By Jim Schatz

In April of 1980 Heckler & Koch responded to solicitation number N00164-80-R-0052 from the Naval Weapons Support Center (NWSC) located in Crane, Indian for the design and fabrication of a Joint Service Submachine, then referred to as the JSSAP Gun. This advanced new 9mm submachine gun was developed for the U.S. Armed Services under the established usr requirements compiled by the Joint Service Small Arms Program (JSSAP) office. The JSSAP gun was intended to bring a modern submachine gun into the ranks of military units, especially those special operations units tasked with close quarters battle in anti-terrorist and hostage rescue missions. Heckler & Koch’s involvement in this program brought about a family of unique submachine guns that would never actually enter series production. However, this does not mean they were not used operationally. A handful of well positioned readers can attest to this fact and many informed experts claim the 9mm submachine gun the Heckler & Koch “SMG” as it would be called, may have been the world’s most flexible smg even today.

Background. An unfilled tactical need arises.

Submachine guns, while used extensively in most of the major conflicts of this century, in many ways were never taken seriously by frontline military personnel. In most cases smg’s like the M3 “Greasegun” and Thompson were utilized as bullet hoses for close range engagements and were often carried by heavy weapon crewmen, unit leaders, armored vehicle personnel, MP’s, etc.- those persons unable or unwilling to carry the full size service rifle of the day. Having said this, the submachine gun has always had its own niche in special “commando” units requiring greater firepower and portability in exchange for reduced combat range.

With the advent of modern terrorism in the 1970’s and the propensity of “T’s” to take hostages in confined spaces like aircraft, buses, ships and buildings the popularity of the submachine rebounded. This is partially due to the sub gun’s quick handling characteristics in tight spaces, diminutive size, reduced range and the hazards to innocents afforded by the pistol caliber cartridges these weapons characteristically fire. The success of the German GSG 9 rescue of hostages held on a Lufthansa airliner in Mogadishu, Somalia in October 1977, and later the highly publicized hostage rescue at the Iranian Embassy in London in May of 1980 by the British SAS put the smg on the map the modern world to see.

The right tool for the job

Any auto mechanic or surgeon knows that it takes more than one instrument to perform a given procedure or operation. This same rule holds true in the world of armed combat. An assault rifle is not always the best weapon for the task at hand, nor is a handgun. In the 1970’s and even today, the inventories of the world’s most elite special units are comprised of a host of small arms that can be drawn from by the operator for the specific mission.

The world-renowned MP5 submachine gun is used by more elite military and police units in the world than any other weapon of its type. By 1980 more than 500,000 MP5’s had already been produced and fielded in countless countries around the world. Units like GSG 9, the British Special Air Service and America’s own Delta Force and SEAL’s teams make all three of the MP5 models available to their shooters for any given mission that may arise. The full size MP5A3 with retractable buttstock and its many variants is the workhorse, responsible for most of the CQB and protection work. However if you’re a climber, swimmer, pilot or the first guy into the breach, you may need one hand free to perform other tasks. In this case the stockless MP5K is a far better choice as it allows for acceptable full auto fire at close ranges with one hand. Although to effectively fire a 4 1/2 pound machine pistol with a cyclic rate of fire of 900 rounds per minutes does require a great deal of practice and acquired skill. For times where the covert engagement of a target is required or where the reduction of muzzle flash in explosive environments is an absolute must, a sound suppressed submachine gun, like the HK MP5SD, is often the first choice. Wouldn’t it be great if all of the capabilities were available in one gun? Enter the SMG.

The JSSAP Gun. Enter the HK54A1

The general concept and goal of the U.S. program was to challenge the industry to create a modular or “family” submachine gun that could be reconfigured by the operator without tools to perform the missions of all three MP5 models described above. Not only would this reduce the sheer number of weapons within a unit but the “one gun does all” concept would insure that the right gun is on station when needed. The level of proficiency can also be elevated to new heights when the shooter need only train with one sub gun and not three. A cost savings? Yes, but in most cases during the past 25 years the cost of equipment and weapons and funding for their procurement was of little or no issue to the elite units of the world. The shooters from the world’s best anti-terrorist and hostage rescue units expend more ammo and ordnance in just one month than the purchase cost of the weapon through which the rounds are fired.

The HK54A1 and the SMG’s that would follow it had to be deployable in all operational and environmental conditions found around the globe. The weapon had to function reliably in temperatures ranging from 140 degrees F to -50 degrees F. The JSSAP Guns were to be carried into combat by swimmers and high altitude parachutists and be fully functional upon arrival. All parts were to be fully interchangeable and supportable by current levels of maintenance. The weapon and sound suppressor were to have a minimal service life of 10,000 rounds, fire in all attitudes (up, down, even sideways) and direct no propellant gas “blowback” into the shooter’s face during operation. In the sound suppressed mode it should be impossible to discern the visual “flash” and the report or mechanical noise of the weapon beyond 30 meters and provide at least 30 dB sound reduction when fired in the sound suppressed mode. The HK54A1 was to be accurate enough to allow first round hits on an E-type kneeling silhouette target at 100 meters with iron sights.

Using their protocol for assigning acronyms internally, HK calls the MP5 the HK54 (5 for submachine gun, 4 for caliber 9X19mm Luger) even today some 35 years after the first gun rolled out of the stamping presses in Oberndorf. The MP5 designation was one assigned by the German government when it adopted the weapon for governmental use. The A1 suffix denotes the modifications incorporated into the basic HK54 to meet the technical and performance requirements of the JSSAP solicitation. For about $180,000 of Uncle Sam’s money, HK designed and produced fully tested hand-built HK54A1 prototypes to prove the concept of the JSSAP Gun. Actually HK spent a great deal of its own IR&D funds on the initial design and testing of the HK54A1 prior to the release of the competitive JSSAP solicitation in 1980.

The HK54A1 pictured herein looks very much like the MP5SD we know today. In an attempt to use available production tooling and MP5 parts the “A1” was essentially a product-improved MP5 and little more. It was certainly a gun far too large and cumbersome to be used in the one handed role of the MP5K. The weapon was a delayed blowback operated submachine gun using HK’s famous roller locking system chambered for the widely available 9X19mm Luger cartridge. (It is interesting to note in HK’s proposal to the USG that it was mentioned that “the HK54A1 could be converted to caliber .45 ACP if required”). The 7-pound weapon with retractable buttstock included an integral sound suppressor, a 3-round burst mode, which can be fired at a sustained rate of 1,000 rounds per minute. Unique features of the HK54A1 included the means for the operator to selectively vent propellant gases from the ported barrel in order to reduce the velocity of supersonic ammunition below the subsonic threshold (1,088 fps at sea level) and for suppressed fire without the need for special subsonic ammunition not always available “away from home”. The HK54A1 could utilize a 30-round stick magazine but was also designed to use low profile 50-round drum magazines for increased “firepower”. A forward assist for silent loading, a bolt catch to hold the bolt open on the last round fired, an ambidextrous magazine release lever in the trigger guard, an ambidextrous safety/selector lever and sling mounting points made the weapon usable for left and right handed shooters.

A unique bolt lock positioned on the trigger group beyond the sustained fire position locked the bolt in a forward position to prevent movement of the bolt and thus offered the user nearly silent operation. The A1 had adjustable tritium sights and a hinged trigger guard to allow firing while wearing heavy cold weather or diving gloves. Complete specifications of the HK54A1 are included in the Comparison Table accompanying this article.

With all of it’s unique features, the HK54A1 was still produced mainly from stamped, folded and welded sheet steel like most HK’s of the day. While not perfect for the intended roles of the JSSAP Gun the HK54A1 met most of the operational requirements listed above and thus caught the attention of the U.S. Government. This successful demonstration of the weapon’s performance and HK’s abilities to meet difficult technical challenges led to a fully funded R&D program for the “SMG” in 1983 after a second proposal was submitted to the NWSC Crane in February.

SMG

While there were various models of the first SMG prototype with different features, the basic SMG was a 9mm weapon with semi and fully automatic modes of fire, a removable retractable buttstock and a threaded barrel for a removable sound suppressor. Without the buttstock the SMG was less than 14 inches in overall length and weighed 6.70 pounds unloaded without a magazine. This placed the SMG only slightly closer to the size and weight of the stockless MP5K (at 12.8 inches long and 4.40 pounds) than the full size MP5A3. Thus the goal of building a one-gun-does-all modular “family” submachine gun was at least partially achieved with the basic layout of the new SMG design.

Like the HK54A1 that came before it, the SMG was produced mainly from sheet metal components except the pistol grip and vertical foregrip. The weapon fired from a closed bolt but unlocked breech, a departure from the delayed blowback roller-locked bolt of the MP5 and HK54A1 that came before it. A notable departure for HK was the use of a simple blowback operation in the SMG. This was an attempt to reduce the complexity and cost of the weapon. The SMG was comprised of a lower receiver and a separate upper receiver with a user removable barrel. Using a simple barrel wrench to unscrew the locking nut this fundamental change represented an important departure for an HK long gun where barrels were usually pressed and pinned in place and considered a factory job to remove or replace.

