By Robert Bruce

SAR’s readers have the rare privilege of joining Robert Bruce as he goes behind the scenes of the United States Navy Museum and into the heavily secured arms storage vault maintained by the Naval Historical Center, the United States Navy’s official keeper of information, photographs, and artifacts that represent more than 200 years of proud service.

Mark Wertheimer, head of Materiel Section, Curator Branch, conducted the tour of this little-known national treasure and sat for an extensive interview on all aspects of the collection.

SAR: What is the purpose of the NHC’s weapons collection and some examples of how this purpose is served?

Mark: It serves as a material reminder of the operational, technical and social aspects that firearms have been a part of in naval history. We make them available for research, study and display.

An example of research is like what you’re doing with the SEAL weapons — photographing them for publication. Also to further future development of small arms and weapons in the US Navy and other Armed Forces. Our collection is one of many available for this RTD&E (research, development, test and engineering) database. We lent out the special 50-round magazine that Carroll Childers did as a quick-fix for SEALs in Vietnam. This was requested by a Navy organization along with its technical documentation.

(Editor’s NOTE: See Robert Bruce’s feature, “The Childers S.O.W.” in SAR, May, 2002)

Mark: A typical study might be by Naval Historical Center (NHC) personnel for one of our many publications. A staff member will view particular weapons in our holdings. Also, to learn about the past of the Navy in a general sense.

Most study is done from an operational standpoint – particular weapons in particular operations. How that’s been applied, lessons learned, that sort of thing. The weapon itself serves almost like in a court case – a piece of evidence. Someone wants to see it so you break it out of the vault for him.

Curator Mark Wertheimer at work in the vault, comparing details of an unusual cutaway Thompson M1928A1 submachine gun against entries in an early edition of Small Arms of the World. The collection includes not only guns and related artifacts, but also an extensive technical library. This gun was once used as a training aid by the FBI academy and was accepted into NHC’s collection due to its value as a mechanical reference. Credit: Robert Bruce

SAR: And display?

Mark: The chronological history of the United States Navy is presented in our flagship museum here at the Washington Navy Yard. Approximately 100 specially selected firearms are on display there, representing the broad spectrum of Navy history. This is the best place for the casual visitor to get a good overview of Navy small arms.

There are nine other official Navy and other government museums that have our firearms on display as well as some non-government civilian naval-related museums like the 42 historic ships around the United States. There are about fifteen locations in all including the battleship North Carolina, UDT-SEAL Museum, and others.

SAR: How about some examples of weapons that represent the full span of the NHC holdings?

Mark: Well, our earliest American long arm is an 1803 production of the Model 1795 musket in .69 caliber. We also have a French Naval Pistol from the 1770s that saw service in the American Revolution. On the modern end we’ve just gotten in some things from Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

The biggest artifact is definitely the Kodak Mark 1 Mod 0 60mm mortar from 1945.

Reaching into a rack of various machine guns, Wertheimer selects a Mark 1 Mod 0, an example of the remarkable shoulder-fired T20 series of 60mm mortars, developed for the Marine Corps in World War II. Starting with the firing mechanism of the novel 50mm Japanese Type 89 Mortar, known colorfully though inaccurately as the “knee mortar,” a recoil and counter-recoil system allowed firing standard US 60mm mortar shells (without added propelling increments) from the shoulder if necessary. Testing showed sufficient promise and some 100 were made for combat evaluation. Sharp-eyed readers will note in the rack (left to right): an Italian Breda, German MG08/15 and 08, Chauchat Model 1918, and Browning M1919A6. Credit: Robert Bruce

SAR: A mortar made by the Kodak camera company?

Mark: Yes, and it is designed to be carried and fired by one man – from the shoulder….

Our smallest weapons include some .22 caliber handguns, but the smallest artifact is probably in our ammunition collection. This is a tiny arrow-shaped steel flechette from the special rounds developed in the Vietnam War for SEAL shotguns.

SAR: Where did most of your post-World-War-II weapons come from?

Mark: The Navy Bureau of Ordnance, now called Sea Systems Command. They have their own research level T&E (test and evaluation) holding at Crane, Indiana. I should note that “minor caliber weapons in-service engineering “ is done at NSWC, Louisville, Kentucky.

SAR: How about weapons of foreign navies? I saw quite a few German, Japanese and even Russian weapons in the vault.

Mark: We keep some that were used by our adversaries and our allies. Telling the Navy story includes what we were up against and how our weapons match up. Are there any lessons that we can learn from them – certainly at the technical intelligence level – about what we are up against?

Also, it can be the things our friends were successfully using. For example, we have a silenced STEN submachine gun in the collection.

Sometimes the foreign weapons that we use or have used are not so well known. The earliest Russian arm in the collection was actually part of the US Navy’s developmental program for the Plymouth Rifle – an 1839 musket with nice Cyrillic markings.

SAR: How about any of the newer acquisitions?

Mark: Well, we have a 9mm Sig-Sauer P228 pistol that the Navy calls the M11. This is from a batch originally acquired by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service to replace their .38 caliber revolvers. We’ve recently gotten a number of weapons recovered by Navy Special Warfare units including a M1922 French machine gun. The UK ministry of Defense recently transferred some interesting firearms to us including an M3 “grease gun” with an OSS suppressor. It’s a very valuable find for us as the Navy used them in World War II as well as Vietnam.

SAR: What do you expect to be getting in the near future?

Mark: We work closely with Naval Sea Systems Command, the Navy’s lead agency for small arms and are expecting examples of the M4 SOPMOD carbine as well as MK43 machine gun – a shortened M60. We will probably get in some precision rifles – sniper and marksmanship team weapons.

SAR: Why sniper type?

Mark: When we were in the vault you saw the .50 caliber rifle developed for Vietnam. That’s what I call a 1st generation. We have some of the 2nd generation rifles but we need to fill in gaps. Since the ones fielded in the ’80s and ’90s are reaching the end of their life cycle, this is an opportune time for some of them to come to NHC. Mainly these have served in the fleet – with UDT (Underwater Demolition Teams) and SEALs (Sea Air Land). But others will come from the Navy’s competitive marksmanship teams.

In getting these 2nd generation sniper weapons we will work with individuals still in the Navy and with records the Navy still holds to identify, at least down to team level and time in service, specific examples with interesting service histories.

SAR: How do you spread the word so good pieces will come to the NHC collection?

Mark: We maintain contact with three main sources in the Navy and several others. In addition to the Navy Sea Systems Command, there is the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Crane, Indiana. Then, the “operational community” including SEALs, Special Boat Units, ships and the aviation community. We also ask the other Armed Forces to look out for Navy-marked weapons that they might have. The FBI and ATF are also on our contact list. Finally, we want the public to think about us for Navy-related items.

SAR: Is it appropriate for readers of SMALL ARMS REVIEW to donate Navy-related firearms, accessories and documentation?

Mark: Of course. Just pick up the phone and let us know or send a letter. We will provide a Deed of Gift that legally transfers the artifact to the NHC collection and a letter of appreciation. NHC itself very rarely buys anything except “high interest” items. That’s something the non-profit, private Naval Historical Foundation sometimes helps with.

This rough looking Lewis Gun was recovered by Navy salvage divers from the final resting place of the USS Pope, a US warship sunk off Java in 1942. Interestingly, the steel receiver seems rather well preserved, but the aluminum fins of its air cooling radiator are badly corroded. Wooden grips and buttstock have long ago disintegrated. Credit: Robert Bruce

SAR: What weapons and/or accessories are particularly needed to fill in gaps in the collection?

Mark: Our biggest holes are in the 19th century to the cartridge era. Surprisingly, this gap is not in developmental weapons but the actual standard arms in service. Those prior to 1860 are few and far between because nobody held on to them at the time. Now, a high price has to be paid to acquire them so our chance to get that Colt revolving rifle from 1839 is not very good.

Another example is a 1795 Ship’s Service Musket, the first weapon acquired for America’s new Navy of the 1790’s and specifically for the USS Constitution during her construction.

SAR: How do you get most of your operational documentation?

Well, even in today’s operational community sometimes what is written technically doesn’t always reflect the actual use. So we have two ways of doing it. One is to go to the SEAL Teams and ask for their reports and other documentation showing what kinds of weapons and ammunition were carried on particular missions. Sometimes these reports are still classified even though the action took place many years ago, so the papers go into a restricted access collection we maintain.

The other way is to do oral history work and that is the responsibility of our Naval Reserve unit. They go out and do interviews with the technical and operational community such as when Navy Special Warfare units were deployed to the Persian Gulf for Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

SAR: Any particular under-documented piece that could use more information from reasonably knowledgeable individuals?

Mark: We have the Navy’s first Gatling Gun from the group of 12 or 13 “test articles” as we would call them today, manufactured by Dr. Richard Jordan Gatling. One went to the Navy and was tested here at the Navy Yard circa 1862-63 and then got sent out West for operational testing. All we have on this is from secondary sources like books, and I would like to find some primary source material to tell the story.

It is said to be the only surviving example. The others were supposedly destroyed in an accidental fire at either the Colt or Gatling factory. Unfortunately, ours is missing its gravity feed mechanism. We have drawings and we know that the feed is similar to that on later guns but they aren’t interchangeable. Maybe some SAR reader will jump in with an original prototype Gatling gravity feed mechanism?

SAR: How can the general public get information or answers to questions about US Navy history in general and firearms in particular?

Mark: There’s a lot of information posted on our website, so that’s the best place to start. Then, if necessary, write us a letter. The Naval Historical Center answers some 30,000 letters each year.

Curator Mark Wertheimer shows a suppressor-equipped Smith & Wesson M76 submachine gun used by Navy SEALs in Vietnam. This simple and effective 9mm sub was developed based on the Carl Gustav M45 “Swedish K.” Credit: Robert Bruce

SAR: Funding is tight and that affects the number of paid staffers at NHC. Do you use volunteers?

Mark: Yes, and we encourage more, (mostly for) general maintenance and help with the annual inventory required by the Navy. Someone who has experience in working with firearms and who wants to learn. If I have a volunteer on long enough and experienced enough, I will allow him to take the weapons apart if needed.

SAR: What particularly interesting opportunities have you had as a result of your position?

Mark: We have recently had the opportunity to fire the Thompson submachine gun.

SAR: Not the 1921/28 “overstamp”!? SAR readers would be falling on the floor!

Mark: (Smiling) No, of course not. It was a 1928A1 – we have a number of them in the collection — to familiarize some of the (NHC) staff with the capabilities and limitations of a submachine gun. (This was) done at the Anacostia (Maryland) Naval Station at an indoor range available for our use.

SAR: Tell us about some of the collectors, historians and writers who have benefited from the NHC’s resources.

Mark: Jerry Tarble is one of the few and far between Stoner collectors in the world. I’ve helped Kevin Dockery with his book SPECIAL WAR/SPECIAL WEAPONS, and Don Canney, specializing in Union Navy of the Civil War.

The weapons in our collection haven’t been seen much by the public, whether in books, magazines or video – never in video that I’m aware of. There are some museums that are quite popular for this type of work (books and magazines). The Smithsonian is one, the National Firearms Museum (NRA), and the Western Heritage Museum collection in Cody, Wyoming, is quite popular. Ours is one of the lesser-known treasures of our nation, of our Navy.

Find out More

The Naval Historical Center’s website is www.history.navy.mil

The “Virtual Museum Tour” on NHC’s website lists numerous firearms and edged weapons of historical note that are currently on display. Some examples include swords and firearms of the Revolutionary War, a re-creation of the USS Constitution’s Gun Deck, a Hotchkiss rifle from the Spanish American War, and weapons of the Navy and Marine Corps in World War I. The World War II gallery displays German firearms from D-Day, a twin 40mm AA Gun, and the very modestly-named “Little Boy” Atomic Bomb.)

Mailing address is:

Department of the Navy
Naval Historical Center
805 Kidder Breese SE
Washington Navy Yard
Washington, DC 20374-5060

By Dan Shea

Herbert “Bert” Woodend, former Custodian of the MOD Pattern Room, died today; Tuesday, 29 July 2003, 16:00 GMT. He was surrounded by family and friends in the last days of his life. I managed to visit with him again on the Friday night prior to his passing, and set for a bit with friends there. Things were tough for him, but he smiled, had a kind word, and listened to our conversations. He will be missed by many. I found out on my flight back to the States, and was left in the company of strangers to reflect a bit on Herb. I wish that I could gain one tenth of the knowledge that he had on firearms history, he was an amazing man.

We are planning a major feature on the closing of the MOD Pattern Room in Nottingham, the movement to the Royal Armories at Leeds, the future of the collection, and some words on Herb as well. That will be in a couple of months. It should be an interesting story for all of us, as several people are collaborating on it.

I would like to share a picture of Herb, in Memoriam, a picture from days gone by at the Enfield Pattern Room that predated the Nottingham facility. Herb is holding a suppressed Erma EMP that he had been fascinated by, and is surrounded by his beloved Pattern Room Collection. Vaya con Dios, my old friend.

– Dan

By Robert M. Hausman

The recently concluded National Rifle Association Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Orlando, Florida during April, set a record in terms of exhibition space – some 200,000 square feet, the largest ever.

The exhibition began with a grand opening press conference at the booth of Taurus International Manufacturing. During the conference, it was announced that the Taurus NRA Membership Program brought 10,000 new members into the NRA during the past year.

Present at the press conference were NRA executive VP Wayne LaPierre, NRA president Kayne Robinson, NRA first VP Sandy Froman, NRA-ILA director Chris Cox and Taurus executive VP and CEO Robert Morrison. A “check” was presented for the 10,000 new NRA members gained in the last year to the NRA officials by Morrison.

Morrison also presented NRA first VP Sandy Froman with the Taurus Defender of Freedom Award. Chris Cox, director of the NRA’s lobbying arm, the Institute for Legislative Action, also presented Morrison with a commemorative plaque in recognition of an upcoming American Rifleman magazine cover. The Taurus booth was situated at the very front of the exhibition entrance and was the first all visitors saw when they entered the exhibition area.

The 2003 NRA show attracted a total of 42,875 visitors and over 350 vendors.

ADCO Adds CZ

In other NRA show news, ADCO Sales of Woburn, MA, announced it will be distributing some of the CZ products from the Czech Republic in North America. The first product to be handled is the polymer-framed TT convertible pistol available in .45 ACP, .40 Auto and 9mm. Swapping the slide, barrel and magazine allows the caliber to be changed. ADCO also imports optics (mainly electronic dot sights) from Asia, the Diamond line of shotguns from Turkey, Mauser-style rifle actions from Germany and also offers a new line of wild game meat coolers for use by hunters while in the field.

