• – (Where available) carry liability insurance coverage of at least $1 million.
• – Provide safety locks with all S&W guns.
• – Make no sales of S&W firearms at gun shows unless all sales by any show seller are conducted after a background check.
• – Not sell any S&W firearm to any FFL-holder who is not an authorized S&W dealer or distributor.
• – Sell only one S&W gun to a multiple purchaser and additional guns after a 14-day wait (security firm sales are exempted).
• – Maintain an inventory record of S&W firearms updated monthly. Termination of the authorized dealership will result if any S&W firearms are unaccounted for after an audit.
• – Keep S&W firearms secured both during business and non-business hours.
• – Not sell S&W magazines able to hold more than ten rounds of ammunition, regardless of date of manufacture.
• – Comply with all monitoring of firearm distribution by S&W, ATF and law enforcement.
• – Maintain a record of all trace requests of S&W firearms initiated by ATF, and report such requests to S&W on a monthly basis. Retailers involved in a “disproportionate” number of crime trace requests may be terminated.
• – Require all employees involved in the sale of S&W firearms to receive training (training format to be developed by S&W) covering laws related to firearms transactions on an annual basis.
• – Require employees handling S&W firearms to pass a comprehensive written exam on the material covered in the training. Those who fail to pass the exam will not be allowed to sell or handle S&W firearms.
• – Not sell S&W firearms to consumers who have not passed a certified gun safety-training course.

When the “Smith & Wesson Agreement” with the Clinton Administration was first announced in March, 2000, the language of the document made it seem that it applied to products of other manufacturers, such as the ban on retailers’ selling over ten round magazines. While S&W reportedly is still seeking clarification of the agreement it signed with the federal government in the courts, the draft copy of the Dealer’s Code clearly bears out what S&W has been saying all along -specifically, that the Agreement only affects products which S&W manufacture.

S&W’s distributors have had their existing (Pre-Clinton Agreement) contracts renewed. New distributor contracts containing the terms of the new “Code of Responsible Distributor Practices” have not yet been released. S&W feels that since the new distributor contracts will limit distributors to selling S&W firearms only to authorized S&W retailers, it makes sense to build up a network of authorized retailers first, and then work on getting the distributors to sign on.

Led by Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN), some 90 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have petitioned Mel Martinez, the new secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), to abandon the Committee for Safer Guns Coalition created by the Clinton Administration’s anti-gun HUD chief, Andrew Cuomo.

Cuomo had created the Coalition to give preferential local and federal government contract treatment to Smith & Wesson in the wake of the agreement reached with S&W’s former president, Ed Schultz. When other handgun firms refused to sign on to the agreement, and many local police agencies noted they wanted no part of the agreement, the coalition failed.

Tax Collections Rise

Excise tax collections on firearms and ammunition have risen through each of the three quarters reported so far for the year 2000, says the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (ATF). During the first quarter fiscal year 2000, the firearms and ammunition (which are taxed at the rates of 10% or 11% of the sales price) tax total came to $52,054,000, compared to $42,925,000 during the same period in 1999.

In the second quarter, the collected taxes totaled $95,394,000 versus $84,055,000 during the same quarter the year before. In 2000’s third fiscal quarter, the collected guns and ammo tax total jumped to $141,754,000, as opposed to $131,735,000 in 1999.

ATF Active

ATF has been active in going after gun law violators. ATF and the Kern County, California Sheriff’s Dept. have seized over 100 firearms and have filed charges including conspiracy to deal firearms without a license, selling/disposing of firearms to a felon, and unlawful receipt/disposition of a stolen firearm, in the culmination of a two-year illegal trafficking investigation.

The investigation began when ATF received information that two individuals, Mickey and Brandon Gladden, were involved in the illegal trafficking of firearms. Subsequent investigation documented the illegal transfer of more than 40 firearms. Pete De Luna, an ex-employee of Floyd’s General Store, a licensed dealer in Shafter, CA, and Monte Preston, were also implicated in aspects of the trafficking operation.

The investigation included a number of undercover purchases that involved “straw purchase” transfers of firearms. Although three search warrants were executed at federally licensed dealers for records, the owners of those businesses are not suspects or targets in the investigation. The warrants were executed by over 85 ATF agents with support from other law enforcement agencies, including the FBI.

The arrest of Tin Nyunt, of Elmhurst, in the New York City borough of Queens was recently made for illegally transporting or receiving firearms from out-of-state while not a federally licensed dealer. The case arose from a traffic stop for erratic operation of a motor vehicle by the New Castle Police Dept. in Westchester County. Search of the vehicle’s trunk revealed a Ruger 9mm pistol. New Castle police notified ATF agents who obtained further information on additional firearms. The subsequent execution of a search warrant at Nyunt’s residence resulted in the recovery of 14 rifles (including several so-called “assault rifles”) and six pistols. The arms are being traced to ascertain their origin.

The New York City Police Dept. is running a controversial “GUN-STOP” program offering a $500 reward for the removal of illegal guns. ATF invited the press in to photograph the seized guns that were on display at its New York office.

In another case, Mourad Topalian of Beachwood, OH, was recently sentenced to 37 months imprisonment, a $6,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and 200 hours of community service in connection with his guilty pleas. Topalian was charged with concealment and storage of stolen explosives and possession of two machine guns. Pursuant to a plea agreement, three other counts involving conspiracy, improper storage of explosives and possession of firearms with obliterated serial numbers were dismissed.

The charges arose from Topalian’s possession and storage of more than 100 pounds of stolen dynamite and high explosives, along with 13 firearms – including a fully-automatic Uzi submachine gun, and a full-auto, two-triggered Beretta submachine gun – along with almost 100 rounds of live ammunition, in a public rental storage facility in Bedford, OH, next door to a gas station and close to a children’s day care center.

Finally, a joint ATF and local police investigation has led to the arrest of six individuals who were attempting to commit a “home invasion” style robbery of an alleged drughouse. The month-long investigation also led to the seizure of an Intratec 9mm pistol, a Norinco AK-47 style rifle, a sawed-off Winchester 30/30 rifle, a sawed-off Browning 12 gauge shotgun, and a Beretta .25 caliber pistol.

Two of the individuals were wearing tactical police attire and badges and had in their possession a scanner, walkie-talkies and a list of police frequencies. If convicted, each faces up to 25 years imprisonment.

Thomas Wayne Moore and Paul Larry Mohr were arrested by ATF agents last February on charges of possession and transfer of a machinegun. They were accused of selling a Beretta machine gun to an undercover ATF agent last January. About 75 firearms were seized in the raid, most were from Moore’s Wild West Trading Post in Otero County, New Mexico. About eighty handguns were stolen from a gun show held at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds last February 17-18. Reportedly security personnel were on duty at the show.

