Arsenal Inc., located in Las Vegas, Nevada, has become a benchmark for quality manufactured AK variant firearms. Their rich company background and their historic involvement in the firearms industry over the past 127 years was chronicled on the pages of Small Arms Review in the November, 2002 Issue (Vol. 6 No. 6). Since that article was published, Arsenal, Inc. has introduced several new variants to their lineup; and the expiration of the 1994 Clinton Assault Weapon Ban has opened the doors to even more desirable designs.

The SLR-105 rifle is a gas operated, magazine fed, semiautomatic rifle, utilizing the long stroke gas system designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. The SLR-105 A1 R rifle represents the first time a real AK-74 rifle made on original Bulgarian tooling has been offered for sale in the United States. Chambered in the desirable 5.45x39mm round, it is now available with a stamped receiver, AK-74 front sight block, bayonet lug, standard and original 24mm muzzle brake, a NATO buttstock and side-mounted scope rail. These rifles are manufactured in Bulgaria and they are modified in the United States to be compliant with 922 (r). Given the number of American made parts utilized, the rifles are actually considered to be “Made in USA” for purposes of this law.

With the traditional quality we have come to expect from Arsenal, Inc., this latest offering is again a leader in craftsmanship, fit and finish.

The NATO buttstock measures 10.5 inches in length and includes a sling swivel on the left side of the stock in the traditional AK-74 fashion. The stock has a spring-loaded trap door in the rear to accommodate a standard cleaning kit. All furniture on the SLR-105, including the stock, pistol grip and upper and lower handguards are black, synthetic material.

There are currently 7 major parts made in the USA that count towards compliance of 922 (r), allowing the sale and possession of the original, un-importable configuration. These USA manufactured parts include the stock, pistol grip, upper handguard, lower handguard, trigger, hammer and disconnector. Arsenal has just released a new disconnector that totally eliminates any sensation of “trigger slap” common in many AK variants. Arsenal will also soon have a new fire control group available allowing the operator to have a double stage trigger in conjunction with the new disconnector. The trigger in the rifle supplied to Small Arms Review was extremely smooth with no feeling of creep. It would break clean every time with the slightest amount of rearward pressure with no excessive travel nor noticeable feeling of “trigger slap.”

As in all their rifles, where available, the suffix designation “R” signifies the addition of a left-side, receiver-mounted scope-mounting rail. This Bulgarian side rail mount can be used with any standard mount for this receiver including the K-VAR KV-04 optimized AK scope mount. These mounts are sturdy and are attached to the side of the receiver for much greater stability than any of the aftermarket mounts that attach to the detachable top covers.

To clear up some possible confusion, earlier Arsenal firearms with the side mounted scope rail had the designation “S”. The designation “S” was typically used in Bulgarian rifles to signify the use of a folding stock. Now, and in the future, the designation “R” will be used to signify the addition of the scope rail and the correct designation “S” will be used for any future rifles that may be offered in the configuration of a folding stock.

The rear sight is a standard Kalashnikov style sight, field adjustable for elevation in 100-meter increments, from 100 meters to 1,000 meters. The front sight is a protected post, also adjustable for elevation with the use of the supplied combination tool. When test firing the rifle for the first time, if any elevation adjustments are necessary, they should be made by adjusting the front post to match the distance markings on the rear sight. This will allow the shooter to make quick and accurate range adjustments while in the field without the necessity of any additional tools. Windage adjustment is set at the factory and the SLR-105 should not need further windage adjustment.

The muzzle is finished with a right-hand, 24mm thread, which is standard for many Russian, Bulgarian and West German guns in this family of firearms. There are several flash hiders and muzzle brakes that are manufactured for this thread giving the end user several choices of accessories.

Range Performance

The SLR-105 lived up to the author’s expectations at the range. Having past range time with some of Arsenal, Inc.’s other offerings, these expectations were already elevated. The first thing the shooter will notice is the comfort of the NATO stock. Measuring at an additional 1-1/4 inches longer than the standard stock on the authors Maadi 7.62x39mm AK series rifle, the extra length was immediately recognizable. The cheek weld is a little more natural and the extra length keeps the shooter from crowding the receiver. As mentioned earlier, the trigger was extremely smooth, especially when compared to a standard, unmodified AK variant. The recoil was quite light in comparison to the 7.62x39mm cartridge, making follow-up shots a little faster. The author was able to shoot an off-hand, 19-shot, rapid-fire group at 50 yards that measured under 6 inches. A disciplined shooter with a steady rest should be able to expect excellent groups with the SLR-105 rifle.

The 5.45x39mm Cartridge

The 5.45x39mm round, designated the M74 cartridge, was developed in response to the US 5.56x45mm (.223 Rem) round. Currently, the majority of the AK style rifles are chambered in 7.62x39mm, the M43 cartridge, developed and utilized by the Soviet Union during the Second World War. The 7.62x39mm round remains the most popular and common ammunition for this family of firearms worldwide. The M74 cartridge and an entire new family of firearms started to replace the M43 system in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and started making appearances in many of the countries surrounding Soviet Union in the late 1980s. The attraction of this new round was the seemingly lighter recoil and increased accuracy. Ammunition utilized for this testing pf the SLR-105 consisted of WOLF, 60-grain, 5.45x39mm FMJ. For comparative purposes we used WOLF 122-grain, 7.62x39mm FMJ ammo in the Maadi variant. The following ammunition specifications were provided by the manufacturer and include their 62-grain .223 Remington FMJ specifications for comparison.

An All-Star Lineup

Arsenal, Inc. has a large number of firearms in their current, previous and future lineups. They have over 50 models and configurations on their website alone, all in various stages of availability. Please check with them and watch their website regularly for new additions. There are many new firearms on the horizon. SLR-105 Rifles are available exclusively through Lew Horton Distributing Company.

Arsenal, Inc
Las Vegas, Nevada
Phone: (888) 539-2220
Fax: (702) 643-2088
Website: www.arsenalinc.com

SLR-105 Rifles
Lew Horton Distributing
PO Box 5023
Westboro, MA 01581
Phone: (800) 446-7866.
Fax: 508-366-5332
Website: www.lewhorton.com

Parts and Accessories
K-Var Corporation
Phone: (702) 364-8880
Website: www.k-var.com

Ammunition
Wolf Performance Ammunition
1225 North Lance Lane
Anaheim, CA 92806
(888) 757-WOLF
Website: www.wolfammo.com

Technical Specifications
SLR-105 A1 R
Caliber: 5.45×39.5mm
Overall Length: 38.18 inches / 970mm
Barrel Length: 16.33 inches / 415mm
Barrel Twist: 1 in 7.67 inches / 1 in 195mm
Weight (No Magazine): 7.09 pounds / 3.22kg
Rate of Fire (Semiautomatic): 40 rpm (practical)
Effective Range: 546 yards / 500 meters
Maximum Effective Range: 2,187 yards / 2,000 meters
Receiver Construction: Stamped receiver
Point of Manufacture: Bulgaria
Point of Assembly: Las Vegas, USA.
MSRP $675.00

Q-Regarding the Suomi M31, I have studied the trigger mechanism, and it has a full auto, a semi auto and a safety position. Safe blocks the trigger from moving and Full Auto raises and lowers the sear as the trigger is pulled. That makes sense, but the Semi Auto sequence has me confused. In this mode, the whole sear is initially pulled down and then is released upwards. I do not see how this reengages the rear safety sear. A detailed sequence of firing description, or pictorial might be very interesting to me, and some readers unfamiliar with the working of the Suomi.

A- The Suomi submachine gun is a very reliable design, and quite desirable for collectors and shooters in the United States. John Ross was well known for shooting trap with a Swedish M37/39 and 9mm instant light tracer at Knob Creek, which showed just how controllable a submachine gun the Suomi design is.

The Suomi design utilizes an early form of disconnector in the semi auto mode, and it sounds like you are looking at a trigger pack and trying to figure out how it works – because outside of the system, it doesn’t. There are other factors that you need to see in order to make the Suomi disconnector seem sensible. A photo sequence is probably the best way to illustrate this.

Q-A long time ago, I bought a parts set from you for the Beretta M57 submachine gun. I have been waiting a long time for a write up in SAR, but can you at least give us some information on the magazine in the system? The one I got appears to have been “made up.”