A combination mechanical (spring) and hydraulic buffer reside in the removable backplate and, along with a “timing device” incorporated in the trigger group, help reduce the rate of fire of the SMG to a more manageable 500 rounds per minute – one half that of the HK54A1 “bullet hose”. The rectangular one-piece machined metal bolt assembly contains an inertia firing pin which can be disassembled for cleaning as well as a firing pin safety to prevent the firing pin from reaching the chambered round during rough handling or drops. A fixed but oversized trigger guard provides ample room for gloved fingers and the trigger can accommodate an add-on winter trigger for times where mittens are preferred over gloves.

The curved double column magazine for the SMG is produced from folded sheet metal and provides a capacity of 30 rounds. Ambidextrous operating controls abound on the SMG. The unique centrally located cocking handle, similar in design and location as that found on the Thompson or UZI submachine guns, reciprocates with the bolt and could be used to lock the bolt open or to release the open bolt by simply rotating the cocking handle 90 degrees. Two adjacent square buttons, located rearward of the magazine well on the plastic pistol grip, act as ambidextrous bolt catch release (top) and magazine release (bottom). The texturing of the two buttons is different to provide the user with a tactile feel to differentiate between the two controls during “blind” actuation of these buttons. These controls are very well positioned on the weapon allowing actuation with the non-firing thumb or firing index finger without wasted motion of the hands.

The ambidextrous combined safety/selector lever is typical of the HK MP5 but is positioned for easy reach and rotation into the firing modes without having to adjust the firing grip. A forward assist for silent loading (without letting the bolt slam forward) is provided on the SMG on the receiver above the right side safety/selector lever. The sliding buttstock with a hard plastic contoured buttplate can be retracted, extended or completely removed from the receiver simply by depressing a round button protruding behind the rear sight assembly. Ambidextrous sling attachment points for the typical and much copied HK multi-purpose combat carrying sling are provided on both sides of the receiver.

The sights of the SMG are extremely interesting if not overly complicated for a pistol caliber submachine gun. While weapon number 006 pictured in this article does not contain a gas relief valve for reducing the velocity of supersonic ammunition to subsonic levels, the weapon is set up to utilize both types of ammunition. The front sight is the stereotypical HK round hood with a fixed tritium dot front sight post inside.

The rear sight is in itself a technical marvel. A single peep aperture positioned on an elevating ladder is flanked by a pair of “Betalite” (tritium) capsules providing the user with an effective “3-dot” arrangement. The rear sight is sandwiched between two drums, obviously inspired by the design of the HK21E machine gun rear sight. The drum to the left is used to make course windage adjustments and requires no tools to do so. The right drum is actually two concentric drums, one inside the other. The outer drum is pushed inward onto a caming surface calibrated for the flight profile of supersonic 124-grain NATO ball ammunition. When the outer drum is pulled to the right, a different caming surface within the sight assembly adjusts the height of the rear sight for the different trajectory of subsonic ammunition. The elevation drum is marked for ranges from 25 to 150 meters and even has an “M” position that grossly elevates the rear sight aperture by nearly one full inch. In this position the line of sight is raised for firing the weapon wearing a gas mask, protective equipment which prevents the shooter from establishing a normal and proper cheekweld on the forks of the buttstock. (Note: When using the M setting the range is established for 25 yards and closer. The top of the front sight hood serves as a rough front sight “post”). Both rear sight drums provide tactile indents to allow the user to “find” the 25-meter setting without the need to look at the sight. The rear sight can also be battlesight zeroed using nothing more than a Phillips head screwdriver. As if the SMG’s iron sight arrangement was not enough, the weapon also incorporates two welded scope mounting platforms that allow a scope or reflex sight to be quickly attached to the weapon by means of an HK scope mount shorter than but similar to that used on the HK21E and MSG90 sniper rifle.

The sound suppressor for the SMG actually has two different designs. Both are sealed units with metal baffles of “wipeless” design. Both suppressors encompass the barrel via a tubular extension and are secured to the weapon via the threads located around the base of the short 5.8-inch barrel. An aluminum sound suppressor from HK, basically a variation of the MP5SD suppressor, was developed for the SMG as was a far heavier stainless steel sound suppressor employing more advanced-machined steel baffles designed by Mickey Finn.

Numerous samples of the SMG were delivered to the Naval Weapons Support Center in Crane Indiana in 1984 for complete and extensive testing. Though minor problems were encountered, the overall performance of the SMG was very good indeed. It was the conclusion of the final test report that with minor changes prior to production, the SMG would serve well the special operators in the U.S. who needed the capability of three submachine guns in one tactically flexible weapon. HK was informed of the desired changes and shortcomings of the SMG and was asked to produce additional test samples for further testing. In 1985 HK delivered the new and improved SMG II to Crane.

SMG II. Twice as good?

Thinking back to the original design goal of the JSSAP Gun described earlier in this article, the SMG and to a greater extent the HK54A1 did not fully meet these requirements. Clearly, as is the case with most new hardware developments – cars, VCR’s and computers – it simply takes repeated design, prototype fabrication, testing, rework and retesting to optimize a mechanical device such as a firearm from prototype to finished product. The SMG II incorporated all of the ideas, changes and corrections deemed necessary by the testers and actual users involved in the JSSAP program testing. The SMG II became the modular one-gun-does-all submachine gun for which the program set out to obtain.

With the SMG II, the basic model with a retractable buttstock and without a sound suppressor is a 14-inch long weapon – a full 7 inches shorter than the MP5A3. By simply adding a sound suppressor to the basic weapon, the operator could create an “MP5SD” from the same platform. For missions where a small one-handed “MP5K” was required, the sound suppressor and buttstock were removed and the “telephone booth clearing” full auto SMG II “pistol” was created by the operator in the field or in route to the target.

The SMG II being based on the SMG was very similar in operation and design though there were a number of important changes and additions. To reduce the weight and production cost of the weapon, the magazine, backplate and entire lower receiver were produced from plastic. The 3-round burst mode of the HK54A1 had returned in the SMG II, as did the gas relief valve. Located on the receiver just forward of the flared magazine well this lever had two positions, “L” for low and “H” for high. Pulling out the front captured locking pin and sliding the plastic vertical foregrip forward off of the receiver revealed a small gas cylinder mounted parallel with and under the barrel that resembles the CO2 cartridges commonly used in airguns. When the gas relief valve was set in the “L” position a port opened in the barrel that allowed a measured amount of propellant gases to escape into this “holding tank”. By diverting this gas away from behind the projectile in the bore the exit velocity of the projectile is effectively lowered. A supersonic ball round fired in the SMG II with the gas port open departed the weapon below the speed of sound and thus eliminated the telltale “crack” of a supersonic projectile. Once the projectile left the bore in route to the target the gas remaining within the cylinder exits from the muzzle.

When the gas relief valve is placed in the “H” position the gas port is closed and all available gas is used to propel the projectile to the target at full velocity. This setting was used when firing subsonic ammo, when the sound suppressor was not being used or where the maximum terminal energy of the projectile on target was the primary concern of the user. Thus, unlike the MP5SD and HK54A1, the SMG II could be fired with or without the sound suppressor attached and used effectively with supersonic or subsonic ammunition with just the flick of a switch. It is interesting to point out at this point that the bolt lock feature of the HK54A1 was dropped from both of the SMG models because it did not reduce the sound signature of the weapon beyond a level provided by the sound suppressor. In other words beyond 30 meters the mechanical noise of the bolt was less than the noise of the departing projectile and escaping residual gases. Eliminating this feature lessened the complexity of the weapon and thus its cost. It also insured the user always had an immediate second shot available should the first round fired with the bolt lock engaged not perform as intended on its target.

One of the more noticeable changes from the SMG to the SMG II was the rear sight. Gone was the over-engineered and unnecessarily complicated rear sight. In its place the HK designers mounted the proven MP5 diopter rear sight assembly but added two tritium dots to the ears of the rear sight base for low light use in conjunction with the front tritium sight. While functional many American shooters found the sight line too low to use comfortably, unable to push the face far enough down on the stock to properly align the sights.

A spring détente was added to the receiver to prevent the sound suppressor from turning loose during firing and the three locking pins in the SMG II were retained in much the same way as the captured receiver pins of the U.S. M16 rifle to prevent loss. Other than minor changes made to facilitate production and durability, the SMG and SMG II were for the most part identical.

A better mousetrap? So where are the guns?

There were less than 20 SMG’s and 20 SMG II’s made in the 1980’s as part of the JSSAP program, each one basically a handmade prototype. At the conclusion of all this testing, the potential users, especially the Navy Special Warfare community, had already acquired a quantity of MP5’s after being introduced to the merits of the gun by foreign users such as the SAS and GSG 9. When it was time to ante up and procure sub guns, most users opted to stay with and purchase additional MP5’s rather than the SMG II. It was in 1986 that HK developed the “Navy” specific or “N” model MP5-N, MP5SD-N and MP5K-N for the Navy SEAL and SDV teams and Special Boat Units. Navy model MP5’s and variations of the basic MP5 were adopted by most of this nation’s military and law enforcement special units. The combination of little or no interest in a submachine gun for conventional military units and a less than enthusiastic demand from the spec ops community for the SMG II meant the gun was destined to go nowhere fast. Or did it?

A particular American organization, which will remain nameless, saw the tactical advantage of the one-gun-does-all concept that the SMG II offered, approached HK about building sixty SMG II’s for operational deployment. It did not appear that the gun would enter a series production so sixty SMG II’s were fabricated by HK as handmade prototypes at a unit cost of @ $2,800 each. Up until two years ago, these weapons were still in operational use and well liked by the shooters. However the chronic lack of availability of spare parts for the guns and the move to 5.56mm weapons for the CQB role, which was once the exclusive domain of the submachine gun, forced the weapons into mothballs and ultimately into the smelter.