Jury Hits Gun Manufacturer with Liability

A jury in Oakland, CA, in early May, awarded $50.9 million in compensatory damages in a 1994 accidental shooting in which a 7-year-old was paralyzed when his baby sitter accidentally discharged a pistol while trying to unload it.

Victoria Ni, a staff attorney with the anti-gun, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, who had advised the plaintiff, said that the maker of the gun involved, Bryco Arms, it’s designer, Bruce Jennings, and the company’s main distributor, B.L. Jennings, Inc., would together be held responsible for at least a third of the damages. A spokeswoman for Judge John F. Kraetzer of the Alameda County Superior Court, who heard the case, could not say how the damages would be divided.

In April the jury also found the baby sitter and the victim’s parents, who had bought the gun, partially liable for the accident. In addition, two other gun distributors and the pawnshop where the gun was sold at retail were found liable. Chuck Michel, an attorney and spokesman for the California Rifle and Pistol Association predicted the verdict would be overturned on appeal.

“Every time they get something like this, they claim it is a watershed issue,” Michel said of gun control proponents, “and then it gets overturned on appeal, and no press release is issued.” This statement was certainly borne out in the NAACP case, as the Brady Campaign, which had been touting the case before and during the trial, has become strangely silent about it since the jury rendered its decision.

Contract Awards

In other business news, a $2,200,000 contract modification is awarded by the United States Marine Corps to Firearms Training Systems, Inc. (FATS) for a 12-month continuation of Contractor Logistical Support for the USMC ISMT-E program and delivery of additional LCD projectors. FATS has provided depot level CLS support to the USMC since 1996 for their 603 FATS training systems deployed worldwide. The acquisition of additional LCD projectors will provide complete replacement for the aged projectors currently in use in previously upgraded systems and those scheduled for upgrade during the year.

An additional $3,300,00 contract has been awarded to FATS from the Air National Guard. The contract requires delivery of additional new digital systems, upgrading of existing systems and a variety of weapons simulators, courseware and service. This order is an addition to previous FATS products procured by the Air Guard over the past three years. Delivery began in March with installation and training beginning in April. This procurement increases the number of Air Guard digital systems to 235.

XS Sight Systems’ Name Change

XS Sight Systems of Fort Worth, TX, is still working through its name change, which went into effect in April 2002. The company is ensuring all its packaging, catalogs and advertisements reflect the new name of XS Sight Systems.

The firm, formerly known as Ashley Outdoors, had prior to this most recent name change, changed its name to AO Sight Systems in 1999 as this name was thought to better represent the firearm sight system product line the company produced. However, a lawsuit filed by American Optical changed the sight system firm’s thinking.

The suit alleged AO Sight Systems’ use of the abbreviation “AO” caused confusion and misrepresentation of products to customers. American Optical manufactures glasses, contact lenses, and also owns AO Safety – hearing protection and safety glasses, and Peltor – hearing protection. Rather than expending funds to fight the suit or pay a requested royalty to continue use of the “AO” name, the company decided to change its name to the new “XS Sight Systems, Inc.” name.

Bushmaster Buys Pro Ord Assets

Bushmaster Firearms, Inc. of Windham, Maine, has acquired the assets of Professional Ordinance, Inc. of Lake Havasu City, AZ. Bushmaster, a producer of AR-type rifles, is adding the complementary Professional Ordinance line featuring stainless steel barrels, molded carbon fiber upper and lower receivers (and other components) and a Modular Accessories System to their existing line. The Pro Ord 5.56mm/.223 rifle weighs less than 4 pounds and its pistol version weighs just 46 ounces. Bushmaster is planning a .22 rimfire version as well.

Bushmaster will maintain production facilities in Lake Havasu City while all administration, sales, customer service and purchasing will be done from the Windham office. The Bushmaster warranty will be extended to all owners of Professional Ordinance products. About 225 existing Pro Ord made units are available to distributors and retailers. Newly made units under the Bushmaster name will be available in August.

Former Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA) has announced he will not be a candidate for the 7th District congressional seat being vacated by Rep. Johnny Isakson. Barr, a long-time friend of the industry, had said in mid-February that he would seek the post.

German Gunmaker Expanding

Retailers who serve a quality-conscious customer base in the US are offered a unique profit opportunity by Korth Germany GmbH, the world-class manufacturer of high-precision revolvers and semi-auto pistols. A chosen few are being offered the chance to now sell the Korth line as the exclusive authorized Korth retailer in their home states as part of the gunmaker’s U.S. expansion program. Only one retail dealership per state will be offered. For details, contact: Earl J. Sheehan, Jr., FAX: 978-851-9462, e-mail: info@korthusa.com.

Firestorm Increases its Distribution

Firestorm handguns, imported by SGS Importers International, Inc., has appointed Bonitz Bros., Inc. as an additional distributor for Pennsylvania.

The are now four JSC locations (Jerry’s Sport Center), (Outdoor Sports Headquarters), (Simmons Gun Specialties), and (Bonitz Bros.) selling Firestorm handguns in the following states: Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Pistol for Airline Pilots

A supplier of .40 caliber pistols for the Federal Flight Deck Officer program is sought by the Dept. of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration. The program was established by the Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act enacted on 25 November 2002 and requires the training, equipping and deputizing of certain air carrier pilots to be Federal Flight Deck Officers for the purpose of defending the flight decks of aircraft against acts of criminal violence and air piracy.

Pistols will be purchased under full and open competition with an approximate four-month base period contract with three one-year options. The government’s requirement is for delivery of from 100 to 2,400 pistols in the base period and in each of the three option periods.

SHOT Show Date Not Changing

Despite rumors to the contrary, the date of the 2004 S.H.O.T. Show will not be moved from February to a date earlier in the year, or even to December 2003.

Doug Painter of the NSSF says that while January dates were not available in the years 2003 or 2004, the 2005 show will be held in late January.

E-Mail ATF Form Requests

The ATF National Licensing Center will now accept requests for application forms to apply for firearms and explosives licenses by e-mail. The address is: NLClicenseapplication@atf.gov.

The request should contain the subject line “Request for Application Package.” Application forms will be sent via First Class postal mail. For more details, call the ATF National Licensing Center at: 404-417-2750.

Hodgdon Powder Recall

Hodgdon Powder Co. is recalling a small lot of LIL’ Gun smokeless powder in 1-pound containers marked as Lot #103080221. Retailers or consumers should call 913-362-9455 or 800-622-4366 for instructions on how to return the affected powder.

FNH Dealer Program Extended

The popular 2003 Dealer Stocking Program offered by FNH USA, Inc., a subsidiary of FN Herstal, S.A. Belgium, has been extended through 31 December 2003. Created to drive dealer sales of various FN products, increase visibility for the brand and add profitability to retailers’ business, positive retailer and distributor response prompted the program’s extension.

“We continue to gain momentum in the commercial and law enforcement dealer markets and extending the program will give us the opportunity to accelerate dealer stocking of the new FNH USA line-up,” comments Rick DeMilt, director of sales and marketing.

The program provides that retailers who purchase one FN SPR (Special Police Rifle) and one FN Tactical Police Shotgun, plus any other three FN firearms between Jan. 1, 2003 and Dec. 31, 2003, qualify for a free FN Standard Police Shotgun. Qualifying retailers must forward copies of their distributor invoices and their FFL to the FNH USA sales office in McLean, Virginia. Once received, an FN Standard Police Shotgun will be shipped direct.

“FNH USA has a state-of-the-art product line-up, which we are always expanding,” added DeMilt. “The selection and quality of the arms we offer prove we are uniquely positioned for market leadership in the law enforcement and personal security commercial segments.” Retailers interested in learning more about the line can visit: www.fnhusa.com

ATK Investing “Heavily” in Federal

ATK is working to make its Federal Cartridge Co. division the most powerful consumer brand in ammunition. ATK says it is investing “heavily” in Federal from branding and R&D to consumer research and promotions. The first visible change will be to Federal’s logo and product packaging, such as the new Shockwave logo. Each new product package has a game guide for choosing the right ammo for the right pursuit-along with detailed ballistics data.

ATK/Federal was presented with an Award of Excellence by the NRA during the first annual Golden Bullseye Awards at the 2003 NRA show. Federal has also redesigned its consumer web site to contain an interactive ballistics catalog, an Outfitter dealer locator, and a functional ammo catalog.

SAR’s Industry News columnist, Robert M. Hausman, is also the editor and publisher of the small arms industry’s two most respected business-to-business publications – The New Firearms Business, a bi-monthly newsletter covering the marketing, legal and regulatory aspects of the domestic firearms industry. Published 22-times per year, an annual subscription to Firearms Business is just $110. Published monthly, The International Firearms Trade is of interest to those firms doing business abroad, such as importer or exporters, or those considering doing so. A subscription to the 12-page International Firearms Trade costs just $70 for one year. To order either publication, send a check to made payable in the name of the desired publication (FT or IFT) to: P.O. Box 98, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819 USA.

By Chris A. Choat

MICROTECH KNIVES BUILDS THE UMS FOR DEPLOYED TROOPS

MicroTech Knives has begun shipping a new automatic folding knife designed expressly for use by law enforcement and the military. Known as the UMS, (Uniformed Military Service), the new knife is derived from the highly popular and successful UDT series that MicroTech designed and has built for several years. Among the changes from the UDT are the incorporation of an integral safety, a larger format, slip-resistant inserts in the handle and a plunge lock. The knife also has a lanyard attachment point and pocket clip. An operator’s manual and specially designed nylon sheath are included in a moisture resistant package. Meeting the continuing and increased demand for a new, reasonably priced top-of-the line tactical knife presented an unusual opportunity for the Vero Beach, Florida company. “Our constant mission is to make a highly reliable, no-nonsense knife that is constructed exclusively from American materials,” said company President Tony Marfione. “This in fact sounds easier than it is. Much of the production knife business has moved to the Pacific Rim and materials are coming from the same region. We get our steel, aluminum, titanium and everything else in our knives from US suppliers. We then machine and assemble the products right here, not in China or Taiwan. This makes the difference in the final product, but it comes at a price.” Since 1994, MicroTech has built a wide range of folding tactical knife products. Using high technology for design and machining, MicroTech produces the UMS as a medium-sized tactical/utility knife for law enforcement and military. “This is no giant Bowie-style knife,” said Marfione. “We designed the UMS to be carried in the BDU pocket, on the SEER vest or on any belt, paying attention to details like the wider size of the current military BDU nylon belt and making sure that the sheath had both horizontal and vertical loops big enough for that belt. The safety latch was an item required in some military units.” Police, fire/EMT, combat military and government agency operatives continue to ask for an auto-folder with a high durability, wear-resistant blade, strong adhesion to the wet or sweaty hand and a reliable, very fast, one-handed blade deployment. Like all of the new knives from MicroTech, the UMS uses new, proprietary, tamper resistant fasteners. “This is to discourage unauthorized people from opening the knife in the field,” Marfione says. “I know there are plenty of collectors who want to take a knife apart and see how it works, but for the field soldier or cop, this is not a desirable undertaking any more than it is for them to go beyond first level tear down of their personal weapons.” The company will provide special tools for maintenance to a small group of selected dealers and distributors, but prefers for owners to return the knives under the lifetime warrantee provided for all original owners. Options for the UMS include various blade treatments: black, stone wash, desert tan and OD green finishes in plain or partially serrated blades. Production in 2003 will be numbered and limited to 3,600 pieces. The standard version of the UMS has a retail price of $165-170 US, depending on the blade finish. For more information contact Micro Technology, Dept. SAR, 932 36th Court, Vero Beach, FL 32968; phone: 1-772-569-3058; fax: 1-772-569-7632; website: www.microtechknives.com.

SRT ARMS INTRODUCES THEIR NEW HMaxR SUPPRESSOR

Legal in 35 states, this new HMaxR suppressor for the .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire is advertised as quieting the muzzle blast of the .17 HMR round from about 155 dB down to 122 dB, which is about as loud as a pellet rifle. It completely eliminates the need for hearing protection, and does not affect bullet accuracy. The suppressor has a 1-inch outside diameter, is 6 inches long and weighs just 7 ounces. It is constructed of stainless steel and therefore is rust resistant. It is available in bright stainless finish or matte black. It mounts on standard 1/2 X 28 muzzle threads and the bore of the suppressor is large enough that it can also be used on .22 LR pistols and rifles as well as .22 Magnum firearms. For more information contact SRT Arms, Dept. SAR, 1769 E. Broadway Road, #1-161, Tempe, AZ 85282; phone: 1-480-967-6218; website: www.srtarms.com.

NEW SUPERSABOT FROM BRENNEKE

Brenneke® has introduced a revolutionary new sabot round for 12 gauge rifled shotguns that provides accuracy and knockdown power superior to virtually any other sabot load on the market. The SuperSabot features a “wadcutter” 49-grain projectile that measures a full 0.63-inch in diameter, providing 58% more frontal area than standard .50 caliber sabots. Expansion within the target is exceptional, with the brass exterior expanding to a full one-inch in diameter. The SuperSabot is completely lead-free. Its unique patented “piston” maintains optimum ballistic efficiency during flight while transferring more energy to the target. The SuperSabot is available in 2 3/4-inch and 3-inch loads, with muzzle velocities up to 1,526 fps producing 2,536 ft. lbs. of muzzle energy. It is capable of accuracy approaching that of a centerfire rifle, with five-shot groups under 2.5 inches at 100 yards being reported in actual field conditions. The SuperSabot is the first projectile that combines the accuracy of sabot rounds with the knockdown power of traditional lead shotgun slugs. For more information on this amazing new round contact Brenneke USA, Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 1481, Clinton, IA 52733; phone: 1-800-753-9733. website: www.brennekeusa.com.

