by Dan Shea

There has been a lot of talk again about machine guns as an “Investment”. It is starting to become somewhat scary, getting phone calls from people trying to “Invest”. We are still trying to find the copy of Forbes magazine that supposedly listed them as the number two investment producing positive results. If anyone has a copy of that, please fax me a copy of the relevant pages or email the volume and issue it was in.

I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings on this subject, nor do I want to say they are not a good “Investment”. What I really want to say is that they are not an investment at all. The word “Investment” implies safety in your purchase, some guarantee of return on your money. There is no way that machine guns meet that definition.

Neither do stocks as purchased by most people. This is all “Speculating”.

“Speculating” means that your money is at risk. All of it. Witness the sad losses that so many Americans recently had in the stock market crashes. Some people made money, of course, there are always some that do. A friend of mine was shorting the techies all the way down, and he cleaned up, then bought a bunch of transferable Curio & Relic machine guns. Smart guy. He always seems to be on top of whatever will make him money.

However, he is still “Speculating”. He could lose his money.

Why am I so negative? I sell machine guns, I make a living selling machine guns for profit. I have my own collection, whose value keeps going up. It would be to my benefit to continue saying “Hey, this is a wise investment”.

The facts are irrefutable, machine gun values are going up, and up, and up. They have been for thirty years or more. J. Curtis Earl used to have a chart he used to sell his guns with, that was in his marketing literature. Many people who bought guns from him at what were then considered some of the highest prices in the market, have made ten or twenty times the money on the guns they bought. Most of the people reading this magazine have seen the value of their machine guns increase, sometimes drastically. This is all true. No question, a number of people have made a lot of money by sitting on machine guns then selling them.

Note the “Selling them” part. In order to make a profit, you have to sell the item. Most of us who purchase something, perhaps an M16A1 Colt, might have paid $5000 for it two years ago. Today, at $9000 plus, you really did well. However, you have to sell it to realize that profit. That means you don’t have the M16A1 anymore, and you have to pay about what you sold it for to replace it.

Here’s my advice: Buy guns you want, and enjoy them. Shoot them, polish them, clean them, study them, buy all the accessories, meet with other shooters and collectors to enjoy the guns. Sit back and be pleasantly surprised at the increasing value. If you want to make the money, sell it.

What if there is a major change in the market? What if there is a major change in legislation that increases taxes, or an amnesty that opens a new pile of guns for ownership and values drop? Status quo is what keeps the prices going up. There is an artificially finite group of transferable and pre 86 dealer sample machine guns. There can’t be any more. There is an increasing pool of potential buyers, and many have increasing incomes. This is a recipe for values reaching plateaus, then going up again as interest hits different models. I don’t have a Chatellerault 1924/29 in my collection, I figured they would always be a “Cheapie” so I decided to wait. Now the prices on these have gone up as well.

The point? Buy what you want, when you want, because you can afford it and you like the machine gun you buy. If the price goes up, be happy, but don’t put the mortgage money or the kid’s college fund into machine guns thinking that you will “Grow” the money. No, I say to put the mortgage money and the kid’s college fund into machine guns because someone was crazy enough to let a machine gun collector near these supplies of cash, and the new M60, well, you just had to have it.

– Dan

by Robert M. Hausman

In a move that awakened the industry, Heckler & Koch, the noted German firearms manufacturer, announced it would build a new factory in Columbus, Georgia, to manufacture firearms for the US military, law enforcement, and commercial markets.

The planned state-of-the-art factory will incorporate all of the technologically innovative manufacturing processes the company is famous for, including the cold hammer forging of barrels, advanced polymer molding, and CNC machining. “We will initially create about 200 American jobs in Columbus,” said US VP Peter Simon, “and forecast additional growth as some of our US-based design and development projects mature into production.”

Current military design and development programs include the US Army’s XM8 Assault Rifle and the Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle programs. The company may also shift a portion of its Design and Engineering Office from its Sterling, Virginia headquarters to the Columbus, Georgia location.

“Recent significant contract awards and our assessment that the company is well positioned in competing for additional business have convinced us to accelerate our plans to establish a manufacturing facility in America,” said Simon. “This decision reflects our strategic commitment to the US market and also our acceptance and support for ‘Buy American’ provisions.

“We have a reputation for superior quality that has resulted in long-term relationships with America’s most elite Special Operations Forces warriors and federal, state and local law enforcement officers who fight terrorism and crime with our MP5 submachine gun, our Mark 23 SOCOM pistol, our Grenade Machine Gun and our USP 40 Compact LEM pistol,” Simon added.

Current plans include the manufacture and assembly of assault rifles for the US military and USP 40 Compact LEM pistols for federal agencies. H&K expects to formally break ground in the fall of this year and for the new factory to be operational by the end of 2004. It is forecast that the plant may eventually employ 500 people.

“This has been an eight-year effort,” commented Mike Gaymon, president of the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, on the state’s efforts to lure the plant. Officials said the initial construction phase would cost about $20 million for the plant to be situated in Muscogee Technology Park.

Glock, the Austrian firearms manufacturer, has its North American headquarters in Smyrna, GA, a suburb of Atlanta. Glock pistols are used by 65% of American law enforcement agencies, according to the company’s web site.

TSA Contract Award Literally Up in the Air

Meanwhile, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is reported to be reconsidering its recent decision to arm US commercial airline pilots with German-made H&K handguns, only a few days after House Small Business Chairman Donald Manzullo (R-IL) inquired about the agency’s method of choosing a supplier.

The companies that competed for a three-year, $5 million contract to supply TSA with as many as 9,600 .40-caliber semiautomatic pistols have been told that their bids will be re-evaluated, but the reasons were left unclear. TSA officials told at least one firm they had questions about the information the agency used earlier this month to select H&K as the winner. The questions came from Manzullo, an outspoken advocate of “Buy American” laws to help support US manufacturing jobs.

Aides to Manzullo said he had met in late July with TSA officials to learn why H&K beat other bidders, including American-owned Smith & Wesson and foreign firms, such as Beretta, that have manufacturing facilities in the US.

Manzullo raised the issue of whether the TSA award to the German firm would influence officials elsewhere in the Homeland Security Department and ultimately cost U.S.-based firearms manufacturing jobs. At press time, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which includes the enforcement arm of the old Immigration and Naturalization Service, was expected to award a substantial contract in late August to supply handguns to its officers, Manzullo said.

With a contract from TSA-situated in the same division as the immigration and customs agency, H&K would be well-positioned to win the other contract, which committee aides say could be worth $30 million. The announcement that it would build a new plant in the US, should defray any concerns raised about the US government’s purchase of “foreign” handguns.

The decision to re-evaluate the bids is only the latest twist in the TSA’s effort to buy handguns for the airline pilots who volunteer for the Federal Flight Deck Officer program.

According to industry sources, the agency changed its handgun preferences several times once the program was authorized last November by the Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act. Late last year, TSA initially favored Austrian gun manufacturer Glock, then changed its mind.

ATF WILL PROVIDE MORE GUIDELINES FOR DESTRUCTION OF MACHINEGUN RECEIVERS

In a move that brought audible sighs of relief from some of the importers in attendance at the second annual presentation of ATF And The Imports Community meeting, ATF representatives announced that the agency will provide diagrams to importers showing how to properly destroy (by torch cutting) any type of machine gun receiver. Some 150 executives in the firearms and ammunition imports and national defense sectors gathered in Washington, D.C. July 21 and 22, for the one-and-a-half day intensive seminar focusing on topics related to the importation of firearms, ammunition and related articles.

A cooperative effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, the Department of State and the F.A.I.R. Trade Group (which represents licensed importers), the meeting was held at the Wyndham City Center hotel, in the center of Washington, D.C.

Firearms importers, through their main industry organization, the F.A.I.R. Trade Group, have been working to get better guidance and communication from ATF on approved methods of machinegun receiver destruction. During the July conference, ATF representatives said the agency would soon make drawings available to importers detailing the exact torch cuts the agency deems necessary to destroy a machinegun receiver with a welding torch. ATF has also stated that machinegun receivers may also be destroyed by smelting or crushing but has thus far provided little in the way of guidance to importers. ATF does continued to recommend that a writing describing the proposed method of destruction be submitted to ATF’s Firearms Technology Branch (FTB) prior to importation for approval. At the request of an importer, the FTB will examine firearms to determine if they are legal for importation or have been properly destroyed. The announcement at the Importer’s gathering in July that ATF would now provide diagrams for proper deactivation methods of virtually all machinegun receiver models was considered a major gain by the importers present.

One problem importers have had with ATF diagrams issued in the past is that they have illustrated torch cutting of component parts in addition to the receiver. When such diagrams have been used as attachment for import permits, U.S. Customs personnel have logically assumed that the components parts, or the complete arm, has to be cut as indicated in the illustration to meet ATF requirements. This has caused delays in releasing shipments to importers. ATF continues to maintain that only the frame or receiver of a machinegun needs to be destroyed to remove it from the controls of the National Firearms Act.

ATF Minimum MG Destruction Standards

ATF’s minimum acceptable standards for machinegun receiver destruction are: To completely sever the receiver in at least three critical locations, that the agency specifies by model, with an oxy/acetylene torch that has a cutting tip capable of removing one-quarter inch of metal per cut.

