and Weapons Use in Korea, S.L.A. Marshall stated early on that problems arose with reconditioned BAR’s. It seems that Mc Arthur had allowed the Japanese to do depot maintenance on WW II BAR’s. They neglected to replace the operating springs, which resulted in failure to feed. A recent phone conversation with James Sheehan from Dracut Massachusetts, a veteran of the 25th infantry division, confirmed the fact that he remembers many hours of BAR fire with a high expenditure of ammunition while he was in Korea. He was told that they were testing all BAR’s sent from Japan. It is nice to be able to corroborate legends as historical fact.

The UN forces in Korea, particularly the US Marines, demanded more BAR’s, hence an order was placed for 61,000 units from the Royal Typewriter Company in Hartford Connecticut. Though often referred to as Royal McBee, this was not the case as all parts are marked ROT .The serial numbers range from 653,000 to 885,000, all attempts to track down the production were met without success.

Royal would not even admit that they produced the M1A1 stock for the paratrooper stocks for our carbines. Political correctness lead to many denials. Though 61,000 were produced, most ended up in the UK. The movie “Saving Private Ryan” was made entirely with ROT BAR’s.

Royal Typewriter made much use of investment castings and utilized the Arma Steel technique developed by the Saginaw Malleable Iron Division General Motors in 1943. This not only cut costs but also hastened production.

The tactical use of the BAR reached its zenith in the Korean Police Action. There are more stories of reverence reaching total awe to come out of the campaign. One such story is of a young Marine from Beverly, Massachusetts who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions on the night of September 16th 1951. Corporal Joseph R. Vittori held off enemy hordes attacking his position, firing more than a thousand rounds of ammunition killing more than forty of the enemy before he was fatally wounded. Corporal Vittori volunteered to remain behind while his battalion withdrew from a hill in Korea. He placed several BAR’s strategically located on the crest of the hill: He ran from between positions firing his BAR’s, making the enemy think that the hill was occupied by a larger force. Thus allowing his fellow Marines to withdraw safely.

In the citation signed by President Harry S. Truman, he described Vittori as “A hero among Marine heroes”. It is not a coincidence that so many men used the “Rock” of the BAR to accomplish heroic deeds.

Note: All material is taken from the research of the book Rock in a Hard Place.

By Bob Naess

“Floyd Pope and the rest of the squad stayed off the ridgeline, but Firebug walked on top of it. The entire 3rd Battalion was strung out behind us like a long snake slowly moving up the ridgeline. As we neared a right angle turn in the ridge, the Chinese opened up on Firebug with a machine gun at close range but missed. He hit the ground but started sliding backwards to get off the ridgeline. Unfortunately he straddled a tree and they fired at him again. I ran forward to Pope to see if he knew where the Chinese were located. He said they were right in front of us. We both popped up hoping to get a shot at them. Then we charged their emplacement. They were gone when we reached their position. We could hear their wheeled Maxim machine gun bouncing off rocks as they retreated down a brushy draw.” – From “Misfit Squad” by Sergeant Jack Dean; 17th Regiment, the Buffaloes, Korea, 1951

Only a few years from the end of WWII in 1945, the obsolescent water-cooled 1910 Russian Maxim was back in front line action as a mainstay HMG of the Chinese and North Korean Communist forces in their effort to unite Korea under Communist control. The Yalta Conference in 1945 prescribed that, north of the 38th parallel in Korea, the Communist Soviet Union accept the surrender of the Japanese, who had occupied Korea since 1905, and the US accept their surrender south of that demarcation. From 1946 to 1949, more than 10,000 North Koreans undertook military training in Russia, while North Korea obtained large quantities of Russian small arms and equipment.

The former Korean Volunteer Army, which had fought with the Communist Chinese in their civil war from 1945 to 1949, returned to North Korea as trained, war hardened infantry veterans. Well trained and equipped by the Soviet Union, and with unconditional support from the Chinese, North Korea stepped up its guerilla insurgency into South Korea with a major invasion across the 38th parallel in June of 1950. Once again, the 1910 Russian Maxim was dragged into combat by infantry on foot, tugged along on its wheeled Sokolov mount.

At the close of WWII, the Soviet Union was well supplied with 1910 Maxims. Starting in 1905 and continuing through 1945, Russian arsenals, the only producer of the 1910 Maxim, manufactured close to 600,000 of both the 1905 and 1910 patterns, with only very minor changes in the overall design of gun and mount. Although many of these weapons were destroyed or left Russia during and between the World Wars, the majority of serviceable 1910s remained there after WWII, and they were readily provided by the Soviet government to the North Koreans and newly Communist Chinese military. The successor to the 1910, the Goryunov designed, aircooled SG43 HMG, produced and fielded by the Soviet Union during the latter part of WWII, was also available to North Korea, but the mainstay HMG of the North Korean forces was the 1910 Maxim.