Strong Words

During a recent appearance on CNN’s “Larry King Live,” U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, spoke against passage of new gun laws. “I think we’ve got enough laws on the books. I think what we need is tougher enforcement,” Ashcroft said.

Ashcroft also stated, “Law-abiding citizens have a right, under our Constitution, to have firearms.” These words stand in stark contrast to the former Justice Dept. official position (during the Clinton Administration) that “the Second Amendment does not extend an individual right to keep and bear arms.”

Attorneys for the anti-gun group, Handgun Control, Inc. (HCI), are demanding that Liberty Watch, a pro-gun organization, hand over its web site domain names to HCI.

Liberty Watch’s web sites, www.handguncontrol.net, www.cphv.com and www.cphv.net, disseminate information, political beliefs, satire and parody supporting the Second Amendment.

“HCI asserts it owns valid service marks on the domain names – yet has provided no bona fide proof,” states Richard J. Lucibella, Liberty Watch’s executive director. “HCI has no legal right to restrict our web sites’ use of common, everyday English words and phrases.”

In an effort to peaceably co-exist, Liberty Watch has offered to publish mutually acceptable disclaimers, but HCI has been unyielding in its demand that Liberty Watch relinquish the domain names. The group has now filed suit against HCI.

A British company, 21st Century Faxes Ltd., is sending unsolicited facsimile transmissions to Americans. Purporting to be a “survey” on gun issues, the poll asks, “Should gun makers compensate victims of gun crime?” To register an opinion, respondents must FAX replies to a “900” number that, according to fine print at the bottom of the message, costs $2.95 per minute.

Heston Remains

On February 3, the National Rifle Association’s board of directors, voted to approve a bylaw change that will help keep NRA President Charlton Heston in office in 2002. The move, which nearly assures the popular Heston’s re-election to a fourth consecutive one-year term, is felt crucial to success in getting out the sportsmen’s vote in the 2002-election cycle.

Last fall, Heston and NRA executive vice president, Wayne LaPierre, toured nearly 24 cities in eight states to rally pro-gun voters. Former President Clinton has publicly conceded such efforts had a major influence on the election results. Historically, NRA presidents were limited to two consecutive one-year terms.

Anti-gun residents of Avon, CT, are attempting to pressure a new Wal-Mart store in their town not to sell guns. Claiming gun sales do not reflect “the values of the community,” some residents are circulating petitions to keep guns out of the store.

The 2000 Las Vegas S.H.O.T. Show drew 16,745 buyers with a total attendance of 29,607 persons. There were 1,420 exhibiting companies at the 2000 Show comprising 465,600 square feet.

The 2001 New Orleans Show comprised 486,200 net sq. ft. with an overall attendance of 25,291, which included 12,857 retailers, 11,234 exhibitor personnel, 1,450 exhibiting companies and 1,200 media persons. Buyer attendance at the first Show in 1979 (held in St. Louis) was 2,450 with 290 exhibiting companies taking up 52,153 sq. ft. Total attendance was 5,600 persons.

Carroll County, Maryland, is thought to be the first school district in the country to make gun safety a required lesson within its health and life classes from kindergarten to 12th grade, according to Cable News Network. The rural district south of Baltimore, which started the program last fall, says that its program is a health and safety effort that is neither anti- nor pro-gun.

Maryland’s Court of Appeals has issued a ruling reversing a lower court decision regarding otherwise legal “weapons” concealed in the home. The case involved an unnamed Baltimore 14-year old who was sentenced to probation in 1998 for hiding a shotgun under his mattress. The teen’s mother found the gun and called police. The boy was charged with violating Maryland’s concealed carry law and was convicted. However, the state’s appeals court noted that generally a person “in possession of a legal, dangerous and deadly weapon may conceal or store it as long as it is on property which the person owns, are a legal resident of, or are present on as an invited guest if the owner has knowledge of the possession of the weapon.”

DPMS (Defense Procurement Manufacturing Services, Inc.) Long known for the extensive line of custom built AR-15s and accessories has just added three more products to their catalog. The first is a Tactical Bolt Catch for the AR-15/M-16 series of rifles. This new bolt catch has a larger bolt release pad that is much easier to activate. The second benefit is the lower extended pad, which is used to hold the bolt carrier back when the magazine is not installed. This feature is excellent for training when the magazine must be removed. The new Tactical Bolt Catch installs in minutes by simply removing the old bolt catch and replacing it with the new one. Retail price for the Tactical Bolt Catch is $14.95. The next item is their new metric FAL Receiver. This receiver is a type 2, metric pattern, with type 1 mag well cut. It is made from 4140 steel with a 28-34 Rc hardness and is black finished. Other features include carry handle cut, semi-auto ejector block installed and it is cut for metric magazines. These new Fal receivers retail for just $269.95. The last but certainly not least item is DPMS’ new Lo-Pro Classic rifle. This AR-15 style rifle is manufactured using new hi-tech ideas and materials not found in run of the mill rifles. This new rifle offers a true 16 inch target/bull barrel and a solid flap top upper receiver. Accuracy and a compact size all for a retail price of only $655.00!!! For more information contact DPMS, Dept. SAR, 13983 Industry Ave., Becker, MN 55308. Phone: 1-763-261-5600. Fax: 1-763-261-5599

• 5.56x45mm
• 9x19mm
• .38
• .40 (presumably .40 S&W)
• .45
• 7.62x51mm
• 7.62x39mm
• 7.62x54mm rimmed
• 12.7mm (NATO or Russian not stated)
• 1” signal cartridges
• 1.5” anti-riot cartridges
• Commercial shotgun & rifle ammunition
• Primers, cases & other components

AMIG has reportedly been in the ammunition business for over 60 years, and is claimed to manufacture to international standards of quality assurance. As some readers may know, Iran already does a fair job cloning MP5 and MP5K SMGs, plus Webley-Schermuly riot guns, though we don’t expect the Pentagon to be listed among its loyal customers anytime soon.

POTENTIAL FOR IMPROVING 40MM GRENADE LAUNCHER EFFECTIVENESS: a paper by Royal Ordnance boffins embedded at the Royal Military College of Science (RMCS Shrivenham) claimed that while the range of low-velocity 40mm grenade launchers is around 400 metres, in practice, due to the limitations of existing sighting systems, this was reduced to no more than 150 metres. This is well below the 300-600 metre engagement bracket for rifles, LMGs and anti-armour launchers, with obvious implications for their tactical usefulness.