Some guns require more than three cuts. For example, demilitarization of the semiautomatic .30 M1 carbine is accomplished by making four different cuts: through the rear sight, receiver and rear of the trigger guard; a second cut is to made halfway between the rear sight mount and the barrel chamber, cutting downward to the left through the trigger guard while ensuring that the bolt and both sides of the frame are completely severed; the third cut begins 1 inch back from the front of the receiver, cutting downward to the right through the barrel chamber, operating slide, guide and spring; the fourth cut begins toward the front of the barrel, cutting through the barrel and center of the bayonet lug. Each cut must displace at least one-half inch of metal.

US Origin Policy

Incidentally, US origin curio and relics, such as the .30 M1 carbine, were the subject of a possible policy change with the US Department of State earlier this year which would have allowed the retransfer of US origin curio or relic firearms, including the .30 M1 carbine, to US importers for resale to the qualified public.

The F.A.I.R. Trade Group board of directors held two meetings with ATF following the importer’s gathering. One area of discussion related to the US Origin firearm policy.

In an earlier interagency review process headed by the Department of State, ATF was the only entity on the review team to express concern with a change in the current presumptive denial of re-importation of US origin goods. ATF concern was solely on the issue of conversion of .30 M1 Carbines to the M2 full-auto version. FAIR has subsequently met with ATF on this matter on several occasions and provided ATF with a White Paper detailing reasons why the .30 M1 Carbine conversion issue is not a pressing policy matter. This information has also been provided to the Department of State.

The State Dept. has subsequently reissued a new proposed policy for review by ATF. FAIR has been assured it will be given an opportunity to comment on any remaining concerns ATF may have regarding .30 M1 Carbine importation.

Another order of discussion consisted of a notice to ATF senior management regarding significant concern that unofficial communications with the ATF personnel in select positions with critical oversight/approval authority have resulted in policy statements contrary to current ATF policy and potentially damaging to existing and future business opportunities to the firearms import community. FAIR says it was assured that existing ATF policy had not changed and that the individuals concerned would be directly contacted and advised of existing policy.

US Exports to Canada

The FAIR Board also raised the issue of the financial limit for exemption for permit requirements when exporting to Canada. Several years ago, the Department of State asserted that the government of Canada and the OAS treaty and corresponding model regulation required that the US lower the threshold requiring permits for the exportation of parts to Canada from $500 to $100. Since that time, no other country has adopted similar restrictions and Canada has actually gone in the opposite direction, FAIR says.

Canada no longer requires import permits for parts that are not key to the functioning of the firearm (such as the barrel, receiver, slide, etc.). Given that the US justification for promulgating the change in export policy has proven baseless, FAIR requested that State revisit the issue. Since the Canadian exemption was based on policies set forth by the office of Defense Trade Controls, the message regarding this issue will be relayed on FAIR’s behalf and FAIR will revisit the issue at a later date with the appropriate staff.

Finally, during the importer’s conference, participants were advised that ATF would issue a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding restricted importation for barrels, frames and receivers subject to the 925(d)3 rule. ATF said FAIR’s appeal of the agency’s policy was the direct driver of the anticipated change in import restrictions on these goods. However, the ATF policy during the period of transition (which could last 18 months) remains unclear.

Robert M. Hausman is the publisher of the small arms industry’s two most widely read trade publications, The New Firearms Business and The International Firearms Trade. A subscription to the domestic Firearms Business costs $112 for one-year (22-issues), while a one-year subscription to the monthly International Firearms Trade is just $72. To order a subscription, send a check to: P.O. Box 98, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819 USA.

by Chris choat

TWENTY-ONE DAYS TO BAGHDAD

Reuters, the global information company, provides a historic and invaluable account of how the recent war against Saddam Hussein unfolded in its latest book Twenty-One Days to Baghdad: A Chronicle of the Iraq War. Twenty-One Days to Baghdad is an illustrated record in which Reuters award-winning photographers paint a unique and unbiased picture of the military campaign. Vivid text that draws on Reuters correspondents’ first-hand account of the fall of Saddam’s regime and precision graphics complete a compelling narrative of the conflict. The books adopts a day-by-day approach, with a gallery of more than one hundred pictures that take the reader from the decks of American aircraft carriers in the Gulf to the heat of battle in the Iraqi desert and finally to the streets of Baghdad and Saddam’s collapse. The images capture the raw emotions of war – moments of pain, anguish, courage and compassion. Reuters complete and authoritative perspective comes from its team of more than 150 multimedia journalists, many of them with several decades of experience in the Gulf region, who covered the Iraqi war. Some were embedded with the US and British forces, while others worked from strategic locations within Iraq and its surrounding countries. Twenty-One Days to Baghdad: A Chronicle of the Iraq War is priced at $29.95. It is available online and at major bookstores nationwide. For more information, visit www.reuters.com/books or www.phptr.com.

PREDATOR FREE-FLOATING RAIL SYSTEM FOR THE AR-15/M-16 RIFLE

A new rail system has just been introduced for the AR-15/M16 series of rifles. Called the “Predator,” the new rail system is said to be the most advanced Picatinny design on the market today. The Predator design is lighter in weight than the MIL-STD-1913 rail. It also has two to three times more surface area than the standard MIL-STD-1913 rail, which translates to better dissipation of heat. As it is mil-spec, all accessories currently available today will mount to this system. The Predator rail is designed to have excellent air flow even when hand guard protectors are used. The Predator has internal as well as external mounting points and the design allows attachment mounts to be smaller and lighter in weight. It also is based on the single part construction method as opposed to other systems that are pieced together. The Predator tactical hand guard is designed to accept suppressed barrels. The new system is made from aircraft grade 6061-T6 with a black finish that matches most AR finishes. The Predator attaches easily and uses no Loctite® so it can just as easily be removed. The Predator system is also designed for use on future weapons systems such as the XM8 weapon, which will use the 6 o’clock rail to mount a grenade launcher. Versions for both rifles and carbines are available. For more information on this innovative new rail system please contact Frank L. DeSomma, President, POF-USA, Dept. SAR; phone: 1-623-561-9572; fax: 1-623-321-1680; website: http://www.pof-usa.com/.; email:sales@POF-USA.com.

NEW TRIDENT KNIVES FROM CQB PRODUCTS INC.

Trident Knives are true combat tools. Each knife is designed in consultation with recognized knife combat experts. Made from CPM S30V steel, Trident knives are unparalleled. Basically, the “Next Generation” of blade metals, S30V steel is formed via a proprietary CPM (Crucible Particle Metallurgy) process. Molten steel alloys are forced through a high-pressure nozzle, which forms the steel into micro “droplets.” These “droplets” form a powder, which is then compressed and forged under high pressure and temperature into solid steel ingots. The resulting steel alloy is a homogeneous, fine-grained microstructure with uniformly dispersed vanadium carbides. CPM S30V is more corrosion resistant, stronger, holds a sharper edge and is more resistant to chipping or breaking than 440C, ATS 34, or D2 tool steel. All this technology makes for a knife that is nearly indestructible. If fact they have a lifetime warranty. There are several models of Trident knives available and CQB Products will also customize a knife to the customers specifications. Several finishes are available including Anti-Reflective Grey, TiN Black, Polished Tri-Camo and Dual Camo. Different handle materials include G-10, Micarta, Nylon Wrap and others. For more information on these fantastic knives please contact John Woo at CQB Products, Inc., Dept. SAR, 136Newport Ave., Suite 8330, Tustin, GA 92780-7815; phone or fax: 1-714-731-9706; website: www.cqbproducts.com.

LEUPOLD INTRODUCES NEW TACTICAL SPOTTING SCOPE

Leupold’s® new 12-40x60mm Tactical spotting scope offers a special package of features designed to help military and law enforcement sniper teams operate with peak efficiency in even the most difficult conditions. The team must be able to see and act in unison – two must see as one according to Leupold’s law enforcement and military specialists. The new tactical spotting scope has the variable power and optical properties that allow a spotter to work as one with the shooter. It is also important to note that this scope is constructed for reliable performance in any situation. The 12-40x60mm Tactical spotting scope features the new Leupold Mil Dot “round dot” reticle. Designed to help the US Marine Corps estimate distances, the Mil Dot reticle is now standard for all military branches. With its range-estimating function in the spotting scope, the Mil Dot “round dot” reticle assists in tactical cooperation with the shooter. The user can estimate range at any of the spotting scope’s power settings. Leupold’s folded light path technology allows high magnification in a lightweight, compact package. The tactical spotting scope weighs 37 ounces (1,049 grams) and is 12.4 inches (31.5 centimeters) long. Although sized for portability, the spotting scope is built to withstand the most difficult field conditions. It is nitrogen-filled and sealed with Leupold’s own proven sealing technology for total waterproof integrity. Armor-coating provides the additional protection needed for rugged field use. Other key features include Multicoat 4® lens coatings to ensure exceptional light transmission, brightness, clarity and contrast at all magnifications, even in poor light, full black matte finish is non-reflective to maximize concealment potential, universal 1/4-20 thread tripod attachment and a soft-side case comes standard with the tactical spotting scope. Form-fitting and fully-padded, the case is designed to allow easy access to all critical parts of the spotting scope, even during use. A detachable shoulder strap enhances ease of transportation. As with all Leupold products, the new 12-40x60mm Tactical spotting scope is made in the U.S.A. and backed by Leupold’s Full Lifetime Guarantee. For more information contact Leupold & Stevens, Inc., Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 688, Beaverton, OR 97075-0688; phone: 1-503-526-1400; fax: 1-503-526-1475; website: http:///www.leuplod.com.