SCHMIDT & BENDER INTRODUCES NEW PM II/LP TACTICAL SCOPE

The new 3-12 X 50 PM II/LP has joined the Police Marksman II series of tactical scopes from Schmidt & Bender. The PM II/LP combines parallax compensation, illuminated reticle control and 1/4-inch MOA clicks in a highly ergonomic design, with controls clearly separated for safe, quick handling in high-stress situations. The PM II/LP features the sophisticated P-3 mil-dot reticle, facilitating range estimating and long-range capabilities to over 1,000 yards. It is built with a one-piece 34 mm tube, providing extended windage and elevation adjustment ranges. The PM II/LP is the first Schmidt & Bender scope to offer 1/4-minute click stops. Unique to the PM II/LP is a color-coded elevation knob that gives the shooter instant reference to where the elevation is set. Just one turn of the knob provides 28 minutes of elevation. A window within the dial than changes to yellow, and one additional turn provides an additional 28 minutes of adjustment. Thus, the complete 56-minute adjustment range can be covered in only two turns of the elevation knob, while the dial’s window graphically shows the shooter where they are within the overall range. This solves the problem posed by many tactical scopes when the shooter can become “lost” within an adjustment range requiring several turns of the elevation knob, especially under stressful conditions. Parallax adjustment is located in its own separate turret, as are the illuminated reticle controls. The reticle brightness is fully adjustable with 11 graduated settings allowing precise selection relative to ambient light. There is a convenient “standby” position between the settings that switches off the illumination, while allowing the shooter to quickly return to the pre-selected brightness level. The full magnification range of the scope can be covered with only one-half turn (180°) of the adjustment ring. For more information on this innovative new scope contact Schmidt & Bender, Inc., Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 134, Meriden, NH 03770-0134; phone: 1-800-468-3450; fax: 1-603-469-3471; website: www.schmidtbender.com.

NEW EDITION WINCHESTER RELOADING COMPONENTS MANUAL

Winchester has just produced a revised edition of their Reloading Components Manual. This new edition includes data for new cartridges such as the 270 Winchester Short Magnum, 7mm Winchester Short Magnum and the 300 Winchester Short Magnum. Cartridge drawings have been added to all listings so you can compare dimensions of your favorite calibers, including the new 223 Winchester Super Short Magnum. Shotshells haven’t been left out as loads are listed for the terrific new High Strength (HS) .410 gauge and 28 gauge rounds along with time-tested recipes using your favorite Winchester powders. For more information please contact Winchester Ammunition, Olin Division, Dept. SAR, 427 North Shamrock Street, East Alton, IL 62024; phone: 1-618-258-2000; fax: 1-618-258-3609; website: www.winchester.com.

By Matt Smith

The first time I saw a suppressed .44 caliber weapon was at the 1999 National Suppressor Trials, held at the Knob Creek Range in Kentucky. John Tibbetts brought a suppressed Ruger 77/44 rifle that really impressed not only me, but also many of the participants and witnesses at the trials. It was quiet, accurate, handy, and very well made. Since that time, John has sold his truck dealership, built a new 3,600 square foot shop on his ranch in East Texas, and has been devoting his attention full time to the suppressor business. Recently, John upgraded his baffle design and added two new models of .44 caliber weapons to his line of suppressors.

John currently offers .44 caliber suppressors built on three different firearms. These include the Ruger 77/44 bolt-action rifle, Ruger 96/44 lever-action rifle, and the Thompson Center Encore single-shot pistol. The suppressed Ruger 77/44 bolt-action has been available since 1999. The Ruger 96/44 and the Thompson Center Encore are new offerings for this year. All three models are available in a blued or bead blasted stainless finish and include a takedown tool for the user to disassemble the front end and remove the baffles for cleaning. Customers can either send in their own host weapon to be suppressed or purchase a complete suppressed firearm from John’s Guns. The new baffle design is now being installed as standard equipment on all three weapons and an upgrade service is available for those with the earlier type baffles. The upgrade service costs $125, plus shipping.

The suppressed Ruger 77/44 is an integral system with a 20-inch long tube, which is 1.25 inches in diameter. The current model utilizes a 16.5-inch long barrel, which is machined and placed under tension in a retainer ring to enhance accuracy. The barrel is lightly ported to vent gases into the rear chamber of the suppressor tube. Five of the improved baffles – made of high grade aluminum and hard-coat anodized for durability – are stacked on top of the tensioned barrel and held in place by a threaded and machined end cap. The stock is expertly routed to assure a close fit of the suppressor tube. If the host gun is stainless, John uses 304 seamless stainless tubing and bead blasts the bolt receiver and outer tube to match. If the host gun is blued, he uses 4140 carbon steel tubing, which is blued to match the rest of the rifle. The suppressed 96/44 is also an integral system with a 20-inch long tube, measuring 1.25 inches in diameter. It has the same basic suppressor as the 77/44, but placed on the lever-action host gun. John had to design some new tooling and fixtures for this new offering to insure the same level of close fit and finish. Like the 77/44, the 96/44 is an excellent platform for suppression because of the availability of factory .44 Special ammunition. These rounds are subsonic, do not produce a ballistic crack down range when fired, and are available off the shelf.

The suppressed Thompson Center Encore is available in variety of suppressor tube lengths, depending on customer wishes. The example tested for this article utilized a twenty inch tube over a 12.5-inch barrel with nine baffles. Customers can contact John to discuss what configurations may be available.

John, in conjunction with Tom Sipos of Weatherly, Pennsylvania, has developed .44 magnum cased subsonic ammunition for use in his suppressed .44 weapons. These loads use a variety of bullets, including 300-grain Sierra jacketed soft points, 300-grain Nosler jacketed hollow-points, and 300-grain Hornady XTP jacketed hollow-points. These rounds from Sipos’ Guns and Ammo provide much higher subsonic velocities than .44 Special rounds, with excellent accuracy. Testing for this article included some of these rounds, as well as Black Hills .44 Special 210-grain flat-point lead bullets.

Customers who have purchased John’s suppressed .44 rifles include the State of Kentucky, the State of California, the State of Alaska, and the State of Colorado. These users include Fish and Wildlife personnel from these states and others. Suppressed rifles are used for animal control, with the purpose of removing encroaching animals, regardless of their size. Law enforcement customers regard this caliber as far superior to the .22 Long Rifle cartridge.

Three different configurations of John’s Guns .44 suppressors were evaluated and tested for the purpose of this article. The suppressed Ruger 77/44 was of the earlier design utilizing the original baffles and spacers and a 16.5-inch barrel. The Ruger 96/44 tested incorporated the new baffle design with a 16.5-inch barrel. The Thompson Center Encore pistol tested had a 12.5-inch barrel and nine of the newest baffles. These differences in the suppressed firearms account for the differences in the sound meter testing results.

The sound testing equipment utilized as well as the procedures were in accordance with the Department of Defense Design Criteria Military Standard 1474D. A Bruel and Kjaer Type 2209 Impulse Precision Sound Pressure Meter, with the setting on “A” weighting and peak hold was used with a B&K Type 4136 1/4-inch condenser microphone. The meter was calibrated using a B&K 4230 calibrator prior to the tests. The microphone was placed one meter away from the front of the suppressor or muzzle. The microphone was pointed straight up oriented at a 90-degree angle from the bullet flight path. The weapons were fired 1.6 meters above the ground. Velocity data was obtained using a P.A.C.T. Mark 4 chronograph with skyscreens set 24 inches apart and the start screen 8 feet from the muzzle. These are the industry standard procedures for suppressor testing.

The ammunition used is all commercially available. Ten-shot strings were recorded for each weapon and the average reading obtained has been provided. Limited accuracy testing was conducted for the 300-grain subsonic loads available through John’s Guns and Sipos’ Ammunition.

Testing began with the Ruger 77/44 bolt-action rifle. Unsuppressed sound pressure measurements averaged 151.5 dB using Black Hills .44 Special 210-grain flat-point lead bullets with an average velocity of 817 fps. Unsuppressed sound pressure measurements averaged 159.1 dB for the Sipos’ 300-grain Hornady XTP JHP with an average velocity of 1,275 fps. Suppressed sound pressure measurements averaged 129.1 dB for John’s Guns 77/44 with the earlier baffle stack shooting the Black Hills .44 Special for an overall reduction of 22.4 dB at 701 fps. Suppressed sound pressure measurements averaged 138.9 dB for the Sipos 300-grain Hornady XTP JHP for an overall sound reduction of 20.2 dB at an average velocity of 1,035 fps. Velocities and terminal ballistics were much higher with the Sipos ammunition when compared to the .44 Special ammunition, with some sacrifice in sound reduction.

The second weapon tested was the Ruger 96/44 lever-action rifle with the upgraded baffle stack. Unsuppressed sound pressure measurements averaged 152.2 dB using Black Hills .44 Special 210-grain flat-point lead bullets with an average velocity of 807 fps. Unsuppressed sound pressure measurements averaged 160.2 dB for the Sipos 300-grain Hornady XTP JHP with an average velocity of 1,240 fps. Suppressed sound pressure measurements averaged 125.5 dB for John’s Guns 96/44 with the latest baffle stack shooting the Black Hills .44 Special for an overall reduction of 26.7 dB at 720 fps. Suppressed sound pressure measurements averaged 133.7 dB for the Sipos 300-grain Hornady XTP JHP with an overall sound reduction of 26.5 dB at an average velocity of 1,160 fps. It’s obvious from these test results that the new baffle stack actually increases the velocities over the earlier baffle stack and greatly reduces the overall sound levels.

The third weapon tested was John’s Guns suppressed Thompson Center Encore .44 pistol. Unsuppressed sound pressure measurements averaged 157.1 dB using Black Hills .44 Special 210-grain flat-point lead bullets with an average velocity of 647 fps. Unsuppressed sound pressure measurements averaged 160.7 dB for the Sipos 300-grain Hornady XTP JHP with an average velocity of 984 fps. Suppressed sound pressure measurements averaged 127.1 dB for John’s Guns Encore pistol with the latest baffle stack shooting the Black Hills .44 Special for an overall reduction of 30 dB at 659 fps. Suppressed sound pressure measurements averaged 131.8 dB for the Sipos 300-grain Hornady XTP JHP for an overall sound reduction of 28.9 dB at an average velocity of 1,001 fps.

Accuracy testing was conducted with both rifles using Sipos’ .44 magnum subsonic ammunition. Five shot groups were shot off of a bench rest at fifty yards. John’s Guns suppressed 77/44 shot a 0.625-inch group with Sipos 300-grain Hornady XTP JHP and a 0.75-inch group with Nosler 300-grain JHP. The John’s Guns suppressed Ruger 96/44 shot a 0.75 inch group using the same ammunition. This level of accuracy for the suppressed rifles actually exceeds the accuracy of the unsuppressed rifles.

When John first designed and built his suppressed 77/44 Ruger rifle, he felt it was important that customers should be able to disassemble the suppressor for maintenance. However, over the years that this rifle has been available, John has never received one back for baffle cleaning problems. John intentionally left the barrel of his suppressed rifles at least 16 inches long to avoid any potential violations of the NFA regarding short-barreled rifles. With the success and greater suppression of the newer style baffles in the Thompson Center Encore pistol, John is now working on developing a similar configuration for the Ruger 77/44 and 96/44 rifles. In order to shorten the barrels on these rifles and add additional baffles, John will have to seal the suppressor tubes, which will no longer be serviceable by the customer. John feels that this configuration will be a valuable addition to his current suppressor offerings with an even greater level of sound suppression.

John Tibbetts has made positive strides in his suppressor designs with the development of his new baffle design and its incorporation into Ruger .44 caliber rifles and Thompson Center Encore pistols. The new subsonic .44 magnum 300-grain loads developed with Sipos’ Guns and Ammo greatly increase the lethality of these weapons with outstanding accuracy. John is continuing to enhance his suppressor offerings with the development of a sealed .44 suppressor with an extended baffle stack. Whether for law enforcement applications, hunting where permitted, or for pleasure shooting, any of John Tibbetts’ suppressed .44’s would more than meet an end user’s requirements.

John’s Guns
Dept. SAR
761 FM 2134
Voss, TX 76888
PH/FAX (915) 357-4526

Black Hills Ammunition
Dept. SAR
P.O. Box 3090
Rapid City, SD 57709-3090
(605) 348-5150
www.black-hills.com

Sipos’ Guns & Ammunition
Dept. SAR
203 6th Street
Weatherly, PA 18255
(570) 427-9810

By David M. Fortier
Photography by Emily K. Fortier

At first glance the reticle of a riflescope seems like such a simple device. An aiming point placed into the field of view to turn an observation device into a sighting system. However, anyone who has lain behind a rifle for hours shooting at long range knows there’s more to it than that. This is especially true if the reticle is intended for military or law enforcement applications. Much is demanded from any piece of equipment specifically intended for professional use by snipers/marksmen. Even more though is required of their optics. So it was with cautious skepticism that I examined a new proprietary reticle from BW Optics called the Y-Tac.

For a reticle to meet the needs of a modern sniper/marksman it must do more than simply provide an aiming point. It must also provide a means to accurately calculate the distance to a target. While laser rangefinders have come into prominence, they do require batteries and can fail. Therefore a sniper must ideally have the ability to accurately calculate the range to his target using only the reticle in his riflescope. It should also provide reference points for windage and lead corrections. While it’s preferable to dial corrections directly into the scope this is not always possible. This is especially true on a quick follow-up shot or when engaging moving targets. The aiming point should also be distinct, even in lowlight, and quick to pick-up. Yet, it must also be precise enough to allow precision fire at long range on small and partially obscured targets.

A reticle, like the optic itself, is a combination of very carefully made trade-offs. While a fine crosshair provides a very precise aiming point on small targets at long range, it’s slow to pick up and difficult or impossible to discern in lowlight. On the other hand while a heavy German post is quick to pick up and remains visible even in lowlight it covers up much of the field of view. While there is no “perfect” reticle there are some very good designs that work well in a variety of applications.

To review this design we had BW Optic send us a 10x42mm fixed power tactical scope for testing. While BW Optic designed the reticle, their scopes are manufactured by Industry Optic Romania (I.O.R.) of Bucuresti, Romania. Producing optics for sniper rifles is nothing new to them. Started in 1936 in the South Eastern part of Romania, Industry Optic Romania was the creation of three very prominent European corporations, Malaxa-Carp, Optique De Le Vollois, and Bernard-Turnne. These three companies initiated what was to become one of the largest producers of military optics in the world.

Shortly after its birth, I.O.R. played a prominent role in supplying military optics for the Axis, and then Allied, war effort. At the beginning of World War II, Romania allied itself with Germany and fought against Stalin’s Red Army in an effort to win back lost territory. At this time I.O.R. was hard pressed manufacturing high precision military field optics (such as binoculars, altimeters, compasses) and aiming apparatus for fighter planes, submarine periscopes, giant naval anti-aircraft binoculars, artillery trench rangefinders, etc. Of interest to us is the fact that they also produced sniper riflescopes and mounts for the Vz24 sniper rifle in service with the Romanian Army at that time. This Luneta 4.5x28mm unit remained standard issue for Romanian snipers until finally replaced in 1979/80. At this time, the aging Vz24 Mausers were retired in favor of the new self-loading PSL (Puska Semiautomata Luneta) sniper rifle. I.O.R. optics also topped this new sniper rifle, which is currently fielded by Romanian troops in Afghanistan.