In particular, poor range estimation was identified as a major culprit in targeting errors with 40mm systems, an aspect not helped by the very low (nominally 75 m/s) MV and rainbow-like trajectory of the grenades. It suggested that, to reduce this mismatch and extend 40mm launcher effectiveness, a number of improvements would help. These could include laser-assisted rangefinding, higher velocity, recoil elimination, airburst & other advanced fuzing, maybe even guided projectiles. At Shrivenham the boffins set up their own ‘synthetic environment’ in their offices, using simulated area (trench) & window targets at ranges to 300 metres, in order to test some of their theories, with a laser rangefinder & magnifying optical sight on the weapon and a head-mounted display worn by the firer.

The host weapon was a modified SA80 fitted with a 40mm H&K underbarrel launcher and control buttons on the handguard, and the whole outfit was integrated with the prototype FIST equipment (UK version of Land Warrior). The tests required the firer to aim using the weapon sight, then lase the target for range data. Eyeballing the target through his head-mounted display he then had to simply align two icons just above his line of sight before finally firing. This technique should theoretically produce 1st round hits.

Claimed results suggested 1st round accuracy improvements of ‘an order of magnitude’ better than for firers using standard equipment and visually estimating the target’s range, but some operators found it took far too long to aim (up to ten seconds) using all this new fire control equipment, nor were all of them happy with the ergonomics.

(nb: this time aspect reinforces our own lingering concerns about the complexity of all Land Warrior systems and procedures detracting from users’ concentration on the urgent tasks in hand – delivering fast, effective fire and (just as important, if not more so) avoiding that of the other guys)

The modified system performed almost as well as the theoretical expectation against the area target out to 200 yards, though – despite marked improvements – the window target results still fell short of the boffins’ aspirations. While vertical round-to-round miss errors with the prototype equipment were only slightly worse than if the range was known in advance and a simpler red dot sight was used, horizontal round-to-round dispersion errors were noticeably greater. Furthermore, firers also found it difficult and slow to accurately lase man-sized targets beyond 250-300 metres. Just don’t ask why, having had the opportunity more than a decade ago to adopt a 40mm underbarrel launcher for use with SA80, the British army chose instead to adopt the much less flexible muzzle-launched rifle grenade, and even then essentially only for Desert Storm.

Despite their obvious advantages, only UK special forces plus some Paras and Pathfinders currently have M203 launchers, used only on M16-series rifles.

UK POLICE ALERTED TO THREAT OF ‘DISGUISED FIREARMS’: Police Review reported in mid-Apr 2001 that the firearms tracing unit of the UK’s National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) had alerted police in Britain to the existence of ‘disguised firearms’ such as mobile phone guns (see previous issues) and said that this class of weapon was already in circulation in the UK. NCIS says most of these guns, which can also be disguised as flashlights, cigarette lighters or screwdrivers (and don’t forget pen guns!) are being made in Eastern Europe and are very ingeniously designed.

As we commented in a previous issue, some of these ‘guns’ (for example the mobile phones and the twin-barreled Bulgarian Osa pistols) are not actually built as lethal weapons, being intended to fire gas or blank ammunition, but there are clearly backstreet workshops somewhere which are converting them to fire live ammunition, typically .22 rimfire. It was thought some of the mobile phone guns could well be in Britain at this time, and NCIS warned officers to be wary of phones being held in odd ways and, if possible, to check their weight, in case they might actually be firearms.

As we’ve said before, phone guns present a particularly serious security problem, for example at airports, as virtually everyone has a mobile nowadays, and few people ever give them a second thought. The chances of an armed police squad taking out an innocent phone user who may be acting oddly are clearly somewhat greater now, though hopefully not as high as in the US, where (as far as we know) they haven’t even woken up to phone guns yet. Over there, anything in a suspect’s hand tends to prompt a vigorous and often fatal response.

The NCIS firearms tracing system has been set up to hopefully enable the origins of all guns recovered by British police to be identified. It’s hoped this intelligence will also provide clues to the structure of the illegal firearms trade and allow effective action to be taken to tackle the problem.

Footnote: pen guns are another dangerous area, since some of them are extremely well-disguised. One manufacturer we’ve spoken to said he’d been told of at least one instance of his pen guns going through US airport controls entirely unchallenged, though, in fairness, the weapon involved on the occasion described was apparently a non-functional sample. Problem is, in the US passengers usually have the option of emptying their pockets before going through metal detectors. In our experience very little attention is paid to what goes in the little plastic tray along with the keys and change.

On the other hand, if someone is compelled to carry a weapon through controls and then triggers an alarm, we’re sure anything found during the subsequent patdown or manual scan is likely to be scrutinised much more carefully. Separately, we noted from the Charlotte Observer that a man was apprehended in Mecklenberg, North Carolina, in early May 2001 trying to enter the local courthouse armed with a loaded .25 pen gun and a knife. He initially set off the metal detectors and when questioned pulled out the knife, ammunition and the pen, telling the officers it was a gun – which deputies at the security checkpoint had already figured out. He was apparently only there to pay a traffic ticket, but now he’s facing weapons charges too!

Often referred to as “Pocket Machineguns”, the machinepistol is truly a unique piece of equipment among the many classes of fast firing weapons that have evolved through the years since the introduction of metallic cartridges. No one really knows who invented the very first machinepistol. Historical record shows that it was Beistigue Hermanos company of Spain that first introduced a machinepistol in the international market in 1927. Their entry is based on the very successful German Mauser Model 1896, most popularly known as the “Broomhandle”. While Mauser can be credited in perfecting a military class self-loading pistol strong enough to handle high-pressure loads and rapid-fire operation, it was the brothers Juan and Cosme Beistigui who took the design one step further. They developed a selective-fire weapon called “Royal” that became one of the most sought after battle pistols by Chinese warlords in the turbulent 1930’s.

Inspired by the success of the Royal particularly in the Far East, another Spanish firm Astra/Unceta entered the scene and developed their own version of a selective fire Broomhandle in 1927 called the model 900,901,902,903,904 and the last being the Model-F. The Model-F featured a cyclic rate reducer similar to that found on the Model-2 Royal machinepistol but is more refined and sophisticated.

Finally, Mauser introduced their selective-fire model. Ironically, the German firm was forced into developing a selective-fire Broomhandle. Mauser had no plans to design and produce such a model in the 1930’s, but initiated a crash development program because of the successful introduction of the Spanish-made machinepistols on the Asiatic market. The first model of the Mauser Broomhandle machinepistol was designed by Joseph Nickl, an Austrian hired by Mauser to redesign the existing semi-auto pistol to provide selective-fire operation. The Nickl designed machinepistol was produced in limited quantities between l930 and 1931 with approximately 4000 made. The first designation used by Mauser for these pistols is “Reihenfeuer Model R-713” or Rapid Fire Mauser Pistol. An improved version of the R-713 was designed by Karl Westinger. This new model was designated “Mauser Schnellfeuer” or Model 712. The Schnellfeuers were sold mostly to the Chinese warlords in the l930’s but were also used in the submachinegun role in World War II by Hitler’s elite Waffen SS.