MIDWAY INTRODUCES NEW SHOOTING & RELOADING MASTER CATALOG

MidwayUSA, the nation’s largest supplier of shooting and reloading supplies, recently announced the release of the first edition of the Affordable Shooting and Reloading Master Catalog and Reference Guide. Filled with thousands of items for everyone from the casual shooter to the professional gunsmith, the new 436-page catalog also features handy reference material and technical articles by some of the top writers in the shooting sports. The MidwayUSA master catalog will be published on an annual basis and should be a great addition to every sportsman’s library. For more information contact MidwayUSA, Dept. SAR, 5875 W. Van Horn Road, Columbia, MO 65203; phone: 1-573-445-6363; fax: 1-573-445-3182; website: www.midwayusa.com.

by Larry Sterett and Charles Cutshaw

Combat Shotguns
By Leroy Thompson.
ISBN 1-85367-515-6
Published by Stackpole
Books, Dept. SAR, 5067 Ritter Rd, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.
Price: $24.00, plus $4.00 s&h
Available at bookstores, or direct: orders@stackpolebooks.com
Review by Larry Sterett

One of the Greenhill Military Manuals, this small hardbound volume is one of the few books covering the subject of shotguns that have been designed, and/or configured for, combat. The first five chapters are devoted to: Evolution of the Shotgun in Combat, Characteristics of the Combat Shotgun, Missions of the Combat Shotgun, Improvements to the Combat Shotgun, and Combat Shotgun Ammunition. This is followed by coverage of shogun action types: slide-action, self-loaders, dual action, rifle/shotgun combos, rotary chamber, double barrel, and single barrel. (The only action type not covered, and some of which are known to have been used in combat, is the bolt-action.) Overall, more than four-dozen shotgun models are covered, with 28 of these being slide-action models.

Each model is illustrated, frequently with a double-page photograph, and discussed briefly with regard to special features or characteristics: gauge (including chamber length), length overall, barrel length, weight, sights, stock type, and magazine capacity. Measurements are in metric and English units.

Not all the models discussed are “issue” weapons, although in an emergency anything is better than nothing. Some models, such as the Stevens Model 311R may still used by police or security agencies, but the Snake Charmer II is better adapted to a survival pack than to combat use. The Ithaca Auto & Burglar Gun has not been in production for decades, although some Spanish produced copies have been manufactured for police use. Another design ahead of its time was the High Standard Model 10. Ideal as a short heavy-caliber weapon, but limited by magazine capacity, only a few ever saw police use, and possibly none by the military.

This is a handy reference volume on the subject. No experimental designs or prototypes are discussed. Anyone, military historian, arms student or collector, interested in the combat use of shotguns, past, present, or future, should find Thompson’s book useful.

The P.38 Pistol, Volumes One through Three
By Warren H. Buxton
Ucross Books
P.O. Box 764,
Los Alamos, NM 87544-2350
Volume One –
The Walther Pistols 1930-1945
1978, ISBN Number: 0-87833-303-7
328 pages, black & white
photographs and drawings
Volume Two –
The Contract Pistols 1940-1945
1984, ISBN Number: 0-96-140240-7
247 pages, black & white
photographs and drawings
Volume Three –
International Distribution,
Post 1945
1990, Second Printing 1999,
ISBN Number: 0-96140240-1-5
270 pages, black & white
photographs and drawings
$68.50 per volume plus $3.50 each shipping
Review by Charles Cutshaw

The Walther P.38 pistol is a true handgun landmark that has never had its full

story told, until now. In three lavish volumes, Warren H. Buxton lays out virtually every detail of the design, operational history, commercial sale and worldwide distribution of this historic pistol. The P.38 not only was far ahead of its time, but has had its short recoil operating system used as the basis of many subsequent designs, including the current US military Beretta 92F (M9).

The first aspect of Mr. Buxton’s definitive P.38 work is the high quality of the books. These volumes are all physically beautiful with red leatherette binding and a gold foil impression of a P.38 on each cover. The pages are of high quality stock and the profuse photographs are of high quality and excellent resolution. The photos are supplemented by drawings produced by the author. Close-up photos of various markings ensure that each P.38 model is illustrated in detail.

Although the books stand alone and are in fact sold separately, all three are necessary to have a complete history of the P.38. Volume One covers the design and development of the P.38, beginning about 1930 and ending with the cessation of World War II when Walther ceased production of all handguns until the mid-1950s. Volume Two covers World War II contract pistols manufactured by Mauser, Spreewerk, FN and others. The level of detail on all manufacturers’ variants leaves nothing to the imagination. Volume Three details postwar distribution of P.38 pistols throughout the world for use by military and police.

Where possible, national markings of these “surplus” pistols is included. Each volume has an extensive index and is profusely illustrated. It is difficult to conceive of the massive amount of research that went into the production of these volumes!

In Volume One, the author does not limit himself to the P.38, but also discusses competing models that vied for German military adoption in the mid 1930s, including Mauser, Sauer & Sohn and BSW pistols.

The author also discusses firearm laws and regulations under Nazi German government and policies in occupied countries. For the average German, handgun ownership was tightly regulated, but possible upon obtaining a permit to purchase and then another to possess.

The P.38 Pistol is clearly the definitive work on the P.38 pistol in all its manifestations. The volumes are laid out in a logical manner and are well organized. The many photographs and drawings are interesting in and of themselves, besides supplementing the text. These definitive books belong in the reference library of any student of modern firearms.

The present three volumes do not comprise the complete history of the P.38. Mr. Buxton has three more volumes in preparation to complete the P.38 story. Volume Four will cover the postwar “Ulm pistols” made by Walther and Manurhin. These pistols include the P38, P38II, P1, P38K, P4, P5, P88, commemoratives, special orders, and others. Military and police distribution will also be covered in Volume Four. Volume Five will feature holsters used with P.38 and related pistols since the 1930s. Volume Six will be a reappraisal of the material contained in all the preceding volumes, with emphasis on World War II pistols.

by J.M. Ramos

The peak of the accelerating cold war between Russia and the United States and heightened terrorists activities around the world in the 1980s resulted in the formation of many new military arms producers, not only in the USA but almost every corner of the globe. Highly industrialized countries like Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy led the way in small arms development in western Europe. Among these old world countries, Italy can be considered the pillar and pioneer of arms developers in that part of the continent having produced weapons of war since the rise of the Roman empire. It is no surprise then that even after many hundred of years had gone by, Italian craftsmen still produce some of the most remarkable weapon systems for today’s modern centurions. Italy’s most historical achievement in the small arms field was no doubt the adoption of its Beretta 92F pistol by the US Armed Forces, beating all contenders the world’s greatest arms producers had to offer. While the firm of Beretta S.p.A. remained the flagship of Italy’s old world gunmakers, it was eventually joined by new and innovative companies that strictly developed and produced weapons for law enforcement and military roles.

In l982, the firm of Societa Costruzioni Industriali Milano S.p.A. (SOCIMI), a highly respected railway construction product developer and producer entered the field of small arms manufacturing. Having no previous know-how in the arms manufacturing industry, its first step was to seek outside assistance. In creating its weapon systems, SOCIMI took the expertise of veteran arms maker Luigi Franchi S.p.A. of Brescia and formed the SOCIMI group. There were three weapons developed and manufactured by the company namely the Model 821 9mm SMG, the AR 832/FS (7.62x51mm NATO) and AR-831 5.56x45mm NATO) assault rifles. These weapons were jointly designed by Franchi’s Defence System Division and Socimi engineers. All weapons are produced by three factories managed by SOCIMI namely the Binasco plant, Arluno plant and Sardinia plant. Both Binasco and Arluno factories are based in Milano while the Sardinia plant is located in Sassafras. Briefly, the submachine gun model was produced by Franchi S.p.A. until all the tooling are completed to produce the weapons at all three SOCIMI factories.

By mid 1982, SOCIMI completed the first prototype of their 9mm submachine gun. Tooling for producing the gun commenced immediately and production begun soon after. The production gun was designated the Model 821 and was offered for commercial sale in the early fall of 1983. At first glance the M821 closely resembled the famed Israeli Uzi submachine gun. When the Socimi SMG was introduced, the Uzi’s popularity was still at its peak, and the US secret service is still carrying it to protect the president. The battle-proven credentials of the Israeli gun was another factor that influenced the Italian engineers to create a shorter, lighter and more refined version of the Uzi that adapted to ultra-modern manufacturing technology.

The SOCIMI M821 design and operating principle is close to that of the Uzi submachine gun. The 3-position sliding type fire selector, the grip-mounted magazine catch and grip safety are all derived from the Uzi, as well as the wrap-around bolt, cocking handle and removable barrel system. It also retained the simple blowback operation and fixed firing pin ignition principle. Field stripping procedure is also the same as that of the UZI.