After World War II, I.O.R. found itself trapped in the Soviet sphere of influence. However, they maintained close ties with certain German companies. Then in 1967 I.O.R. started to expand their collaboration with the giant German manufacturers of Pentacon, Fog-Gorlitz and Schneider. During this time they continued to produce military optics as they had previously. In 1975 an increased level of collaboration with Carl Zeiss, Hensoldt, and Leica began. This is of particular interest to us as these highly respected German optics manufacturers took a keen interest in I.O.R. Carl Zeiss in particular played a key role in modernizing I.O.R. with not only the latest equipment, but also the training required to use it. In 1989, I.O.R. entered the fields of opto-electronics and thermovision. After the wall came down in the 1990s, they entered the US market and currently offer a line of professional-grade tactical riflescopes and binoculars.

Riflescopes from BW Optic are manufactured to their specifications by I.O.R. What sets them apart is their proprietary Y-Tac reticle. This is an interesting combination of a post reticle and our Mil-Dot system. The heart of the reticle is a post aiming point with “wings.” This is intended to resemble the front sight assembly on a US military rifle, such as an M14 or M16, complete with protective ears. The post is 1 Mil in height and 0.25 Mil wide and is intended to be easily seen even in lowlight. The “wings” are precisely designed to range a B-27 (shoulder width) target. They also facilitate rapid target acquisition.

Beneath the post is a vertical stadia. This is intended to be used for rangefinding via the Mil system and for elevation holdovers. To facilitate this, the 10 Mil high stadia is divided in not only 1 Mil increments but also 1/2 Mil increments. In addition, the vertical stadia above the post is divided into 1 Mil increments for an additional 5 Mils. To prevent canting, a horizontal stadia is incorporated. This is divided in 1 Mil increments for hasty windage or lead corrections. In the lower right field of view (FOV) is a choke style rangefinder. This is configured to measure a 21.6-inch-wide (shoulder width) target from 200-1,000 yards. This reticle is currently available in four different tactical scopes from BW Optic. Models consist of 2.5-10x42mm and 4-14x50mm variables as well as 10x42mm and 6x42mm fixed powers.

The 10x42mm Tactical we received for testing was a good looking medium-size tactical scope. It featured a 42mm objective lens, fixed 10x magnification, and a beefy mechanism block. Overall length is 13.25 inches and it weighs in at 22 ounces. Tube diameter is a conventional 30mm. In European tradition the ocular features a quick focus eyepiece. This latter feature ensures the reticle and image is always in the same plane for a crisp sharp image. Field of view is a healthy 14 feet at 100 yards. In comparison, a 10x42mm Leupold MK 4 sports an 11.1 foot FOV and a 6×42 M8 a 17 foot FOV at 100 yards. Exit pupil is 4.2mm and eye relief is 3.75 inches.

Finish is a matte black and the mechanism block sports large capped target turrets. Removing the caps reveals nicely marked turrets featuring 1/4 MOA adjustments in very distinct tactile and audible clicks. One counter-clockwise turret rotation dials in 15 MOA of elevation. The turrets are marked to allow an operator to keep track of full turret rotations. This is a good thing as this scope sports a whopping 100 MOA of elevation adjustment. This is a full 10 MOA more than Leupold’s 10×42 MK 4. On the left side of the mechanism block is a knob to adjust parallax. This is marked from 50 yards to Infinity. To the rear of this is a Magnum Lock Support that engages the reticle. The reticle itself is photo engraved directly onto glass so there is no chance of breakage. For superior durability this model features a Milspec steel tube, is O-ring sealed, and nitrogen filled. It comes with a screw-on sunshade.

As far as the optics of this scope are concerned the lenses themselves are manufactured in Romania from optical glass produced by Schott Glasswerk of Germany. Schott, a Carl Zeiss subsidiary, produces optical glass that is widely regarded as the finest in the world. The lenses are coated with the T-3 system as developed by Carl Zeiss. This consists of fully multi-coated lenses with anti-reflex treatment to eliminate glare and maximize light transmission.

To test this scope and its proprietary reticle we mounted it onto a Springfield Armory National Match M-1A via a Brookfield scope mount and I.O.R. HD 30mm tactical rings. We began our testing by evaluating it for fit, finish, and mechanics straight out of the box. Here we found it to be a good looking and nicely put together scope. The Quick Focus eyepiece rotated easily and the parallax knob adjusted smoothly. Turret adjustments were among the best we have ever seen. Whereas many tactical scopes (Leupold, Springfield Armory, Nikon, Kahles) feature “mushy” clicks, the BW Optic’s were precise, tactile, and audible. Aesthetically, it’s a good looking scope, but to be frank not quite in the league (pertaining to finish) of Schmidt & Bender or Carl Zeiss.

We then moved to checking it optically with a Zeiss Test Pattern. Posting the ZTP at 50 yards we noted the 10x42mm possessed excellent color rendition and contrast. Resolution was also quite good and we were able to resolve down to the #2 block on the ZTP. Examining the image on the ZTP we noted no astigmatism present. Unlike most scopes the image did not degrade moving from the center to the edges and we noted no curvature of field or spherical aberration. In this regard the Romanian optics are quite impressive.

Distortion comes in two basic forms: pin cushion or barrel, and I detected neither present in this scope. No rolling distortion was detected either. However, we did note some internal flare when looking in the general direction of the setting sun. This is a loss of contrast and sharpness caused by stray non-image forming light reflected from inner lens surfaces. In this regard I did not feel the T-3 lens coatings were quite the equal of Carl Zeiss’s top of the line T*. So what does all this mean? Simply that this is a very impressive piece of glass with excellent color rendition and extremely good resolution well up to the task at hand.

With the optical testing out of the way we zeroed at 100 yards. As extreme cold is very hard on any optical device’s internal mechanism all testing was performed at temperatures ranging from 30 degrees F to -12 degrees F. Firing groups on paper we noted the flat post, although very different from conventional crosshairs, did provide a distinct aiming point. Finding the reticle easy to use on paper in bright light, we waited for the sun to go down to do some lowlight testing. With the sun fading we were still able to effectively employ the post reticle after a conventional Mil-Dot reticle had disappeared into the shadows.

We then moved from the bench to shooting at unknown distances on silhouettes. We began by engaging targets from 170-330 yards with rapid multiple shots. This was performed in both bright and lowlight. Here the Y-Tac reticle came into its own. The post and wings configuration stood out clearly, was very fast on target, and was visible when a conventional reticle was difficult or impossible to discern. Next we increased the range, engaging targets from 400-700 yards. At these distances I noted the 10x42mm’s adjustments were perfect, for both elevation and windage, throughout their range. Repeatability was flawless. Turret markings were easy to read and rotations simple to keep track of. First round hits were made out to the limits of our testing, 700 yards.

My original concern when first looking at this reticle was that it might be too coarse when shooting at long range. However, I found that I could precisely index the head of a silhouette with the post, even at 700 yards. Firing slow groups prone off a pack, the M-1A shot into 1 MOA out to 700 yards. With its high round count and worn bedding this is all that can be expected from this particular self-loading rifle. The BW Optic’s Y-Tac reticle allowed you to place that 1 MOA group wherever you liked though. Taking my time I went 4 for 5 on the 700 yard silhouette’s head.

When it comes to rangefinding the Y-Tac gives you three options: a Choke rangefinder, the Mil-System, and the Y-Tac wings. To utilize the Choke rangefinder simply place the left shoulder of your target against the vertical line. The line where their right shoulder touches is the range they are at. The reticle is also delineated in Mil’s, so you can conventional Mil any object and mathematically calculate the distance. Or you can utilize the reticle’s wings to range a figure. Using this system: if the outer edges of the wings are the same distance as a man’s shoulders, he is 150 yards away. If his shoulders come to the inner points, he is 200 yards away. If his shoulders come to the outer vertical edges, he is 300 yards away. If his shoulders space between one outer and one inner vertical edge, he is 400 yards away. If his shoulders just fit between the inner vertical edges, he is 500 yards away. With this system you don’t need a standing figure to be able to range them. All you need is to be able to see their shoulders.

Negatives? The only real negative is the fact that the wings and Choke rangefinder are calibrated for a 21.6-inch-wide target. Look around you, people vary greatly in size and width. This is a weakness inherent in all Choke rangefinders. Also some may find the reticle a bit cluttered. Lastly it’s not cheap, retailing for $949.

We came away impressed by both the Y-Tac reticle and the scope that houses it. The reticle indexes quickly onto a target, stands out even in lowlight, and is an aid when estimating range. While it’s different looking, it is well thought out and effective.

Specifications

Magnification: 10x
Objective lens diameter: 42mm
Tube diameter: 30mm
Field Of View @ 100 yards: 14 feet
Eye Relief: 3.75 inches
Length: 13.25 inches
Weight: 22 ounces
Adjustments: 1/4 MOA
Total Adjustments: 100 MOA
Price: $949

Source

BW Optic
P.O. Box 355
Simpsonville, SC
29681
864-297-4137
BWOPTIC@AOL.COM

By Al Paulson

Few firearms exhibit such a graceful marriage of form and function as the integrally silenced Ruger Mark II. The Ruger is both accurate and durable, as well as handsome. Yet one does hear a few gripes from time to time about how quickly the Ruger action gunks up with powder residue, how difficult the action is to clean and reassemble after field stripping, and how heavy the suppressed Ruger is both for extended carry as well as for kids, and wives, and first-time shooters. Some folks are simply bored with the Ruger and want something different. Unfortunately, few accurate, robust, and practical-to-suppressed alternative pistols have appeared over the years. Therefore, integrally suppressed Ruger pistols have dominated the suppressed .22 pistol marketplace since the Vietnam era. An attractive and viable alternative to the Ruger appeared in 1999 with the introduction of the Camper model of the Browning Buck Mark.

Unlike the Ruger, which has an ejection port on the right side of the receiver, the Browning has an open receiver when the slide recoils back during the action sequence. This enables the back pressure of combustion gases to blast unburned powder residue out both sides of the action, keeping it much cleaner than a Ruger action after firing the same number of rounds. While the suppressed Ruger action needs to be cleaned every 500 rounds, the suppressed Browning action only needs cleaning every 1,500 rounds. That’s a big plus for many sport shooters and animal-control professionals.

The Browning Buck Mark Camper is also lighter than a comparable Ruger. With a bull barrel length of 5.5 inches and an overall length of 9.5 inches, the Browning Camper weighs 34 ounces. A Ruger KMK-512 with 5.5-inch bull barrel has an overall length of 9.75 inches and weighs 42 ounces. It is the KMK-512 model that is commonly used for high-end integrally suppressed Ruger pistols, such as AAC’s Phoenix pistol. The Browning Camper is also about $160 less expensive than the Ruger KMK-512. Other noteworthy features of the Browning Camper include molded rubber grips, a top strap above the slide for mounting the a fully adjustable rear sight (which does not move back and forth with the slide), and an unusually nice factory trigger nominally set for 3.5 pounds. The test specimen used in this study started out with a trigger pull of 4.1 pounds when factory fresh. Pull dropped to 3.7 pounds after the first 200 rounds had been fired.

The Dragonfly from the Advanced Armament Corp. represents an attempt to marry the lightest possible suppressor to the Buck Mark Camper pistol to capitalize on the light weight of the Browning handgun. The Dragonfly suppressor is fabricated from 6061-T6 aluminum and 304 stainless steel. (The Buck Mark frame is machined from a block of 7075-T6 aluminum.) The suppressor tube is 7.25 inches long and 1.0-inch in diameter, and is finished in a matte black anodizing. The barrel is turned down to save weight, and it is placed under tons of tension to minimize barrel harmonics and drift from heating, thereby maximizing accuracy. The suppressed Browning Camper pistol has an overall length of 13.5 inches and a weight of 30 ounces with an empty magazine. Thus the Dragonfly is 2.2 inches longer and yet 4 ounces lighter than the unmodified Browning Camper pistol. The light weight and longer sight radius, plus the fact that this is a silenced pistol, mean that the Dragonfly will be particularly kind to new shooters and shooters of small stature like kids.

These same characteristics make this an ideal firearm for training individuals in beginning pistol safety and marksmanship. As an NRA instructor, I’ve used silenced pistols for teaching since the 1980s. It is much easier to teach and to maintain safe gun handling practices when students are not encumbered by shooting muffs or plugs. It is also worth noting that shooting muffs frequently do not seal well on the smaller heads of young people, and plugs may be painfully large in the smaller ear canals of the young. This problem is made more serious by the fact that the young are more susceptible to hearing loss from gunshot noise. A pretty good shooting muff that will still allow a cheek weld on a long arm, such as the Peltor Bullseye 9 model, drops noise by 22 decibels. That assumes that the muff obtains a perfect seal on the head, which may be problematic with small-statured individuals. Peltor recognized this problem and introduced a Junior model, which only drops noise by 17 dB, but at least it’s much more likely to seal properly on a youngster. Peltor is certainly to be commended for introducing a muff for youth and small adults. Clearly, any sound suppressor that produces more than 17-22 dB sound reduction (kid versus adult muffs) will not only give better hearing protection than the shooting muffs, it will also provide a much better environment for teaching basic shooting fundamentals and fostering safe gun handling on the range or at the family picnic.

Then there is the matter of aesthetics. Are you bored with the looks of silenced Ruger pistols? Browning offered a special run of Camper frame colors in red, green and blue for the most exuberant tastes, as well as black for stodgy traditionalists like myself. AAC stocks Dragonflies in all of those Browning frame colors.

By way of comparison to the Dragonfly, AAC’s integrally silenced Ruger Mark II, called the Phoenix, has a 7.5-inch stainless steel suppressor tube and weighs 42.5 ounces with empty magazine. That’s only 1.1 ounces heavier than an unmodified KMK-512 pistol. While that’s relatively light as suppressed Ruger pistols go, it’s still 12.5 ounces heavier than the suppressed Dragonfly.

In the history U.S. folklore and firearms development, the story of the late Bill Ruger’s Mark I and Mark II pistols are probably as well known as the chapter on Sam Colt’s .45 caliber Peacemaker. Most folks are not particularly well versed on the origins of the Browning Buck Mark series, however, so a very brief history is in order before we conduct a hands-on evaluation of AAC’s Dragonfly. Advanced Armament’s suppressed Browning was tested against AAC’s suppressed Ruger (a Phoenix), which was used as a frame of reference.