Shooting the SMG

The accuracy of the SMG is on par with that of the basic MP5. The controllability of the MP5 in bursts longer than 3 rounds is hard to beat. Though the standard vertical foregrip of the SMG helps control the weapon in sustained fire, the delayed blowback roller-locked bolt system employed in the MP5 is believed by many to help reduce the felt recoil of the weapon and thus make it easier to control the weapon in long bursts. This may be true to an extent but one would also have to consider the longer length of the MP5, its barrel and sight radius as features that make the MP5 simply “feel” more controllable to fire in the sustained fire mode. The fact is when timed and firing short bursts, the results on the target – round placement and group size – between the roller-locked MP5 and the simple blowback operated weapons like the SMG are generally indistinguishable. The rate reduction system in the SMG II which reduces the cyclic rate of fire to @ 500 rounds per minute certainly aids in the weapon’s sustained fire control.

Firing the weapon in the fully automatic mode of fire with one hand, like the MP5K or any machine pistol for that matter, is difficult and down right ineffective as far as hits are concerned beyond engagement ranges of 20 yards or more. However, it is the range band from one side of an airliner or bus to the other wherein the MP5K model or stockless SMG II would reign supreme.

The well-designed and positioned operating controls of the SMG II are a plus to ease and speed reloads. The low sight line of the SMG II makes it all but impossible to fire the weapon using the iron sights. Using the optical sight on the HK QD mount solves that problem. Firing the weapon suppressed, especially left handed, is somewhat disconcerting due to the amount of gas blowback from the ejection port. The use of goggles eliminates this as a concern however. Reliability, as in all HK’s, is excellent.

Nothing ventured nothing gained

While HK’s hopes to get the SMG type-classified in the U.S. military and produced at their new Chantilly Virginia production site all but evaporated at the close of the JSSAP program in the mid-1980’s, the money spent by HK and the lessons learned were not in vain. In the late 1980’s HK had continued work on the “family” sub gun concept to the point where the SMG II’s successor, and the new UMP’s predecessor, entered the test lab at HK’s factory in Oberndorf, Germany. The MP2000 took the concept of modularity and lightweight materials to the next level for a submachine gun. Though only a few were built as prototypes for internal testing, the 9mm MP2000 had all of the features and capabilities of the SMG and SMG II, and more. The 5-pound MP2000 included the bolt lock like that of the HK54A1 and gas relief valve similar in concept to that of the SMG II and was modular allowing the gun to be “built up” by the user for the specific task at hand. After a great deal of extensive testing at HK the MP2000 was also dropped from further consideration as a series production gun though the U.S. Navy did order ten MP2000’s for testing for possible use by their SEAL teams. This purchase order was never filled.

In 1998 HK announced the debut of the new UMP45 submachine gun. It was a distant relative of the MP5 with all the influence from experience, testing, design and production know-how of the prototype guns that appeared before the UMP, including the HK54A1, SMG, SMG II and MP2000. While no longer envisioned as a one-gun-does-everything concept, the new HK Universal Machine Pistol does make use of polymer materials in most components of the weapon, weighs only 4.5 pounds unloaded and is available in the more potent calibers of .45 ACP and .40 S&W.

A family of submachine guns seldom seen by more than just a few fortunate individuals and true operators, today the SMG remains HK’s most successful failure.

Many of the field guns featured exquisite engravings and carvings and probably exemplify Beretta’s long-standing tradition of top quality craftsmanship. Among the field guns, I found myself drawn towards some of the more unusual examples: a strange breech-loaded single shot shotgun, some open hammer quad-barreled shotguns, and some unusually large or small gauge guns. But probably my favorite was to see that John Browning’s lever action 12 gauge had earned a place in this exhibit, one of the few non-Beretta field guns represented.

I wasn’t surprised to see that antique guns were well represented, comprising about one third of the overall collection. There were many flintlocks, a few wheel locks and matchlocks, plus a few guns with even stranger firing mechanisms. There were a few handguns that fired projectiles about the size of a golf ball. I bet they would be a handful to shoot. The pride of the collection, perhaps, was a gun carried by General Giuseppe Garibaldi during the conquest of Naples. Garibaldi figures prominently in the 19th century unification of Italy.

Personally, I was drawn to the ‘other’ guns – the more modern military weapons. It was amazing to see several hundred years of small arms history condensed to a single wall in an exhibit. The older weapons were interesting more for novelties, such as the appearance (in this exhibit anyway) of the first grenade launcher or of early machineguns. A tiny, Chipmunk-sized .22LR carbine, with what appeared to be about a 20 round magazine and (of all things) a fixed bayonet was particularly amusing. There was a 1915 era 9mm Villar Perosa in perfect condition, with it’s distinctive twin barrels and corresponding top mounted magazines. However, the most impressive part of this section was the excellent tribute to WWII-era weapons. I have never before seen so many important patterns in one place: M1 Garand, M3 Greasegun, Sten, PPSH, MP44, MP40, several Thompsons, right up through (Beretta made) M14s.

Curiously, the focus of the collection narrows considerably after World War II. All of the more recent military guns are limited to ones made by Beretta. AK-47s and M16s are conspicuous in their absence.
Pistols were displayed in waist high cabinets with glass tops and 4 or 5 layers of locked drawers underneath. So the guns exhibited on top are just a fraction of the total collection.

Closest to the entrance there were two flat tables containing an assortment of Beretta handguns. Modern model 92 or 96 guns in various finishes took up about a third of the first table. A few were gold-plated or had gold appointments. A little more interesting were a series of pocket pistols, showing the evolution of the model 21 series back over time. Most interesting of all was a full-auto model 57 (‘Helwan’ style), featuring a contoured horizontal fore-grip and a shoulder stock. Next to it was a model 93R.

The non-Beretta pistols were much more interesting. One table was dedicated entirely to Lugers. In addition to many examples of the classic P08 handgun, there were some artillery-style variants both with and without shoulder stocks. However, the centerpiece of this table was a Borchardt Pistol – the immediate predecessor of Mr. Luger’s famous design.

The next table was full of Broomhandle Mausers. Again, there was an assortment of regular pistols and some with shoulder stocks. But the most unique piece was a Mauser carbine. Another table had a random collection of assorted WWII era handguns, one or more each: P38, Japanese Nambu, Radom, plus a number of strange handguns I didn’t recognize.

I was pleased to see that the last two tables were tributes to John Browning’s handguns. One table was almost entirely Browning High Powers. Again the collection presented an enviable assortment of unique configurations. The other table contained a significant number of 1911-pattern guns, along with a representative assortment of other Browning designs.

At first I was struck by the conspicuous absence of any crew-served guns or larger artillery. Then I noticed towards the far end of the main room there were a couple of cannon on display. One appeared to be muzzle loaded (at least I never figured out how to open the breach). The other was clearly breach loaded but I was surprised by the conspicuous label which said it was “Spingarda Beretta / CAL.32 MOD.27”. I thought what is this, some kind of a joke? The muzzle looks around 30mm. I opened the breach and was stunned to see what looked like a tiny .32 cal opening. Then I realized I was looking at the base of a 32mm case with the primer punched out. When I fully ejected the shell, it was about 20cm long. It turns out that this gun was a mainstay of the Beretta product line at one time.

The far end of the main room had doors leading to other rooms. Turns out they were hiding the more aggressive weapons of war in these back rooms. One room was small, almost a closet, but it had a single gun rack with a variety of famous machineguns. Lighting was poor and I did not recognize all the models but there were at least two MG42s, a Chaucat and a Bren. These guns were tagged like the rest of the collection but it looked like they were the bastard stepchildren. Also, incongruously, about one third of the rack was filled with old swords.

The other room was much more interesting. The walls were covered with bookshelves filled with gun patterns and trophies the company won in various competitions. More interesting was the assortment of heavier artillery. There was the cutest little 5” mortar. Nearby there was an older, muzzle loaded cannon, turquoise with age. There was a Maxim and a couple belt-feds I didn’t recognize but it was gratifying to see John Browning well represented in this collection too: a potato digger and a 1919A1. In the far corner was a 3” cannon that was a popular product at one time. Most interesting perhaps was an unusual dual-barreled machine gun. It was somewhat like the Villar Perosa only somewhat larger. What I could make out from the label was “Contro Aerei… / Gassa Quota / Mod. 30 / Cal. 6.6mm / Per La R. Marina.” My Italian is terrible but I’m getting some kind of anti aircraft gun for riverboats. “Gassa Quota” suggests gas operated, but the gun looks like a blowback design.

Some time earlier we had heard the factory whistle blow and heard most of the employees leaving for the day. We half expected to get kicked out but nobody interrupted us so we didn’t leave until we had had our fill. As we left, I noticed our original escort had left the keys in the door, so I locked up and reluctantly turned the keys over to an older executive who had been waiting patiently for us.

We thought the tour was over but he ushered us onto the next phase of the tour. This was a product display room. Mostly it exhibited Beretta-branded clothing, bags, and other accessories. One wall did have guns on display but they were mostly exotic shotguns. Only thing that was particularly interesting was seeing for the first time their Beretta 98 handgun. This is a model 92-pattern gun in caliber 9×21 along with some minor cosmetic improvements. I’d love to have one but it may never be imported to the US.