Despite all the similarities noted with the UZI, the M821 has some distinctive features of its own. Most notable of these differences include a side-folding metal stock, finger groove grip pattern, a heavy-duty recoil buffer system and a slightly different trigger mechanism incorporating a double sear arrangement for optimum safety. To attain maximum lightness, the SOCIMI submachine gun utilized machined light alloy forgings, instead of the heavy sheet metal stampings found on the Uzi, in the manufacture of the weapon’s receiver and grip frame, making the M821 about a pound lighter than the Israeli gun. This lightness also allows the weapon to be fired with one hand if need be. The M821 is also designed to accept laser aiming devices and a silencer by substituting a threaded barrel for the standard part. The M821 is ideally suited for commando units as well as urban and jungle warfare. Although the M821 was offered in the international arms market until l990, it is unknown to date if it has ever gained commercial success or was ever adopted by any nation. It is however a remarkable modernized version of the famed Uzi submachine gun that deserves a closer look and serious consideration by countries that are still engaged in jungle warfare or anti-terrorist operations.

The second weapon developed and produced by SOCIMI is the AR-831 assault rifle chambered for the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge. Once again in designing the AR-831 assault rifle, SOCIMI chose to improve upon an existing popular design. In this case, the Armalite-designed Ml6 assault rifle was chosen as a basis. While externally resembling the US Ml6 rifle, there were some mechanical improvements incorporated in the AR-831 to make the weapon more trouble free when exposed to extreme climatic conditions such as mud, snow, sand and dust. Arguably, the weakness of the US combat rifle is its gas system, which is easily affected by entry of foreign matter. To make the Ml6 work reliably, the gas tube must be maintained on a regular basis to ensure that any obstruction in the tube is removed, allowing unrestricted flow of gas pressure in order to unlock the action during cycle of operation.

The Italian engineers at SOCIMI realized the shortcomings of the US service rifle and came out with an improved M16-type rifle in the form of the AR-831. The new rifle, which they developed in 1985, utilized an AK47-type gas piston, which is directly mounted at the top of the bolt carrier. The bolt and bolt carrier assembly are identical to that of the M16, as well as the recoil spring, recoil spring guide, magazine catch and hold-open device. The cocking handle and trigger mechanism are slightly different in format but function and connect in the same manner. The standard 20- and 30-round M16 magazines are used. There is a slight variation in plastic furniture design, as well as the angle of the pistol grip that is of finger groove pattern. The 3-position fire selector is derived from the original M16 and can only be manipulated conveniently by right-handed shooters. There is no bolt-assist incorporated into the AR-831. It is not needed due to its superior AK47 gas piston operating system. Additionally, the weapon is equipped with a gas regulator, which also controls the rate of fire, and also permits the use of grenades of various kinds. A folding stock variant of the AR-831 is also offered patterned after the Belgian FN FAL Para carbine. In the fixed stock version, the recoil spring is housed inside a large tube that also doubles as a connecting base for the plastic buttstock (M16-style). In the Para, the recoil spring is assembled inside the gas piston like on the AK-47 design.

In l987, a more modernized and streamlined version of the SOCIMI 5.56x45mm assault rifle was introduced. It was designated as the model AR-871. The new refined version is a selective-fire weapon using a gas-operated rotating bolt that locks directly into the barrel extension. The rifle is produced in various formats with a variety of fire selection systems, allowing semiautomatic or full-automatic fire, semiautomatic or three-shot burst or semiautomatic-only. The weapon retained the original straight stock configuration along with a long stroke bolt cycle that provided mild recoil. The rifle is light and rugged with majority of the components being made of light alloy forgings and hi-impact resistant polymer materials. Other materials are high tensile steel. The cocking handle is now positioned on the left side of the receiver frame. The original design had the cocking handle on the top rear of the receiver behind the carrying handle. The magazine release is now ambidextrous on the new version. The barrel is chrome lined and the muzzle is designed to accommodate grenade launching. Both the original AR-831 and the latest version AR-871 assault rifles can be field stripped quickly and easily without the need of tools starting with the removal of the rear connecting pin (like the M16) and hinge open the action to pull out the bolt and carrier assembly. However, it can be easily stripped in minutes (except trigger group) of its sub-components (buttstock, handguard, gas piston and flash hider groups) using only the rim and point of a cartridge as a tool if a more detailed cleaning is required.

The third and final weapon developed and produced by SOCIMI is the AR-832/FS assault rifle chambered for the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge. Like its 5.56x45mm cousin, it shares the same basic mechanical design characteristics and materials in its overall construction. It is externally different from the AR-831 utilizing a conventional rifle sight rather than the hi-placement sighting plane of the M16 genre. The rifle has certain external features of the Para FAL rifle with similar folding stock and cocking handle positioned in the left side of the receiver. The gas regulator system is also a derivative of the FAL but with the combination of the Kalashnikov gas piston principle. The mating of two battle proven systems resulted in an extraordinary rifle with outstanding simplicity, rugged overall construction and very light weight with its light alloy and plastic furniture construction. Like its 5.56x45mm variant, the AR 832/FS is equipped with a gas regulator that controls rate of fire as well as providing grenade launching of various types. Field stripping provision on the 7.62x51mm NATO rifle is the same as the smaller AR-831. While full production of the assault rifle series commenced as far back as the later part of the l980’s, there is not much information as to how the SOCIMI battle rifles fared in terms of commercial sales or if any country has ever considered them for adoption. In examining the design characteristics of all the weapons developed and produced by the Socimi Group, there is no doubt that they represent logical design characteristics combining what has proven to work and making the best of it.

MANUFACTURERS:

SOCIETA COSTRUZIONI
INDUSTRIALI MILANO S.p.A.
Via San Calimero n. 3
20122 Milano
Italy
LUIGI FANCHI S.p.A.
Via del Serpente, 12
25020 Brescia,
Italy

by Jim Schatz

During the 1960s development efforts in the United States resulted in the perfection of a high/low propulsion system to safely and accurately launch tube-fired 40mm grenades from the operator’s shoulder. This development quickly resulted in the design of various single-shot launchers, both stand-alone models like the well know US M79 and more importantly the add-on 40mm grenade launcher we have known for decades in the US as the M203, first adopted in 1968. Arguably the most commonly encountered add-on rifle-mounted launcher in the world and at last count used by more than 40 countries, the M203 proved successful the concept of a “dual purpose” weapons system, one that allows the operator to accurately engage point targets with rifle ammunition or area, protected or defilade targets using high explosive grenades by means of a relatively lightweight and easily portable package. With more than 20 various types of rounds available presently or previously in the United States and many more of foreign origin, the add-on grenade launcher allows the user to launch all manner of ordnance including lethal HE, fragmentation and anti-personnel rounds as well as less-than-lethal rounds and a wide assortment of pyrotechnic and marking cartridges. A great idea and an even better tactical tool.

The standard M203 attaches to the host rifle by means of a special receiver and hand guard design that is by no means quickly detachable and must be mounted or dismounted at unit armorer level. A grenadier in a conventional unit is assigned those duties on a more or less permanent basis so there have historically been few reasons to make the M203 easily removable from the host weapon. That being said, quick-detachable (QD) versions of the M203 have been fielded for the U.S. M4A1 Carbine with US special operations forces in the SOPMOD (Special Operations Peculiar Modification) Kit and with foreign users who desire greater flexibility in the configuration of their individual weapon. These QD M203’s can be quickly attached to the rifle or carbine with special integral adapters to increase the modularity of the weapon system and thus the tactical flexibility of the user. Why carry a 3-pound grenade launcher if it is not necessary? Conversely if the 40mm capability is required, it should be available to every combatant without a need for the exchange of his or her assigned rifle or the need for extensive modifications to the host weapon to accommodate the launcher. The ability to utilize the launcher in a stand-alone mode like the M79 also has some attractive tactical applications as well.

With the almost universal popularity of today’s four-quadrant modular rail systems for accessory attachment it was only a matter of time before the small arms community created an add-on 40x46mm low velocity grenade launcher that could be attached to these rail systems just as the operator might attach a vertical fore grip, flashlight or laser aimer. It would, however, be necessary to insure the rail system could withstand the constant firing of a projectiles weighing upwards of 1/2-pound launched at more that 270 fps. Heckler & Koch now offers a grenade launcher that fits this exact description and with many improvements deemed superior by various user groups both here in the United States and overseas.

Item Description

In 2000 Heckler & Koch began the production of a new family of lightweight breech-loaded single-shot 40x46mm add-on grenade launchers termed AG for “Anbaugerat” (translation “mounted implement”). The first model of the HK AG launcher to be developed was the AG36 for use on the 5.56x45mm HK G36 rifle and carbine. The German and Spanish armies now employ the AG36, providing the dual-weapon capability that was previously lacking in their armed forces. The AG36 attaches to the gas block of the G36 rifle by means of a special hand guard, which in turn is secured to the aluminum receiver of the launcher. A large removable locking pin is inserted through one of two holes through the handguard and the corresponding hole in the gas block mounted on the barrel. This arrangement insures a rigid mounting interface that easily allows 5,000 plus rounds to be fired with no damage or degradation to the weapon systems performance. As the gas blocks of the G36 are mounted at various locations on the barrels of the various variants there is a mounting position for the 18.9- and 15.4-inch rifle-length barrels and the 12.5-inch carbine barrel.