The water-cooled 1910 Russian Maxim, or SPM, embodied the characteristics common to Russian small arms; simplicity, ruggedness and ease of maintenance. The principal virtue of these characteristics was the ease with which unskilled soldiers could learn the use and maintenance of the weapon. The initial production of the 1905 Maxim and its successor, the 1910, incorporated the best features of several earlier Maxim HMGs. The most efficient improvements were the simplified ‘S’ shaped charging handle, a simplified lock that could be easily disassembled without special tools and easily headspaced using shims, and a very simple muzzle booster. The ‘S” shaped handle was much sturdier, involved fewer parts and one less spring, which reduced breakage and helped reduce manufacturing time and materials. The lock was robust, of simpler design, and the mainspring of very high quality and strength. Quick disassembly of the simplified lock was facilitated by the use of split pins to hold pivoting parts. A small cup cut into the end of the ‘T’ handle of the backplate retaining crosspin could be used to compress the split pin ends for their removal and quick disassembly of the components. Adding or removing shims in increments of .002” or .003” under a nut at the point of attachment on the crank spigot greatly aided in maintaining headspace tolerances through changes of locks or barrels. The efficiency and reliability of the piston effect on the muzzle of the barrel in the booster was increased by using a barrel with the muzzle flared to 3/4”.

Among the small number of tools and accoutrements provided for maintenance and cleaning was a reamer on a combination headspace/booster wrench to clean combustion reside from the inside of the booster body. The removable orifice in the front of the booster allowed use of orifices of different diameters to vary the rate of fire of the gun through a range of approximately 450 to over 700 rpm. The box receiver was rigidly held to the trunion/ waterjacket by tapered dovetails, as was the backplate/grip assembly, and a heavy riveted bottom plate unified and strengthened the structure. The waterjacket , fabricated from light gauge steel, was fluted to enhance rigidity and increase surface area for heat dissipation, and these were often “tinned” on the interior surface to reduce corrosion. From early 1943 through the end of production in 1945, rapid filling of the waterjacket was achieved by the addition of a 3” diameter port capped and latched with a stamped hinged tractor radiator cap. This adaptation, copied from the Finnish Maxims, allowed the fast injection of snow and ice into the jacket during winter use, a very practical feature in Korea’s severe winter weather. A sled apparatus could be affixed to the wheels in snowy conditions, and anti-freeze mixed with the water in the jacket prevented the guns from freezing up solid. Use of a hose fitted to a port on the waterjacket delivered steam to a condensing can, eliminating the potential signal of the guns location due to the steam plume from boiling water during continuous fire.

The 1910 Maxim, firing the Russian issue 7.62X54R (rimmed) rifle cartridge, used a fabric belt that was identical to that used in the German MG08, with extended fingers every three rounds to align the belt in the feedway. The reliability of fabric belts is compromised when they are wet, or wet and then frozen, and the Korean climate, often foggy and wet in the warm months and alternately wet and severely frozen in the winter, no doubt tested the patience of the gunners. However, although it is speculation, the continuous 200 round steel link belts used in the Goryunov air-cooled SG43 HMG, also widely used in Korea, would function well in the Maxims and may have been used, eliminating the problems with the fabric belts.

The Russians found during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905 that HMGs on high mounts exposed the gunners to enemy fire, but they did not abandon the practical wheeled mounts. The 1905 Maxim was prepared with a low wheeled mount, designed by A. E. Sokolov, that was continued with the 1910 version. The heavy, wide turntable on which the gun cradle rode, combined with the weight of the gun, wheeled mount, and heavy steel shield made an excellent, very sturdy platform for the 1910. The stability of the mount enhanced the long range accuracy of the gun, which was used effectively by the well trained North Korean infantry.

Early in the war, due to the weight of the guns, mounts and ammo and the necessity of moving them long distances and over mountainous terrain by foot, they were used rather sparingly in defensive positions. Often the guns were used at great ranges, over a mile or more from their targets, to aid in concealment. Using the MGs from long distance to rake the forward slopes against advancing US troops, the North Koreans registered their mortars behind the US soldiers who would fall back when they took too many casualties from the long range MG fire, only to discover they were under mortar fire. As the war continued, it developed into a contest of many fixed positions in mountainous areas which were traded back and forth between the combatants. As with the static trench warfare of WWI, the thoroughly dug-in emplacements of 1910s in defensive positions were very effective in retaining ground gained by the North Koreans.