Then came John M. Browning’s .45 automatic pistol. When compared to the Mauser Broomhandle, the U.S. pistol is more modern, portable and more balanced for one hand shooting. Once the Colt forty-five auto became standard U.S. army issue in l911, other manufacturers soon explored its other possibilities beyond just an ordinary military sidearm. As if history repeated itself, it was once again a Spanish gunmaker that first saw these possibilities of a foreign design and made good use of it.

Like several leading Spanish arms manufacturers in the 1920’s and 1930’s, notably Star, Llama and Astra; it was the STAR factory located in the city of Eibar that actively pursued the development of a series of selective-fire machinepistols based on the 1911 pattern. In 1917, the factory introduced its first cal.45 auto pistol bearing the tradename “Izarra” instead of “STAR”. This model was offered to the French government who placed a large order. However, the order was not filled because of the end of the First World War in l918. The manufacture of this pistol was then abandoned and the pistol was never produced except for a few prototypes that were used in the French demonstrations.

About the same year, Star decided to market a simplified version of the Colt 1911 pistol. The locking mechanism, external features and feed system were incorporated but not the trigger lockwork. Llama, on the other hand opted to copy the original 1911 in its overall format to include all its mechanical set up and external configuration. It’s a perfect 1911 clone but made with softer materials compared to Colt’s strong forged components.

While externally resembling the Colt automatic, the star pistol differs in trigger lockwork. Its trigger bar is externally mounted to the right side of the frame connected to a pivoting trigger. It has no separate disconnector like the Colt. Instead, the trigger bar has a raised hump and is depressed downward by the slide movement to disconnect itself from the sear after a shot is fired. The manual safety locks the hammer instead of the sear. To further simplify the Colt design, Star omitted the usual grip safety that blocks the trigger movement. Although the locking system, barrel arrangement and recoil spring assembly are completely identical to Colt’s, they are not interchangeable.

In 1930, the Star factory developed its first 1911 style machinepistol based on their full size semi-auto, the Model 1922. These pistols were chambered for the 9mm Para, 7,63mm (.30 cal. Mauser), .38 ACP, .45 ACP. The Spanish Guardia Civil selected the powerful 9mm Bergmann-Bayard cartridge for their service pistol.

All Star machinepistols incorporate a sliding-type fire selector mounted on a vertical dovetail at the right hand side rear of the slide where the grasping serrations were cut. When pushed upward, the weapon will fire semi-auto. On downward position, the gun will fire automatically as long as the trigger is held back or until the magazine is empty. The fire selector works in relation with the automatic tripping device mounted on the right side of the grip. The upper tip of the pivoting tripper is actuated by the protruding bottom end of the fire selector when set at full auto. The automatic tripping device will only make contact with the sear to trip the hammer mechanically at the very last stage of slide closure assuring that the slide and barrel are fully locked together before the hammer is tripped. The tripper assembly is neatly covered and secured into position by the grip panel. Star machinepistols are produced in different versions to include the standard models PD, AD and BD. Some models are equipped with detachable shoulder stocks, adjustable sights, long barrels and various hi-capacity magazines ranging from 15, 25 up to 32 rounds for 9mm and .38 ACP.

While the STAR machinepistols were considered very modern and sophisticated in their day, they deliver an excessive rate of fire of over 1000 rpm making it totally uncontrollable to shoot on full automatic. Accordingly, a very sophisticated rate of fire retarder was developed by the company to compensate this drawback and was incorporated on their last version; the “Modello Special” marketed in 1934. Unfortunately, despite all these marvellous features built into the Star machinepistols, they failed to attract wide market acceptance, although several countries in the Far East and Latin America have stirred limited commercial sales.

The first recorded full auto modification for the Colt .45 Automatic did not come from any manufacturer, rather; from an unknown gunshop in San Antonio, Texas operated by a young gunsmith named Himan S. Lebman. While lawmen and gangsters of the 1920’s admired the elegance and beastly beauty of the Tommy gun (Thompson SMG), Lebman also shared that same enthusiasm and dreamed of creating one himself. He began experimenting with converting sporting self-loading rifles and pistols to fire fully automatic as early as mid 1920’s, several years before the Spanish firm of Star started making their own.

During the 1928 revolution in Mexico, Lebman set up his gunsmith shop, supplying machineguns; rifles and even full auto converted weapons to Pancho Villa’s revolutionaries. This business venture was followed with his close association with the notorious John Dillinger gang, particularly with Lester Gillis, also known as Baby Face Nelson. Apparently, Lebman supplied at least two converted 1911 pistols to Baby Face and was working on a third – found by the F.B.I. still wired to a work bench in his shop when they arrested him in April 1934. Nelson had at least three full auto Colt .45’s, all of which are now in the F.B.I. collection. Two of the specimens, one of which was reported to have been the murder weapon of an F.B.I. agent, were seized when the notorious gang tried to shoot their way out of the Little Bohemia Motel in Wisconsin. The third Lebman-converted Government model was found when authorities raided Nelson’s hideout after the bloody encounter. This incident highly contributed to the enactment of the United States’ first Gun Control Act in 1934, requiring the registration of machinegun ownership to civilians.

Lebman’s experimentation in converting the 1911 to deliver full auto fire was quite extensive. All the various specimens taken from Nelson and from Lebman’s shop exhibit differences in mechanical arrangements as well as external features that included the addition of front grips and muzzle brake devices, something not explored by both Mauser and Star companies when they produced their machinepistols. Lebman was definitely one bright gunsmith who had envisioned what an ideal machinepistol should look like in order to be effective and controllable despite its excessive rate of fire and powerful .45 ACP cartridge.

The last conversion Lebman had developed prior to his arrest was perhaps the most reliable. This model featured a selective fire mechanism that was remarkably ingenious in both concept and mechanical arrangement. The F.B.I. loaned this pistol to the U.S. army in the mid 1930’s for extensive testing and evaluation at the Springfield Armory for its possible military application. Although ultimately Lebman’s machinepistol was not considered for military use, the army concluded that the converted weapon was by far the most reliable full-auto conversion of the 1911 service pistol. When the army returned the pistol to the F.B.I., the original fire selector button was lost; a regular screw replaced it. The conversion technique used by Lebman in this pistol became the basis for Colt’s later developments of the full auto 1911, which started in 1938 and lasted until 1949.