An integral polymer pistol grip is attached to the receiver. It includes a rotary safety switch with safe and fire positions, breech release button within the trigger guard and unique double-action-only trigger mechanism. To fire the AG launcher the operator uses his non-firing, or weak hand, on the launcher’s pistol grip to disengage the safety and depress the double-action-only trigger. This insures that the strong hand remains on the operating controls of the host rifle at all times. The aluminum receiver houses the side-swinging, rifled, aluminum 11-inch barrel that is spring-actuated. In the event the barrel does not spring open slots in the receiver allow the operator to manually persuade the barrel open. The receiver has threaded mounting points for the attachment of a variety of sight options.

HK AG Variants

Other variants of the HK AG grenade launcher have been created for an assortment of host weapons. One thousand AG-C launchers (“C” for Colt Carbine) were developed based on the AG36 for use on the British C8 Carbine, the Diemaco licensed variant of the U.S. M4 Carbine. Fitted with the Knights Armament Rail Attachment System (RAS), the British C8 with AG-C launcher has been in service with the British Special Air Service for more than two years, to include combat service in “the sand pile.” A variant of the AG launcher also can be attached to the US M16A2 rifle or its variants. In fact, the Dutch military employs the AG-NL (“NL” for Netherlands) on their C7 Rifle, a Canadian Diemaco copy of the US M16A2 Rifle, and their C8 Carbine, the Canadian-produced copy of the Colt M4 Carbine. In the NL variant, the launcher attaches not to a MIL-STD-1913 rail, as is the case with the AG-C, but to the standard handguard mounting position normally occupied by the standard lower handguard section. A variant of the HK launcher called the AG SA80 has also been developed for the British SA80 Individual Weapon (L85), 600 of which are already in service with British forces. With the exception of the mounting interface above the receiver, the basic launcher is identical throughout the family of HK AG launchers.

Mounting made easy

The current series-production HK AG-C Add-on Grenade Launcher is a detachable module that can be attached to the host weapon using any available MIL-STD-1913 rail, such as that found on the Rail Adapter System for the M4 and M16-series weapons. The AG-C is a self-contained launcher with its own safety and firing mechanism housed within an integral vertical pistol grip. The user can detach the HK AG-C from the rifle/carbine without special tools and fire the launcher, with decreased hit probability, in the event of an emergency, separate from the weapon as a grenade-pistol. To remove the launcher from the carbine simply retrieve the L-shaped 5 mm Allen wrench stored in the slot provided in the receiver just above the ambidextrous safety/selector lever. Loosen the locking screw completely (it is captured so it cannot be lost in the field). This screw is located where it attaches to the bayonet stud. The launcher is simply slid forward off of the mounting rail and removed from the host weapon. Reverse this order to return the launcher to the same or to a different weapon. Because the sights are attached to the launcher itself and not to the rifle, the zero of the grenade launcher is retained, thus avoiding the time and hassle of rezeroing.

Features, Operation

As mentioned previously, the HK AG-C features a side-opening (swinging) aluminum barrel that opens under spring pressure to the left with the depression of an ambidextrous breech release latch located within the trigger guard of the launcher. This feature allows the weapon to be loaded and unloaded easily from awkward shooting positions. It also provides the user with the means to fire 40x46mm rounds that are 134mm (5.28 inches) or longer in overall length, an option not possible with slide-action style launchers such as the U.S. M203. The side-swinging barrel presents the spent case directly into the waiting hand of the grenadier. No automatic ejector is provided in the HK AG-C. The spent case or unfired live round is removed manually. Finger recesses are provided at the rear of the chamber to ease extraction even with gloved hands. Auto-ejectors in a grenade launcher may seem advantageous, but their additional complexity, especially in adverse environments or when firing poor quality ammunition, may severely affect the reliable operation of the launcher. With the HK AG-C launcher the “KISS” principle was applied and has proven effective and popular with the users. The AG-C is so simple there is NO operator disassembly procedure for the launcher.

One might ask what about the left-handed gunner? How about a barrel that could swing left or right? Once again this complexity in design was avoided to insure reliability in action. The design is effective nonetheless. The lefty uses his right hand placed on the pistol grip of the launcher to operate the controls of the launcher. This places his hand at the correct location to load and unload the breech by simply rotating the weapon system 90 degrees to the right. This procedure is nearly as fast as that accomplished by the right-handed operator.

All operating controls and the sight-mounting locations are fully ambidextrous for right- and left-hand use. All controls can be operated with only the fingers of the firing hand from any firing position. The careful selection for the location of each operating control insures that the actuation and status of each control is fast, easy, intuitive and can be accomplished by the user by feel only, if necessary, as is often the case under low-light conditions or while under stress. The side-loading breech places the spent case or live round at the right-handed operator’s left hand to facilitate speed reloading during multiple target engagements or while operating under the cover of darkness. The British Special Air Service (SAS) proved these attributes superior during the testing of the HK AG-C and eventual adoption of the launcher in 2000 where the HK AG-C was selected over other existing add-on grenade launchers.

User Safety Assured

The barrel release latch and mechanical safety/selector lever are located in a position within easy reach of the fingers of the shooters strong hand. This positioning, however, also eliminates the possibilities of inadvertent activation during handling. The rotating manual safety/selector lever is positioned behind the breech in a location designed to both offer easy actuation by the user and still prevent accidental movement even if the safety/selector lever is accidentally swiped off. The double-action-only (DAO) trigger function prevents inadvertent firing if the trigger is pressed partially. A total of 11-16 pounds of pressure on the trigger are required to fire the AG-C.

The DAO trigger mechanism employed in the HK AG-C is not controlled by the opening or closing of the breech as in the M203 design. The use the trigger-cocking DAO firing system allows the user to fire the launcher through the simple squeeze of the trigger. As the HK AG-C employs this DAO trigger mechanism, the internal striker is never cocked until the very moment of firing. Thus the launcher can be repeatedly loaded and cleared without being cocked, a feature that reduces the chances for accidental or impact induced discharge. This feature also allows for multiple-strike capability in the event of a stubborn (hard) primer and the robust hammer and drive spring ensure strong primer indent even after prolonged use or in cold climatic conditions where primer sensitivity can be less than optimum. No other controls, to include the breech release latch or barrel, need to be actuated to allow for repeated attempts by the operator to fire the chambered round.

A breech safety device also insures that the chambered round cannot fire unless the breech is completely locked closed. Accidental firing caused by rough handling or drops up to 2 meters in height are avoided by the design of the trigger mechanism.

ights

As mentioned earlier, the sights of the HK AG-C are attached directly to the receiver on rigid mounts that can be removed by the operator with a simple Allen wrench. This allows the sights to be placed on either side of the launcher for right or left hand use. The dual sight-mounting points on the AG-C also provide a means to attach dual sighting systems, a reflex sight and back-up mechanical sight for instance.

Standard mechanical sights for the AG-C are comprised of a lightweight polymer folding front Patridge-style post with protective ears and a folding rear ladder sight. The rear sight is graduated from 50 to 350 meters in 50-meter increments. Adjustments for windage and elevation are possible through the use again of a simple Allen wrench.

Mechanical leaf and ladder sights in this writer’s opinion have also been the second greatest detractor from the accuracy potential of add-on launchers. The first is the 40x46mm ammunition with poor round-to-round dispersion, typical of the M781 training and practice (TP) rounds most US troops train with. Fortunately, the combat rounds are superior in their accuracy and there are excellent and very accurate TP rounds available from foreign manufacturers, in particular the NICO TP Tracer round. This training round provides excellent round-to-round dispersion – less than the 5-meter bursting radius of the cartridge. The tracer element provides a telltale visible red trace to the target, and unlike the more common orange “marker” rounds, is useful for training under low-light conditions.

To take advantage of these more accurate rounds and to eliminate the operator-induced aiming errors with mechanical sights, Heckler & Koch has developed, in conjunction with the Ring Sight Company in the U.K., a very simple yet effective reflex sight for use with the HK 40mm family of AG launchers. The Ring Sight uses a solid glass block with etched reticle pattern. This reticle provides a series of simple aiming dots, thus eliminating the need to align the coarse front and rear sights and target, a difficult task especially on targets beyond 150 meters. Simply place the fine transparent aiming dot on the target and mash the trigger. Grenadiering made easy. Increases in hit probability are easily doubled with most shooters, as is the ability to deliver multiple rounds to the same aiming point. The Ring Sight reticle pattern provides range-to-target numbers corresponding to the appropriate aiming dot out to the maximum effective range of the round.

The reflex sight is also powered for low-light use using a replaceable tritium source and can be used with NOD’s. The sight is externally adjustable for elevation and windage using an Allen wrench. The sight is mounted to the AG-C launcher on a removable mount that attaches to the receiver. On other host weapons to the HK AG launchers, the reflex sight can be attached to the rearward portion of the receiver, as is the case when used on the HK G36 Rifle or Carbine or US M16A2 wherein the sight is attached to the carrying handle near the rear sight.

Ammunition and the HK AG Launchers

The HK AG-C is fully compatible with all 40x46mm low-velocity (LV) rounds produced and in service around the world, to include all NATO and US rounds. The HK AG-C can chamber and safely fire any length 40x46mm LV round due to its single-shot side-loading breech design. This would include compatibility with programmable air-bursting rounds that are being currently developed in this caliber for launch from add-on 40mm shoulder-fired grenade launchers similar in nature to the HK AG-C. With the right ammunition the AG-C is highly accurate, more than capable enough to deliver multiple rounds within the standard 5-meter bursting radius, which is standard for the HE-Fragmentation rounds most often used in combat.