Even this wasn’t the end of the tour. We were escorted to one last section, exhibiting some of Beretta’s forays into non-firearms markets. Most prominently was the Beretta automobile. Vaguely resembling a cross between a Fiat and an old Volvo, the company experimented with the auto industry for about three years. There also are some motorcycles the company made for a while. There are a lot of lakes in this part of Italy and I get the impression that some of the Beretta family were enthusiastic about boating. For a while the company made a little water skiff. This was a motorized water scooter about the size of an inner tube. By far one of the most interesting things in this section was a rowboat, mounted with one of those “Spingarda” 32mm cannon. It was about twenty-five feet long and seated a crew of three rowers plus a gun operator. The gun operator controlled the gun’s elevation. The rowers had oars for getting around but they also had cranks to control left and right propellers for fine-tuning the direction. I can see one of the Beretta owners out on one of the lakes, shooting at targets on the alpine hills. It’s good to be the boss.

From their web page I was led to believe this was an ordinary firearms museum open to the public. Upon arrival it was clear that this is not quite the case. Though the company was most gracious at receiving us without an appointment, it was clear that they, in fact, receive hardly any visitors, being so far from any of the normal tourist stops. My friend and I had the entire museum to ourselves for the several hours we chose to stay. But if I had it to do over again, I’d phone ahead and make an appointment. Maybe then we could get them to open some of the cases so we could take some better photographs.

Class 2 manufacturer, Bob Imel, had a profound interest in the Sterling sub-machinegun (SMG) for a number of years, and in 1967 expressed interest to Sterling about importing the L2A3 to the United States. After several months of negotiations and paperwork with Sterling, Imel found himself facing the Gun Control Act of 1968, which restricted the importation of foreign manufactured machineguns into the US. Unfortunately, Imel was too late to bring these weapons into the country, so he negotiated with Sterling to produce a SMG using the Sterling tooling and parts. He waited patiently until the mid 1970’s for Sterling to forward the materials needed to produce the guns, but could wait no longer. He created the company Police Automatic Weapons Services (P.A.W.S) in the late 1970’s and began to produce his own parts and registered receivers in his small Oregon machine shop. The ZX-5 in 9mm and the ZX-7 in .45ACP were the result of his labors. These guns were only slightly different cosmetically than the Sterling L2A3 SMG, however Imel was able to simplify the Sterling’s trigger assembly from 36 working parts to only 3 working parts. There were a few hundred transferable SMG’s produced in both calibers, yet the gun enjoyed only limited sales. The death knell of the PAWS SMG came with the Machinegun Ban of 1986, which left Imel with a quantity of PAWS SMG parts and equipment to manufacture the firearms, but no public clientele.

An estimate of transferable PAWS ZX submachine guns that were produced prior to May 1986. There were 1200 semi and full autos that were assembled in his factory. (Imel). Imel was able to produce approximately 400 transferable machineguns, 500 semi autos and 300 machine guns produced for law enforcement and over sea sales.

In 1986 Imel decided to create a semi-automatic version of the PAWS SMG in both 9mm and .45acp with the parts left over from the machinegun production line. At that time the market for Semi-auto SMG clones was thriving and he hoped for healthy sales. He started with the ATF approved receiver that was similar to and built to the same standards of his SMG and used a closed bolt design. PAWS rifles were produced from American-made parts that were based on the Sterling design. The PAWS Carbines each came with a 16 1/2 inch barrel and redesigned barrel nut (similar to the UZI barrel nut) which required a barrel wrench that was needed for positive installation and removal. Rubber handgrips were used on the PAWS carbines instead of the hard plastic handgrips of the Sterling. This improved comfort and handling of the weapon. The blow back carbines weighed only 7.5 pounds unloaded, and came in a little under 35 inches long with the stock extended.

The earlier production guns came with a black wrinkle paint finish that looked very similar to the original Sterling finish. However, the use of the wrinkle paint was no longer economical for PAWS due to the fact that their production numbers were so low that the paint’s shelf life would expire before new guns could be made. Imel decided to use a baked on Molly Coat crackle finish on the gun, which gave it the beautiful wrinkle-like finish found on the Sterling but was less labor intensive than the process used by Sterling to produce their finish. Imel states that the advantage to finishing the guns in Molly Coat was that the customer could repair scratches by disassembling the weapon and re-baking it in the oven.

The ZX-6 was designed to accept unmodified STEN magazines but does not accept Sterling Magazines; however, the L2A3 accepts both STEN and Sterling magazines. The ZX-8 uses modified M-3 Grease Gun magazines. Imel decided against using the original Sterling magazine, which is perhaps one of the best SMG magazines available, because of cost and availability reasons. The the ZX-6 magazine housing design is very close to the Sterlings and will except surplus STEN SMG mags which are inexpensive and plentiful. PAWS created the ZX-6A1 Carbine which accepted a modified UZI magazine. PAWS used surplus 25 round IMI UZI magazines and created a semi- circular cut near the top of the magazine to allow the magazine catch to engage with the magazine. This technique was also utilized when modifying M-3 magazines for the ZX-8. The advantage to the ZX-6’s magazine is that both the ZX-6 as well as the UZI could use it. The magazine also reduced the overall profile of the gun and created a more compact package, as the single stacked STEN magazine was longer than the double stacked UZI magazine. According to Imel, there were less than 40 ZX-6A1 carbines made because of the cost of the UZI magazine ($4 for a STEN magazine versus $25 for the UZI magazine).

Test firing the ZX6-A1 weapon, I found it to be exceptionally accurate at 50 yards. Using 115 grain 9mm ball ammo, I was able to hold 2-3 inch groups without a problem. The manufacturer states that muzzle velocity of 125 grain 9mm rounds are approximately 1280 fps and 950 fps with 230 grain .45 rounds. The gun does handle certain types of hollow point ammo, but military ball ammo is recommended by PAWS for the best reliability. The rear blade sight is adjustable where the front post sight is not. Target acquisition is smooth due to the handling characteristics of the weapon. The weapon’s recoil is slightly more than the UZI carbine but is still very light, even in a rapid-fire mode. One change in the design, which may be considered a draw back, is the manner in which the folding stock locks in the extended position. The end cap on the PAWS receiver has one spring-loaded bearing which engages with a slot in the folding stock. The Sterling has two of these bearings in the end cap, which provides a positive lock-up on both the left and right interior parts of the stock. There is a little wobble in the PAWS stock; however I noticed it less and less as I became more familiar with firing the weapon.

Today, with the exception of a few models, pistol caliber carbine production is fairly low. I assumed since this weapon had pre-ban features, that the guns were no longer in production. When I asked Bob Imel about “the carbine they used to make” he replied “Use to? We still make them!” Imel informed me that he has a number of pre-ban carbines available and will be working on a post ban version once the current stock is sold. He is currently negotiating with a distributor and hopes to have them back on the market soon. He stated that he had developed one prototype of the PAWS chambered in .40 S&W and considered producing the gun in .30 caliber carbine (which would utilize a M-1 magazine) however it was never pursued due to the increase in price of .30 caliber ammo. A .357 Magnum version was also planning to be produced; however Imel cringed at the thought of making a magazine for this caliber and decided against it. He also has a new scope mount available for the weapon to accommodate an aim point or laser type scope. Imel has also manufactured pre-ban pistol versions of his PAWS carbines and is considering putting them on the market. P.A.W.S is a very small company comprised of a handful of employees; however their weapons are of a very high quality in form, fit and function. Above all, PAWS is committed to an exceptionally high level of customer service. At one point my PAWS ZX6-A1 had trouble with its safety selector. Within 10 days of shipping the rifle back to PAWS, I had my rifle shipped back to me without charge and a letter apologizing for the inconvenience. Imel stands by his product and will repair any defect.

The PAWS ZX-series of weapons never really enjoyed overwhelming sales due to the limitations of the small company (lack of advertising and a series of unfortunate events with distribution). However, these weapons will live up to the expectations of the avid shooter and collector who appreciate the ergonomics and aesthetics of the Sterling L2A3.

P.A.W.S
8175 River Rd. N.E
Salem, Oregon 97303
Phone (503) 393-0838

For starters, the 8×63 Swedish barrel is a larger diameter than the .30-06 1917 Browning barrel we would have to use, requiring a new design for the front water-packing gland. This was beautifully executed by machining an oversized brass doughnut, the male end threaded to the gun, the smaller female end threaded for a normal 1917 packing gland nut. The kit would also need a 1917 type top cover and ladder sight, very rare and hard to find. Thanks to our friend Mr. Bob Landies of Ohio Ordnance Works, Inc., Chardon, Ohio, who came through with flying colors and believe it or not, it was brand new in the box. Although the brass trunion would accept stock right and left Browning side plates, the original Kulspruta had no pintle bolthole. As noted above, it utilized a buffered cradle. The bottom of the trunion protruded into the area of the new pintle bolt requiring Valerie to drill through what she thought was a solid brass trunion. It turned out to be a hollow interior. To keep water from leaking through these holes, a tube was fitted and welded on both side plates. The complete front sight and the brass threaded filling port plug were missing as well and required manufacturing from scratch.