With Lebman’s converted pistol having caught the U.S. army’s attention in the mid 1930’s, it is quite possible that it became an inspiration to the Colt company who eventually undertook a program dedicated solely in the development of selective fire 1911 in various format incorporating many of the features found on the Lebman converted pistols. The threat of the Second World War is another reason that can be added to Colt’s sudden interest in exploring the possibilities of selective fire 1911 machinepistols and carbines for military applications. Colt’s research and development team for this project was headed by William L. Swartz and Horace J. Kennedy. Kennedy’s patent (2,462,505) filed July 28, l949 was a derivative of the Lebman design incorporating a split disconnector system. While many of Colt’s experimental select-fire 1911 weapons systems showed great potential, they failed to gain the interest of the military simply due to the fact that cheaper and more effective submachineguns like the Greasegun and Sten proved more desirable in actual combat conditions.

After WW II, millions of 1911 service pistols scattered throughout the world as carried by the GI’s in many war fronts. Browning’s .45 auto produced by Colt and other U.S. companies under contract during the war flooded the Asian theatre. One of the many principal recipients of the vast surplus guns are the Philippine army and constabulary scouts formed by the U.S. government after the country’s liberation by Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1946. The author virtually grew up with the 1911, being the first training gun his father had taught him to shoot using a .22 conversion kit which started on his 6th birthday. My dad, an undercover operative for the Criminal Investigation Service (CIS) in the 1960’s owned and treasured a pair of Remington-Rand .45’s. These guns saved his life many times from the 7 attempts on his life. He retired with his trusted tools in the late 1980’s and today he still finds comfort and peace of mind at night knowing his beloved pair of big bores are still there when called upon.

Needless to say, my dad is my hero and inspiration in my growing up with guns. In the turbulent 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, he proved himself many times in the face of death and came out alive. Often, our home became a sanctuary to many people whose life was being threatened by corrupt politicians and hired goons. Today, he still lives a poor man and returned to farming, while many of his colleagues retired wealthy and powerful. He is truly an honest man who served his community beyond his call of duty. I could never be more proud of my dad for standing up for what he believes in.

While in the service, my dad has encountered and confiscated vast numbers of illegal weapons ranging from locally made imitation guns, to sophisticated converted automatic rifles, shotguns and pistols of both domestic and foreign make. Back in the late 60’s to the early 70’s prior to the declaration of Martial law in 1972 by President Marcos, political bodyguards often carried compact submachineguns, namely the UZI, Ingrams, pistolized Thompsons and chopped up M2 .30 carbines. On several occasions, in my high school days, I noted several converted army-issue 1911’s being carried by high-ranking officers operating in the rebel infested areas of central Luzon. Both the Ilocos province (Marcos’ hometown) and Danao of Cebu in the Visayas island are noted for their underground workshops producing all sorts of imitation guns as well as full auto conversion specialists with anything that shoots semi-automatically.

Prior to my entry in college circa l967, my dad brought home a converted 1911 confiscated from a hired political killer. The weapon was a Colt Government model in almost new condition. It was highly polished to appear like a stainless steel gun. The gun is very sharp looking and very well maintained. The weapon had a sliding type fire selector mounted at the rear right hand side of the slide that can be pushed up and down for the type of fire desired. The selector lever is attached to the firing pin stop that acted as the tripping shoulder for a separate auto sear. The hole for the firing pin stop is elongated to allow movement as controlled by the sliding fire-selector lever. The top of the extractor to the rear was modified to clear the connecting pin between the selector and firing-pin stop. The disconnector and sear appears unmodified. Visible was a full groove cut on the feed rail of the slide that allows the disconnector to maintain its upward position and not disconnect when the selector lever is on its upward position firing full auto. On its downward semi-auto position, the selector will cam the firing-pin stop with its added front stem extension riding over the disconnector, filling up a fraction of the groove at the rear. As the slide moves to the rear, the stem pushes down the disconnector to allow the hammer to engage the auto sear seated on the left side of the regular sear. As the slide homes into battery, a small step cut on the right side of the slide beside the firing-pin stop cams the top end of the auto sear releasing the hammer. The hammer will be automatically engaged by the regular sear holding it in fully cocked position until the trigger is pulled. In addition to its excellent workmanship which led me to believe that it was done in the more modern facility of Danao, the full auto pistol also came equipped with a well designed folding front grip and a muzzle brake. The conversion technique appears very sound and clean when compared to others that I have seen until the military government take-over in 1972.

Seventy years had passed since Lebman introduced his 1911 machineguns in history but yet John M. Browning’s masterpiece combat handgun still yearns to be totally explored in its ultimate form. Now that its high capacity format has been perfected in the form of the Para-ordnance, STI,SVI, Kimber, etc, the time is ripe to take a final look at its military and police potentials. This is the most dressed service pistol in existence today with vast arrays of enhancement devices readily available to include recoil reducing compensators, match grade barrels and hi-performance trigger groups. With these superb gadgetries completing the package, a new generation of 1911 machinepistols can now be put together utilizing the latest hi-capacity frame models. Add to that set-up a competition proven compensator device and a folding front grip and the end result could very well be the ultimate 1911 machinepistol for the 21st century that even John Browning himself would come to admire.

For machinegun collectors, the 1911 machinepistol is as rare as it can be. 1911 machinepistols and carbine prototypes like those ones made by Colt during WW II can fetch easily between ten to fifteen thousand dollars today. On rare occasion, a registered converted 1911 machinepistol will be offered for sale at a very high price equal to that of a Heckler & Koch MP5 submachinegun depending on the quality of workmanship and condition of the gun. Unfortunately, despite the popularity of the new generation hi-capacity 1911 today and the F.B.I. adopting it in numerous guises, still no manufacturer has gone one step further when other makers such as Glock, Beretta and CZ have all made selective-fire versions of their service class handguns. Perhaps some other time, John.

NOTE:

Part two of this series will cover the H&K VP-70 Beretta 93R, CZ-75 and Glock M-18 machinepistols (Design perspective of 21st century Machinepistols – beyond 1911.)

My mission at this shoot was to man “The Tower”. The Tower is a section of Baker staging erected in the center of the line allowing its occupants to view the event with a 7-foot height advantage over the shooters. Whoever is running the Tower is in radio contact with the line staff, and can keep an extra eye on everything happening the entire length of the firing line. Before every volley, there is a staff meeting at the Tower to address concerns and answer questions, and it is followed with a shooters safety meeting. The shooters safety meeting takes about five minutes and we go over the range rules each time. Any shooter who does not attend the meeting is not allowed to fire during that volley. While it takes time and sometimes seems monotonous, when the event is over we receive nothing but praise for running a good, safe shoot. Safety is absolutely the number one priority, and having fun follows second. As a matter of fact, the number one complaint I heard throughout the weekend last year was that the firing line was open too much. That is a problem I was pleased to hear.