Proven System

The Heckler & Koch Anbaugerat Grenade Launchers are state-of-the-art, have been developed for ease of operator use and with guaranteed operator safety. They have been exhaustively tested in all climatic conditions to include multiple user and HK tests in the deserts of Yuma, Arizona and Kuwait, the jungles of Brunei and the cold weather climates of Norway, Canada and Alaska. They have proven rugged and effective in combat operations in Kosovo, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq and certainly many other unmentionable locations around the globe.

Future Enhancements

The newest variant of the AG-C grenade launcher is termed the AG-C/EGLM (Enhanced Grenade Launcher Module) and adds a quick-detachable retractable butt stock to the system. This butt stock slides into the female attachment groove that marries to the MIL-STD-1913 rail. The AG-C/EGLM incorporates a spring-actuated stock release lever on the left rear portion of the receiver. Four length-of-pull positions are available to allow the operator to adjust for various body sizes and to account for load bearing equipment, heavy clothing and especially, body armor. With the buttstock attached, the AG-C becomes a stand-alone 40mm launcher for times when the assault rifle is not required. Sling attachment points are provided for use with standard carrying slings.

The greatest promise for increased combat capability in 40x46mm grenade launchers lies in improved ordnance (more accurate, more lethal, increased lethal radius, air-bursting) as well as fire control systems that can provide not only day and night time capability but also allow the user to accurately engage targets with a single round without having to “walk” the rounds onto the target. First round hit probability out to the maximum effective range of the round must be improved to enhance the usefulness of the system while at the same time reducing the combat load of the warrior. It should be possible with existing technology to make certain that every one of the 36 rounds typically carried by the grenadier falls within a lethal radius of the intended target.

Accurate ammunition and launchers like the HK AG-C exist. The challenge to industry now is to marry these components with a sighting system that provides the precise range-to-target and corresponding ballistic adjustment to at least 5 meters to guarantee first round casualties on the target with the first round fired. If not, the first few rounds are little more than wasted position disclosures for the grenadier.

By Thomas T. Hoel, historical and technical editing by Dan Shea, Photos by Dan Shea

Now that we have explored the basic receiver assembly in detail, let us turn our attention to protecting and assuring its structural integrity and overall longevity.

One of the greatest areas for potential problems with an M60 is centered on the receiver assembly, and its component parts. Because the receiver is an NFA-controlled item, and the general problem of receiver damages requiring expensive and difficult repairs, the civilian owner should become quite familiar with common inspection procedures, and learn to avoid common, potentially damaging operational actions. (The greatest source of damage to the trunnion, and its attached components, is from operator abuse or carelessness.)

The barrel trunnion does not have to contain any direct stresses during the firing cycle, but careless or abusive handling can still damage it. As first fielded in military service, the basic M60 receiver was assembled by riveted fasteners primarily, with press fitting and a small plug-weld to secure the gas tube (extremely early military production trunnions, extending into the T161 series, utilized a threaded and pinned fitting of the gas tube, but this was quickly amended in the production line and replaced by a press-fit and plug-welded joint). After evidence of receiver separations in military use came to light, a different, more secure type of riveted fastener was tried as a cure, though with limited success. The approved solution was the combination of enhanced grip rivets and a series of welded seams to join the major subcomponents to the barrel trunnion, tying the individual subcomponents into a more solid, unitized, assembly. The welding operations are performed to join the barrel trunnion at its interface with the sheet metal channel underside surface, the gas tube (op-rod tube) at the trunnion socket, and the front side stubs of the milled bolt rails to their respective mating slots on the barrel trunnion. Once unitized by welding, the receiver assembly thus became an extremely strong and solid unit and this operation has virtually eliminated concerns over receiver separations.

One of the very most important things for the civilian owner-operator to check for is whether or not a specific commercially manufactured receiver has had this welding reinforcement done. A commercial receiver that is simply riveted and press fit together is very likely to offer a vastly reduced service life span and it is highly recommended that the proper welding reinforcement repairs be made before any further use of the gun.

The specific welding operations are outlined in many of the Military Depot Level M60 maintenance manuals. (Dept. of the Army) TM 9-1005-224-23&P (revision May 1998 or later is preferred), is the best general repair reference manual commonly available and is highly recommended for reference, even if the gun owner does not anticipate undertaking any repair actions on his own. (The more commonly seen TM 9-1005-224-24 is the condensed version minus certain equipment lists, and is a very good substitute for general information) This TM, in which receiver inspection and remedial procedures are outlined, should be consulted to determine if a specific receiver has had the recommended reinforcements accomplished.

For the conscientious owner, one of the best pieces of peripheral maintenance equipment to own is the standard M60-series receiver gauge set (NSN 5220-00-921-5005); this standard gauge set is used to gauge receiver subcomponent alignment and serviceability by establishing angular displacement and stretch variances in all three planes.

While it is primarily used to determine receiver serviceability limits, it is also the required and specified tool to use to provide correct alignment of the receiver subcomponents when initially placing receiver reinforcing weldments by properly positioning and holding the various subcomponents that attach to the primary receiver component, the trunnion, during primary tack-welding operations. Attempting to weld the subcomponents to the trunnion without this critical alignment holding tool will invariably result in the receiver actually being assembled and held together in an un-aligned, or even twisted, configuration. If this has happened critical wear surfaces between the receiver rails, op-rod, bolt roller, or other stressed parts will almost surely develop leading to excessive or detrimental wear patterns being established that will severely limit the useful lifespan of these components as they are forced to wear together. (A gun that exhibits a difficult or hard to retract cocking motion should immediately be checked for proper receiver alignment with the standard gauge set, followed by careful examination of the reciprocating parts involved, inspecting for unusual wear patterns or locations.)

Even if the receiver in question has been weld-reinforced, it is necessary to periodically perform a visual inspection of the welded joints for integrity, cracking, or other damage. As the standard gauge set is the only proper method to gauge receiver subcomponent alignment and serviceability by establishing angular displacement and stretch variances in all three planes as indicated above, periodic usage of the gauge is highly recommended, too. Since the welded receiver is now a much stronger unitized assembly, which is not free to “give” at the many points as an un-welded receiver will, any damaged weld joints may concentrate forces along small highly stressed areas, if not corrected. This is most probable at the sheet-metal channel joint, and a damaged weld seam along the bottom of the trunnion may cause long cracks to propagate well into the sheet-metal bottom of the receiver. Though easily repaired, a deep rend in the channel may eventually lead to more serious problems with the operating-rod and bolt.

Aside from the above, the most commonly damaged area(s) of the receiver (trunnion) is the barrel socket, followed by the gas tube at the gas cylinder interface aperture. Both of these areas sustain damages from incorrect or abusive treatment of the barrel assembly where it mates into the receiver assembly. These damages can be avoided in almost every case. The barrel assembly is extremely heavy for the amount of longitudinal support it receives within the trunnion, and all the weight is leveraged on the far fulcrum point of the bipod yoke, at the very end of the barrel itself. The entire mass of the barrel assembly is supported only by the rearmost 2½ inches of the barrel extension. (An additional 1/4-inch of barrel assembly interface occurs at the circular lip of the gas cylinder nut when properly mated into the gas tube, but this in no way should be regarded as a true supporting interface.) Unless the tolerances of the mating interface is extremely tight and without measurable play, the continued movement of the barrel extension within the trunnion socket will eventually cause the socket tolerances to open up and expand the free play run-out. The barrel latch itself is really not designed or intended to hold the barrel extension tightly, simply to keep it from slipping out. The end result is that over time a trunnion socket that has become worn will not hold the barrel extension tight enough to hold a zero setting, the barrel will shift with every movement of the gun, sometimes to the point of causing jamming, as the bolt lugs will not properly rotate to lock up in the locking cam ways of the barrel extension. It is virtually guaranteed that this wear will occur within the trunnion itself, as the barrel extension is far more hardened to inhibit wear. If the trunnion socket becomes excessively worn in this manner, or even driven out-of-round, expensive receiver repairs are the only option. Generally the only option available, aside from total replacement of the trunnion itself, is to align-bore the socket and sleeve it with a shimming sleeve of compatible alloy, suitably machined. Even if shrunk-fit or brazed into position, it may not be a permanent repair and may again loosen with heavy use. (WARNING: It has been noted on some civilian guns that sometimes an unfortunate owner faced with this problem has tried to solve it with an easier fix by applying a shimming sleeve to the barrel extension outer surface. This is ill advised, as sleeving the barrel extension in this fashion only allows a bare 1¾ inches of clear outer surface to sleeve without interfering with the locking cam ways, and even if done carefully the bolt may still not be locking smoothly within its proper rotational alignment, causing undo strain and wear on the locking lugs of the bolt as well as increased wear on the barrel extension locking cam ways. This damage may not be immediately noticeable. Even then, trying to retain a shimming sleeve on the barrel extension surface may not be possible with complete safety, as any high temperature fixative methods may damage the critical heat treatment of the extension, upon which a large measure of it’s inherent strength depends.) All of this potential barrel assembly-to-receiver damage can be avoided almost completely, with two simple procedures.