Buck Mark Origins

In the beginning… (which in this case means anno franca 1914), John Moses Browning created the Colt .22 Automatic Target Pistol. And it was good.

In fact, it was dandy. Colt began production on March 29, 1915. Browning’s pistol featured a rather unusual innovation. A slide ran along the top of the receiver for the rear half of its length, and it separated completely from the breech end of the barrel upon firing. Combustion gases pushing on the spent case drove the slide rearward from the fixed barrel to power the extraction/ejection sequence of this simple blowback design.

The magazine was redesigned to accept high-speed ammunition about 1920, and the pistol was subsequently renamed the Colt Woodsman in 1927 (Browning and Gentry, 1964, 1994). Various target and sporting models were introduced and in the 1930s, but were discontinued in 1940 with the appearance of war clouds on the horizon. Two post-war Woodsman variants appeared in 1947 (a sporting and a target model). An economy model was introduced as the Challenger, which was renamed the Huntsman in 1955. Colt production ended in January 1963 with a total production of 539,232 Woodman pistols of all models.

If imitation is the highest form of flattery, then the original Woodsman was indeed a praiseworthy design, judging by how many times the Woodsman’s basic blowback design principles and overall aesthetics have been copied over the intervening nine decades. Fabrique Nationale d’Armes de Guerre of Belgium produced many Browning designs under license for the Browning branch of FN’s product line. John M. Browning began his relationship with FN by signing a contract on July 17, 1897 for exclusive world rights to manufacture and sell his .32 caliber self-loading pistol, which was marketed as the Browning Model 1900.

A half-century after its introduction by Colt, grandson Bruce Browning redesigned the Woodsman for Fabrique Nationale to take advantage of new processes and materials to streamline manufacturing and reduce production costs. Here’s where the story gets a bit hard to follow, depending upon which historian you read. Part of the problem is that model names appear to overlap different actual designs, and more recent work that came to hand does not cover all the important basic models I’ve seen myself.

W.H.B. Smith (1966) says that Browning simultaneously introduced three improved pistols based upon the earlier Woodsman design in December 1961, but commercial production did not actually begin until 1962. All three of the new pistols featured non-recoiling sights, open sides but a covered top of the receiver, and a barrel that could be removed by loosening a slotted screw with a coin. The Browning Medalist was a high-end target pistol with many advanced features, and the Challenger was a more affordable target pistol without the ventilated rib, thumb-rest stocks, wood fore end, or other bells and whistles of the Medalist. Both featured a steel frame, slide hold-open latch, adjustable trigger, and checkered walnut stocks. The Nomad, according to Smith, featured an aluminum frame to reduce weight and-more importantly-to reduce production costs. The Nomad had plastic stocks, an open rear half of the receiver like the modern Buck Mark, and neither an adjustable trigger nor slide hold-open latch. This economy model of the Browning line featured an aluminum frame from its introduction until 1966, when a steel frame was introduced for the Nomad.

As has been the trend of all firearms designs of old world lineage, eventually even the new Nomad econo-pistol itself became too expensive to manufacture. According to one recently published history of the Browning Buck Mark: Lee Farber, the owner of Arms Technology, Inc. (ATI) in Salt Lake City, redesigned the Nomad. That’s not really true. Browning’s own Joe Badali redesigned the pistol and Farber “industrialized” it. This means Farber performed the critical task of making Badali’s new design efficient and economical to produce, by using such gambits as using investment castings of the slide and other small components to reduce costs. Fielding an excellent product depends upon both a gifted designer and a gifted industrializer. These are rarely overlapping skills. This descendant of the Woodsman reached the marketplace in 1976 as the Challenger II (not to be confused with the 1960s-vintage Challenger, now referred to the Challenger I). The Challenger II featured a sporter-weight barrel, an open slide at the back, and a steel frame.

After further redesign of the pistol and magazine by Joe Badali, the Challenger III pistol appeared in 1982. It featured an aluminum frame and a target-weight barrel. Next Badali incorporated the latest advances in both manufacturing technology and metallurgy into the Challenger III, producing the latest Woodsman descendant—the Buck Mark, which first appeared in 1985.

It is safe to say that the Buck Mark represented a big improvement over the evolving Challenger series, and it also brought the fabrication of Browning .22 pistols back to the States from Belgium. Buck Marks are manufactured for the Browning Arms Company of Morgan, Utah, by Arms Technology, Inc. of Salt Lake City.

The first Buck Mark had a simple stamped rear sight. A more heavy-duty, somewhat adjustable rear sight appeared several years later for target pistols. Then Joe Badali developed a new rear sight for target models that was much more durable than previous Browning adjustable sights. Introduced in 1992, the new Pro-Target Sight was more user-friendly for several reasons. The new rear sight offered finer adjustment and significantly more surface area contact between the grooves in the adjustment screws and the captive detents. This substantially improved the lifespan of the sight as well made sight adjustments much more positive. Improved metallurgy also improved sight life. Although originally designed for the Buck Mark Silhouette pistol, the new sight proved to be so outstanding—and so economical to produce—that it became standard issue on all models within the Buck Mark line, including the pistol AAC uses to create the Dragonfly.

Another big improvement of the Buck Mark over the Challenger series was the superior trigger mechanism, which quickly became known for its crisp let-off as well as lack of creep and play. The sears of all two dozen or so variants currently in the Buck Mark line are stoned for smoothness. Some target models feature fully adjustable triggers with stops to eliminate overtravel.

The Browning Buck Mark Camper model pistol that is used by Advanced Armament as the basis for its integrally suppressed Dragonfly pistol is Browning’s answer to the Ruger KM-512 and KMK-512 pistols. The Buck Mark represents nearly twice evolutionary history as the Ruger pistols. The Browning Camper is a competitive and timely pistol that entered the marketplace in 1999. The Camper is the product of a timeless design being improved gradually by generations of inspired designers over the course of nearly a century.

Silenced Pistol Performance

Performance of AAC’s Dragonfly was compared to unsuppressed and suppressed benchmarks. Unsuppressed benchmarks included the Browning Buck Mark Challenger and the Ruger Mark II. The suppressed benchmarks included AAC’s integrally suppressed Ruger known as the Phoenix pistol. The benchmarks were shot the same day as the Dragonfly, and these data were compared to an earlier test of the Phoenix. This study employed the testing regimen and equipment used by Paulson (1996) as amended by Paulson, Parker, and Kokalis (2002). I should also note, for the record, that when I gave Browning the opportunity to critique this article before publication, they still wanted to recommend cleaning the Buck Mark every 500 rounds for optimum performance, despite the fact that the gun can go for 1,500 rounds with clean ammunition.

The peak sound pressure levels (SPLs) of suppressed and unsuppressed pistols are reported in Table 1. Net sound reductions appear in Table 2. Muzzle velocities appear in Table 3. The percentage of velocity retained by suppressed pistols, compared to unmodified KMK-512 variant of Ruger Mark II pistol, appear in Table 4. Accuracy data appear in Table 5.

Did I find anything that I didn’t like that doesn’t appear in the data? I did find one nitpicking detail inherent in the Woodsman/Buck Mark lineage. This final observation relates to the fact that the receiver is open on both sides, which enables the back pressure of combustion gases to keep the Browning action much cleaner than a Ruger action. There is no free lunch. The gas and gunk have to go somewhere. The more open receiver design liberates gas and particulates toward both of the shooter’s forearms when using a two-handed stance. Also, a warm powder charge may open the bolt prematurely and direct effluvium toward the shooter’s face upon rare occasion via the open receiver. Therefore, eye protection (which should be mandatory anyway) is doubly advisable with this design.

In terms of handling the Dragonfly, the first thing one notices is its conspicuous lack of weight. This is a good thing for folks without musculature developed for handgun shooting, since it will reduce shooter fatigue and significantly extend shooting sessions. Although I prefer more weight to steady my aim upon firing, I quickly adapted. I consistently hit a 2-inch swinging metal target at 25 yards, shooting rapid fire from the standing offhand position. This was comparable practical accuracy to AAC’s Phoenix pistol fired on the same day. The same Phoenix delivered 0.57-inch groups with Remington HV ammo when fired from a Ransom Rest (see Table 4). A Browning Buck Mark insert for the Ransom Rest could not be obtained in time for this study to provide a rigorous analysis of the Dragonfly’s intrinsic accuracy.

In terms of sound reduction, it is interesting that the ultralight Dragonfly was only 1 decibel louder than the Phoenix shot on the same day under the same weather conditions, regardless of the ammunition used. The Dragonfly delivered an impressive 35 dB sound reduction with Remington High Velocity ammo, and it did so while delivering a muzzle velocity of 1,005 fps. That’s virtually the ideal velocity (1,000 fps) for providing the optimum mix of penetration, flat trajectory, and lack of ballistic crack over a wide range of temperatures. Achieving solid sound reduction without overly reducing projectile velocity is a most welcome design decision for anyone who may use the Dragonfly for hunting, animal control, or the selective destruction of objects (if one is an armed professional). Advanced Armament gets bonus points for optimum projectile velocity. It is also interesting that the Dragonfly retains a slightly larger percentage of velocity—compared to an unmodified parent pistol-than the Phoenix.

AAC gets higher marks for the 40 dB sound reduction delivered by standard velocity and subsonic ammunition. A suppressed .22 pistol that delivers 40 dB or more sound reduction has entered the realm of the Holy Grail.

Using the sound of the bolt closing on an empty chamber at 52 degrees Fahrenheit as the yardstick, AAC’s Dragonfly had an action noise of 110 dB, while AAC’s Phoenix had an action noise of 109 dB. Using subsonic fodder, the Buck Mark/Dragonfly delivered a mean (average) sound signature that was within 3 dB of action noise. The Ruger/Phoenix produced mean sound signatures that either equaled or were 1 dB louder than action noise, depending upon temperature. This is dandy performance.

Both the Dragonfly and the Phoenix get serious bonus points because they cycle flawlessly with subsonic fodder. Not every integrally suppressed pistol does, particularly if they have aggressive barrel porting.

What’s the bottom line? Advanced Armament’s Dragonfly integrally silenced Browning Buck Mark pistol is handsome, lightweight, quiet, accurate, user-friendly, relatively maintenance-free compared to a silenced Ruger, and downright fun. The Dragonfly is a lot of pistol for $795 retail (or $695 for a silenced barrel assembly with front sight). I give Advanced Armament’s Dragonfly two enthusiastic thumbs up.

Literature Cited

Browning, John, and Curt Gentry. 1964. John M. Browning; American gunmaker. Doubleday & Company, Inc., New York. 323 pp.

Browning, John, and Curt Gentry. 1994. John M. Browning; American gunmaker. Second edition. Browning Arms Co., Morgan, UT. 390 pp.

Paulson, A.C. 1996. Silencer history and performance. Volume 1. Sporting and tactical silencers. Paladin Press, Boulder, CO. 424 pp.

Paulson, A.C, N.R. Parker. 2002. Silencer history and performance. Volume 2. CQB, assault rifle, and sniper technology. Paladin Press, Boulder, CO. 429 pp.

Smith, W.H.B. 1966. Book of pistols and revolvers. Sixth edition. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA. 752 pp.

Sources

Advanced Armament Corp.
Dept. SAR
3100 Five Forks Trickum Road SW, Suite 201
Lilburn, GA 30047
Phone 770-985-3109
Fax 770-985-3110
Website: www.advanced-armament.com

Aero Peltor
Dept. SAR
90 Mechanic Street
Southbridge, MA 01550
Phone 508-764-5500
Fax 508-764-0188

Browning Arms Co.
Dept. SAR
One Browning Place
Morgan, UT 84050
Phone 801-876-2711
Fax 801-876-3331
Website: www.browning.com

Greg Cartmell
Cartmell Gallery
609 22nd Avenue
Meridian, MS 39301
Phone 601-485-1122
Website: www.cartmellgallery.com

By Rob Krott

Editor’s Note: US Peacekeepers deployed to Macedonia as part of Operation Essential Harvest following hostilities with Albanian separatists. Because the threat of renewed hostilities and the presence of Al Qaeda terrorists amongst Albanian insurgents holds open the possibility of the insertion of U.S. military ground forces to a renewed conflict, SAR presents this report from the frontlines and a review of the small arms currently fielded by the Macedonian Army and Albanian insurgents.

Rain plastered the t-shirt to my body. Even with the overcast sky and the drizzling rain it was hot in Tetovo. The Macedonian soldiers manning the roadblock and yelling at me made that obvious. Clad in civilian clothes, albeit with GI jungle boots, I didn’t present a military target and exited the battered Mercedes as nonchalantly as possible. My nervous driver begged me to leave my camera in the car.

About 25 miles west of Skopje and tucked into the rolling hills near the Kosovar border is Tetovo, one of the five largest cities in Macedonia and a northwestern town with a mainly ethnic-Albanian population. The political tensions between the Macedonian government and the country’s Albanian minority first erupted over the Albanian-language University of Tetovo. Established by ethnic Albanians in 1995 it was declared illegal and became a symbol of the ethnic strife, resulting in violent clashed between police and demonstrators.

In the spring of 2001 minor ethnic clashes and street demonstrations grew into a full-scale guerrilla war. For most of the summer the conflict escalated after the initial hostilities and was soon a full-blown counter-insurgency in northern Macedonia. According to friends in Macedonia the Volci (Wolves), a special operations unit, similar to the Police Tigers, with experience in counter-terrorist operations were very busy. Only used in urban situations they are a DELTA type unit composed of professional soldiers electing a ten-year service contract. It was suggested I might like to tour Macedonia in wartime.