A- That was a long time ago. And, yes, the magazine we had with the kits was “made up.” The Beretta Model 57 submachine gun was a cross between an M2 Carbine and a Beretta dual trigger submachine gun. While the M57 is outwardly very much like an M1 Carbine, and many people bought those kits because they collected M1 series guns and thought this to be the ultimate oddity, it is most decidedly not an M1 variant. I plan a feature on this system at some future point, but a bit of information might help. While also similar to and often mistaken for the San Cristobal carbine, the M57 is even rarer than that. We had only been able to track manufacturing of about a thousand of the M57s, and LMO obtained 135 parts sets from North Africa back in the late 1980s. Unfortunately, when they came in, the magazines that came with them were for the San Cristobal Carbine and did not go with these kits at all. Master Gunsmith Stan Andrewski made enough magazines out of M1 Carbine mags so that each kit could have a magazine, but these were obviously not original to the weapon.

The Beretta M57 submachine gun utilizes a dual column, dual presentation, straight bodied, steel magazine. Caliber is .30 Carbine. These are similar to the San Cristobal Carbine or US M1 Carbine magazines, but not interchangeable.

Q-Are there any Australian F1 submachine guns in the United States?- email

A- I would have to assume you are asking if there are any fully transferable or dealer sample F1s in the US, and would have to say that I have never seen one. I spoke with a few other long time dealers and collectors, and they had not run across one either. There are a few in the government museum collections. This odd submachine gun appears to be a cross between a Sterling and an Owen, but is in a class by itself. The top mounted magazine allows for getting close to cover when firing, and it is internally similar to the Sterling. These were all made at the Small Arms Factory in Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia, and the production started with the X3 submachine gun and continued through the Mid 1960s as the F1. These were used by the Aussie troops in Vietnam, so it is very possible that an American GI brought one home and registered it in the 1968 Amnesty. If anyone has any information on these in the US, it would be appreciated by SAR’s readers, so please send it in.

Q- A friend said he had a “Stinger” 22 and that it didn’t need registration. It was clearly a pen gun, and not one of the fold down Stinger pistols that have been legally sold as handguns. Any truth to that?

A- Hard to tell without a photo from you. I suspect you are referring to the “Clandestine Weapon, 22sht”, more commonly referred to as the “OSS Stinger”. This was designed in 1943, and only a few thousand of these single shot, non-reloadable, throw-away weapons were made. Once fired, they are not considered a firearm. If it is still loaded, it is considered an Any Other Weapon, requiring registration with NFA Branch of ATF. In other words, if it is live and it isn’t registered, it is contraband. Expended (fired), it is nothing but a curiosity. Here is a photo comparing the OSS Stinger to the MAC Stinger, which was a 1960s design that was reloadable. These MAC Stingers are all considered to be Any Other Weapons requiring registration and transfers under the National Firearms Act.

Q-I have a friend who says the Russians are using Miniguns on their helicopters, and I wonder if the US is supplying these, or are they making Miniguns in Russia now?

A- The US manufacturer is not supplying M134 Miniguns to the Russians. They have their own design and have had it for some time. It is called the YAK-B, and it is very different from the US Minigun. The YAK-B is a four barreled gun, usually in 12.7x109mm (same as the DShk38/46 ammunition) and sometimes it is offered in 7.62x54R, although I have never seen one in this caliber, anywhere. The beauty of the Russian design is that contrary to the complex receiver made for the US M134, the YAK-B is simply a length of tube that has bolt in cam paths that can be changed if worn. This greatly simplifies manufacture and rebuild, and the bolts have large, effective rollers on them. Inside the barrels is an energy storing spring, and there are blank firing cartridges that can be fired to get a stopped gun moving again. SAR is planning a feature on the YAK-B system, but here is a picture of the 12.7 YAK-B next to a 7.62x51mm M134 Minigun system, which is the US Minigun you are referring to.

Send questions to: Raffica
sareview@aol.com
Or mail to Small Arms Review Attn Raffica
631 N. Stephanie St #562
Henderson, NV 89014

I had been looking forward to this for years – fifteen years to be precise. Mike and some of his friends had been planning this for at least that long, and every time he started to get “Living History” going, another war broke out in the Balkans. They are up and running now, and SAR had the pleasure of going through the first live fire course, and we can now bring you this special report.–Dan

Miroslav “Mike” Hajducovic is a Serbian firearms enthusiast. He has lived his whole life around guns; from the military to hunting, to collecting, and being in the surplus arms business. It was part of the surplus business that gave him the opportunity to meet with like minded shooters from around the world, and for many years he has worked to bring about “Living History.” This is not just about shooting, nor is it just about firearms. The experience that Mike and his friends wanted to bring to the world was the Balkan experience – the rich tapestry of struggle for freedom that has typified this mountainous area for thousands of years. The seven countries that today make up the former Yugoslavia sit right at the crux of the collision point where the three great Western Religions meet. The grinding of these tectonic plates of human spiritual ambition has created a war zone that has existed for a thousand years. This has turned into a proving ground for weaponry, and since the advent of the firearm, most modern weapons have appeared in this arena.

The interests of the majority of SAR’s readers generally start in the late 1800s with the advent of the machine gun. The machine gun makes some of its earliest combat appearances in the Balkans: there is a photo of a Schwarzlose 07/12 water cooled machine gun on a biplane, and it is dated 1913. Remember that the Serbs were fighting major battles with the Turks in 1912 and 1913, two years before the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, the match that lit the fuse on the War to End All Wars.

The Yugoslavs in their various ethnic groups have spearheaded the manufacture of many types of firearms, and they have been the recipients of much foreign aid, as well as having the weapons of their occupier’s armies. At the end of the First Bosnian War, the Dayton Accords dictated the destruction of many of these stockpiles, but there are still inventories in the national armories and examples in museums that are worthy of scholarly study.

Serbia today is a country that is grappling with recent wars, dealing with the tragic loss of life that is part of civil war, along with the retribution of former enemies and international courts. The Living History experience stayed out of the politics of these modern conflicts, and we started our journey with a museum tour that led us through the Iron Age and onward to the great wars of modern times.

The average shooter today has no opportunity to fire live, high explosive ammunition. For the firearms enthusiast who has graduated from hand guns and long arms and moved into machine guns and cannons, there is still something missing. We may go to our shoots like Knob Creek or the new Wikieup shoot, where there are explosive reacting targets, and home loaded ammunition, but what is it really like to shoot a 57mm cannon with HE? How does it feel to touch off a LAW style rocket and watch the full HEDP strike on the target? You may buy an Oerlikon, but finding TP ammo is virtually impossible, let alone shooting it like it was intended to be shot – drums full of HE Tracer going downrange in a blizzard of laser red lines and explosions at the end.

This is the real “hook” for Living History. It is not just in learning about the Balkans or simply looking at firearms. It is the ability to go to the range, receive instruction from people who deal with these weapons on a daily basis, gain a better understanding of how they work, and to shoot them as it was intended with brand new manufacture, live HE rounds. There are places around the world where you can go and shoot LAW rockets, throw hand grenades, and fire machine guns, and do so for relatively inexpensive amounts of money. Living History will cost you more than these other places. The reason is that all of the ammunition over 14.5mm is brand new, factory certified HE, made at Sloboda in Cacak, which is one of the best HE manufacturing facilities in the world. This is not surplus ammo, and it costs more to use on the range at Living History. It is a testament to the forethought that Mike and his crew put into this, that they will not risk using unsafe, old HE ammunition. One of our hosts at the range was Milovan Lukovic “Lukish”, the Quality Manager of the Sloboda Company, and he was there to assure that the ammunition was perfect. (I have been in places where I was offered to shoot LAW M72 HE rockets, that were Vietnam era US manufactured, and there is no way I am touching one of those off from my shoulder. I agree fully with the Living History philosophy that the HE and fuzes should all be brand new and factory certified for their classes).