Without arguing or belaboring the point of the design of the original model M60 bipod design and placement, it suffices to say that it’s location on the barrel assembly can lead to problems as concerns longevity of the weapon’s other operating assemblies. These specific problems began to be addressed way back with first military Product Improvement Program variant, the M60E1, and the civilian owner-operator now should be just as concerned as was the military. And while the recent military adoption of the PIP’ed M60E3/E4 variants has given opportunity to address the original bipod situation to some degree, the following comments are valid to large degree even if a particular civilian M60 has been retrofit upgraded with the addition of the E3/E4 assemblies. The first problem is a simple one in that even though the gun was designed to be fired off the bipod in the prone position, to do so truly places a tremendous strain on the barrel trunnion socket.

Compound this arrangement with the nearly universal tendency for operators to place heavy downward pressure on the gun when firing in an attempt to stabilize it and the induced moment-arm leverage strain can produce damaging results in a relatively short order of a few thousand rounds. Even if the E1/E3/E4 modifications have been performed to get the bipod support off the barrel and onto the gas tube, the use of the gun fired from the bipod position can lead to damages of the trunnion mating joint at the gas tube-trunnion interface, especially if the previously mentioned welding reinforcements have not been accomplished as may be the case with multitudes of commercially manufactured receivers. Gas tubes used on guns have been retrofit upgraded with the addition of the E3/E4 bipod assembly will experience additional strain along the tube itself, and longitudinal stress cracks are well known to develop along the tube body, particularly at the (relatively newly required) hole that has been drilled to accommodate the new-style fore-grip used on these configurations. The E3/E4 style modifications are at best a compromise solution to one set of problems, and bring to the gun a potential for a new set. Heavy users of a gun configured as an E3/E4 variant are wise to procure a spare gas tube, and be prepared to periodically weld-repair their current one.

The use of any bipod-supported firing position, with any M60 variant, may look appealing, but be forewarned that continued use of the weapon from that deployment can become a headache when the inevitable excess wear occurs. For the civilian owner-operator then, for maximum service lifespan and use of any M60 variant, the use of the self-contained bipod is NOT recommended.

A better arrangement, and one that will lead to the longest life of the weapon, is to fire the M60 from one of the receiver supported mounts where the receiver is fully supported and the barrel places no unnecessary stresses into the trunnion barrel socket, or gas tube (or gas tube-trunnion interface). There are several military designed mounts for the M60 series, including tripod mounts, vehicle mounted pedestals of various descriptions, and even a dedicated M60 cradle mount (the M142 cradle assembly [PN 10900945] which incorporates a built-on 200-rd ammunition box hanger) for use with pedestal bases or vehicle sockets. Any of these are far better than the integral bipod.

The most commonly encountered of these mounts is the US standard M2 tripod, already in service for decades with the .30 cal. Browning series of machineguns, and useable with minimal adaptation to the M60 GPMG. The newer designation for the current manufacture M2 tripods is “Mount, Tripod, Machinegun, 7.62mm, M122 (PN 7790723/NSN 1005-00-710-5599)”, or more simply, the M122 tripod. For all practical purposes, the only real difference between the World-War-II-vintage M2 tripod and the re-designated M122 is the date of manufacture. Both M2 and M122 require dedicated pintle adapters for use with the M60 (or specific M60 pintles), along with an M60-use specific T&E mechanism adapter bar; the tripods themselves are identical in all other ways. There are also two distinct designs and vintages of tripod pintle adapter/pintles available, although one version is clearly a better design. Both will require the use of a dedicated M60 T&E mechanism adapter “H”-leg (PN 7792991/NSN 1005-00-772-0194) to tie the M60 receiver into the older Browning machinegun T&E mechanism.

The earliest version of pintle adapter (PN 779284) was indeed a true adapter as its function was to adapt the M60 to use a standard Browning-style tripod pintle. This is usually referred to as the ‘pintle adapter platform’, or early-issue ‘pintle-platform assembly’. It has two distinct advantages over the late-issue M60-dedicated pintle, commonly known as the ‘Gooseneck pintle’, as when using the pintle-platform adapter the receiver is tightly held along the greatest surface area of the underside of the weapon, retained by the pintle mount pin and locking into an additional mounting pin on the gas tube. It is this two-point retention that gives the pintle-platform adapter its exceptional rigidity and stability. Since it is designed to interface with a standard M2 pintle, it may be used anywhere the older Browning pintle can be mounted, such as the ubiquitous M24 or M25 “Jeep” or vehicle pedestals. The M60 pintle-platform adapter will simply slide into the yoke of the M24/M25 pedestal frame. Mounted thusly, and with the pedestal bolted to a suitably heavy legwork frame base, or vehicle, the M60 remains absolutely rock solid when firing. Currently, the early issue pintle-platform adapter is cheap and plentiful.

The (current) late-issue M60-dedicated pintle (PN 11010408/NSN 1005-00-945-9756), commonly known as the Gooseneck pintle, was an attempt to render the M60, when used in the “heavy” machinegun role, a more manageable package by reduction of weight and simplification of design. It does not require use of the old Browning-style pintle, as it is a single unit, which combines the tripod pintle function with a single-point receiver, mount pin latch. Unfortunately, though weight was shaved, utility and stability were sacrificed. The only real advantage over the early-issue platform style was that due to it’s single-point mounting to the receiver, the gun could be traversed and elevated by hand (frees swung) on an advancing target more quickly and with less physical force, though even when tied to the T&E mechanism stability when firing was considerably reduced as the gun was simply not as rigidly mounted as before. It was a trade-off that found many supporters, but keeping stresses off the gun and instead transmitting them into the mounting, it is not nearly as good a choice. It also caused more strain to be put onto the T&E mechanism and adapter leg, and it is commonly noted that the lugs of the T&E adapter mounting plate under the receiver channel will show signs of wear and deformation more rapidly when used with the late-style pintle; loosening of the two attachment rivets is fairly common. These late-style ‘Gooseneck’ pintles are currently also quite available, though asking prices vary widely, and they are certainly not rare or hard to find.

However, even when mounted onto a tripod, pedestal yoke, or vehicle cradle mount there is still more that can be done to reduce barrel-assembly-induced strain on the trunnion socket and gas tube. The M60E1 variant pointed the way, and was confirmed in the later E3/E4 variants. The high levels of induced strain are a combination of the small surface contact area of the barrel extension in the trunnion socket, combined with the very heavy weight of the barrel assembly itself. While there is nothing to be done about the barrel mounting and retention design situation, one can reduce the operational weight of the entire barrel assembly by following the lead of the M60E1 program. The current E3/E4 variants are the result of two different objectives. The first was to reduce overall weight of the machine gun, the second objective was to provide operational improvement in several previously identified areas of concern. This resulted in the combined effects of relieving the barrel assembly of its bipod unit, greatly reducing the actual mass of the tube by reducing the diameter and length, and a thorough redesign of the gas system. As such, either of the E3/E4 variant barrel assemblies is efficient at reducing stresses on the trunnion, but this comes at an operational penalty that seems particularly relevant to many civilian users. The reduced mass of these redesigned barrel units greatly reduces their ability to fire in a sustained fashion, something all too many civilian users seem to disregard. If proper fire discipline can be maintained as intended with the E3/E4 barrel groups, they are the ideal choice so far as limiting receiver wear is concerned due to their greatly reduced weight, though they are considerably more expensive than the standard M60 barrel group, even if purchased used.

For most civilian recreational shooting, a better option can be created from a slight modification of an original standard “heavy” M60 barrel group to optimize it for use with a fixed receiver mounting, such as a tripod or cradle mounting. As it is, the original “heavy” profile barrel is probably the best choice for the civilian recreational shooter as it is designed to handle a far greater volume of sustained fire and can tolerate considerably more abuse. A simple modification to remove the complete bipod group and original flash hider will result in a dedicated barrel assembly that is in the best possible configuration for use with the rigid receiver mounting options discussed above. To complete the conversion, the use of the newer M60E3 “short” birdcage style flash hider will provide a highly efficient, and cosmetically pleasing package. This is an efficient and cost-effective method to duplicate most of the advantages found in the M60E3/E4 barrel groups, while retaining the full barrel profile. Handling in this configuration also improves markedly, as the reduction in weight at the end of the barrel is significant, greatly narrowing the advantage enjoyed by the newer barrel versions.

In the next part following we will begin a detailed discussion of the peripheral assemblies that complete the weapon, with an added emphasis in a discussion of general service recommendations particularly appropriate for the civilian recreational shooter.

by Robert Bruce

“In the onslaught of Sept 11th and its follow-on effects, the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center continues its mission of stressing the development of combat skills to improve proficiency above basic marksmanship requirements, increasing battlefield survivability of National Guard soldiers and airmen.” Colonel Lance M. Tharel, Commander NGMTC

As America’s War on Terror intensifies, large numbers of Army and Air National Guard units from all over America are being “mobilized” — called to active duty — to support both homeland security and overseas operations. Among top priority tasks in preparing these citizen-soldiers for real world missions is expert training in safe and effective handling of various small arms from pistols to grenade launchers. This formidable job is one of several specialties of the NGMTC — National Guard Marksmanship Training Center — headquartered at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, near Little Rock, Arkansas.