When I arrived on a flight from Sofia, Macedonian police in camouflage uniforms and combat body armor were dispersed on the runway awaiting our disembarkation. I guess this very visible, yet meaningless, heightened security was in case some well-known Albanian terrorist decided to alight from the airliner. An improbable situation I thought at the time but in light of 9/11, definitely possible. Two teenaged boys seated behind me looked out the window and exclaimed “Hey, that’s a Kalashnikov!” Their mother didn’t look as thrilled. Heavily armed national police manned several checkpoints and sandbagged positions along the drive into Skopje. On the way to my hotel I heard the unmistakable sound of a helicopter turbine and looked out the window to see a Macedonian Army HIND-D attack helicopter skimming the rooftops. I would see several helicopters and fast movers over the city in the next few days. From my vantage point, a hotel on a hill in the city’s outskirts, I watched them fly through the valley on their way to the fighting near Tetovo. I learned from the Ministry of Defense that there were a total of seventeen helicopters in action including Mi-17, Mi-8, and Mi-24 HINDs for transport, recon, and combat missions. There were four Sukhoi-25 attack aircraft committed to the fighting. The situation in Skopje when I arrived was tense as a police counter-terrorist operation the day before was the talk of the town. The police killed five Albanian “terrorists” in a firefight in a Skopje apartment. However, an Albanian language newspaper said that an Albanian woman claimed she was awakened in the middle of the night when the police/military raid team hit the house and killed five male “visitors.” I guess one man’s “terrorist” is another man’s, er, “visitor.” She claimed the five men (who she of course did not know) were not Albanian terrorists. I wondered how these completely innocent men came to be in possession of a large arms cache. The raid made the front page of the Macedonian papers and in a photo of the contraband captured in the raid I counted at least six assault rifles, one scoped folding stock assault rifle, several loaded magazines, camouflage uniforms, and a large pile of ammo bandoliers for the South African Armscorp 40mm grenade launcher. There were loose rounds displayed on top of the pile. There were two of the distinctive revolver-action, six-cylinder, folding-stock, optically sighted grenade launchers lying nearby. Just what every visitor keeps in his overnight bag. Another successful operation had just occurred as I left the airport: an Albanian convoy was shot up and several Albanian “terrorists” were killed.

Macedonia’s foes were supposedly homegrown ethnic Albanian rebels of the National Liberation Army (NLA). Roughly a third of Macedonia’s population of 2 million is Albanian. In many areas of the northwestern Macedonia, where the Albanians are concentrated, Albanian paramilitary groups were formed and trained in 2000 by veterans of the now-disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) or in Albanian: Ushtria Clirimtare E Kosoves (UCK). The organization was modeled on the KLA. Many of the younger recruits also had regular army training from service as Macedonian Army conscripts. I soon learned that most of the Albanian fighters were actually KLA/UCK. Weeks later when the Albanians turned in their weapons many were seen wearing UCK emblems on their uniforms and caps. The KLA’s spokesmen have stated its mission, the formation of a “Greater Albania,” only too succinctly: “Our job is to liberate the whole of Kosovo, as well as the Albanians in Macedonia and Montenegro.”

“Is Cease-fire, No problem!”

That Saturday the fighting around Radusa, a border village, flared up, with Macedonian positions receiving 82mm mortar fire from the Kosovo side of the border. Despite the peace negotiations, on Sunday approximately 1,000 NLA insurgents with vehicles massed on the border for an offensive south. That was the reason for all the fast-mover and helicopter activity. Heavy fighting continued throughout the region and NLA units engaged police posts near Albanian strongholds in Slupcane and Orizare with mortar and machine gun fire. And, of course, the temperature dropped to the high 60s with intermittent rain. If the weather worsened it might eventually affect air ops. All in all I thought it a perfect situation for a visit to the front lines.

As I negotiated for a ride to the front my taxi driver nodded his okay with our arrangement while another cabbie chimed in, “Is cease-fire, no problem!” I threw my bag in the car. The knapsack held extra film, a backup camera, a rain jacket, an MRE, a bottle of water, and first aid supplies (as a minimum I always carry G.I. pressure bandages, tape, and 4×4 gauze sponges in a war zone). I had a switchblade in the top of my boot, a camera around my neck, a notebook in my back pocket, and a Snickers bar. I was ready.

We headed west on the Skopje-Tetovo road. My plan was to get as close as possible. If I was stopped by the military or police I would try to cajole my way further up the line. I was able to observe some units in the rear and others moving up. When I climbed out of the cab at the checkpoint (about 20 troops backed up by a Henschel TM-170 armored car, aka “Hermelin”) I could hear the rattle-rattle of automatic weapons fire. So much for the ceasefire. The last act of defiance from the Albanians, or was it the Macedonian army playing catch up? Before I’d taken two steps soldiers were yelling at me in Macedonian. I yelled back “Novinar, novinar” (journalist) while keeping a stupid grin plastered on my face. I held my camera out to my side. From the actions of the soldiers I expected getting slammed into the pavement and having an AK muzzle screwed into my ear. An officer rushed over and started yelling at the taxi driver who suddenly forgot he spoke English when I asked him to interpret for me. A mortar round exploded just beyond the troop position and we all flinched. My press identification and clearance from the Macedonian Ministry of Information were brushed aside. It was a one-sided “no-no-yes” conversation. No, I wasn’t going any farther. No, I wasn’t going to take any photos. Yes, I was going to get my ass back in the cab and go back to Skopje. So much for seeing the Macedonian Army in action. Unable to actually join an infantry unit in combat, my experience with the Macedonian Army and its armaments therefore is from observation of units moving to the front, conversations with artillerymen and rear area support troops, and information garnered from Macedonian Defense Ministry briefers.

The Macedonian Army

The JNA (Jugoslav People’s Army – Jugoslavenska Narodna Armija) became the JV (Jugoslavenska Vojnika – Jugoslav Army) on 19 May 1992. The Macedonian Armed Forces (Armija na Republika Makedonija – ARM) was created in 1992, a year after Macedonia gained independence from Yugoslavia. Conscription started when the first intake reported for training at Skopje, Bitola, Stip, and Ohrid barracks on 14 April 1992. Under an agreement with Belgrade, all materiel belonging to the JV was taken to Serbia. The JV retrieved 350 armored vehicles (tanks, APCs, and tank transporters), 400 artillery pieces (multiple rocket launcher systems, howitzers, and cannons), 35 fighter and training aircraft, 5 helicopters, 410 different air defense weapons, 284 air defense rocket systems, 1,692 ground to air rockets, radars from Bitola, Valandovo and Delchevo, three motor patrol boats and 109,100 infantry weapons. Macedonia was left with only the weapons and equipment of the Macedonian Territorial Defenses.

Macedonia, strapped for funds, has been struggling to re-arm its forces since then. It has also reorganized its forces using NATO know-how provided since it became a member of the alliance’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) program, designed to build ties with former communist forces. Through the PfP program the 11th Stip Motorized Brigade “the Scorpions” has participated in five multinational exercises including “Co-Operative Nugget ’97” at Fort Polk, LA, “Best Co-operative Effort ’97” and “Esperia ’97” in Italy. Other units participated in “Peaceful Eagle ’96” in Albania and U.S. Special Forces participated with Macedonian units in “Winter ’96” in Macedonia.

The Macedonian Army has an estimated 15,000-20,000 ground troops (about 1% of the population), although, in reality, it can only muster around 10,000 combat troops. A general mobilization could swell its ranks to 120,000. By 1996 fully 35% of the army were “professional” or volunteer soldiers. Conscripts serve nine months. Draftees may also elect to serve in non-combatant roles as conscientious objectors. Most soldiers involved in the fighting during the summer of 2001 were professionals or reservists. The call up of reservists to fight the NLA/KLA seasoned some soldiers, expanded the ranks, and improved the quality of the fledgling army.

In the Albanian crisis the government considered some of its Army units unreliable, as they contained large numbers on ethnic Albanians. This is why early on in the conflict it had tried to use only police units as they contained a higher percentage on Slav Macedonians.

Arming the ARM

During the Balkans War the United Nations Security Council placed an embargo for import and export of arms for all former Yugoslav republics. This slowed down the process of equipping the ARM. The subsequent exclusion of Macedonia from the arms embargo in 1996 allowed Macedonia to equip its military, but it had to decide whether to purchase military equipment from East-European or Western countries. Buying from NATO offered many advantages including quicker integration into NATO. The only problem was the price – although ARM received donations and favorable arrangements from NATO member-states and other friendly nations – it couldn’t afford to equip with solely NATO weaponry.

Eastern European weapons systems were favored. The Macedonian general officers, formerly Yugoslav People’s Army officers, were most familiar with former Warsaw Pact military equipment. It was also cheap and readily available via the international arms market and from nearby Yugoslavia. The Yugoslav government (now Serb government) munitions company, Zavodi Crvena Zastava (Red Banner – ZCZ), and commonly known as Zastava, has a well known plant at Kragujevac and has produced a number of military weapons (many based on Soviet designs) as well as sporting arms and para-military weapons for export only. Most of the weaponry was older generation models but was better than nothing. Macedonia depended a great deal on Yugoslavia and Bulgaria for arms.

The army was totally unprepared for war with the Albanian separatists: it had 93 tanks operational – Bulgarian (the Bulgarian government made a gift of 150 tanks to the Macedonian Prime Minister during his first visit to Bulgaria in the winter of 1999) and other Warsaw Pact models; 112 howitzers; 40 M-48 light artillery pieces; and several thousand grenade launchers. Croatia quickly shipped Oganj rocket launchers to the Macedonian front. In June 2001 Macedonia purchased two K-52 Alligator helicopters, another four Mi-24 helicopters, six U.S. Huey medevac helicopters, and four Su-25 aircraft.

Today ARM has over 300 armored vehicles: about 120 tanks (T-55 and T-72), 11 Infantry BMP-2 fighting vehicles, over 200 armored troop transporters: TM-170 Hermelin, BTR-70, BTR-80, M-113, and Leonidas. Macedonian artillery includes multi-barrel rocket launcher systems BM-21 Grad (122mm) and M-63 Plamen (128mm), 108 D-30 howitzers (122mm), 36 M101A1 howitzers (105mm), and B-1 “mountain howitzers” (76mm), M-60 recoilless rifles (82mm) and 60mm, 82mm, and 120mm mortars. Much of this equipment came from Ukraine. The most numerous tank in service with the ARM is the Soviet-made T-55. In the future ARM may acquire modern T-84 tanks and new systems and armored personnel carriers.

Macedonia’s Air Force is limited to four Su-25 fighters, three Zlin-242L trainers, twelve Mi-24V/K “Hind” attack helicopters, four Mi-8MT combat-transport helicopters, three Mi-17 transport helicopters, and two multi-purpose UH-1H “Huey” helicopters. The air defense units are equipped with mobile air defense systems Strela-10M (Arrow-10M), Igla-1 and Strela-2M air defense systems, and 20mm and 40mm anti-aircraft cannons.

Infantry Small Arms

Standard issue pistols were initially Jugoslav M57 Tokarevs in 7.62x25mm, the Model 70 and 70A Tokarevs chambered for 9x19mm Parabellum (designed with the export market in mind) and Zastava Model 83 .357 Magnum revolvers. The Model 57 is nearly identical to the Tokarev TT-33 except its magazine can hold an extra round, nine instead of eight. Soviet and Chinese magazines are not interchangeable with the M57 as the magazines are too short and the magazine feed lips do not reach the chamber. The M83 .357 Magnum is a double-action revolver with a variety of barrel lengths that will also fire .38 Special ammunition and can be adapted via a special cylinder to fire 9mm Parabellum ammunition. Also in service, though most commonly as a police sidearm, is the Model 70 7,65mm pistol. An eight shot “pocket pistol” it is a single-action only, blowback semiautomatic pistol. It can also be found as the M70(k) chambered for the .380 caliber / 9mm Kurz cartridge. Some officers may be armed with Czech pistols including the CZ75 and the CZ83. Macedonian special operations units may use a variety of US and European pistols.

Submachine Guns

ZCZ has also manufactured the Czech vz61 “Skorpion” under license as the Model 84 chambered for .32 ACP. ZCZ also produced a conversion of the M80 assault rifle similar to the AKSU74 or Krinkov design for special operations troops and armored vehicle and helicopter crews. The Zastava M85 submachine gun / assault rifle hybrid is only 22.4 inches in length with its bottom folding metal stock folded. Chambered for the 5.56x45mm NATO round it will accept either 20- or 30-round magazines.

Rifles

Before World War II Yugoslavia imported Turkish Mausers and Austrian Mannlichers, later converted to 7.92x57mm Mauser. The Czech 7.92x57mm Model 24 was also imported and then manufactured in Yugoslavia. After the war Yugoslavia manufactured a copy of the German KAR 98k 7.92mm Mauser as the Model 1948 that combined features of the M24. All Yugoslav Mausers have “intermediate”-size actions. While obsolete, these dependable 5-round bolt actions are yet in use by auxiliary police, civilians, and paramilitaries in Macedonia.

The first modern post-war military rifle produced in Yugoslavia was the M59 rifle, a variant of the Soviet SKS carbine. A variant of the M59 is the M59/66A1. Manufactured by Zastava it differs from the SKS / M59 design only by the addition of a muzzle mounted spigot grenade launcher which increases the barrel length to 24.39 inches (620mm). As on the SKS, the M59 series incorporates a folding blade bayonet. The increased length of the barrel with its grenade launcher reduces the protruding length, and therefore utility, of the bayonet. A folding ladder sight is mounted at the rifle foresight. Large numbers of these weapons are still in use and are frequently carried by second line troops of the Macedonian army. I observed Macedonian artillerymen carrying these rifles.

The current standard issue assault rifle is the M70B1 and its folding stock version, M70AB2 that is nearly identical to the Soviet 7.62x39mm AKM. They replaced the Model 64 assault rifle that used a 20-round magazine and featured a bolt stop. Like the M59/66A1 both rifles are equipped with a 22mm grenade-launcher screwed on to the muzzle. There is also a detachable muzzle brake/compensator. The ladder sight is connected to the end of the gas cylinder and the gas regulator, laying flat on the gas cylinder when folded down. When lifted to the vertical for use with the grenade launcher it blocks the gas cylinder, directing all gases to the muzzle for launching the grenade. Later models have replaced the wood furniture with black nylon/plastic hand guards, pistol grips, and stocks.

While the assault rifles are all chambered for the Soviet M43 7.62x39mm cartridge, Yugoslavia’s M76 sniper rifle (Poluautomatska Snajerska Puska) is chambered for the 7.92x57mm round. The design is similar to the Kalashnikov series: it uses the same basic firing mechanism, action, receiver, and gas cylinder design. The M76 is larger with an empty weight of 9.26 pounds (4.20kg) compared to the 8.15 pounds (3.7kg) of the M70 rifles. It loads from a 10-round detachable box magazine. A telescopic sight, the ON M76 (Opticki nisan) similar in design to the Soviet PSO-1 is mounted on the receiver and the M76 can also mount a passive night sight (Pasivni nisan), the PN 5×80, similar to the U.S. Army PVS-4 in appearance. The Black Arrow, a 12.7mm M93 anti-materiel rifle is also in use.