The class itself is a week long experience. Once you contract to go, you are expected to get yourself to Belgrade because the attendees usually have their own methods of using Frequent Flyer programs or discounts to fly to Europe, and the logistics are much simpler if you simply show up in Belgrade for the class and they take it from there. You fly into Belgrade on Saturday afternoon, and stay at the Intercontinental Hotel at your own expense. The class started on Sunday morning with a private tour of the museum at the Fortress of Kalemegdan. The displays at the museum are just the tip of the iceberg of the 250,000 artifacts housed in the Belgrade collections. By early afternoon, the attendees have been briefed on the history of Yugoslavia, and seen some very interesting displays including machine guns that we in the West are almost unable to identify. We then boarded a small, modern twenty seat bus and headed south to Cacak (Chachak). This was a long ride, down roads that were curvy and very scenic.

By Sunday evening, we were at the Hotel Omorika in the Mount Tara region, about fifty kilometers off of the Bosnian border. This was wild country, with a reputation for some of the best whitewater rafting in the world. Hotel Omorika is a testament to the height of Tito’s regime, a luxury hotel in the wilderness, made for the military to use. Today it is in need of some renovation, but it is spectacular nonetheless. Future classes will not be staying at this hotel because it was about two hours from the shooting range and it made for days so long that it was hard to enjoy the amenities of the hotel and Mount Tara region.

Each day focused on different types of weapons. The first day we spent in the classroom, getting a history lesson and technical data on most of the small arms we were to be working with, including the Mausers, SKSs, M53, and the PKM. Mike gave this class, taking the place of noted firearms author Branko Bogdanovic, whose mother had taken ill the night before. Mike has a deep love for both firearms and the history of Serbia, and it came through in his classroom presentation. Because this was a day of some jet-lag for participants, it was sort of low speed. There was a wonderful pig roast out on the mountainside, and by the end of the day, we were all well versed in the Yugoslav small arms production history as well as the basic variants of the weapons.

The first day on the range is the day that the range instructors get to analyze their students, to see who is safe, who needs more attention, who can work alone. It is also the day that the students get to learn about the range and the instructors. The first day was a culture shock for all involved, to say the least. The Serbian personnel were unfamiliar with the US style of going to a shoot where we pile brass on the ground, and are somewhat ambivalent about the targets. We like things that move when we hit them when firing machine guns, things that blow up. We like reactive targets. The range personnel had thought we would be “printing paper” with handguns up through submachine guns, and what they got instead was America, Knob Creek style. By mid day, everyone had adjusted, and we had magazine loading systems going so that we could keep the guns running, and the big hit of the day had to be the Skorpion VZ61 machine pistol. No one could get enough trigger time on that to be fully satisfied, although we heated the Skorpion pretty thoroughly.

By the third day, we were working well with the staff, and they had anticipated our shooting needs. It was their first class, after all, and they weren’t sure what our focus would be like. Our focus was shooting. We fired all manner of Mauser and SKS rifles, MP40 and Yugo M56 machine guns, then up to the AK variants. At the end of each day, Mike brought out some type of explosive to give us a taste of what would be coming later in the week. One day it was the M80 LAW style shoulder fired rocket, which is the Yugoslav version of the RPG18, another it was blank firing HE rifle grenades out into the target area. This really whetted the appetite.

We fired the MG42 variant called the M53, as well as the modern PKM. We had a PACT timer with us and clocked the M53 at 953 rpm, and the PKM (M84) at 797rpm. When it came time for the larger machine guns, we fired the M2HB fifty caliber Browning machine gun, and the DShK 38/46 in the same period. This was good, and gave us the opportunity to compare the fifties – ours and what was called a “Fifty one” by US troops in Vietnam. The Dashika has taken on a new life in the news again; it is prevalent in Afghanistan and Iraq. Having factory certifications available for those of us who work in contracting was an added plus. The KPV-T 14.5mm machine gun was also fired this day, and the roar of the 14.5mm rounds going off quickly overshadowed the fifty cals.

The last two days of Living History, we graduated into the larger calibers, and the High Explosives. Shooting the Oerlikon and three barreled Hispano were fantastic, but the 37mm Russian and 40mm Bofors guns were awe inspiring. We had five rounds each for these two larger guns, and it was truly satisfying to touch them off. In the US, we have static displays of these guns, but almost never are any fired, and certainly not with HE rounds. The BGA-30 30mm grenade launcher, covered in depth in the last issue of SAR, was intriguing as well.

Firing the 57mm US cannon with HE was very special to a number of us as well. We have fired our own cannons with turned projectiles, downloaded ammunition, but never with HE ammo. It was truly satisfying to feel the thump in the belly on touching it off, and then on the impact as well.

All of the larger guns we fired are very visual things. When you get to larger cannons, say 105mm or 155mm, the round is so far away when it goes off that you can barely know you hit. With the 57mm, it was a tremendous “thump”, and then a second later the target area was lit up with another explosion.

Each day, the Living History staff would arrange for us to have a good breakfast, and lunch on the range was frequently made on a Serbian military field kitchen. The soldier beans were just plain good chow, and when they roasted a pig on the ground, using a battery and a car windshield washer motor to turn the spit, it was pure hog heaven. Not much more that you can ask for – days of firing exotic weapons, blowing things up, and eating roasted pig with good company. Mike’s daughters Jasna and Jelena were there to make sure that all of the arrangements worked right, and they are the organizers of the coming Living History classes. Both girls speak fluent English and Serbian, as well as a smattering of other languages, and their presence helped a lot.

Finally, we got to something that is really “out there” for Americans. We got to shoot LAW type rockets with full HEDP warheads. These were the Yugoslav Model M80, which is essentially the Russian RPG-18. We got to fire a number of the very intriguing training rounds first, until they were sure we were safe with the system, and then we got to fire two rockets each. These were brand new Sloboda manufacture, certified from the military line. I had no hesitation in firing these off, and neither did anyone else. It was quite impressive to hit the six inch steel targets with a rocket and see the shaped charge jet hole it cut, or to shoot at the small Yugoslav car that had been made into a target. The car belonged to one of the range staff, and he seemed to take great joy in us hammering it with cannons, machine guns, and rockets. I have had cars I felt that way about, too.

The only way to top that was firing real, High Explosive, rifle grenades or the 40mm HE rounds for the underbarrel Russian style launcher. None of us had ever fired any barrel launched before, with the exception of the blank launched practice rounds that show up at gun shows. The first type we fired were blank launched HE rounds, but the real show was combat use fragmentation grenades that were bullet trap type. That means you use the same round you use in combat, and the projectile is trapped in the disk in the grenade, driving it forward off the barrel extension, and arming it as it leaves your vicinity. It was clear from the explosions that these were much more powerful than the M203 round, and it became apparent that there was a lot of validity for the spec ops forces who want to gear up with these instead of an underbarrel 40mm. These were very accurate, and very powerful. It was a rush for all of us to fire these and the Russian GP underbarrel grenades. Yes, I am talking some adrenaline here. You can’t do this at a range in the US, and most ranges in the world are working with decades old surplus. That might be fine for 8mm Mauser ammo, but not for HE rounds or fuzes.

Every day and every night, Mike, Jasna, Jelena and the crew treated us to special regional dinners. We got to try all kinds of Balkan foods and Serbian specialties, and it was all interspersed with stories of the military history and the people of Serbia. For something called “Living History”, I would have to say their mission was accomplished. They told me that they can make special tours available to include wine tasting or gourmet meal trips, or just historical trips in the area. It might be worth piggybacking a few days on the end of your trip to Living History if you wish to do this. They can also set up private shoots for groups of six or more.

The cost of the Living History class was $9,950 per person, and it included all hotels from Sunday night to Friday night, as well as all domestic transportation, meals, and ammunition. It was possible to buy more ammunition as well. At $500 a pop for extra M80 LAW style rockets, it is worth planning ahead, and a schedule of prices is available from Living History.

The only negatives to the class were basically related to it being the first one they had. The travel between the hotel and the range took too much time, and they have found a much closer hotel. There weren’t enough magazines for each gun, and probably they should have some more of each model gun there in case there is down time on a gun – we like to keep shooting. Both of those problems have been dealt with. Jelena tells me that they have piled up the magazines and extra guns for the next class in late September.