The Korean War was not the last theater of combat in which the 1910 was fielded, as reports of their use in Vietnam attests to their practical value despite their age and the shortcomings of their weight and rather cumbersome mount. There are still many 1910s in the arsenals of countries scattered worldwide which could well be used long into the future.

The one that I own was remanufactured by Black Mountain of Florence, MT for Hayes Otoupalic. They did a fantastic job. I’d dare ya to try and show me where they rewelded the deactivated cut receiver, but it was all done to ATF regulations. The subcaliber device is quite simple yet effective. They take a .50 BMG M2 heavy barrel with two stainless steel washers, one with the outside diameter the same as the inside diameter of the M18 barrel and the other with the inside diameter of the breach. The barrel is then headspaced and both washers are permanently welded in place. There are widely differing opinions on the safety of this style of subcaliber conversion I’m afraid.

The U.S. Military originally trained with a very different subcaliber device, essentially made of a 57mm cartridge case, an inert projectile, a barrel bushing, a machine gun barrel and a lock nut. Simply put, the projectile is drilled through the center to receive a standard A5 .30 caliber barrel, then the subcaliber device is inserted into the M18 chamber using normal loading procedures. The safety issue is the difference in chamber pressure between the .30 caliber and the .50 BMG. The .50 BMG has about the same kinetic energy as an exploding hand grenade. The M18 was designed to vent the violently expanding gas from the 57mm round through the rear breechblock. The escape of these gases is controlled so that no movement of the weapon occurs. This is the recoilless principle.

As a .50 BMG rifle these gases are now contained within the receiver and the M18 breechblock is now acting as the locking bolt. If one takes a close look at exactly how much material is left between the breech block vent holes, one comes face to face with the academic questions, should I stand behind this thing while it is fired? I myself have put over sixty of the Greek manufactured and marked “HXP 74” rounds through this firearm without a hitch. I later examined the breechblock with a magnifying glass and found nothing unusual. That’s not to say something couldn’t happen in the future not withstanding our litigating lifestyle. But in my opinion, it appears to work just fine.

Sighting in this firearm can be a bit of a challenge. The 1917A1 tripod is a given, as many sandbags as you can find and one extra helper wouldn’t hurt. For the target we used a 36” x 12” x 1 1/2” steel plate designed as a counterweight in Otis elevators and donated by them. It was spray painted white so we could see it on the 225 yard berm in Ukumehame firing range. The best way we found to first get in the ballpark was to kneel behind the gun and bore sight straight through the open breech, then bring your M86F telescope traverse and elevation on target. Then load a round, cock the firing assembly and squeeze the handle grip trigger. Even with its muzzle ported for recoil, be prepared. This puppy still likes to come right off the ground, even with the sandbags. After several rounds we heard a loud satisfying gong and watched that sixty pound piece of steel spin like a top.

We spent the rest of the day dinging that steel. I did notice the firearm has a very tight headspace. Closing the rotary breech takes some effort, because of the subcaliber device the original extractor is omitted from the firearm. The first time you try to remove the spent .50 BMG shell you will wish you had fingernails of steel, but most people don’t. What worked best for me was a car tire iron spoon that I painted black to match the weapon.

To complete this project, I had Master Carpenter, Mr. Tom Johnson of Kula, Maui, build an original looking solid wood transit chest, including casters and rope handles. Last but not least, a set of custom oilboard stencils for the chest from Rick Larsen of Westbury, NY. Aloha from the Valley Isle.

By Michael Shyne

Thirty five thousand American troops and over one-half million Republic of Korea troops, focusing on the joint security area at Panmunjom, face-to-face with the sharp edge of the one million man army of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. Panmunjom, the middle of the demilitarized zone separating South and North Korea, the most heavily armed, heavily mined area of the world. Today, it is still one of the world’s hot spots, after 5,000 years of civilization on the Korean peninsula, after 5,000 years of conflict.

Equal to the magnitude of the arms buildup at Panmunjom, one of the world’s largest military museums, War Memorial in Seoul, Republic of Korea (South Korea) covers the history of life and combat for five millennia. The War Memorial, appropriately located face-to-face with the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of National Defense, is beyond the scope of the concept of a military museum, as we Americans know it. For a country no bigger than Indiana, war, ceremony and honor given to warriors, and the national recognition of the importance of a strong national defense, justifies a museum of this size.

As I approached the War Memorial, I could not believe the magnitude of the architecture. A marble structure of over 100,000 square yards. Quickly I converted that measurement into meaningful numbers. Imagine, a museum of 1 million square feet! Its size is a warning to you. It is not to be visited as a brief stop between breakfast and shopping.