The firing line was packed as usual with machine guns representing all eras of military arms development. Almost any firearm from the Gattling Gun, to the Maxim Gun (The first REAL machine gun), to the latest in modern military weaponry could be found there. Being almost in the back yard of where the very first machine gun was developed and test fired by Sir Hiram Maxim himself makes this event close to being a religious experience to the true Emma-Gee. Many of those who attend every year even refer to the trip as their annual pilgrimage.

Under the watchful (and helpful I might add) eye of the State Fire Marshal’s office, around 150 sticks of dynamite were placed on the targets for the shooters to train their fire on throughout the weekend. The charges were large enough to set off several car alarms each time the line opened up. The approving smiles and occasional applause of the spectators made it quite obvious everyone enjoyed the explosions. Cars and trucks that have found their way to area junkyards are the usual targets and are placed from 100 to 150 yards from the shooters.

Shotgun News was the sponsor of a special event last year that went over very well with the shooters as well as the spectators. During a special volley, a van with a dynamite charge was placed down-range. Inside the van was a hidden detonation button. Any caliber bullet that could penetrate the side of the van was able to set off the dynamite charge so the sub-gunners could compete as well as those firing belt-fed machineguns. Every shooter interested in competing paid an entry fee, and was allowed 20 rounds of ammo. The names were placed in a hat, and the participants were sent to the firing line in the order that their names were drawn. The shooter who hit the hidden detonation button and blew up the van would win $500.00 courtesy of Shotgun News. The winning shooter was Bob Ward and I believe he was the 6th shooter to the firing line. $500.00 is a pretty cool bonus for the pleasure of being able to shoot at a van loaded with a dynamite charge.

Those who attend the event have the opportunity so shoot many different machine guns. Machine gun rental with hands-on instruction is readily available and the rental lines never seem to end. This is another very popular reason so many people flock to this event. It is a good opportunity to either shoot a machine gun for the first time, or to just try one out that may not be commonly found at the local range. For those who don’t live in the Free States (or Countries for that matter) where they can own machine guns, this is an opportunity of a lifetime.

The gun show portion of the exposition was larger than in years past, with more dealers, and more inventory available for sale. Items included machine guns, suppressors, ammo, parts, cutlery, clothing, and almost any related item you would expect or even hope to find. It is common to hear that many of those attending the event are as drawn to the show portion as they are to the shooting portion. It is a great opportunity to meet some of the larger dealers you often read about as well as being able to paw through an inventory of parts that may not be so common at your local gun shop.

The event is scheduled again this year and is being billed as the “Hiram Maxim Millennium, 2001 Machine Gun Shoot”. The dates are July 20-22, 2001 and will be held on the regular site in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. (I-95 to the Newport exit #39, and take Rt. 7 North to Dexter / Dover-Foxcroft. Follow signs to the shoot). Admission is $6.00 per day and a Shooting Pass to allow you on the firing line when shooting is $30.00 per day or $45.00 for the weekend. Dealer tables are $50.00 each and must be purchased in advance of the show.

If you have some time off this particular weekend, come to the Free State of Maine, shoot a machine gun into a car or at some dynamite, and introduce yourself to some of the best friends you have yet to meet.

For more information contact:
The Hiram Maxim
Historical Society
P.O. Box 1491
Waterville, Maine 04903
(207)465-2336
http://www.hirammaxim.com

The image of the Maxim or Vickers has played a key part in many of South Africa’s insignia. From cap and collar badges to shirt and beret badges, arm flashes and patches and breast badges, it is an integral part of South Africa’s history.

In World War I, South Africa, as part of the British Empire, used a lot of Imperial British insignia as well as specific South African regimental badges. One interesting cap badge belonged to the South African Horse Machine Gun Section (1916-1919) which featured the Maxim gun on a flaming bomb. They operated in German East Africa during the war.

On April 1, 1934, under the First Nationalist Government of General J.B.M. Hertzog, the first five Citizen Force Regiments were formed in South Africa as part of the South African military modernization program. What made these units unique is that they were named after South African folk heroes rather than members of the Royal Family or their Colonel in chief as was typical in Commonwealth countries up to that time. This was quite a departure in terms of naming units and provided quite a bit of national pride to have these units reflect South African history. What is particularly interesting is the image and use of the venerable Vickers gun and Maxim gun as part of the design on three of the five units that were machine gun regiments.

The first unit formed, an infantry regiment, was Regiment Botha. Louis Botha was the Boer War Commander in Chief and was the first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa. He was also responsible for taking South Africa on the side of the Allies in World War I and defeated an Afrikaaner rebellion that then led to the campaign to eliminate the Germans from South West Africa. During World War II, the Regiment served in the East and North Africa campaigns where they suffered terrible casualties as well as in Italy.

The second unit formed, a machine gun regiment, was Regiment President Steyn at Bloemfontein. President Steyn was the President of the Orange Free State Republic from 1896 to 1902. This Regiment also served in North Africa and Italy during World War II. Because of the high number of casualties suffered by both Regiments Botha and President Steyn in the North Africa campaign, the two units were amalgamated during the Italian campaign. The Vickers machine gun is the central figure of their badges.

The third regiment formed, a machine gun regiment, was Regiment Louw Wepener. He was the Orange Free State Commandant who lost his life in 1859 during the second Basuto war while storming the hilltop fortress of Moshweshwe at Thaba Bosigo. (He also gave his name to a town, the battle at which resulted in the bar ‘Wepener’ on the Queens South Africa Medal.) The volunteers of this regiment were drafted to Regiment President Steyn during World War II. Their badge, with a central image of the Vickers, is a stylized view of the mountain fortress at Thaba Bosigo.

The fourth unit formed, also a machine gun regiment, was Regiment De Wet. De Wet was the Boer General who confounded the British in the Orange Free State. The volunteers of this regiment were also drafted into Regiment President Steyn during World War II. The old Maxim gun sits squarely in the center crest.

The fifth regiment formed was an infantry regiment named De la Rey after the Boer General known as the “Lion of the Western Transvaal”. In World War II its men served in the Union until 1943 when they were amalgamated with the Witwatersand Rifles, serving in Italy.

The next batch of “Named Units” occurred on January 1, 1954. While Afrikaaners of all sorts were honored, the only unit to use the image of the Vickers machine gun was Regiment South Western Districts (R.S.W.D.) which then changed its name to Regiment Langenhoven. Langenhoven was an Afrikaaner poet and author of the South African national anthem. The crossed Vickers can be seen on both of their badges behind the Protea, South Africa’s National Flower.