What did I think? It’s hard to give a technical evaluation of an event that is more of a shooting holiday than a tech class. I had a great time, and will be going back with a group of friends to do it again. Serbia is a very safe country to travel in, but it is a good place to have a guide, and Living History is pretty much 24/7 supervised. I rediscovered my interest in shooting Mausers, SKSs, and of all things, the Tokarev in the right cartridge: 7.62 TT. I now have to go find different guns with the Kingdom Crest on it, just to collect. But I have very, very fond memories of the guns I haven’t been able to shoot in the US, as well as a new understanding of the HE rounds and their capabilities. I finally got to shoot an Oerlikon in HE, and the RPG18 as well, as I had never had a chance to shoot one before. A Bofors? Try and shoot that in the US. It was great. At the end I was exhausted, well fed, educated on this interesting part of the world and its military history, spent time with some good friends, made some new ones, and generally had a blast. Mission accomplished. I highly recommend this.

For information on Living History:

Email: hayduk1@eunet.yu
Website: http://www.livinghistoryserbia.com/
Living History
Heroja Milana Tepica 16
11040 Belgrade
Serbia and Montenegro

Tel: +381-11-306-7099 (From the US, dial 011-381-306-7099

Firearms at Living History:

I. Pistols
1. Serbian pistols cal. 7.62 x 25mm and 9mm.
2. Scorpion machine pistol cal. 32 ACP

II. Rifles
3. Rifle M-24/47 cal. 7.9mm
4. Rifle M-48 cal. 7.9mm
5. Rifle SKS M-59 cal. 7.62 x 39mm
6. Rifle SKS M-59/66 cal. 7.62 x 39mm

III. Sub Machine Guns
7. M-56 cal. 7,62 x 25mm
8. M-41 Shpagin cal. 7.62 x 25mm
9. MP-40 cal. 9mm
10. AK 47 ( Yugoslavian made) cal. 7.62 x 39mm
11. Thompson cal. 45 ACP
12. Sten cal. 9mm

IV. Machineguns
13. M-53 cal. 7,9mm with and without tripod
14. M-84 (PKM) cal. 7.62 x 54R
15. Browning M2HB cal. 50
16. DSHK Russian cal. 12.7 x 108mm
17. KPVT Russian cal. 14.5mm

V. AA Cannons
18. M-55 three barreled canon cal. 20mm Hispano
19. Oerlikon single canon cal. 20mm
20. M-39 cal. 37mm Russian
21. Bofors L/70 cal. 40mm
22. 57mm US cannon

VI. Rockets M-80 cal. 64mm RPG18 (Yugoslavian Bazooka)
VII. Automatic Grenade Launcher BGA-30mm
VIII. Rifle Grenades with Bullet Trap
IX. Under Barrel Grenade Launcher 40mm Russian (Kastyor)

List of Ammunition for each attendee:

TYPE
QUANTITY per guest

1 7.62 x 25mm 1000 pcs
2 7.62 x 39mm 1500 pcs
3 7.62 x 54R 1000 pcs
4 9mm 500 pcs
5 7.9 x 57mm 1000 pcs
6 .50 Browning 100 pcs
7 12.7 x 108mm Russian 50 pcs
8 14.5mm Russian 50 pcs
9 20mm Hispano 90 pcs
10 20mm Oerlikon 20 pcs
11 37mm Russian 5 pcs
12 40mm Bofors 5 pcs
13 Automatic Grenade Launcher 30mm 20 pcs
14 Hand Launcher Rocket 64mm 2 pcs
15 Under Barrel Launcher 40mm Russ 5 pcs
16 Rifle Grenades 5 pcs
17 57mm canon 2 pcs

AK47s

Russian KPV-T

Rifle Grenades

Under barreled 40mm Grenades

57mm cannon

BGA30 automatic grenade launcher

20mm M55A3B1 three barreled Hispano

20mm Oerlikon

This issue of SAR is very special to me, personally. I am a US Army veteran, and after years of running our “Cookies from Home for Shooters” program, where we send some copies of SAR to deployed US service members at no charge, we have finally found a way to send several thousand to be handed out in Iraq. I know that we always wanted hunting, fishing, car, etc magazines to read. I also know that the troops today generally don’t have to queue up by a single phone today in the hopes of calling home. There are Internet connections available and things are more instantaneous. That doesn’t mean some good reading material won’t be appreciated, I am sure. This issue is now being read by our troops. We at SAR want you to know that we support you, support what you are doing, you are in our prayers every day, and we want you to do the job and come home safe. In the meantime, you have our thanks, and we remember what it is like to be far from home and be somewhat isolated in a strange and dangerous environment. We hope that this copy of the magazine you are reading gives you some enjoyment, some good information, and lets you know that there are a lot of parents, friends, and brothers and sisters back home who enjoy military firearms, the technology, and history, and we are supportive of your service. You can send us pictures of unusual firearms or weapons that you find. If you want us to print them, don’t forget to put in what it is, where it is, and who is in the picture, unit, etc. We don’t mind a “Hi Mom!” pic or two, as long as it has some interesting weapons in it for the readers to view. Send to my attention at sareview@aol.com for review.

This issue is also being handed out at the Modern Day Marine Show at Quantico, the Association of the United States Army Show in DC, the National Guard Show in Honolulu, and the Gun Rights Policy Conference. If you are reading this from one of these shows, please let us know what you like about us, and what you might like to see in future issues. Don’t forget, if you have unusual stories about military firearms, or pictures of rare guns or events, we would like to bring them to the readers.

On the home front, I just heard the news that the NRA convention in 2007 has been moved out of Columbus, Ohio due to the new anti-Second Amendment law that was locally passed. Columbus has decided that a hodge-podge of so called “assault rifles” are no longer legal in their city despite the fact that there is absolutely no correlation between law abiding citizens owning these weapons and any threat to society. Years ago, when the NRA Convention was held in Philadelphia, we were all appalled that the leadership didn’t shift gears and move somewhere else while the elected officials of that city attacked firearms ownership by trying to destroy the manufacturers of firearms. Now, it seems, the NRA leadership has had enough, and they simply pulled the plug on putting any money into the local economy of Columbus. Bravo on that! We at SAR applaud that decision, and suggest they look for someplace that is much friendlier to firearms ownership than most US cities that have elected officials with political axes to grind. I have to wonder if they moved the 2007 NRA convention just a little south of the Ohio border- perhaps to Bullitt County, Kentucky, where the Knob Creek Range is located, if they wouldn’t have a better reception. While it might not be entirely practical, it’s worth a thought. It’s always better to go where you are appreciated and spend your money.

-Dan

Colt Defense Plans Public Stock Offering

Colt Defense Inc., the heretofore private, closely-held defense contractor, plans to go public.

On June 3rd, the gunmaker filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission related to a proposed initial public offering of its common stock. The shares are being offered by Colt Defense Inc.

Banc of America Securities LLC is acting as the sole book-running manager, SG Cowen & Co., LLC is acting as the joint lead manager for the offering and Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co., Inc. is acting as the senior co-manager.

Colt Defense Inc. is a leading designer, developer and manufacturer of small arms and weapons systems for the U.S. military, its allies and federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Its products include military rifles, such as the M4 carbine/rifle and its predecessor, the M16 rifle, auxiliary weapon systems and rifles for law enforcement agencies around the world. Colt’s Manufacturing, a separate entity, manufactures commercial products for the consumer firearms enthusiast market.

While Colt has kept a somewhat low profile in the industry during the last several years, it has become quite active with several recent announcements of note.

On May 20th, the company announced the completion of its acquisition of the Logistics & Defense Division, Diemaco, from Heroux-Devtek, Inc. The Diemaco business will now be operated as Colt Canada Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Colt.

Colt Canada is that country’s sole contractor for the manufacture of C7 and C8 rifles and carbines under license from Colt. These arms are versions of M16 and M4 arms that use technical data owned by Colt. Weapons manufactured by Colt Canada supply military troops of NATO countries, as well as Canadian forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Heroux-Devtek, Inc., a Canadian company, specializes in the design, development, manufacture and repair of aerospace and industrial products. The company’s head office is in Longueuil, Quebec. Heroux-Devtek operates eight business units grouped under three divisions: the Landing Gear; Aerostructure; Gas Turbine Components; and, the Logistics and Defense divisions. Some 75% of sales are made outside Canada, mainly in the U.S. Heroux-Devtek’s shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol: HRX.

The “Greaseless Gun”

Colt Defense has also formed an alliance with UCT Coatings, Inc. of Stuart, Florida, resulting in the introduction of a revolutionary coating allowing small arms to operate lubrication-free. UCT’s patented nickel boron coatings have potential to change the way firearms are built and maintained. As part of this alliance, UCT has granted Colt a long-term, exclusive use license.