NGMTC is a one-stop shopping center for the full spectrum of shooting disciplines from junior air rifle to 40mm grenade machine guns and everything in between. It occupies an impressive chunk of real estate not far from main post at Camp Robinson, including many well-maintained ranges with competition level target controls. Several modern buildings along Maryland and New York avenues are home for the center’s administrators, trainers, logistics specialists, weapons maintenance technicians and others whose skill and dedication contribute to an exemplary team effort.

Despite an unfortunate reduction in funding over previous years, the center has managed to maintain standards for its two-pronged mission. The first is to research, develop and teach marksmanship and weapon familiarization courses through the Schools section. Then, they take some of the best marksmen in the National Guard and give them advanced training in order to compete with marksmen from around the nation and around the world.

NGMTC’s focus is on the conduct of regularly scheduled schools each year including:

• Mobilization Training Course
• Small Arms Firing Schools
• Small Arms Instructor/Range Operations Course
• Master Marksman Trainer Course
• Small Arms Simulation Course
• National Guard Sniper Course

These are designed to address specialized requirements that have been identified by State Marksmanship Coordinators in all 54 states, territories and the District of Columbia that make up America’s National Guard. Let’s take a quick look at each.

Mobilization Training

During Basic Training, side by side with fellow soldiers of the regular Army and Army Reserve, all Guardsmen qualify with M16A2 rifles and fire most of the usual small arms for familiarization. But, once back at their hometown units, these perishable marksmanship skills get little reinforcement due to a variety of factors including chronic shortages of training ammunition. Most Guard units will go to the range only once a year to fire for qualification and many others have to wait even longer.

Thus, when a unit is mobilized, rusty firearms handling and shooting skills need to be cleaned and sharpened quickly and efficiently. This is often done under the supervision of a State Marksmanship Coordinator (SMC) from headquarters, using an experienced cadre of instructors. Unfortunately, the SMC’s assets are limited and the number and size of recently mobilized units make it increasingly necessary to call on the experts from NGMTC for help.

When this happens, Mobile Training Teams of highly skilled marksmanship instructors are dispatched from Camp Robinson to work with newly mobilized units. Within a relatively short period of time a battalion sized unit can be “up to speed” on all of its assigned weapons from pistols and rifles through machine guns and grenade launchers.

Small Arms Firing Schools

SAFS offer the unit commander intensive train-up and qualification firing during the usual 2 or 3-day weekend drill. This covers all basic US military weapons including M9 pistol, M16 rifle, M249 Squad Auto Weapon, and machine guns from the 7.62x51mm M60 or M240 to the .50 caliber M2HB. In addition, the same level of instruction is available for more specialized weapons like the M24 Sniper rifle, M203 grenade launcher and Mark 19 grenade machine gun.

Small Arms Instructor/Range Operations Course

SAIROC is a two week school to “train the trainers,” intended to prepare junior leaders to effectively run unit level marksmanship programs. Graduates will have mastered weapons operation and capabilities, methods of instruction, range operations and live fire qualification. This allows them to return to their home states and conduct essentially the same high quality SAFS training that is available at NGMTC.

Master Marksmanship Trainer Course

Senior NCOs and selected officers who are graduates of SAIROC can take this two-week expert level course that delves even deeper into all aspects of precision shooting. Fine points of weather, correcting individual problems, effective body positions and even contributions to soldier confidence are taught so that graduates can help develop competition-level shooters in their states.

Small Arms Simulations Course

Highly realistic simulators are proving extremely effective in developing and refining marksmanship skills. This is particularly appreciated in reserve component units that have limited time for training and minimizes the need for expensive ammunition consumption.

Devices like FATS (Fire Arms Training Simulator) and Beam-Hit “kick” the shooter with the same recoil experienced on firing a live weapon and record the impact point of each electronic shot with high precision. In addition, these computerized systems have sophisticated diagnostic capabilities that help shooters overcome common errors in shooting fundamentals like flinching and inadequate “lead” of moving targets.

The two-week SASC teaches students to set up, test, troubleshoot and configure sophisticated simulators for a variety of weapons and scenarios.

Sniper Course

Designated marksmen can be found in many National Guard units, armed with the excellent M24 Sniper Weapon System. This 7.62x51mm bolt-action rifle with a powerful telescopic sight is capable of astonishing accuracy well in excess of normal engagement range for ordinary rifles. Attaining the necessary skill to effectively employ the M24 takes a special kind of individual and lots of intensive training.

While the curriculum includes some classroom work, most of the time students are out in the bushes learning and perfecting camouflage and field craft, stalking, land navigation, observation and reporting intelligence, target detection, and range estimation. The two-week Sniper Course at NGMTC is fully accredited through the Army Training System and graduates earn the coveted “B4” sniper additional skill identifier to their Military Occupational Specialty.

Close Precision

Responding to some of the unique challenges of airfield security, the center’s newest service is the Close Precision Engagement Course for Air National Guardsmen charged with the critical task of protecting bases at home and abroad. Although in many ways similar to the Sniper Course, CPEC is geared toward counter sniper contingency operations in hostile environments.

Competition

NGMTC’s activities also include support of Guard shooters in domestic and international level “Marksmanship Training Events.” Formerly called competitions, such well-regarded annual gatherings at Camp Robinson like the Winston P. Wilson Matches and the Armed Forces Skill at Arms Meeting are used to identify particularly talented and dedicated individuals. These men and women are given expert coaching, finely tuned competition weapons and plenty of ammunition to hone their skills to a fine edge.

As a result, Guard shooters routinely place at or near the top in many domestic events including the annual National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio and various international competitions hosted by America’s allies. Current plans call for Guard teams to participate in the Australian Army Skill At Arms Meeting, as well as similar meets held in Canada and England.

More Information

Even if you are not a member of the National Guard, there is much to be gained at absolutely no charge by visiting NGMTC on the Internet at http://pub.ngpec.org. Click Training Centers then Marksmanship for all sorts of handy info including event photos and lots of tips for better shooting from ON TARGET magazine. However, formal instruction and other services of NGMTC are available only to qualified members and units of the Army and Air National Guard. Contact your State Marksmanship Coordinator for specifics.

Text & Photos by Dan Shea

At the IWA 2003 show in Nurnberg, Germany, SAR had a booth set up. As I walked through the show, looking for new and innovative products to bring to SAR’s readers, I was drawn to a very nice booth display, and found it was Zastava Arms from Yugoslavia. After some introductions and seeing some old friends, I was invited to come to Kragujevac, Serbia, to visit the factory facilities.

23 May 2003 – Kragujevac, Serbia: Tired from travel and overloaded with information from many museums and collections, SAR finally arrived at Zastava. Hundreds of digital pictures were burned with the help of the staff there, and much information was gathered. The General Director of Zastava Arms had graciously offered a full tour of the factory, and many people there helped with the gathering of models and history.

In the following pages devoted to Zastava Arms, we cover the past and current products. We decided to bring the entire Zastava military production to the readers of SAR as an Identification Guide, to put the models and features into the proper order. Yugoslav models of machine guns have long confused the West, and we are pleased to present this in depth analysis and ID guide.

Zastava Arms has reached their one hundred and fifty year anniversary as of October 2003, and that is quite an accomplishment, something they are proud of. SAR was invited back to attend the celebration, and we will bring that story to you later.

Yugoslav history and current events have dictated the direction of the factory and like most other industries, they must be able to adjust to new business climates. Zastava has traditionally had a balance of production that was 90% military arms and 10% civilian firearms. The new balance is 50-50. This is not the first time they have had to adjust; seventy to eighty years ago Zastava had a major change of directions, investing in new technology. This resulted in lowering costs and better quality product.

There has also been a change in focus on sporting arms, and they are looking forward to finally reopening the US market, among others. Zastava feels strongly they can stay competitive in sales of sporting rifles. There have been some problems- recently they had contracts for 28,000 hunting rifles and small quantities of the .50-caliber Black Arrow rifle, 12,000 CZ99 pistols and some of these contracts are in jeopardy and may be cancelled because U.S. distributors do not want to wait any longer for the duty to be removed. The 65% duty charge on exports to the United States has been a difficult obstacle to overcome. It is hoped that this punitive duty will be lifted soon.

To get a better picture of the effects of sanctions and economic policy, we were told what was previously a military secret. In 1969 Zastava had 2,300 employees, in the 1980s they had over 8,000. Today they have 3,590. That is a large cutback in force. Kragujevac is a community that relies on industrial production, and Zastava Arms is a main center of work here. Some help came from the government for people, and some went on their own into their own businesses. Before the recent NATO bombings, Zastava had some offers to convert to civilian manufacturing, with credits that had good interest rates. This was not available after the bombing; they lost 20,000 square meters of facilities. That was €60 million (About $65 million USD) in loss! The generally feeling is frustration, but they are thankful that in this part of the bombing there was no loss of life.

When we visited, Zastava was very busy. There were many projects going on, and we had a full tour of the facilities. There will be more information gathered from this trip in later issues of SAR. – Dan

Contact:
Zastava Namenski Proizvodi D.P.
Serbia, Kragujevac
Trg topolivaca 4
Tel: ++ 381 34 336 077
Fax: ++ 381 34 323 683
Email: zastavanp@ptt.yu
Website: www.zastava-arms.co.yu