Since a 1919 left side plate was used, welding and dressing of the three original sight bracket holes would be mandatory. The remainder of the conversion was achieved with Valerie’s stock semi 1919 parts she’s so well known for. Her right side plate is thicker than a full-auto, requiring the bolt, barrel extension and lock frame to be extensively machined to fit the tighter tolerances. The real heart of her semi conversion is the trigger lock group – this is poetry in motion, pure and simple. Starting with a solid block of 4140, a new trigger lock is fashioned to accept a modified AR15 hammer, an unmodified AR15 disconnector and AR15 trigger. A new pivoting sear trip is also used. What you end up with is the exact trigger pull as your tried and true, run forever old friend the AR15.

This will be my third Valkyrie Arms gun. My 1919A6 in .308 has over 20,000 rounds through it. Twice, using a Pact timer, I fired in excess of 650 rounds per minute in semi auto, and never ever had a problem, period. It’s the same with my 1917A1 water-cooled – about 10,000 rounds without a glitch. Although Dave from Sarco Inc. has an original complete Kulspruta tripod and cradle, it is of no use to me, because with Browning side plates and pintle it no longer functions within the cradle. To get over this hurdle, I purchased one of the Stembridge 1917 tripods from the good folks at Long Mountain Outfitter, Harmony, Maine and a D37915 elevator for anti-aircraft use from Hayes Otoupalik in Missoula, Montana. The cherry on top would have to be the spade grip assembly from Ohio Ordnance Works, Inc.

The deep perfect engraving KULSPRUTA MODEL 36 on the upper rear of the right side plate, in my opinion is a work of art Aloha nui loa from upcountry Maui.

By Frank Iannamico

During the Second World War the German Wehrmacht fielded some of the most unique and advanced weapons of the conflict. Many of the design features and manufacturing methods can still be found utilized in the modern weapons of today. Although German arms like the MG42, MP44 and the MP40 were certainly innovative, there was one design that really stood out. That weapon was the rare Fallschirmjägergewehr 42 or FG42.The FG42 was manufactured especially for the elite Luftwaffe (German Air Force) paratroopers the Fallschirmjäger.

The FG42 is a lightweight select-fire weapon that appears to be very similar to a modern assault rifle except that it is chambered for the full power 8mm Mauser cartridge. The 8mm (7.92×57) cartridge was the standard rifle and machine gun round of all the German forces in WWII. The German paratroopers insisted on the full power cartridge because of their experiences in the invasion of the British held Greek isle of Crete in May of 1941.

The German airborne invasion of Crete was a disaster for the Fallschirmjäger. For one thing the 38,000 British, New Zealanders and Greeks who held the island were fully aware of the forthcoming invasion and were well prepared. Even though the Germans eventually won the battle their casualties were extremely high. Adolph Hitler was infuriated with the high cost of taking Crete and lost all confidence in the future of the airborne concept of warfare.

After the German gliders and paratroopers landed on Crete they discovered that they were well dispersed from one another and separated from much of their equipment, which included their rifles, machine guns and ammunition. The machine guns and much of the paratrooper’s equipment had to be air dropped separately in containers because of the weight. The Fallschirmjäger troops were left only with their short-range MP40 submachine guns and pistols with which to fight the British Empire troops that were well dug in 1000 meters away. The virtually defenseless Germans were easy prey for the defending troops that were equipped with long-range .303 caliber Enfield rifles, Bren guns and artillery.

The development of the proposed FG42 was first requested by the Air Ministry through the German Army Weapons office, the Heereswaffenamt. The request was denied partially because of the rivalry that existed between the German Airforce and the Army. The German Air Ministry took up the task themselves and began searching for contractors to develop and produce their proposed new weapon exclusively for the Luftwaffe. Many German companies were contacted, but only two companies, Reinmetall and Kriegoff, were interested in pursuing the development of the new arm. Both companies submitted prototype weapons, and Reinmetall’s design was chosen for further development. Even though Reinmetall designed and developed the FG42, Kriegoff -Suhl was eventually chosen to mass-produce it.

Design engineer, Louis Stange, conceived the FG42 at the German Reinmetall-Borsig factory. Mr. Stange was a very talented weapons designer having designed, among others, the MG34 and MG42 machine guns. While the FG42 was being developed and tested, the new 7.92×33 Kurz cartridge was also being developed by the army. As the principle designer of the weapon, Louis Stange thought that the new midrange Kurz round would be ideal for the new FG42, and a few weapons were converted to fire the 7.92 Kurz cartridge. The small 7.92 Kurz round made the required weight and other design specifications of the FG42 much easier to meet. The Luftwaffe paratroopers however, adamantly opposed the use of anything but the full power 8mm cartridge for the weapon. The Luftwaffe’s original concept of the FG42 was that it would replace the service rifle, sniper rifle, machine gun and submachine gun with one weapon. Such a weapon would be ideal for lightly equipped paratroopers and perhaps prevent future disasters as had occurred on Crete.

The FG42 had its combat debut in May of 1943 against the British Army at the battle for the island of Rhodes. Certainly the most famous exploit involving the FG42 weapon was the German rescue of Italian leader Benito Mussolini on September 12, 1943. Mussolini was being held at a mountain top resort in Italy by Italian partisans. A daring glider attack was planned by the Nazis, and Mussolini was successfully rescued by the Fallschirmjäger and SS troops that participated in the operation.

The FG42 was produced in a number of variations. There were several prototypes and experimental models. The only FG42’s that were manufactured in any substantial numbers were the E and G models. The early E models differed so much from the final G variation that they hardly appear to be the same weapon. Even the magazines are not interchangeable between early and later versions. There was even a fair amount of minor feature variations within each model designation. Some features that were common among all models were the folding bipod, straight-line buffered stock, the high profile folding sights, and the 4-sided spike bayonet. Another characteristic all models of the FG42 share is an excessive muzzle flash. The steel double-stack magazines were manufactured in both 10 and 20 round capacities.

The FG42 weapon is gas operated, featuring a gas piston and cylinder assembly located under the barrel. The bolt is attached to the top of the gas piston assembly. The bolt has a camed slot cut into it that rotates the two bolt lugs in or out of the locked position via a fixed stud that protrudes from the gas piston rod. The spring-loaded firing pin is mounted on top of the stud. The sear is moved right or left by the detent stud on the selector for semi or full auto fire. The gas piston has two sear engagement notches, one for semi-automatic fire, the other for full automatic. The FG42 fires from the closed bolt position for semi-automatic and from an open bolt when in the full-automatic mode. Although when firing from the open bolt position, the bolt still turns and locks to the breech before firing.

The 1st (production) model, also often referred to as the model E, is most easily recognized by the radical angle of its pistol grip. The E model featured a receiver painstakingly machined out of steel. Little thought of expense or difficulty of manufacture was given to the early FG42. The E model featured a buffered stamped steel (or aluminum) buttstock, and a bipod that was located just forward of the forearm. The bipod folded forward when not in use. The magazine well is located on the left side of the receiver. The magazine could be replenished via five round stripper clips while remaining in the weapon through a guide machined into the receiver. A single selector lever marked E-S-D controlled the safe-auto and semi-automatic modes of fire. When the selector is placed in the safe position the detent stud of the selector fits into a locking hole in the sear, preventing it from moving. The cyclic rate of the E model was fast at 800-900 rounds per minute. A threaded muzzle brake was installed on the end of the barrel. The E model brake has 32 small 1/6-inch holes drilled in it. The ZFG-42 four-power scope was often issued as standard equipment with the weapon. The E model was very compact with an overall length of just 37.2” and a weight of 11.06 pounds fully loaded. The finish on the E model was a dark blue-black color.

The 2nd (limited production) model, also known as The F model, was totally redesigned and was quite different from the E model. One of the biggest differences was the use of a stamped sheet steel receiver instead of the milled steel receiver used on earlier versions. Critical wartime shortages of steel forced the design to be altered to use more stampings. The pistol grip was re-configured with a more conventional and ergonomic angle. The F model also featured a spring-loaded ejection port cover, a spent case deflector, a wooden buttstock, a redesigned muzzle brake and a variable gas regulator. The bipod was relocated to the muzzle of the barrel and now folded rearward against the barrel when not in use. The model GWZF4 scope was issued with the F and G versions. The safety and fire selector controls were now two separate levers. The newly located separate safety lever blocked the tail of the sear when applied, preventing it from moving. The rounded cocking handle of the E model was replaced with a hook style lever. The overall length of the F model was slightly longer than the E model at 38.2 inches. The F and G models were generally finished in black or the clear phosphate often seen on German weapons of the era. The F or 2nd model was only made in limited numbers and is extremely rare.

The 3rd model, or G model, was the final production version and differed only slightly from the F model. One of the most obvious changes was that of the muzzle brake, that now was a ribbed design. Both the F and G models were fitted with durable double wound springs throughout. Most of the G models were manufactured by Kriegoff, stamped with the code fzs, or L.O. Dietrich using code gcy. Waffenampt inspector stamps, normally seen on other German weapons, are not present on FG42s, because the weapon was not obtained through the normal channels, of the Hereswaffenamt, the German Army Weapons Office.

Accessories issued with the FG42 weapon included a leather sling, and a grenade launcher that screwed onto the barrel in place of the muzzle brake. A cloth bandoleer that was worn draped around the neck was provided, The bandoleer could carry eight spare magazines.