War Memorial is composed of 7 major exhibition halls, honoring the 5,000-year history of the people of this peninsula, as they defended their country from over 900 invasions by neighbors. America’s involvement in Korea since 1866, and our sacrifice of 54,000 American soldiers during the Korean War, as profound and consequential as it was, suddenly shrinks in significance when visiting War Memorial.

A well-planned visit to War Memorial begins in Memorial Hall, architecturally designed to honor and remember the great spirit and the achievement of this nation’s national heroes. Symbolism in Korea is deeply rooted in tradition and carried forward into contemporary architecture, well beyond the accomplishment of American architects. Memorial Hall greets visitors with a circular marble room enclosed with a concave ceiling, honoring a Star Trek-like blue light descending from the ceiling’s apex onto a magnificent hemisphere of marble, the focal point of the room. Nearby, more traditional black marble monuments list the names of Korean officers and soldiers killed in action during the Korean War, South Korea’s proud involvement in the Vietnam War and even in Somalia. As one begins to tour War Memorial, the philosophy of the nation becomes clear: solidarity among its people, and their determination to defend their homeland, is all that separates prosperity and true democracy from communist North Korea’s (the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) attempt to invade and communize the entire Korean peninsula. The Republic of Korea’s strong national defense is founded on unity and this single-minded focus by its national leadership.

The War History Room includes reproductions of fortresses and dioramas of Korean combat not only with the Japanese and the Chinese in recent times, but in wars that date back to before the Tang Dynasty. Some of Korea’s implements of war are most unique. In fact, they may cause you to realize that modern weapons designers are doing nothing more than “modernizing” the developments of weapon designers of ages past. A model of a Shin Ki-Jon, a multiple rocket launcher is on display. Practically little different than the German Nebelwerfer Portable Rocket Launcher of World War II, this portable, wheeled, multiple launcher sends a cloud of arrows towards its enemy. In the same area cannon are on display. Nearby, are examples of traditional cannon ball, as we are used to seeing in our Civil War battlefields. Yet protruding from the barrels of these ancient cast-bronze cannons are giant Sabot-looking projectiles with fins little different from the air-to-air missiles deployed by America’s contemporary fighter aircraft!

The first exhilarating display of small arms is in the Korean War Room. Keep in mind, the noun “room” is used very differently at War Memorial. For the Korean War Room contains more than a dozen rooms on two floors of this mammoth building. The Korean War resulted in 4.4 million Koreans dead or wounded and 10 million separated from their families. The entire country was devastated. The degree of that devastation is easy for Americans to grasp, for we have many living Korean War veterans. Ask them about their memories of Korea. Ask them if they want to return. Most will tell you the experience was horrible and the nation ugly. Yet today, a visit to South Korea is a visit to a beautiful nation, with 45 million people eagerly wanting to welcome Americans! There are few places on this planet Americans can visit, where one will experience the welcome received in South Korea. The citizens of South Korea clearly recognize their country exists today as a free nation because of the prompt and forceful actions of President Truman and the United States, when North Korean forces, armed and trained by the Soviets, launched an unprovoked, all-out invasion on June 25, 1950, just two years after U.N.-observed elections created Korea’s first democratic government. During my visit to Korea, I was fortunate to be accompanied by a former Korean soldier. This man’s father fought in the Korean War. As explained to me, like virtually all other Korean children of his generation, he was raised with a continued reminder that America and its soldiers (as well as soldiers from 53 U.N. countries) saved South Korea from being overrun by innumerable Chinese troops. My guide’s grandparents suffered the cruelty of the 4-decade long Japanese occupation of Korea. His father fought to save Korea from North Korean dominance. As he explained his family’s history to me, he reached the time of the Vietnam War. He told me there was absolutely no doubt in his mind, and in his family members’ hearts that he would represent his nation, supporting America’s involvement in Vietnam. He explained that military action was an opportunity for South Koreans to attempt to give back to America, as America had so generously given to South Korea between 1950 and 1953.

I have heard from American soldiers who fought with Korean KATUSA (Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army) troops in Vietnam, describing the Koreans as ultimate warriors. Previously I had thought that their motivation was simply their training. Now I understood that the motivation of Korean soldiers in Vietnam was much deeper, it was rooted in the family tradition of repaying debts owed, even on a global scale. He then told me about the next generation by describing his son’s dilemma. His son was ready to go to college, with a chosen career path and the money to attend college. Yet his father’s challenge was explaining to the son how that plan would have to be put off for a couple of years, while he receives a token monthly payment, serving in the ROK army, meeting the military requirement and fulfilling family tradition.