Machineguns

Following World War II, Tito’s forces were equipped with thousands of MG42 machineguns captured from the Germans. The Yugoslavs promptly copied the Mauser-Werke AG design and manufactured it as the M53. Chambered for the original 7.92x57mm cartridge, it continues to see service as a GPMG workhorse just as it was for the Wehrmacht. Large numbers were used by all combatants in the Balkan Wars 1991-1996. The M53 was largely supplanted in 1985 with the M84, Yugoslavia’s version of the Soviet PKM. A true GPMG, it is chambered for the 7.62x54R cartridge. In this design Kalashnikov mimics his AK operating system in the PK (the PKM is an improved, lightened version) and he literally turned it upside down and added an innovative feed mechanism. It incorporates Kalashnikov’s rotating bolt, the Czech Vz52 belt drive, Goryunov’s quick-change barrel and cartridge feed mechanism, and the DP trigger. Zastava copied the design but minor modifications added about two pounds to the original design, topping the weapon out at 22 pounds.

The Yugoslavs previously used the Model 64A and the Model 64B light machineguns (7.62x39mm), essentially Yugoslav M64 assault rifles with heavy finned barrels and light bipods. These were both supplanted by M72 Mitrajez squad automatic weapons like the M64, a Jugoslav variant of the Soviet RPK. The M72B1 has a fixed wood stock while the M72AB1 has an under-folding metal stock. Both weapons use the standard 30-round Kalashnikov magazine as well as a 75-round drum magazine.

Editor’s Note: CPT Rob Krott, USAR, has extensive experience with Balkan military forces. He joined the Croatian Army (HV) as a Commando officer in early 1992, and was awarded a Zahvalnica (commendation) form the Defense Minister and the Spomenicom Domovinskog Rata (Homeland War Commendation) Medal personally presented by the Prime Minister. In 1993 he was assigned as the training officer (S-3) for a Croat-Bosnia Defense Force (HVO) infantry brigade where he also led a special reconnaissance unit of “international volunteers.” In 1994 he visited his former enemies in Belgrade and Nis and maintains contact with several 63d Parachute Brigade (63 Padobranska Brigade) officers.

Sitrep Macedonia

A NATO-brokered peace agreement was signed on 13 August 2001 a few hours after Krott’s meeting at the Ministry of Defense. NATO’s Operation Essential Harvest deployed 3,500 troops from 13 countries (including about 2,000 British troops from the 16th Air Assault Brigade, 2nd Parachute Regiment, and a Ghurkha Company) in Task Force Harvest. The lead elements arrived on 17 August. On the mission start date, 26 August, Ian Collins, 20, of 9 Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers was killed when a concrete block was dropped on his vehicle from a highway overpass near Skopje. Anti-west sentiment continued: a Macedonian military vehicle was seen driving around Skopje with “NATO killers” painted on it and a British TV journalist was beaten by a mob. The US already had 500-700 troops stationed at Camp Able Sentry at Petrovec airport whose main role was to support the US KFOR contingent, Task Force Falcon, in Kosovo. The US also had a wide range of assets stationed at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo. Some 200 troops, mostly from the 101st Airborne and military intelligence units, from Camp Able Sentry were detailed to TF Harvest.

During its 30-day mandate TF Harvest collected over 4,000 weapons, mostly Kalashnikovs, but also heavy machineguns, mortars, landmines, rocket launchers, and armored vehicles. Operations Essential Harvest was declared a success and terminated on 26 September 2001. Macedonia’s Prime Minister, Ljubco Georgievski, called the collection of 4,000 weapons “ridiculous and humiliating” claiming the NLA had boasted of an arsenal of over 60,000 weapons. On 28 September 2001 the NLA officially disbanded. Both belligerents requested that NATO peacekeepers remain in northwest Macedonia. Whether the Albanians have abandoned the establishment of a Greater Albania is open to conjecture.

The European Union finally took over peacekeeping duties in Macedonia from the NATO forces in March 2003. Prior to the change-over two Polish soldiers died on 4 March when a mine exploded under a patrol vehicle. The Honker vehicle driven by the Polish patrol of three soldiers and an interpreter hit a mine. Although there was speculation about a spring offensive by Albanian guerrillas, in reality there was scant support within the Albanian community for a renewal of the conflict. While there may be sporadic incidents a major offensive is not expected in the summer of 2003. Increasing unrest, demonstrations and shootings led many to believe that a resumption of hostilities was imminent. The chief threat was a somewhat mysterious group, the Albanian National Army (ANA), which has claimed responsibility for a number of recent terrorist attacks. The ANA, which opposes the Ohrid Peace Agreement in favor of a Greater Albania, threatened a full-scale offensive in the spring of 2003 that did not come to pass.

History of Macedonian Army

The attack on the Bulgarian police in Prilep on 11 October 1941 marked the beginning of the organized anti-fascist resistance of the Macedonian nation and paved the way to formation of the Macedonian armed forces. In March 1943, the main Headquarters of the People’s Liberation Partisan Corps of Macedonian was reorganized and renamed as the Headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army and of the Partisan Forces of Macedonia. The first unit of the National Liberation Army was a battalion “Mirche Acev,” (named after a hero of the resistance) formed on 18 August 1943. That day is considered the foundling day of organized Macedonian Army and it is celebrated as the Day of Army of Republic of Macedonia (ARM).

Organization and Equipment of the UCK/KLA/NLA

During the fighting in 2001 rumors were rife that the United States was playing both sides in the conflict, supporting both Macedonian and the Kosovo Liberation Army KLA/UCK and therefore the National Liberation Army (NLA). In truth many of the Albanians referred to as NLA guerrillas – inferring that they were all Albanian – Macedonians fighting for their rights – were actually KLA/UCK veterans and/or Kosovars trained by NATO as part of the Kosovo Protection Corps, fighting for the establishment of a Greater Albania. Western military observers found them too organized and well equipped to be a rag-tag group of freedom fighters in existence for a few months. The red and black emblems of the Albanian double-headed eagle with “UCK” emblazoned above it were seen on many uniforms, caps, and t-shirts and painted on equipment. NATO/KFOP officials admitted that some 20% might be from Kosovo.

The KLA/UCK first appeared in Macedonia in 1992. In 1995 the beginnings of armed resistance to the Serbs appeared, when the KLA carried out isolated attacks on Serb police. The KLA’s first public act was a series of bombings of police stations in Kosovo and Metohija in June 1996. Serb authorities quickly named it a terrorist organization.

The KLA is not a unified military organization subordinated to the political party of civil authority. It’s a lightly armed guerrilla movement whose members carry visible insignia and function as a disciplined military force organized in small, compartmentalized cells rather than a single large rebel movement. The KLA had a hardcorps of a few hundred trained commandos with the much larger remained locally organized in active cells throughout the region. The KLA typically performed actions in smaller groups, at times as few as three to five men. KLA strength swelled from about 500 active members at the beginning of1998 to a force of at least a few thousand men (though some estimates suggest that there were/are as many as 12,000 armed guerrillas).

Some KLA units are professionally trained as many were former Yugoslav army soldiers. The KLA functions very professionally underground, probably because some of its leaders are former members of UDBA (Yugoslavia’s Secret Police), the army, and the police. An Austrian radio reporter interviewed NLA fighters in Tetovo: one a local of Albanian descent and others who spoke Serbo-Croat but were Albanians with combat experience in Bosnia, Kosovo, and southern Serbia. During the war in the former Yugoslavia, it is established that over 5,000 ethnic Albanians fought in Croat and Muslin units. Two interviewees claimed the United States and other NATO countries trained them.

Serbia claimed the KLA employed about 1,000 foreign mercenaries from Albania, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Muslims) and Croatia as well as German and British instructors. In Macedonia the NLA confirmed that in the Kumanovo region twelve British nationals, at least two Dutch volunteers, and a German were serving in NLA units. The “volunteers” were not of Albanian descent but were believed to have fought in some of the wars in the former Yugoslavia, including Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo. The British contingent was based around the village of Slupcane. Senior Macedonian officials said they were aware that the NLA also included Europeans who were former KLA volunteers: “We know they are there but they are not significant – little more than drug addicts.” Most of the “mercenaries” in the NLA/KLA were Albanian nationals, especially former Albanian army officers, policemen and members of the state security forces.

Their equipment made its way into Macedonia from Kosovo, Albania, and also from southern Serbia, as these mountainous borders are porous for local smugglers. Until March 2998 the KLA used only light arms such as sporting rifles, old Yugoslav Army machine guns, SKS carbines, brand-new black market Zastava pistols, and an eclectic collection of obsolete, but functional World War II weaponry: Soviet PPSh41 and German MP40 submachine-guns and Mosin-Nagant 7.62x54R carbines. I saw several “PPSh41 submachine guns” in Macedonia captured from the Albanians. The Soviet PPSh41 was modified by the Yugoslavs in 1949 and manufactured as the Model 49. Instead of the typical 71-round drum magazine it incorporated a 35-round detachable box magazine. The Yugoslav M49 also exhibits better finishing and machining than the World-War-II-era Soviet PPSh41. An improved buffer was added and an improved bolt and spring adapted from the Beretta M38A. The Model 49 was replaced by an MP40 type design, the Model 56. Like the M49 it fires the 7.62x25mm Soviet pistol cartridge. It uses as 32-round curved magazine that is nearly identical to the PPS43 magazine. The Yugo M56 (see SAR, vol.2, no.7 April 99) is a combination of World War II Soviet and German design features. A 9mm version, the M65, was also manufactured. Both weapons are select-fire, open-bolt designs – uninspired but serviceable. Strangely, they both have a bayonet lug. The only conceivable use I can imagine for such a feature is for military policemen who may be guarding prisoners.

But more recently ethnic-Albanian forces have been armed with Chinese-made Kalashnikovs (stolen from Albanian Army stocks), RPG7s, German anti-tank rocket launchers, light machineguns (RPDs and RPKs) mortars, recoilless rifles, Serb “Black Arrow” 12.7mm sniper rifles, and anti-aircraft machine guns (DShK 12.7mm type), as well as other weapons produced in China and Singapore. The KLA also captured weapons from Serb army and special police (MUP) units and continued to acquire weapons from the European black market, with the odd Italian M4 Spectre 9mm submachine-gun or American made .50 caliber sniper rifle turning up in KLA/NLA hands. The Macedonian Army also captured SAM-7 surface-to-air missiles and .50 caliber sniper rifles from the NLA.

Infantry Weapons Produced in Serbia

Zastava Arms, Belgrade

* 12.7x107mm NSV heavy machine gun
* 5.45x39mm AKS-74U short assault rifle

Zastava Arms, Beograd

* 7.62x39mm AKM assault rifle

Zastava Arms

* MAB P15S 9mm pistol (French design, manufactured by Zastava)
* Zastava .357 Magnum Model 1983 revolver
* Zastava 7.62x25mm Model M57 and 9x19mm Model M70 and M70A pistols
* Zastava 7.65mm (.32 ACP) Model M70 and 9mm Kurz Model M70(k) pistols
* Zastava 9x19mm M88 and M88A pistols
* Zastava 7.65mm (.32 ACP) Model 84 machine pistol
* Zastava 7.62x25mm M56 sub-machine gun
* Zastava 5.56x45mm M82 and M82A light machine guns
* Zastava 7.62x39mm M59/66A1 rifle
* Zastava 7.62x39mm M70B1 and M70AB2 assault rifles
* Zastava 7.62x39mm M72B1 and M72AB1 light machine guns
* Zastava 7.62x51mm M77B1 light machine gun
* Zastava 7.62x54R M84 general purpose machine gun
*Zastava 7.92x57mm M53 general purpose machine gun
* Zastava 7.92x57mm M76 semiautomatic sniper rifle

Zavodi Crvena Zastava

* Zastava M1955 20mm cannon
* Zastava M86 30mm automatic cannon
*Zastava M89 cannon

By Peter Murray

During the period between the World Wars Rheinmettal’s Solothurn plant in Switzerland developed what has been called the Rolls Royce of submachine guns – the Steyr Solothurn MP34(ö). These guns are comparatively scarce, so when I came across several I took the opportunity to examine a couple of them in detail.

German Tacticians recognized the limitations of the bolt-action rifle in close combat relatively early on during the First World War. By 1915 they were calling for a short-range assault weapon with full-automatic capabilities. Various experiments such as the fully automatic Luger and Mauser C96 were tried and rejected before the development of the first practical submachine gun, the MP18. The concept of the submachine gun proved to be a success, but it arrived too late to have a major impact on the war effort.

The Treaty of Versailles at war’s end imposed a total ban on German submachine gun development and production and limited their use to police service. One way around this was the use of foreign subsidiaries, and through this expedient several German firms were able to continue their work with submachine guns. Rheinmettal’s MP34(ö) was one of a series of submachine guns developed during this time.

Like the other early German submachine guns the MP34(ö) is a development of the MP18 concept and at first glance the resemblance is striking. It has a similar stock and barrel shroud, and a magazine protruding from the left side. It has entirely different safety, selector and operating mechanisms, however. Developed at the Solothurn plant in 1925, it was made there until 1929 when Steyr took over production until manufacturing time and costs became prohibitive. The last examples are said to have been made in 1940, although there are date-stamped examples from at least as late as 1942. The gun was adopted by the Austrian military and police as well as being exported to Portugal, Yugoslavia and Japan. Although issued on a limited basis to German forces the maschinenpistole 34(ö), for Austria , was never adopted officially by that country.

After the war literally tons of military equipment, including thousands of weapons were crated and shipped off to Russia. Some of it has been hidden away in storage depots ever since. My work there provides access to some of this material. When I came across crates labeled “pp Var.Shteyra” in faded Cyrillic lettering I wasn’t sure what to expect. They turned out to hold a number of MP34(ö)s that had been packed in pairs with some spare parts and stored presumably since the end of the war. Except for being completely dry of oil, the two I examined were in very good condition with bright chambers and bores. Date stamped 1942, they were presumably made for export since they had the Steyr logo instead of the military codes “660”or “bnz” assigned to Steyr during the war, but they also had German military acceptance marks (WaA 189) in a number of places. Each magazine was stamped with both the proof and the Steyr logo. The serial numbers were in the low 2000 range.

The gun operates on the open-bolt blowback principle common to virtually all weapons of this class, relying on the return spring and the weight of the bolt to counteract chamber pressure. It’s a select-fire weapon with a cyclic rate of 550 to 600 rpm.. The barrel length is a fairly short 7.8 inches and the overall length is 31.8 inches. Its loaded weight at 10.87 pounds compares favorably with the Russian PPSh41 at 12 pounds and the much lighter looking MP40 at 10.37.