“UCT’s innovative thinking and applied technology will allow us to introduce a new generation of easily maintained weapons for all elements of the small arms market while reducing the maintenance required on existing arms as they are upgraded,” said Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William M. Keys, Colt’s president and CEO.

UCT Coatings, Inc. has developed and patented a family of performance coatings under the trade name of UltraChem that can be applied to most metal surfaces including lighter weight metals like aluminum and titanium. The technology is applicable to defense, aerospace, automotive, oil, gas and other industrial markets. UCT has received a patent for the use of modular nickel boron coatings as a permanent lubricant on firearms and has trademarked the term “Greaseless Gun.”

Though there has been a great deal of activity on the defense side, Colt’s commercial end of the business has not seen much new activity. Production of the Single Action Army revolver continues as well as a variety of 1911-style pistols, including a replica of the World War One U.S. service pistol.

Taser Gets Four Orders Worth $1 Million

Taser International Inc., the world’s largest maker of electric stun guns, has received four orders for the weapons valued at a total of about $1 million and said revenue this quarter will exceed the preceding period.

Orders for the company’s X26 models were placed by the police departments of Calgary, Honolulu and Houston as well as an unnamed law-enforcement agency, Taser said. These latest orders come on the heels of a $1.4 million order placed by the U.S. General Services Administration.

Taser’s first-quarter sales fell 22 percent to $10.2 million after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said in January it was conducting an informal inquiry into claims on Taser units’ safety, and the timing of an order from wholesaler Davidson’s, Inc. at the end of last year. Taser is seeing a “stabilization in revenue” and second-quarter sales will be “slightly higher” than the first quarter, the firm believes.

Bill Would Clarify ATF’s MG Determinations

Of interest to those firms importing/selling machine gun parts kits or those involved in the process of destroying machine guns for their parts, a bill was recently introduced in the U.S. Congress that would clarify the process by which ATF determines whether a deactivated arm is readily restorable into a machine gun.

The legislation, H.R. 1603 introduced by Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA), would require ATF’s Firearms Technology Branch to videotape all testing of firearms it conducts when making a determination of whether or not the firearm in question falls under the purview of the National Firearms Act.

In addition, the proposed legislation would prohibit ATF from entering into evidence (at a criminal trial) any item that has been determined to be a firearm (meaning one controlled by the NFA i.e. a machine gun) unless the documentary evidence of the determination (the videotape) is provided at trial as well.

Gingrey’s bill was introduced in response to complaints that ATF’s determinations in this area in the past have been arbitrary or unverifiable when attempts were made to reenact ATF’s method of testing.

The legislation seems to stand a better than average chance for passage due to the unique way it has been presented.

Taking a cue from other bills seeking a variety of objectives, under the guise of “homeland security,” Gingrey’s legislation has been cloaked as a tool for the U.S. government to use in securing convictions against terrorists by supposedly strengthening the prosecution’s case with verifiable evidence. While it is true that the bill, if signed into law, would work favorably for government in the prosecution of such cases, it would also bring a measure of relief to those firearms firms dealing in the part kits arena, as it would force ATF to prove something is really what it says it is.

House Rejects .50 Cal. Export Ban

The U.S. House of Representatives, in mid-June, overwhelmingly rejected an amendment to a spending bill that would have banned the export of .50-caliber rifles.

The amendment, by Rep. James Moran (D-VA), would have blocked export of the rifles to “non-governmental entities” (meaning consumers). The vote was 278-149.

New Marketing Consortium Formed

A group of marketing professionals have formed a unique product marketing consortium to oversee product launches and the revamp of existing campaigns for outdoor firms both in the American and European markets.

The persons involved are said to have proven track records in the industry and are able to assist not only American firms desiring to take advantage of the present currency exchange rates in exporting to Europe, but can help European companies in establishing a presence and increasing market share in the U.S. The new consortium has retained a roster of outside consultants with expertise in specific areas that can be accessed. More information is available by calling: (802) 249-3880.

FNH Stocking Dealer Program

FNH USA’s “Stock 6 FN Firearms, Get the 7th FREE” (being the FN Five-Seven USG) offer, launched at the 2005 SHOT Show ran until August 31st and received a very good response, according to the company.

“In 2005, we are witnessing a tremendous increase in dealer response through our distributors,” says Rick DeMilt, director of sales and marketing. “With the strength of the FN brand in military, law enforcement and commercial markets, a unique and diverse product offering and an aggressive stocking program, dealers are responding to the best kept secret in the firearms business,” DeMilt added.

Retailers qualified for the program by purchasing one FN SPR (Special Police Rifle), one FN PBR (Patrol Bolt Rifle), one FN Tactical Police Shotgun, plus any other three FN firearms between January 1, 2005 and Aug. 31, 2005. All dealer purchases must have been made through an authorized FNH USA distributor. Qualifying dealers then took advantage of the promotional gun by forwarding copies of their distributor invoices and an FFL to the FNH USA sales office in McLean, Virginia. Once received, an FN Five-Seven USG model was shipped from FNH USA, Inc. inventory to the dealer.

FNH USA, Inc. of McLean, Virginia, is a sales and marketing arm of FN Herstal, S.A., Belgium whose corporate mission is to become a global leader in the areas of defense, law enforcement and associated commercial markets.

Bushmaster Summer Dealer Promotion Successful

Brought back by popular demand, Bushmaster’s Dealer Appreciation promotion once again this past summer offered a fresh, two-pound Maine lobster for every Bushmaster rifle sold by FFL dealers between July 18th and August 15, 2005.

To qualify, the FFL dealer must have sold a Bushmaster rifle, including the .308 rifles and carbines and the Carbon 15 rifles and pistols, to a retail customer from July 18 to Aug. 15. Bushmaster must have received the warranty card for that product by September 12, 2005.

Designed as a “taste of Maine” (the location of Bushmaster’s headquarters) pull-through program to support both dealers and distributors, this promotion has proved so popular in past years that Bushmaster repeated it once again. The program is Bushmaster’s way of showing appreciation directly to all the dealers who support and promote Bushmaster’s products. In 2004, the gunmaker shipped almost 1,000 lobsters to dealers across the country who participated in the promotion.

Smith & Wesson Opens Company Museum

Smith & Wesson opened a company history museum at its Springfield, MA, headquarters in mid-June. The museum houses a variety of artifacts and photographs gathered from collections owned by the company and on loan from the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum, a unit of the Springfield Museums; Cinema Weaponry; private collectors; and former and current employees. Several items belong to the Smith & Wesson Historic Preservation Charitable Trust, which was created by S&W to insure the preservation of its collection.

“The creation of the Trust and the establishment of the museum will preserve our heritage for our employees, our Club 1852 members and the public,” said S&W president and CEO, Michael Golden. “It will also serve as an important account of the company’s history and its contributions to our community and our country.” Highlights from the museum collection include:

• Rifles manufactured by D.B. Wesson prior to the company’s creation.
• A collection of Smith & Wesson’s first firearms.
• Several historic, prototype firearms, designed in the mid-to-late 1800’s.
• Revolvers engraved by Tiffany & Co. for global exhibitions circa 1893-1900.
• A series of “top-break” firearms developed prior to the Civil War.
• A variety of S&W revolvers from World Wars I and II.
• The .44 Magnum used by actor Clint Eastwood in the famed “Dirty Harry” films.
• A step-by-step model showing construction of the company’s new Model 500 Magnum revolver.

The museum is available for group tours scheduled in advance, by appointment only. For more information, call: (800) 331-0852, Ext. 259

S&W Long Guns Planned

Smith & Wesson recently hired a long gun product manager, indicating the company intends to offer a long gun product line in the near future. Some years ago, the company had offered a shotgun line which has since been discontinued. No information was available at press-time regarding what type of long guns will be offered in the future.

SHOT Show Trademark Action Settled

The National Shooting Sports Foundation and Canadian exhibition organizer Mountain Expo have reached a settlement agreement regarding unauthorized use of NSSF’s “SHOT Show” name and trademark.

On May 11, NSSF filed a trademark infringement complaint in Canadian Federal Court to halt Mountain Expo’s unauthorized use of the SHOT Show name and trademark in promoting its own “Shot Show Canada” exhibition and other international fairs.