In the 1960s, the South West Africa Territory Force was formed and included Regiment Erongo whose badge was crossed Vickers behind a snarling leopard head. This unit was disbanded in 1989 when South West Africa became Namibia. In the late 1960s the Military Gymnasium was created. The Military Gymnasium is what South Africa calls their All Arms School for the three primary services. The insignia features a pair of upraised wings representing the Air Force, and in the center is a Vickers machine gun representing the Army superimposed over an anchor representing the Navy.

The old Vickers finally succumbed to its obsolescence and the image of the AK-47 and Armscor R4 and R5 replaced it as the machine gun image of modern times. (The Armscor R4 is the South African version of the Israeli Galil.) Nevertheless, South Africa’s long association with the value of automatic weaponry in its arsenal continues to this day.

(My sincere thanks to Steve Seargent who provided much of the historical background for this article.)

By Bob Campbell

It is easy to make a case for the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge as the most popular handgun caliber of all time, and even easier to make a case for the 9mm as the most popular bullet diameter for semi auto handguns. The various 9mms are not well understood and seldom interchangeable, and each has a bit of history behind them.

First, I examined the cartridge case list offered by our premier brass maker, Starline. There were no less than eleven 9mm calibers, all of which can use the same bullet. These included the .380 ACP, 9 Super Comp (9x 23mm), 9x19mm Parabellum, 9mm +P, 9 x 21mm, 9x18mm Makarov, 9mm Largo, 9mm Win. Mag, .38 Super, .38 Super +P and .38 Super Comp. By contrast there are six .38 caliber revolver cases and three .45 auto cases. (The .45 ACP, .45 +P and .45 Super.)

In the 9mm family we find true rimless cartridges like the 9x19mm Parabellum but also the semi-rimmed .38 ACP and .38 Super. I stated all could use the same bullets. The 9 x 18 Makarov actually uses a .363-inch bullet while the others use .355 inch jacketed or .356 to .358 inch lead bullets, but the Makarov performs adequately with jacketed 9mm bullets. Some .38 Supers do well with .357-inch revolver bullets. I have extensive experience with quite a few, especially the Largo, Parabellum and .38 Super variants. I am experimenting with the newest and arguably the best, from Hornady. Careful attention to each caliber is demanded – not many will be able to quote dimensions and loading data off the top of their head.

9mm Luger

The first pistol cartridges were bottleneck types for easy feeding in then new semiauto pistols. But .30 caliber FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) bullets proved relatively ineffective in use. The powerful .30 Mauser was said to be effective if it hit bone. Adventurer Winston Churchill found it quite deadly. The .30 Luger was less powerful. When blown out to 9mm it offered more acceptable wound potential. This is quite the opposite of the modern fashion of necking cases down, but precedent can be found in the rebated cylinder of the 1860 Colt Army .44 revolver. The 9mm Parabellum has been manufactured in practically every country in the free world and communist bloc nations as well. It is easily the most diverse in terms of case dimensions, case rim width and case mouth diameter of any of the 9mms. Just the same, good accuracy can be had with careful load selection, given a good handgun. Care must be taken reloading 9mm cases, as many are Berdan primed or loaded with corrosive powders. Adopted by the German Navy in 1904 and the German Army in 1908, followed by French and British services after World War Two, and adopted by the United States in 1981 as a martial cartridge, the 9mm Parabellum still enjoys worldwide popularity. It’ powerful enough for most uses but offers low recoil. Velocities vary, but 115 grains at 1,175 fps is the commercial standard and 1,350 fps with the same bullet is possible and generally rated as a +P+ cartridge.

.380 ACP (or 9mm Korto or 9mm Kurz, Italian and German, respectively, for 9mm Short)

Developed for John Browning’s pocket pistol as an improvement over the .32 ACP, this caliber is regarded as the minimum acceptable defense caliber by many. Surprisingly accurate and almost always feed reliable. Standard velocity is 95 grains at 950 fps.

9mm Mauser

Not to be confused with Red 9 Mausers. The Broomhandle was chambered for the German Army in .30 Mauser. After the Luger was adopted supply problems doubled. A version of the Mauser in 9x19mm Parabellum caliber was developed. During World War I, both caliber Mausers were in service but the guns chambered for the 9mm Luger had a big ‘Red 9’ on the grip to differentiate between calibers. These guns were chambered for the standard Parabellum cartridge. The 9mm Mauser was designed primarily for export. Case length was 25 mm. Velocities approach .357 Magnum levels. The 9mm Winchester Magnum, which jolts a 115-grain bullet to 1,475 fps, is not dissimilar.

9mm Mars

The Mars pistol was viewed with awe on a technological basis, but on a practical basis was rejected by the military. The Mars pistol was described in official reports as kicking severely and being difficult to handle. But the cartridge was powerful indeed by any standard. Sources conflict on the velocity of this weapon, but 130 grains at 1,400 fps seems a safe description.

Few concerns wished to popularize the other guy’s cartridge. Nationalistic concerns dictated cartridge selection. As a result, 9mm cartridges were introduced which served only one nation or saw limited popularity. One of the reasons the 9mm Parabellum was so popular was its compactness. The longer rounds, the 9mm Bayard and 9mm Steyr, offer little ballistic advantage. The Bayard was introduced in 1910. It has a 23 mm case and is more popularly known as the 9mm Largo. At one time, military loadings were hotter than the 9mm Luger with slightly heavier bullets but offer little real advantage. The Largo is NOT interchangeable with the .38 Super, as the longer bullets often used in the Largo will not allow a cartridge to be unloaded through the ejection port once chambered. My 1930’s vintage Colt .38 Super has a much smaller “slide window” than the Star Largo of the same period.

Modern commercial Largo ammunition is available only in Blazer from CCI. Velocity with a 124-grain projectile is 1,100 fps. With a solid Astra 400 or Star Super, the Largo can be handloaded to equal the 9mm Luger +P. Recently, a quantity of Spanish 9mm Largo was imported by Surplus International LLC, in corrosive and non-corrosive dating.

9mm Steyr

This is 23 mm cased cartridge similar, but not identical to the Largo.

9mm Browning Long

Introduced in the 1903 Browning pistol, this is an intermediate pistol cartridge which falls between the .380 ACP and 9mm Parabellum. Functional velocities were 110 grains at 1,100 fps. The Browning, LeFrancais and a few Webley and Scott pistols were chambered for this cartridge. Large numbers were released on the American civilian market but most will be found rechambered via sleeving the chamber for the shorter .380 ACP. Purportedly, rather stout loadings were safe in these guns.

Twenty-year-old notes show 90 grains at 1,050 fps was safe in the converted browning.