Although the exact number of FG42s manufactured is unknown, it has been estimated that only 5000 to 7000 were made. Only a few of that number survived the war and only a fraction of those made their way to the United States. This of course makes it one of the rarest weapons available on the class III collector’s market today. As a class III enthusiast you certainly know the word expensive is always used in conjunction with rare, and this certainly applies to all models of the FG42. The magazines alone for the FG42, when they can be found can cost as much as many lower end class III weapons. Although the wartime production of the FG42 was relatively small, it had great impact on post war weapons development.

By Lee Arten

The Ingram Model 6 in .45 ACP, made by the Police Ordnance Company of Los Angeles, CA is a very simple gun. In this case, however, simple works. Externally the Model 6 bears some resemblance to the Thompson, especially in the police model with the vertical handgrip. Looking at drawings of both guns shows that the Thompson has a lot more going on inside to get basically the same results as the Ingram.

Internally, the tubular receiver, the large spring and heavy bolt look similar to those in the STEn, the Sterling and some other open bolt subguns. Despite that the Ingram is a singular design. One difference between it and other subguns from about the same era is that the trigger functions as the selector. A short pull gives semi-auto fire, and pulling it back as far as possible allows for full-auto. According to Military Small Arms of the 20th Century “the system is today, fairly commonplace, but at the time of the Ingram’s introduction was still something of a novelty”.

I’d never used such a trigger until I bought the Ingram Model 6 Military, one of the Stembridge Movie guns from Long Mountain Outfitters. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it, but I’ve been impressed. Single shots are very easy to squeeze off, and despite the “double action” feature, the trigger is better than that on some other subguns.

The Ingram starts out about a half pound heavier empty than the M50 Reising, the subgun I’ve shot most. It gains about three quarters of a pound over a loaded Reising with the addition of a full 30 round magazine and runs faster than the Reising, too. With reloads my Reising runs about 575 rpm according to a Speed Timer 3000. The same timer puts the Ingram at 600 rpm with the same loads. That is just what the specs in The World’s Submachine Gun Vol 1 by Nelson say it should be.

Despite running faster than the Reising, the Ingram seemed more controllable. My friend Mike, my son, Isaac and I had all shot Reisings and MP5’s before. Mike had also shot Thompsons and some other subguns at Knob Creek on a visit a few years ago. I’d fired others including Thompsons, a Mauser 712 machinepistol, and the Beretta 38/42. The night we shot the M6 for the first time, the targets were Beast Products steel bowling pin swingers set at about 15 yards. We shot single shots and bursts and didn’t find the targets hard to hit with the Ingram despite the open bolt subguns’ reputation for aim-destroying clunk and vibration. At that range we didn’t think even the MP5 would have shot much better. Because of the Reising’s hard trigger, the Ingram was easier to shoot. Controllability seemed to be enhanced by the M6’s heavy tubular receiver. The Ingram was almost six inches shorter than the Reising and most of the M6’s weight seemed to be between the hands.

In burst fire the Ingram didn’t seem to start to rear up and jolt backward until after the first several rounds had gone down range. Fired in short bursts, it stayed on the target quite well. It didn’t hang like an M3, but the M3 runs about 250 rpm slower, too.

We were shooting in a gravel pit and had only an hour before dark. Because time was short, we put whatever reloads came to hand into the Ingram mag. Sometimes there were nickel and brass cased ammo with FMJ and RNL bullets mixed in the same magazine. With a singular exception they all fired. The exception was the last round loaded into the magazine. That round didn’t feed, except once in a short-loaded stick. Instead, it would get bumped forward into the front of the magazine or the edge of the chamber. Lead bullets were gashed and pushed back into the case. Reloads with hardball weren’t cut, but the bullets were sometimes pushed back. Something will have to be done about that, but there were no other problems in our short session. I’d brought some Winchester hardball along in case the Ingram was finicky, but never opened the box. Altogether we fired about 200 reloads in an hour. Some were fired through the Reising but most were fired in the Ingram.

More shooting of the Ingram showed it to work as well with light Bullseye loads with lead 230 grain round nose bullets, as with hardball equivalent loads with 230 grain FMJs. The problem with the last round in the magazine still occurred but seemed to happen less often than the first time I shot the gun. Several people left the range grinning, wanting more time on the Ingram. A friend who had been at the session called me a few days later. During the conversation he said he was tumbling a bunch of 45 brass which were going to be loaded and reserved for use in my subguns, particularly the Model 6. I need more friends like that.

The sights on the Ingram impressed me. Several subguns I’ve fired seemed to have the sights stuck on as an afterthought. A STEn I saw a couple of years ago had no front sight. When I drew that to the attention of the guy running the rental operation, he said, “Oh yeah, it fell off. We’ll have to put it back on.”

That kind of casual attitude is not encouraged by the Ingram’s sights. The rear sight is a peep, adjustable for windage with reference marks on the sight base. It is protected by two large ears which somewhat resemble those on the Swedish K. The front sight is also sturdy and has protective wings on either side. I thought the sights on the Model 6 were quite usable. Nelson’s book says they are set for 100 yards and I don’t anticipate shooting any subgun much farther than that. One hundred yards and beyond is Garand or M1A territory.

The World’s Submachine Guns gives the Ingram’s particulars as: Blowback operation, selective fire, cyclic rate 600 rpm Made in 9mm, .45 ACP and .38 Super Length without bayonet 30 inches, with bayonet 37 inches Nine inch round barrel Unloaded weight 7.25 pounds, loaded weight 9 pounds Magazine capacity 30 rounds. Box magazine made of seamless steel tubing. Six lands and grooves with a right hand twist.

The book doesn’t mention it but the gun has a two-piece wooden stock and sling swivels. I like wooden stocks and the Ingram’s fits me quite well.

I took the Ingram to the range and fired it semi-auto from the bench with reloads using Bullseye, Unique and Clays powders and 230 grain FMJ bullets. The loads were made using Winchester Large Pistol Primers and Remington-Peters nickel-plated cases. The Ingram seemed to like 4.3 grains of Bullseye. At 25 yards I shot four slugs into two inches and then threw a flier that stretched the group to three and a half inches. At 50 yards I got three shots into two inches on the edge of the target. The other two of the five were off in the much-ventilated back board and lost. The Unique load worked better than the Clays load but threw more and wider fliers than the Bullseye rounds. The Clays load I used threw seven-inch groups at 25 yards, OK for short range blasting but not for much else. The M6 trigger made it easy to shoot single shots. I never felt I might slip over and fire two or three instead of one.

Gordon B. Ingram developed several other subguns before the most famous of his inventions, the MAC 10. The Model 7, which fired from a close bolt and was chambered for the .38 Super, looked alot like the Model 6, at least in pictures. The Model 8, which was produced in Thailand, was an update of the Model 6. The Model 9 featured a folding wire stock and was shorter, lighter and chambered only for the 9mm Parabellum. The MAC 10 took the same trends to what I think is an extreme. Along with the subguns mentioned earlier I’ve also shot a suppressed MAC 10. Every other subgun I’ve fired felt better, and I shot better with them.

Recently, I’ve noticed that a lot of work is being done to MACs and the various MAC clones. There have been several articles in Small Arms Review detailing how to re-stock and re-sight these guns, and how to slow them down so they are of more use in competition shooting. Every issue of Shotgun News had ads for new stocks, handguards and barrels. Match photos show competitors using MACs tricked out with these, and other accessories. When I see these revamped guns, I can’t help but think that all the ad-ons merely bring these guns somewhere near the weight, length and utility of an original Model. 6.

By Lee Arten

Seven of us were shooting on an outdoor range in Upper Michigan in early spring 2000. There were about three inches of snow on the ground, but there was one bare place to stand, and it had been too long since we got together and much too long since we’d shot outside.

Four of the group were students, two from high school and two from the local university. I was one of three older guys, the father of one of the high schoolers and owner of the three submachine guns, a Reising, an Ingram Model 6, and a Madsen M50 we were there to shoot. The other two “old guys,” Bob and Mike, were shooting buddies. (Sometimes I call them, “The usual suspects.”) They’d already shot the Reising and Mike had also tried the Ingram Model 6. Neither of the collegians had shot full auto before; it was also the first time for Bob’s son, Sam.

I noticed something after each of the newbies had fired their first magazine. After I stepped up and took the gun back, and as I stripped the empty magazine and checked it, they turned around and grinned a huge grin at everyone. I saw the same grin appear again and again that afternoon. Since I was shooting my Madsen M50 for the first time that day, I know that grin appeared on my face periodically too. (I found the M50 reliable, controllable, and slightly reminiscent of the M3, for which I have a fondness. Madsen magazines were remarkably cheap for a while, and before the supply thinned out I had 40 of them.)

Thinking back on this later, I started to call that enthusiastic smile, “The 30 round grin.” The Reising mag only holds 20, the Madsen mag holds 32, and the lone Ingram mag holds 30, so it almost averages out. (If someone in our group had a belt fed I suppose I’d be calling it the 100 round grin.)

That grin is one of the rewards of showing new people the front porch of the NFA world. (One of the others is a lot of empty brass to reload.) I haven’t had my Curio and Relics License and my subguns very long, so I’m still only on the porch myself. I have made myself comfortable there, however. Since my first slow steps onto it, I’ve pulled up a nice, solid rocker, found some back issues of Small Arms Review to read, and a table to hold a cold mug of something to drink. The guys I introduced to the Madsen, the Model 6 and the Reising at the range that day in the spring had really only made it to the front steps. However, most of them seem to have decided almost instantly to come onto the porch to look for a chair, at least.