“Mountain Expo’s use of the well-known name and mark creates significant confusion among the public – particularly our exhibitors and attendees who have been solicited by Mountain Expo,” said Doug Painter, NSSF president. “During the past 25-plus years, the SHOT Show has grown to become the world’s premier shooting, hunting and outdoor tradeshow. To protect the show’s image and reputation, NSSF will aggressively pursue anyone who infringes upon the SHOT Show’s good name. NSSF’s trademarks are valuable assets that will be protected vigorously.”

Ammo Load, Inc. Under New Ownership

Ammo Load, Inc., a pistol reloading machine producing company has been purchased by Howell Machine, Inc. The new company, now known as Ammo Load Worldwide, Inc., moved the assets from Santa Ana, California to Lewiston, Idaho. Parts and accessories to the ammo load equipment were being manufactured in Lewiston by Howell Machine.

The author publishes two of the small arms industry’s most widely read trade newsletters, The International Firearms Trade which covers the world firearms scene, and The New Firearms Business which covers the domestic market. He also offers FFL-mailing lists to firms interested in direct marketing efforts to the industry. He may be reached at: FirearmsB@aol.com.

FOBUS USA INTRODUCES NEW LINE OF HOLSTERS

Fobus USA, a division of First Samco, has just released the first in a series of a new generation of holsters. The New Fobus Inside the Waistband (IWB) holster fits the Glock 9mm, .40 and .357 models. It is the first IWB designed by Fobus and is contoured to allow a full range of motion while in use. This unique holster makes the handgun appear almost invisible inside your waistband. The holster is lightweight for all day concealed carry and allows single handed reholstering. The handgun is retained using a passive retention system similar to that on other Fobus holsters. An upper and lower retaining hook is designed to maintain attachment of your holster to your belt, with the upper hook being the only part of the holster that is visible outside your belt. This first new model is designated as the Model GLC. For more information on this as well as an extensive line of other firearm accessories, please contact Fobus USA, a Division of First Samco, Dept. SAR, 1300 B-3 Industrial Highway, Southampton, PA 18966-4029. Phone: (215) 355-2621. Fax: (215) 322-9223. Their website is www.fobusholster.com.

D&L SPORTS INTRODUCES NEW EXTREME DUTY AR-15 MAGAZINES

D&L Sports have now introduced their new Extreme Duty magazines for the AR-15/ M16 series of rifles. The new magazines feature a precision follower made from stainless steel to resist corrosion and impregnation by grit. No more cracked plastic followers. The new follower features concave tracks and legs which align with the inner dimensions of the magazine body and assure smooth, consistent operation and proper delivery of cartridges into the feeding position every time. Filter tracks have been integrated into the followers which filter contaminants past the follower and minimize operational drag. The stainless steel floorplate is another patented design. It eliminates the fragile 90 degree tabs common on the bottom of AR magazines. The new D&L floorplate is over 1/2 inch thick and is held in place via 5 machine screws. The screws are dual slotted to allow easy field maintenance with either a phillips or flat screwdriver. The screws are also domed to assure no sharp edges. A finger ring is integrated into the stainless steel floor plate. This allows easy extraction of magazines from a pouch and easy magazine retention during reloads. The magazine bodies of the new magazines are heat treated aluminum held to excellent reliability tolerances curing excess weight and corrosion problems. They come in both 20-round and 30-round sizes. The 20-round magazines are just the thing for bipod use. The magazines carry an extreme duty warranty and money back if you are not completely satisfied. For more information, please contact, D&L Sports, Inc., Dave Lauck, Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 651, 800 South Overdale, Gillette, WY 82718. Phone: (307) 686-4008. Fax: (307) 686-5093. They can be found on the web at www.dlsports.com.

NEW AR-15 A-1 BARRELS FROM J&T DISTRIBUTING

Fads may come and go but when you have a high-quality product with consistent performance, it’s timeless. That’s what J&T Distributing has found with its signature AR-15 barrels and the lesser-used, but still important A-1 barrel. The company has found that the A-1 barrels are making a comeback as the A-1 barrels are preferred by law enforcement officers because of its lighter weight. Another attraction of the A-1 barrels is that they are manufactured using the proper diameter sight base of .625, which more resembles the Vietnam issue model. Like all J&T barrels, the A-1 is Mil-Spec parkerized, giving it a non-reflective, non-glare and weather-proof finish. J&T uses Shaw or Wilson match grade barrel blanks, drills the gas hole and properly fixtures the forged front sight housing. The housing is drilled, reamed and pinned in place before the barrel is parkerized. Stainless steel bull barrels can also be fitted with gas blocks. Additionally, J&T can supply barrels from 10-1/4 to 24 inches in 5.56, 9mm, 7.62 X 39, 300 Whisper and 6.8 SPC in various twist rates. Chrome lining is also available in any configuration. They can even engrave your name on the barrels in 25 unit lots. For more information, please contact Jack Starnes at J&T Distributing, Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 430, Winchester, KY 40391. Phone: (888) 736-7725. Their website is www.jtdistributing.com.

BLUE WONDER INTRODUCES GUN BLACK AND GUN CARE KIT

Blue Wonder has introduced two new products that provide customers not only specialized care for their black guns, but also a routine maintenance all-in-one kit for all firearms. Blue Wonder Gun Black is now available in one-ounce Touch-up kits and two-ounce Refinishing kits that provide the same technology as the award winning Blue Wonder Gun Blue, enabling customers to touch up or refinish guns to a high-gloss or matte black finish. The new Blue Wonder Gun Care Kit provides everything required for effective cleaning, lubricating and protecting of all firearms. The kit contains a four-ounce tube of Blue Wonder Gun Cleaner for cleaning the bore after shooting, a one-ounce jar of Blue Wonder Armadillo for use as a dry lubricant and rust inhibitor, a new one-ounce spray bottle of Blue Wonder Disotec XFR premium lubricant for triggers, actions, springs and other parts requiring lubrication. It also includes a four-ounce bottle of Blue Wonder Fast Blast spray cleaner. For more information on these and other premium gun care and cleaning products, please contact Blue Wonder Gun Care Products, A division of the Armor Holdings Group, Dept. SAR, 1585 W. Sam Houston Parkway North, Suite 200, Houston, TX 77043. Phone: (866) 486-2583. Fax: (713) 464-6319. They can be found on the web at www.bluewonder.us.

SCHMIDT & BENDER OFFERS NEW CQB TACTICAL SCOPE

Schmidt & Bender of Germany has introduced the newest in its Police/Marksman II line of riflescopes, the 1.1-4 x 20 CQB Short Dot, built on a 30mm tube. Designed exclusively for use by military and law enforcement agencies, its sophisticated new illuminated reticle configuration provides maximum control over any conceivable lighting situation the shooter will encounter, resulting in one of the most flexible, practical rifle scopes ever produced. A separate turret with 11 click-stops controls the illumination function of a precise red dot at the center of the reticle. Stops 1 to 3 provide varying illumination intensities at very low levels, designed for use with night vision goggles. Stops 4 to 6 provide slightly higher levels of intensity to be used by the naked eye in low light conditions, allowing the shooter to determine the precise aim point against a dark target that would obscure non-illuminated reticles. Stops 7 through 11 illuminate the center dot to very high intensities. Borrowed from Schmidt & Bender’s hunting scopes, this FlashDot technology is intended for use in very bright daylight, against snow, sand, and other harsh lighting conditions. Functioning much like the front bead on a shotgun, this allows quick, accurate shots at a moving target. With illumination switched off, the 1.1-4 x 20 CQB Short Dot functions as a standard scope with non-illuminated crosshairs. This is the first time that all possible applications of different illuminated reticle technologies have been combined into one rifle scope. Four bullet drop compensators are supplied for 5.56 mm cartridges, including the Green Tip, 75-grain Hornady, Lake City 16 and Lake City 20. Both locking and non-locking turrets are available, with the locking model calibrated for the M855 and M118LR. Both windage and elevation adjustments are made in a counterclockwise direction. Two reticles are offered; the CQB, developed specifically for the 1.1-4 x 20, and offering sophisticated rangefinding capabilities; and the No. 7. The 1.1-4 x 20 CQB Short Dot is powered by a single three-volt lithium 2032 battery, providing up to 100 hours of continuous use. The scope will turn itself off after six hours. The illuminated red dot cannot be seen from the front of the scope. At lower magnification levels, the 1.1-4 x 20 CQB Short Dot can be sighted with both eyes open, making it ideal for close-in situations requiring quick, accurate shots. The full magnification range can be covered in a single 180 degree turn of the adjustment ring. The 1.1-4 x 20 CQB Short Dot has been tested and approved by the U.S. military, which designed and suggested several features found on the scope. For more information, please contact Schmidt & Bender Inc., Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 134, 438 Willow Brook Road, Meriden, NH 03770. Phone: (800) 468-3450. Fax: (603) 469-3471. Their website is www.schmidtbender.com.