9 x 21mm

Some nations prohibit military calibers for civilian ownership but do not prohibit handgun ownership. The normal course was to chamber shorter, lighter 9mm handguns for the “legal” .30 Luger. In addition, .45 caliber guns, which use a .900-inch long cartridge case, were chambered to fire the .38 Super, which no one has used as a martial cartridge to the best of my knowledge. The Italians came up with an answer that points out the silliness of such restrictions. The .45 was answered with a short cartridge called the .45 HP but the 9mm was lengthened and dubbed the 9x21mm. Loaded to 9mm Parabellum power levels, it was legally acceptable. In IPSC competition, the 9mm Parabellum is regarded as a Minor caliber. Minor caliber handguns receive lower scores than Major calibers for the same hit. Higher velocity loadings such as the .38 Super could make a small bore perform in Major category. The 9x21mm allowed IPSC shooters to make Major 9 with certain loads. Regarded by some as a dangerous practice, such loading was eventually prohibited by match rules. The 9 x 21 is no longer as popular as it once was.

9mm Ultra

When the first wave of terrorism struck Europe, European police were for the most part woefully under-armed. The Walther PPK in .32 ACP was the norm. The .32 was often carried in a ponderously slow full flap holster. The .380 ACP Walther was carried by savvy cops in a fast draw holster. Obviously, more was needed. The Walther PP Super was considered a stopgap until rearmament with the new breed of 9mms (The P 220 and P7M8) was accomplished. The Super used a cartridge lengthened from the .380’s .680 inch to .760 inch. Effective velocities were published as 123 grains at 1,050 fps. I believe the cartridges I fired used 100-grain bullets. The load and gun combination is very easy to use well and accurate. The cartridge uses a slightly rebated rim.

9mm Glisenti

Dimensionally identical to the 9mm Parabellum. Inferior to the Parabellum cartridge, velocities with a 123-grain bullet are just over 1,000 fps. Never fire 9mm Luger ammunition in a Glisenti caliber firearm. The 9mm Glisenti was the caliber of the original Villar Perosa submachine guns.

9mm Federal

The 9mm Federal is a rimmed 9mm Luger cartridge designed for use in revolvers. Intended to offer more power than the .38 Special in a compact, efficient cartridge without resorting to the recoil, blast and perhaps political unacceptability of the .357 Magnum. Only Charter Arms produced a few revolvers in their five-shot Bulldog line. Ruger was reportedly gearing up to produce a Security Six in 9mm Federal but never did. An excellent cartridge, more efficient than the .38 Special. Velocity was 1280 fps with a 115-grain bullet.

9 X 23mm Winchester

Loaded by Winchester and briefly chambered in a Colt pistol, but the problem is that the case length lends itself only to being chambered in .90-inch case guns such as the Colt 1911. Ballistically, it is slightly superior to the .357 SIG. But the SIG can be chambered in lighter guns due to a smaller case length. The 9x23mm Winchester looks like the .38 Super but has thicker case walls. The 9x23mm Winchester does away with the .38 ACP Super’s semi-rim, an advantage in feed reliability and accuracy, and is loaded considerably hotter. A good cartridge but one that seems doomed to obscurity.

9mm Winchester Magnum

Used in single shot Thompson Contender pistols and chambered in the large, heavy Whildin auto pistol. Velocities have been quoted as 1,475 fps with a 115-grain bullet. Basically an updated 9mm Mauser.

9x25mm Dillon

Designed to offer great velocity and low recoil and to make most efficient use of state of the art compensators, the 9x25mm Dillon is a necked down 10mm case. 115 grains at 1,566 fps qualify this round as one of the most powerful 9mm cartridges ever produced. Chambered in 10mm and .45 size guns, it offered savvy shooters an edge.

9mm Action Express

The original .41 AE was an ingenious solution to the deficiencies of the 9mm Parabellum. 9mm pistols could be converted to .41 by a simple barrel change. The .41 caliber cartridge uses a rebated or 9mm Luger sized case rim. With proper set up and careful breech face polish, the gun could work well, especially in the Browning Hi Power.

The genius of Evan Whilden went one further with a case that not only featured a rebated rim but a bottleneck necked to 9mm! Why go back to the original diameter? The 9mm Action Express could function in a normal 9mm sized pistol but offered much greater case capacity than the 9mm. As much as 1,500 fps with a 124-grain bullet has been reported. A rare but interesting cartridge.

The .38/9mms

The cartridges were called .38’s for the American market but are 9’s by any other name.

.356 TSW

A long-cased 9mm used by Team Smith and Wesson, this cartridge had some potential but like other long case rounds was killed by the .357 SIG and new rules in competition.

.38 ACP

When John Moses Browning first developed his automatic pistol cartridges he did not completely trust case mouth headspacing. Most European cartridge cases headspaced on the case mouth but Browning felt that hedging the bet by giving the .32 ACP and the .38 ACP a semi-rim would be beneficial. The .38 ACP was chambered in his early double link Colt pistols. The .38 ACP fired a 130-grain bullet at about 1,050 fps, a 300 fps advantage over the Army’s .38 Long Colt. The Army seriously considered the .38 ACP and may have adopted a 1911 in this caliber but for bad experience with the .38 revolver in the Philippines.

The .38 ACP Super was introduced in 1927. A sharply invigorated load, it should never be fired in older double link Colt pistols. The Super jolts a 130-grain bullet to 1,300 fps. Effect against light cover and vehicles was enough for the gun to become a favorite of the FBI. Accuracy problems due to the pistol’s headspacing on the semi rim were sometimes experienced, and late model Colt production headspaces on the case mouth. Very few guns are still in production for this cartridge. One of the best is SIG’s P 220.

.38 TJ

The .38 TJ will be the best of the .38 autos. The .38 TJ is similar to the .38 Super, but as strong as the 9x23mm. Case dimensions were carefully engineered by Hornady engineers for excellent feed property. So far, tests are excellent.

Other 9mms

The 9.8mm Colt was the result of an attempt at a foreign contract, chambered in a kind of 3/4 size 1911. Operational ballistics were listed as 130 grains at 1,000 fps. Probably very similar in power to the .40 caliber Smith and Wesson, if a bit longer. The 9.65 Belgian is about the same round. It is probable only a handful of men have ever seen these cartridges.

And the most successful of course, previously covered in these pages, is the .357 SIG. Designed to work in 9mm and .40 caliber size guns, the .357 SIG is a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson necked down to 9mm. Velocity with similar weight bullets equals most Magnum loads in the four-inch barrel. Unlike other hot 9mm cartridges, this one has been accepted wholeheartedly by the police community.

As we can see, everything from pedestrian pocket cartridges to full power Magnum-level performance is covered by the 9mm class of cartridges. They are a dynamic choice, diverse in origin, great in popularity, and growing daily.