It’s been a few months since I introduced any new people to NFA through my subguns but next month I’ll get another chance. My parents are having their 50th Wedding Anniversary and my siblings and other relatives are flying in from several points of the compass. The same weekend a friend from years ago, a staunch conservative and new NRA member, is coming back to the area from Virginia for a few days. If I can work it out, both my brothers and my old friend will be down at the range with a subgun and a fully loaded magazine as soon as possible after arrival. I can’t wait to see the three of them break out into “30 round grins”.

By Frank Iannamico

There were many factors that contributed to the Allies’ eventual triumph over the Axis powers in WWII. One very important and often overlooked element was the Allie’s ability to develop and manufacture tremendous quantities of weapons. This was especially true for the United States, which had the distinct advantage of having its factories located far from the range of enemy bombers. The United States would become known as the “Arsenal of Democracy” for the amount of weapons supplied to friendly forces for the war effort. One other advantage the United States held was a large pool of designers and engineers. These talented men and women helped the allied forces field some of the best weapons of the war, and just as importantly, in the quantities needed.

Because of its manufacturing and designing capabilities, the United States was able to equip its troops with one of the few successful semi-automatic service rifles of the era, the M1 Garand. In addition to the Garand, the U.S. produced the semi-automatic M1 carbine in even greater numbers. There was a third semi-automatic weapon fielded by the United States, that although it saw very limited use, was believed by many to be superior to the Garand. That weapon was the 30’06 M1941 Johnson Rifle.

The Johnson rifle was designed by Marine Reserve Captain Melvin M. Johnson Jr., a Harvard educated attorney. Captain Johnson’s idea was “To place in the hands of the individual the maximum power or force which can be easily be operated, controlled and transported by one man one two feet.” Melvin Johnson was assigned to the Springfield Armory as an observer during the development and testing of the M1 rifle. It was during this duty that Captain Johnson saw the problems and shortcomings of the M1 design and difficulties encountered in its manufacture. In 1935 Johnson began work on his own service rifle concept.

Johnson had several prototypes that all shared a similar recoil operated action. In 1937, with assistance from the Marlin Arms Company, Johnson’s design was nearly perfected. A demonstration was given at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1938 to several ordnance officers. The unofficial test was successful enough to warrant further testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. The Aberdeen testing only proved that the Johnson rifle was not superior to the Garand that already was in production.

In 1940 a few minor serviceability problems with the M1 Garand began to surface. These problems quickly became very controversial, especially after the Ordnance Department denied that any problems existed. This controversy gave the Johnson rifle a second opportunity to prove that it was the better weapon. A head to head test was scheduled to compare the Johnson rifle against the Garand. The testing proved that both rifles were capable, but since the M1 Garand was already in production, it would remain the service rifle of the United States Army.

The Johnson design was unique for a major caliber rifle because it was recoil operated. This eliminated the need for a conventional gas system, making the rifle easy to manufacture and less prone to gas fouling. The weapon also featured an integral 10 round rotary magazine that could be easily topped off with additional rounds even while the weapon had a cartridge in the chamber. The magazine could be quickly recharged using the same stripper clips as the M1903 rifle. Some earlier prototypes of the Johnson rifle were designed for a conventional box style magazine. The Garand was handicapped with an eight round enbloc clip that could not be replenished unless the clip was removed from the weapon. In addition, the ejection of the Garand’s 8 round spring steel clip made a rather loud, unique noise signaling to the enemy that the soldier firing the rifle had to reload.

The Johnson however, also had a few undesirable features. One of the characteristics the Ordnance Department didn’t like about the Johnson was it could not mount an effective bayonet, because of the recoiling barrel. Too large of a bayonet interfered with barrel recoil, hampering the weapon’s operation. The second problem was that a bayonet thrust at a target could unlock the action, rendering the weapon momentarily unable to fire. The exposed portion of the barrel also caused some concern. It was feared that an overheated barrel could possibly burn the operator.

The first attempt to address the bayonet problem was by using a long 17-inch sword type bayonet. The .9 pound bayonet was attached to the forearm of the stock. The barrel offered only lateral support, and the barrel moved freely while the bayonet remained stationary. This design was eventually discarded. A small, light bayonet that attached to a lug on the barrel was used. The bayonet was extremely light at .35 pounds and had a triangular 8” blade. The small bayonet allowed the Johnson rifle to function without any problems, and was offered as an accessory.

After several unsuccessful attempts to interest the U.S. military in the Johnson rifle, Johnson’s company began seeking foreign contracts. In 1941 the Netherlands ordered 70,000 of the M1941 Johnson semi-auto rifles for the Dutch East Indies Defense Force. In order to fill such a large order a new manufacturing facility would be needed. The Johnson Automatics Company subcontracted with the Universal Windings Company to manufacture the weapons at their factory complex located in Cranston, Rhode Island. The company would be known as the Cranston Arms Company. Soon after the weapons were in mass production the Japanese overran the Dutch East Indies and the order was terminated. It is believed that only 30,000 Johnsons were manufactured before production ceased in early 1943. The only other sizable foreign order for the M1941 rifle was from Chile in the early 1940s. A small lot of 1,000 rifles were purchased. Chile ordered the rifles chambered for the 7mm Mauser cartridge. A subcontractor in Mexico manufactured the 7mm barrels for Cranston Arms Co.

The Marine Corps had begun testing semi-automatic rifles in late 1940. Although the Marines had also chosen the M1 Garand over the Johnson rifle in 1941, few M1s were available as demand far exceeded the supply. This caused the Marine Corps to take a second look at the Johnson. One feature that the Marines liked about the Johnson was that the weapon could be easily broken down for transporting. The Marines felt that this would be an asset for their newly formed paratrooper battalions where the rifles could be easily carried when disassembled. The Marines procured a limited number of the Johnson rifle for issue to the 1st Parachute Battalion in 1942. It is believed that the Johnson rifles obtained by the Marine Corps were those remaining from the canceled Dutch contract. The Johnson rifles used by the Paramarines can sometimes be identified by the front sight protection ears, which were often filed down. The purpose was to create a better sight picture, and keep the long sight ears from snagging on their jump cases.

A few years after the war ended, the Winfield Arms Company of Canada purchased all of the embargoed Dutch contract guns. Most of the remaining Johnson spare parts were purchased by Numrich Arms (Gun Parts Corporation.). Many of these parts were eventually purchased by Winfield Arms and used to build or repair the rifles obtained from the Dutch contract. The company sporterized many of the Johnsons and sold them as hunting rifles. They were offered in several configurations that included the original 30’06, as well as 7mm and .270 calibers.

The semi-automatic Johnson rifles today have far surpassed the average M1 Garand in price. An original military configuration Johnson rifle today is a highly prized collector’s item. All of the military Johnsons had a Parkerized finish, except for the bolt, which was left in the white. The aperture style rear sight is adjustable and graduated in meters. There are no military or U.S. Ordnance markings to distinguish a Marine Corps issued rifle. All the weapons are marked on the right side of the receiver “ Cranston Arms Co.” inside of an inverted triangle, and “Johnson Automatics Model of 1941” on top of the receiver. The first block of serial numbers of the rifles ascends up to 9,999. Subsequent number blocks begin with a letter A or B prefix. As previously mentioned, it is believed that fewer than 30,000 of the rifles were made. Although many of the parts on the M1941 Johnson rifles are numbered, an “all matching rifle” is quite a rarity. Original Johnson bayonets and leather sheaths are especially rare, as are original manuals. Both items command a premium when they can be located.

The recoil action of the Johnson is a very interesting design. When the weapon is fired, the barrel moves rearward approximately one-half inch. The barrel is supported only by the receiver. A rotary bolt moves rearward, locked to the barrel until it is unlocked by being rotated 20 degrees by a camming action between the receiver and bolt. The barrel’s rearward movement is stopped by a shoulder in the receiver, while the bolt continues rearward far enough to pick up a fresh round from the magazine before being pushed forward by the recoil spring. The rotating bolt head is locked to the barrel by eight lugs. The recoil spring and buffer are located in the stock.

There was also a Model 1941 and a Model 1944 Johnson light machine gun produced, which featured a similar recoil operated action. The Marine Corps used the magazine fed weapon in limited numbers during WWII. The weapon had a few advantages over the BAR, it was lighter and the barrel could be easily replaced in the field. An improved model, the 1944 LMG, was later introduced and manufactured in limited numbers. Special thanks to Jim Pullen. Jim has an excellent web site on the Johnson Rifle at www.johnsonautomatics.com.

Next: The Johnson Light Machine Guns…

Professional Ordnance, known for designing innovative firearms with carbon fiber technology, is introducing the new Carbon-15 Type 97S centerfire rifle chambered in .223 Remington/5.56 NATO and packed with features usually available only through the aftermarket.

Self-lubricating, non-corrosive and wear resistant, the upper and lower receivers, buttstock and foregrip are made from space-age carbon fiber. The oval foregrip is double-walled and insulated with a sheet of ultra-lightweight aluminum silica ceramic fiber insuring optimum insulation. The total weight of the rifle is a mere 4.3 lbs.