An Illustrated Guide To The ’03 Springfield Service Rifle
by Bruce N. Canfield
Andrew Mobray Inc.
Publishers 2004
249 pages
ISBN: 1-931464-15-4
Library of Congress
Catalog Card No: 200411992
$49.95 plus $4.50 p&h

I’ve never owned a 1903 Springfield, although I’ve come close. I own the two bolt action U.S. rifles that bracket the 1903, the Krag, and the 1917 Enfield. Reading Bruce Canfield’s book, An Illustrated Guide to the ’03 Springfield Service Rifle, made me wish, again, that I’d acquired a 1903.

In the book’s preface Canfield says, “This book is intended to be an intermediate collector’s guide for anyone interested in M1903 Springfield rifles.” He goes on to say that with books like this the author has to strike a balance between offering too little information for some people and too much for others. I think Canfield walked that tightrope very well.

The book is divided into six main sections beginning with Historical Background and Prototypes. Other sections are First World War: 1917-1918, Post-WWI, World War II, Accessories, Accouterments and Appendages and Tables. A bibliography and index follow the main sections.

In reading An Illustrated Guide to the ’03 Springfield Service Rifle, one learns quite a bit about the rare 1903 “rod bayonet.” The production of the rifle began in November 1903 at Springfield Armory. The rod bayonet was supposed to reduce weight, cut down on noise from scabbarded bayonets, and the loss of bayonets. The new bayonet wasn’t without detractors. One prominent opponent was President Theodore Roosevelt who: “…succeeded in snapping a rod bayonet in two with a single well-placed blow from a Krag rifle, with attached knife bayonet.” Roosevelt’s disdain for the rod bayonet resulted in the development of a 16-inch long knife bayonet (M1905) for the 1903.

The conversion of rod bayonet rifles to take the M1905 bayonet is covered, along with the 1903 rifles that came after it. The book includes many photos of 1903s in use in World War I and in training camps from that era.

I thought that except for the Marines in the Pacific using the ’03 for sniping, and grenade launching, the 1903 and 1903A3 were rarely used in combat in World War II. An Illustrated Guide to the ’03 Springfield Service Rifle proves I was incorrect. Photos show U.S. combat troops with a 1903A3 and a 1903A4 firing from a hill top in Burma in 1945 with a Browning 1919 firing beside them. Another photo taken in Italy in 1944 shows the ’03 in use and other photos taken even later in Europe show many soldiers armed with the 1903s. The ’03 was also often used in training in World War II.

Canfield’s book also provides information on variations and modifications on the 1903. The most common of these is the 1903A3 – reworked to make production easier and less time consuming. The changes included stamped parts and new front and rear sights. The next most common version is the 1903A4, the U.S. sniper rifle for World War II. It was also used in Korea, and to some degree in Vietnam. Less common variants include a lightened 1903 with a 25-round magazine intended for use by pilots in World War I, and a 1903 with a shortened stock and barrel sometimes called The Bushmaster Carbine. It was used by troops stationed in Panama.

In Accessories, Accouterments and Appendages, Canfield discusses slings, bayonets, scabbards, cartridge belts, rifle grenades and launchers, sights, and other accessories.

I didn’t read the tables as closely as I could have, but did see that famous shooter and gun writer Elmer Keith’s acceptance stamp from Ogden Arsenal was listed.

In the foreword, Mark A. Keefe, IV, Editor In Chief of American Rifleman wrote: “He (Canfield) does an impressive job of weaving readable narrative together with original documents and reports…” I second that.

A new modified Vickers lock is now available that addresses the two weakest breakage-prone lock parts and ensures reliable operation regardless of ammunition used.

Four friends and avid full-auto devotees from Nevada got together and created a company called SOG-LLC, Inc. Billy Conn, Bill Stojack, Robert Smith and Jon Word wanted to create a company that was not profit driven. They wanted to cater to the Class 3 community from an enthusiast’s point of view in terms of service and need while striving to keep the traditions of the original designs using modern materials and manufacturing techniques when possible. The four men combined their particular skills to form SOG-LLC. Billy Conn and Robert Smith act as business managers, Bill Stojack is the armorer and machinist, and Jon Word is a highly skilled mold maker.

Initially, they assembled four semiautomatic Vickers and had trouble with the ammunition, primarily due to light strikes on the primer – a condition common with Vickers. Surplus .303 ammunition, from many different manufacturers, is exasperatingly inconsistent with hard primers resulting in unpredictable reliability and consistently broken firing pins and leaf springs (firing pin springs). These two problem areas are the reason that so many extra leaf springs and firing pins were included in spare parts kits. Metallurgy of the time caused wide variations in performance of the lock spring and they are prone to weakness and breakage as confirmed in ensuing lock spring compression tests. The firing pin also did not have adequate mass to overcome hard primers resulting in breakage. Thus, a weak lock spring and an inherently light firing pin weight, combined with old ammunition with hard primers, equal an unacceptable reliability of function.

Frustrated by this quandary, Jon and Bill analyzed the problems and their causes and embarked upon a plan to research and diagnose the difficulty. They identified what the problems were but were not clear upon the solution. Their inspiration to solve the problem came from the Czech 30 (t) Vickers aircraft lock that used a coiled, rather than leaf, spring and had a reputation of being extremely reliable under many adverse conditions. They did not want to manufacture a completely new lock body. By studying Czech 30 (t) lock drawings, they devised a method whereby they took the mechanics of a Czech 30 (t) lock and applied it to the standard Vickers lock body.

They designed and manufactured a set of new parts to replace the original leaf spring, firing pin and safety sear. These new parts were the firing pin, firing pin coil spring, safety sear, safety sear axis pin, plunger, plunger coil spring, plunger plug, split keeper pin and two blocks to hold the firing pin coil spring and the lock trigger coil spring assemblies.

In trying to keep with the traditions of 19th century technology and manufacturing processes, in the first prototypes, both spring blocks were silver soldered and riveted into place on the modified original lock body. But it was felt that this caused too much heat to the lock body. The two spring blocks are now TIG welded and riveted to the lock body.

The steels selected were chosen for their ability to perform in the given applications. The trigger reset block is manufactured from O-1 steel as is the safety sear. The safety sear is heat treated and double drawn (tempered twice) to relieve stress and ensure long life.

The firing pin is manufactured from S-7 steel, heat treated and tempered. This steel is used because prior to heat treatment, it machines easily, and after heat treatment, it can still be machined with carbide tooling. S-7 steel takes impacts well and will give the firing pin a long service life. Each firing pin is made by hand and several steps have to be done with a file to achieve the proper contours and transitions. Approximately four hours is spent on each firing pin alone. Eventually, some of the process will be done on a CNC machine, but they will never get away from the “file to fit” work.

The firing pin spring is a silicone alloy die spring designed to give a 100,000 cycle service life. The trigger reset spring is a standard M16 spring, making it easy to find spares if that should become necessary.

Small Arms Review was given the opportunity to test the new lock using three different Vickers gun in two different calibers. This test was conducted in two phases with one of them using the new lock on the firing line at the April Knob Creek shoot using two different Vickers guns. In this first test at Knob Creek, using a variety of British, Greek and Indian .303, the new lock was simply dropped into two different Vickers and ran without a single problem digesting everything put through it. In total, 3,000 rounds of .303 were used.