The Korean War Room is a must-see experience. Along with firearms exhibits are action-filled bronze sculptures and dioramas that allow one to glimpse the struggles of the millions of refugees of that war. I visited this museum with several U.S. Korean War veterans. As we passed a diorama of Chinese soldiers running into battle, one of my friends, almost ashamed, told of how hundreds of unarmed Chinese soldiers descended on them, armed with nothing but pots and pans, hoping to kill Americans and requisition their guns. This Korean War veteran was a youngster when armed Americans were fighting armed Germans in World War II. His understanding of combat was torn apart when he was forced to fire on a swarm of Chinese soldiers coming to beat him to death with kitchen utensils.

As visitors to the War Memorial immerse themselves into the Korean War, a dark doorway awaits them. Beyond that doorway is something seldom experienced in military museums. Beyond that doorway is something two of the Korean War veterans I was with were unwilling to re-experience, for beyond that doorway is the Combat Experience Room. Intellectually described as a place where visitors are able to experience the atmosphere of the real battlefield at night, the Combat Experience Room was much more to the Korean War veterans choosing to accompany me into that darkened environment. We were standing in a foxhole. In front of us were mannequin soldiers crouching down in the heat of battle. Some of the soldiers in front of us were firing M-1 Garands. To our right were two men on a 1919A-4 Browning. Nearby others were firing 60mm mortars into the distance. Separating all of us from the enemy were the battle-scarred remnants of vegetation, entwined with barbwire and destruction. In the distant hills the flash of gunfire pointing our way was constant, as was the roar of automatic weapons fire around us, and the flashes from ordnance exploding nearby. The Combat Experience Room proved too graphic for one of my Korean War friends. Faster than a psychiatrist’s couch, this experience was resurrecting memories he wanted to remain buried. Yet War Memorial’s Combat Experience Room is a great success. It helps successive generations of Koreans feel, on a soul level, the sacrifices made by their parents and their grandparents to create the freedom they unintentionally take for granted.

Ten times in Korean history its troops were sent abroad for participation in other nations’ wars. The Expeditionary Forces Room honors those ten events with particular attention to Korea’s proud participation in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and the Somalia conflict. In terms of the length and scale of involvement and the role played, its participation in the Vietnam War was the most significant among all ten expeditionary dispatches. Through its participation in the Vietnam War, Korean armed forces displayed their strong might to the world. Its 8-year participation in that war demonstrated to the world that Korean armed forces, which used to receive support from other countries, were now able to provide help to an ally of the free world. Koreans are confident that their involvement in the Vietnam War enhanced the status of the Republic of Korea in the world community by proving to the world that Korea is able to keep its own peace and to contribute towards the peace of the world as well.

We readers of Small Arms Review love to look at guns. But War Memorial carries us beyond that interest, offering us a much deeper understanding of the dangers posed by the enemy. A diorama of Vietcong mines and booby traps, and another of the Vietcong tunnel system, start to reveal the scope of the challenge American and ROK troops experienced during the Vietnam War.

The Armed Forces Room includes halls dedicated to the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, portraying how the Constabulary, which was activated after the liberation of Korea from Japanese colonial rule, transformed itself into the Korean armed forces. With the help of other nations, it ultimately repelled North Korea’s invasion. That trial by fire, just two years after the Republic of Korea was established, began the evolution of the ROK armed forces into today’s military might utilizing up-to-date armament and intensive training of its 600,000 troops.

The next visit is to the Large Equipment Room. In this context, “equipment” fulfills SAR readers’ dreams: helicopters, U.S. and Russian aircraft, tanks, anti-aircraft guns, the big equipment is all here, well preserved in this immense indoor exhibition room.

The final chapter in the statement made by War Memorial is the Korean Defense Industries Room. Here, actual examples and miniature models of weapons and armament currently manufactured in Korea are on display. This exhibit includes small arms, ammunition, electronics and even power plants, all demonstrating the Republic of Korea’s military might and its ability to supply and equip its army and the armies of the world.

One million square feet makes an immense museum. Yet your tour is not over! Leaving the building one enters the next phase of exhibits. The outdoor exhibition area at War Memorial is a grand experience by itself. Imagine Korean, Russian and American aircraft on the grounds surrounding this mammoth marble structure. Would you expect a B52 bomber to be parked in the middle of urban Seoul, Korea? Yet here it is, along with rockets, tanks, and examples of every type of stationary, portable, tracked and naval artillery that one could imagine. I was delighted to be able to photograph the missing pieces to my 90mm anti-aircraft gun. You will find something equally meaningful if you take the trip to South Korea and visit the nation that is eternally extending its hand of friendship and thanks to America.