Factory tuned internal parts on the new Type 97S provide aftermarket performance right out of the box. The bolt and extractor are of precision CNC machined hard chromed steel. The machined tool steel extractor has been redesigned to provide 58% more gripping area and the bolt carrier has a longer recoil buffer to reduce felt recoil. The extractor, ejector and recoil springs are made from chrome silicon to insure maximum durability and longevity under extreme heat conditions.

Standard is a full-length Picatinny rail with “Scout” extension, featuring a combination ghost ring/200 yard peep flip rear sight. The rifle is also furnished with a multi-carry-mode “silent” sling and a Hogue pistol grip, along with one 30-round magazine.

In other news, excise tax collections on firearms and ammunition have risen steadily over 1999 figures in the first three quarters of 2000, indicating higher 2000 firearms and ammunition sales. However, some reports from distributors indicate sales slowed in the fourth quarter.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (ATF) reports first quarter fiscal year 2000 guns and ammo tax totals came to $52,054,000, a significant rise over the $42,925,000 collected during the same quarter the year before. The slightly more than 20% rise in the first quarter accounted for almost the entire increase as the second and third quarters remained largely steady.

By the second quarter, the total excise taxes for the first six months of 2000 came to $95,394,000, compared to $84,055,000 taken in during the same six-month period in 1999. At the end of the third fiscal quarter of 2000, total firearms and ammunition excise taxes stood at $141,754,000, versus $131,735,000 at the end of the same period in 1999.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms is proposing new rules that would require firearm shippers to verify that packages are actually received by the intended recipients, in a move to thwart theft from common carriers. If adopted, the regulation could add as much as $4 million to the firearms industry’s freight costs. Some wholesalers have been encouraging their retail customers to contact ATF to express their opposition to the proposed rule.

The proposed rules also require all federal firearm licensees to conduct at least one physical inventory annually. ATF said inventory discrepancies, record-keeping errors and employee theft accounted for 40% of the some 5,000-theft reports it investigated during 1998 and 1999.

An oversupply of handgun ball ammunition in the U.S. marketplace is resulting in some of the lowest prices seen in years. This has prompted some dealers and distributors to discontinue carrying the loads until the market returns to normal. Weak handgun sales in the late summer and early fall have partly contributed to the oversupply of stocks.

On the legal front, the question of whether a Michigan state law nullifies the lawsuits filed against the firearms industry by the City of Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan, is on hold pending a decision by circuit Judge Jeanne Stempien. The state legislature passed the law last spring that grants the authority to file such suits only to the state attorney general.

Similar questions are pending before the courts in Georgia and Louisiana, where state laws have been enacted that would void the lawsuits filed by the cities of Atlanta and New Orleans. In 2000, Stempien rejected claims of negligence against gun manufacturers and dealers, but refused to dismiss the city’s and county’s allegations that the industry creates a public nuisance as its products are sometimes used in crimes.

Stoeger Publishing Co. of Wayne, NJ has issued the 23rd edition of Gun Trader’s Guide, a resource giving complete specifications and current prices for used guns made after 1900. The all-new guide describes and prices over 6,000 firearms, both domestic and foreign. This latest edition includes numerous listings of military and defense arms. The alphanumeric listings and the comprehensive index make finding, identifying and pricing firearms easy.

International News

In international news, Canadian defense scientists are developing a sensor to be carried by individual soldiers or mounted on an armored vehicle that can precisely locate small arms fire. The system would use highly sensitive microphones attached to a soldier’s backpack and connected to a computer to analyze the direction and range of enemy gunfire. The location would be transmitted to a hand-held viewing screen carried by the soldier. Total cost to develop the technology was $2.04 million (U.S.).

The system is not designed to find the professional sniper who might be equipped with specialized ammunition and a silencer. Instead, it is for locating enemy soldiers who might be firing from inside buildings. The shooter can be pinpointed at a range of 200 meters.

Metso Corp. recently announced it has agreed to sell the entire share capital of Sako, Ltd., a Finnish manufacturer of rifles, to the Italian company Beretta Holding. “Beretta intends to keep rifle development and production in Finland and commit further resources to the company in response to expected volume growth,” stated U. Beretta, president of Beretta Holding. “Sako will become the Beretta unit responsible for the company’s entire product range in northern Europe,” he added.

In a downsizing move, Royal Ordnance plc of the U.K. will close its ammunition production plant at Faldingworth, England.

Firearms Training Systems, Inc. (FATS) has received contracts worth $9,650,000 in backlog, plus options for about $6,400,000. The British Ministry of Defence awarded a support contract valued at $3,800,000 to provide for two years of repair and maintenance of the 163 FATS systems used to train the U.K. armed forces throughout the world. The government of Singapore also awarded FATS two support contracts to operate, train and maintain Singapore Army and Police Coast Guard systems with a value of about $5,300,000 over three years with options for a three to nine year extension. Additionally, FATS advised that the Bahrain Defense Force has purchased small arms simulators valued at $550,000 with options to procure an equal amount in the future.

In additional contract awards, the Venezuelan Army has selected FATS to provide small arms simulators to train their forces by awarding a $1,400,000 contract with opportunity for additional systems and components. The company was also selected to provide small arms simulators to support the Greek Army with an initial contract value in excess of $500,000 and opportunities to expand the program.

FATS reported revenue for its first quarter of fiscal 2001 ended June 30, 2000 was $10,271,000, versus $15,196,000 for the same quarter the previous year. Net loss was $3,275,000, or 16 cents per diluted share, as compared with net loss of $195,000, one cent per diluted share, for the same quarter in fiscal 2000.

In an ongoing search to find alternatives to land mines, the Pentagon is expected to award contracts for a so-called Self-Healing Minefield. The concept calls for the development of mines using an autonomous communications network. When enemy troops remove some mines from the field, others automatically are signaled to fill in the gap. Rather than using complex robotics to move mines into the gap, the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is looking for mines that will pop into the air and land in the area to replace the removed mines.

On another level, while the U.S. military packages anti-personnel mines with anti-tank mines to prevent the latter’s removal by enemy troops, the Pentagon is seeking an anti-tank mine that does not require an anti-personnel mine. The three-year program is funded with about $13 million.

The Australian Army has ordered 3,167 grenade launchers, worth $5.8 million (U.S.) from ADI Ltd., Sydney. The 40mm launchers will be attached to the Army’s standard-issue F88 Austeyr rifle and will replace M-79 and M-203 launchers in current service.

Alliant Techsystems of Hopkins, MN, and Israel Military Industries, Ltd. of Ramat Hasharon, Israel, will co-produce IMI’s M971 120mm Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition mortar cargo ammunition for the U.S. military.

Alliant Techsystems will supply the first environmentally friendly artillery propellant to the U.S. Army for use in the Crusader Howitzer vehicle currently under development. The company won a $6 million contract from the army’s Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ. The propellant will be produced at the Radford Army Ammunition plant in Radford, VA.

Alliant Techsystems has also entered the small arms market by way of a 10-year U.S. Army contract expected to generate annual revenues of about $100 million. Alliant will operate for 25 years the Lake City Army Ammunition plant in Independence, MO, the Army’s only small-caliber ammunition production facility. Under the contract, Alliant will produce about 350 million rounds of 5.56mm, 7.62mm, .30 caliber and .50 caliber cartridges per year.

A unit of Primex Technologies, Inc., of St. Petersburg, FL, is producing the Shoulder-launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon (SMAW), a combination rifle and rocket launcher for the U.S. Navy. The company’s CMS Defense Systems division is making the SMAW under a $12.9 million modification to a previously awarded contract with the Navy’s Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgreen, VA. The SMAW consists of a reusable launcher with integral 9mm spotting rifle and individually encased high explosive, anti-armor rockets.

For the reloader, Hodgdon Powder Co. of Shawnee Mission, KS, has introduced the second version of its “Blast Electronic Manual.” The program contains updated data from Hodgdon’s #27 Data manual for rifle and pistol; Hodgdon, Alliant, IMR and Winchester powder data with an in-depth selection of bullet weights; and a Barnes external ballistics program linked to the data section of the program including printable ballistic tables and loading data.

The American Knife and Tool Institute, a cutlery industry trade organization, announces the availability of a Guide to Understanding the Laws of America Regarding Knives. This pamphlet-sized publication describes basic knife laws, consequences of violations and how to find and understand knife laws. For more information contact the group by telephone at: 877-752-8770 or 319-752-8770.

Mustard Plants Negate Lead

In an effort with wide implications for outdoor shooting ranges everywhere, officials at the U.S. Army’s Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center in Picatinny, NJ, are demonstrating how mustard plants can be used to remove lead and other materials harmful to the environment. The program is called Range-Safe and deals with the growing problem of lead buildup at the Army’s 3,000 live-fire ranges. The effort will be teamed with use of the Green Bullet, the new small arms ammunition with a tungsten core.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shut down all live-fire training on the Massachusetts Military Reservation in 1997 after a study showed a buildup of lead and other contaminants in the local community’s water supply. The concept is being tested at a live fire range at Fort Dix, NJ, with the removal of 4,000 yards of soil from the range’s berm.

The soil was treated with water to remove the lead slugs and then spread over a large area. Mustard seedlings were then planted, as they are known for their metal accumulating capability. The plants lift the remaining lead dust from the soil as they grow. The plants are then harvested, bailed, dried and sent to a battery manufacturer to be recycled in a smelter for their lead content. The soil is later returned to the range.