The MP34(ö) uses a staggered-column, detachable box-type magazine holding 32 rounds with lips angled to accommodate the forward angle of the magazine in the well. Magazines have indicator ports numbered for every eight rounds, although the first two ports are hidden inside the magazine-well. The release is on the rear of the well, so a magazine can be changed while still pointing the weapon. Magazines can also be reloaded by inserting them into a slot in the bottom of the well and feeding rounds from stripper clips through the top. It sounds clumsy, but it’s very convenient and fast, provided you have the right stripper clips; 9mm NATO clips don’t fit at all, Russian clips are perfect, and standard M16 stripper clips can be used in a pinch. Using the Russian clips we were able to load three magazines in less time than it took to load a single MP40 magazine using the MP40 reloading tool.

The cocking handle is located on the right of the receiver and is reminiscent of a bolt action rifle. The bolt is a complex affair with a “rat tail” guide that runs down through the recoil spring tube in the stock. There are two sears. The trigger sear catches the bolt and holds it back for semiautomatic fire. The selector sear depresses the trigger sear so that the bolt can run freely for full-automatic fire. The selector itself is inletted into the left side of the stock.

The safety is mounted on top of the receiver, immediately in from of the rear sight. Moved forward, it engages a slot in the top of the bolt that prevents it from advancing to fire. In order for the safety to be engaged, the weapon must be cocked and ready to fire. All open-bolt weapons are prone to accidental discharges, so they safety should be engaged any time the gun is cocked but not actually being fired.

The sights are a typical V-notch rear sight, very optimistically calibrated for 50 to 500 meters and a large squared front sight inside curved wings that can be adjusted for windage with a drift punch. A bayonet lug is mounted on the right side of the barrel shroud. It’s inconvenient because it was designed for the Austrian Mannlicher bayonet rather than the German model and shooting the gun with the bayonet attached lowers the point of impact considerably, but it’s unlikely that it was ever used anyway. It can be removed with a screwdriver once the barrel is taken out.

So, what’s it like to fire? It’s a well-balanced weapon that points well. The sights are typical of most submachine guns; the sight radius at 14 inches has to be short because of the barrel length, and the front sight is a square block of metal that tends to obscure the target at anything beyond 50 meters. Although the stock is grooved on the right side to accommodate the shooters off hand, the guns overall length makes it too short for this to be of any real use. Shooters will find grasping the barrel shroud just in front of the magazine-well much more natural. Anyone inclined to hold onto the magazine-well or the magazine itself will find the gun not only shooting down and to the left, but doubling the size of its groups. This is not a gun for southpaws. For left-handed shooters the most natural place for the right hand happens to be right over the ejection port, and even gripping the shroud further forward only works well when firing from the shoulder. Holding the gun any lower can result in hot brass bouncing off your arm and over your shoulder or far more distracting, sliding up inside your sleeve. With the magazine release and the selector on the left, the safety on top of the receiver and the cocking handle on the right, you would have to be pretty familiar with the gun to feel comfortable with it in any kind of an emergency situation.

Both weapons were fired with 9mm 124-grain ball ammunition. The first shot from any open-bolt weapon is always a bit disconcerting because of the movement and time lag as the bolt runs forward for the initial shot. The action on both of these guns, however, was very smooth, much more so than either the PPSh41 or the MP40. Combined with the overall weight it made for a very light recoil and little muzzle climb. Trigger pull was relatively long, but smooth and even. Anyone who is at all familiar with submachine guns knows they are not target rifles. From a bench position one of our 5-round groups on semiautomatic impacted into 3.25 inches at 30 meters and another into 5.75 inches at 50 meters. Full-automatic fire doubled the size of the groups. So the 500-meter sights aren’t very realistic, although for a short range assault weapon the accuracy is acceptable.

To sum up, it’s accurate enough for its class of weapon. The sight radius and front sight perhaps leave something to be desired, but in action submachine guns are pointed more than aimed anyway. Left-handed shooters will have to make some adjustments, but it’s very pleasant to fire once you get over the initial sensation that the whole gun might topple over to the left if you don’t hold up the magazine.

To fieldstrip and clean the weapon, remove the magazine and make sure the chamber is empty. The receiver is hinged and lifts from the rear to allow the bolt to be removed and the barrel cleaned, but the safety has to be off and the bolt fully forward before this is done. The release pin at the rear of the receiver is a weak point. It must be depressed with one hand at the same time the receiver catch is pushed forward with the other, and since it’s a threaded pin about 2mm in diameter it’s prone to bending and breaking. Of all the weapons we looked at, only one had a straight release pin. Once the receiver is lifted, the bolt and guide can easily be pulled back and removed. The guide rotates and slides out of the bolt so that cleaning them is a simple enough matter and with them removed the barrel and interior of the receiver are readily accessible. Re-assembly is just a matter of reversing the steps in field stripping. The bolt must be placed fully forward, though, and care must be taken once again with that receiver release pin.

For more extensive cleaning or maintenance the weapon can be disassembled with a set of screwdrivers and a 12mm wrench. Once the gun is field stripped, a screwdriver can be used to remove the trigger guard, the selector and the return spring, which is taken out through a trap n the buttplate. The trigger and selector mechanisms will then slide easily out of the stock. Removing a set of screws at the rear of the receiver allows the stock itself to be taken off. Even the barrel is changeable. It has an integral nut at the front. On both of our weapons removing and replacing the barrel was a simple operation requiring a 12mm wrench, a vice and only a slight amount of torque. A lip on the barrel ensures that it is seated to a satisfactory depth, although any work of this kind should always involve proper headspacing by a competent gunsmith.

Each weapon was issued with two leather pouches, the first containing three extra magazines and the second cleaning accessories and spare parts. Both have the tongue and button at the sides rather than at the front, making them unhandy at best. There is no magazine loader because the loader was built right into the receiver, somewhat pointless for German troops, who were not issued 9x19mm ammunition in stripper clips. The final accessory was the bayonet for those times when the bad guys are just too close to shoot.

Submachine guns and their accessories are expensive propositions for any collector, and this one is no exception. MP34(ö) don’t have the celebrity of some other SMGs, but their reputation and limited availability compensate for that. A spare extractor, firing pin and return spring are always good investments, and an owner can count on having to replace that release pin more than once in the guns lifetime. Some parts and accessories are available from IMA in New Jersey. Their kits are fairly expensive, but they provide everything but the lower receiver, including a good barrel, which can be used to rejuvenate a worn-out weapon far easier than in any other submachine gun. A note of warning; the MP34 was produced in several different 9mm calibers (and even in 7.63mm Mauser). Owners should check weapons and barrels carefully before using them for the first time.

Relatively few MP34(ö)s were produced and the gun was soon eclipsed by the MP38/40 series, so its historical impact has not been great. Although it may have been part of a technical dead-end in weapons development, it represents a period of early submachine gun manufacture when quality was still an ingredient in military weapons production. Strong and pleasant to fire, it is very well made to extremely high standards. It’s the Rolls Royce of it class.

By Mark Genovese

I’m sure the many SAR readers understand that the State of Hawaii was a vast staging depot for the US military during the last three wars. Consequently many captured weapons were traded, sold and even lost in local card games. Recently I got a call from a friend in law enforcement asking if I could come to their office and help identify an abandoned rifle. When I arrived I was surprised to find an absolutely beautiful Japanese Type 99 LMG complete except for the flash hider and magazine. The rifling and all internal components were in superb condition, the exterior had a light brown patina and the wood was well worn. I inquired about its local history and was told the story passed down with the weapon. It was supposedly retrieved from a downed Japanese aircraft in the battle of Pearl Harbor and had been wrapped in a towel and stored in an open carport since the end of World War II. I felt at the time, more than likely this was an urban myth because this type of ground gun would never be found in fighter aircraft. I received the correct historical background from Professor Ed Libby of Bowdoin College that put the matter to rest (see sidebar below). The Type 99 is an improved version of the Type 96, itself a copy of the Czechoslovakian VZ26 designed by Zbrojovka Brno arms factory in the early 1920s. The Type 99 fires the 7.7x58mm Arisaka round from an open bolt. It is 46.50 inches in length; weight unloaded is 23 pounds; barrel length is 21.50 inches with four grooves and a right-hand twist. It has a 30-round, staggered-column, detachable, box-type magazine and a cyclic rate of 850 rounds per minute with a muzzle velocity of 2,350 fps. It was in production from 1936 to 1945. When the Japanese Army found it necessary to adopt the 7.7x58mm rimless cartridge, Arisaka improved the Type 96 LMG and introduced the Type 99. The new 7.7x58mm rimless round did not require oiling, as there was slow and adequate primary extraction designed to give an unseating movement before a more rapid extraction. This system reduced the ruptured case stoppages often encountered with the caliber 6.5x51SR Type 96. Machining tolerances were held to very fine limits and a new far better style of quick-change barrel was employed. Other welcomed improvements included provision for the adjustment of the cartridge headspace, a large flash hider, and an unusual monopod found underneath the butt. The receiver is equipped with two dust covers. One manually opens on top of the weapon, protecting the magazine port and internal mechanism. The second is spring loaded at the ejection port and functions like that of the M16, flipping open when the weapon is cocked. The Type 99 can be found fitted with an unusually long bayonet and/or a low power telescopic sight. The front sight is protected by wings and the rear sight an excellent peep.

My friend was under the impression this historical war trophy had to be forfeited to the BATF and destroyed. He was happy to find out there is an option: the Form 10 Application for Registration of Firearms Acquired by Certain Governmental Entities. Form 10’s are an easy way to dispose of unregistered NFA weapons. The department need not disclose where the firearm came from, as it says in section 5. After making some calls they found the War museum on Guam had a Type 99 but it was retrieved from a coral reef and in horrible condition. To make a long story short, we made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. Very soon this historical Japanese Type 99 LMG, found in a carport on the small island of Maui will retire to another island where it very well may have been fired in anger some fifty eight years ago.

Type 99 Nambu LMG, (serial number 6358)
By Ed Libby

This Type 99 Nambu Light Machine Gun was manufactured by the Kokura Army Arsenal in Kokura, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. By 1929 this arsenal had begun to take on the production of small arms which long had been the responsibility and function of the expansive Koishikawa Army Arsenal in Tokyo; the Kokura Army Arsenal became one of the largest producers of small arms in mainland Japan, and it had a major authority for the supervision of small arms production within the Japanese arsenal system. The markings on the right front of the receiver identify the origin of this Type 99 LMG. At the left in the top line of receiver markings, preceding the Kanji characters or “99 Type,” is the Kokura Army Arsenal symbol, which represents four stacked cannon balls as viewed from the top. The gun’s serial number is immediately below this marking and it is preceded by the Kana syllable “nu,” or “10,” which is inscribed in a circle. All Type 99 LMGs of Kokura Army Arsenal manufacture identified to date have serial numbers preceded by this Kana syllable marking; presumably this syllable designates the only production run of Type 99 LMGs made by Kokura. Directly below the serial number is the gun’s date of manufacture, in this case “Sho(wa) 18.10,” or October, 1943. The Showa Era was the period of the reign of the Emperor Hirohito, which began in 1926 and ended on January 7, 1989 with the Emperor’s death. The number to the left of the period in the manufacturing date represents the gun’s year of manufacture with respect to the beginning of the Showa Era. The number to the right of the period in this date represents the month of manufacture.

The Type 99 LMG design originated with Lt. General Kijiro Nambu at a private arms manufacturing company in Tokyo, Chuo Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Ltd., where he served as part owner, designer, and adviser until his retirement in 1943. Essentially the Type 99 LMG was a slightly redesigned and strengthened 7.7mm version of the 6.5mm Type 99 LMG then in service, which also was designed by Nambu and which, however unofficially, bore his name. Nambu was Japan’s premier designer of military small arms, and he was well known for his design of his automatic pistols and of the Type 92 heavy machine gun.

The Kokura Army Arsenal took over much of the small arms production from the Koishikawa Army Arsenal in Tokyo after the Great Earthquake Disaster of 1923 devastated Tokyo and parts of this arsenal; the extent of this devastation precipitated the military decision to disperse ordnance production throughout Japan. Constructed as part of this dispersal plan, Kokura was developed sufficiently by 1936 to complete the transfer of the great majority of small arms production from Koishikawa, and the Koishikawa Army Arsenal was reorganized to become Tokyo Army Arsenal Number 1, an arsenal of several factories, which manufactured ordnance, and munitions of all kinds during its period of operation. In 1941, in the early part of the Pacific War, Kokura Army Arsenal consisted of five factories, one research and development laboratory, and one small proving ground located at Koga, Fukuoka Prefecture. Because of heavy bombing raids in 1944, Kokura Army Arsenal factories and the laboratory were moved to Hita City, Oita Prefecture and, although this move was effected in June of 1945, production there was rather limited until the war ended in August of that year. The arsenal mark described above which was used by the Koishikawa Arsenal was continued in use by both the Tokyo Number 1 and Kokura Army Arsenals.

Type 99 LMG production began at Kokura Army Arsenal in 1942 and, as research data collected reveals, was continuing in November of 1943. Possibly Type 99 LMG production by Kokura Army Arsenal continued until war’s end in 1945, but documented information suggests that the production of this weapon ceased sometime in early 1944, perhaps because of U.S. bomb damage to Kokura facilities, because of factory relocation, because of a shift in production priorities, because of materials shortage, or because of combinations of these reasons. Although it is not known at present just how many Type 99 LMGs were produced by Kokura Army Arsenal, a conservative estimate is 7,000 guns. Type 99 LMG serial numbers on Koukura-made guns were consecutive, beginning presumably at “1” and continuing perhaps to approximately 7000.

All Kokura-made Type 99 light machine guns examined by or reported to this author evidence high quality of manufacture of this weapon, with all original design features retained throughout the production period, with no production shortcuts to be noted. Workmanship is very good and parts are fitted carefully, although exterior tool marks are typical. The finish employed is a hot chemical blue black.

The Type 99 Light Machine Gun was made at Kokura and Nagoya Army Arsenals, and at Mukden Army Arsenal in Manchuria; also it was made by two civilian companies in Tokyo – by Hitachi Seisakusho and by Chuo Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Ltd. The standard light machine gun employed by the Japanese military forces, the Type 99 LMG was an accurate, durable, and reliable weapon. US forces encountered the Type 99 LMG in nearly all of their campaigns of the Pacific War and this weapon appeared in increasing numbers in the later battles of that war.