In the second test at a different time and at a different location, the new lock was assessed using a different caliber; in this case, Yugoslav 7.62x54R ammunition was used. A 7.62x54R barrel and a modified feedblock were put in a standard British Vickers Mk I water-cooled machine gun and a modified 7.62x54R lifter was placed on the new lock. 1,500 rounds were consumed without a single malfunction. In all, using three different Vickers in two different calibers, the new coil spring Vickers lock fired 4,500 rounds without a single failure due to the lock and proved not to be caliber sensitive. A very admirable performance.

SOG-LLC also makes a stainless steel Lewis gun gas piston to replace the corroded gas pistons inherently found in Lewis guns. They also restore and re-wat full autos. For more information, they may be contacted at: SOG-LLC@earthlink.net.

This is the story of how one pair of Browning M2 fifty-caliber machine guns ended up in the NFA registry. There are many other stories similar to this, and many more guns like these sitting in a basement, garage or attic of a veteran or his widow. This story starts in Honolulu, circa 1965. A young commercial diver joins the US Navy, and is stationed at Pearl Harbor on the USS Goldsborough, a guided missile frigate home ported at Pearl Harbor. Upon joining the Navy, the young man would come to learn that his skills as a diver would be well appreciated, and lead us directly into this tale.

O’ahu during World War Two was a beehive of activity. Over 75 active military installations existed across the Hawaiian Islands allowing thousands of sailors, soldiers, and Marines to protect the United States from the threat of Japanese invasion. Part of the force protection included regular aircraft patrols surrounding the Hawaiian Islands and identification of any perceived threat following the attack at Pearl Harbor. As a result, patrols of the Pacific Ocean surrounding the Hawaiian Islands by P-40 Warhawk fighter aircraft were common.

Sometime in 1942, a P-40 Warhawk prepared for take-off at Mokuleia Airfield on the North Shore of O’ahu. What appeared to be another routine patrol soon turned out to be anything but normal. As the plane took off, it immediately experienced a mechanical event serious enough to force the pilot to bail out of the aircraft. Luckily, the pilot was safely recovered. The P-40 Warhawk settled in 15 feet of water just off the coast of O’ahu, and within sight of Mokuleia Airfield. Use of North Shore beaches during World War Two was not at all like what the present day tourist may experience. The beaches of O’ahu near military installations were off limits to civilians, and on-going active military operations prevented the recovery of an otherwise broken and useless fighter plane sitting in 15 feet of water. As a result, the aircraft would sit and wait; forgotten until 1965.

Fast forward to 1965. Being stationed at Pearl Harbor had its advantages for the thousands of sailors, and Marines stationed there. Waikiki was an easy 20 minute drive, the North Shore of O’ahu beckoned with beautiful beaches, and the weather was much better than the winters experienced in much of the continental United States.

While snorkeling on the North Shore near the Mokuleia Airfield on the Fourth of July, 1965, the forgotten P-40 Warhawk Fighter was discovered in 15 feet of water by a group of sailors from the USS Goldsborough. As a commercial diver prior to entering the Navy, our hero (who has requested that he not be identified by name) was contacted and asked to check out the wreck. Upon further exploration, the cockpit, engine, and part of the right wing were all that was left of the aircraft after twenty-three years of sitting on the bottom of the ocean floor. The pilot’s seat was clearly visible within the cockpit, and most importantly, all six .50 caliber Browning machineguns were still present.

Using only a mask and snorkel, our young diver managed to recover three of the Browning fifty-caliber machine guns. One of the Browning machineguns was jolted out of the aircraft upon crash landing, and was discovered resting upon the ocean floor. As expected, this gun was covered in coral and in poor condition due to exposure to the salt water of the Pacific Ocean. The other five guns however, were still bolted within the aircraft’s wings. After spending 23 years under water, the aluminum wings of the aircraft were fairly brittle, and our diver was able to recover all five machineguns from the aircraft. Surprisingly, the aluminum of the aircraft wings protected the Brownings, and the guns experienced very little corrosion, despite spending such a long period of time underwater.

As the sun set into the Pacific Ocean on the Fourth of July weekend of 1965, our diver was able to recover three of the six guns from the wreck. Consider that while using only a mask and snorkel, the young diver carried the guns underwater from the site of the wreck to shore, dropping the guns to the ocean floor each time he needed to come to the surface for air. At the end of the day, the young diver was exhausted, and unable to recover the remaining three guns. As a result, he stashed the remaining three guns under a nearby coral reef for retrieval at a future date.

Upon return, the remaining three guns were gone. Perhaps a bystander saw the young diver’s treasure and recovered the remaining three guns. Perhaps the ocean currents covered the guns in sand and prevented their subsequent recovery. In either case, we know for sure that only three of the six guns were recovered from the wreck by the diver. Of the three guns recovered, two were functional and taken from the wing of the P-40 aircraft. The third gun was discovered lying on the ocean floor; it was covered in coral and in poor condition.

Upon return to the USS Goldsborough, the young diver discovered that the powder was still dry within the cartridges, the primers still live, and that two of the guns and ammunition were still functional despite the long period spent under the ocean. The ammunition within the guns possessed manufacturing dates of 1941 and 1942. After test firing a few rounds, the guns were put away, with little thought of registering them with the Alcohol Tax Unit, (ATU) a unit of Internal Revenue Service, and predecessor of the modern day Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF).

Word of the recovery spread within the Navy community at Pearl Harbor, and before long, an ATU agent was requesting permission to board the USS Goldsborough. Upon examination of the Brownings, the ATU agent informed the young diver that the guns would need to be registered, pursuant to the 1934 NFA Act. In 1965, two-hundred dollars was a lot of money, and registering the guns with the ATU was going to be more than the young diver could afford, given his military salary. The ATU agent offered a solution. Because the coral-covered Browning was clearly not functional, the ATU agent indicated that it did not need to be registered. However, because the other two Brownings were clearly functional, the guns could be deactivated, and registered for five dollars a piece. Given the diver’s situation, one cannot blame him for electing to deactivate the Brownings and pay ten dollars instead of paying four hundred dollars to possess live guns. The Brownings were taken to the machinist area on board the USS Goldsborough, where the original Form 1 notes that the guns were acquired on July 5, 1965. The Form 1 continues but noting that the guns were deactivated by “plugging barrel with steel pin and welding same, steel pin put through rear barrel into barrel extension which locks head space, steel pin placed into firing pin chamber, and back plate welded to receiver.” The Form 1, dated January 18, 1966, was approved by ATU on February 16, 1966.

The young diver ended his military service and settled into the Portland, Oregon area, with the Brownings safely stored in his garage. Little thought was given to them until 2003, when a mutual friend to the author told an incredible story about how an old-timer had recovered three Browning machineguns from the Pacific Ocean and had an amazing story to tell. Negotiations to buy the Brownings commenced, and the two functional guns were sold. The young diver, now retired and in his mid 60’s, had no desire to sell the remaining coral encrusted Browning, as it served as a reminder of his service in the Navy, his underwater adventure, and his time spent stationed at Pearl Harbor in the mid 1960’s.

The guns are currently being repaired, and have been reactivated on ATF Form 1’s. Given the historic tale connected with these guns, the current owner intends to keep the guns together as a pair, in their original aircraft configuration.

Since the 1960s, the 5.56x45mm caliber battle rifle has taken over the battlefields of the NATO countries. Many countries have adopted this caliber and adapted their own assault rifles to fire it. But in all the different assault rifles to fire this round, the M16 remains the number one 5.56mm rifle and is undoubtedly the most combat proven 5.56mm battle rifle in the world. Since its inception, billions of rounds and countless man hours have been spent to make it the rifle it is today.

In the intervening years since the 1960s there have been but only a small handful of military-specification manufacturers. Colt was the sole source producer of AR-15/M16 series rifles during the first part of the Vietnam War but as the war progressed, the military decided it was critical to have more than one source. Thus, limited contracts were given to Harrington and Richardson and the Hydromantic Division of General Motors. With the introduction of the Colt M16A2, the players would solely be Colt and FN Manufacturing, Inc. However, Colt would be the sole source contractor of the M4 and M4A1 carbines to the U.S. Government. Colt has only licensed three other producers the rights to manufacture their M16 design. The first was the Elisco Corporation in the Philippines and the second is in Singapore to build M16A1 rifle. The third is the Canadian Government.

In the early 1980s, the Canadian military decided it was time to update their arsenals with a new weapon system. They wanted a true assault rifle to replace their aging C1 and C2 rifles, which were a Canadian version of the 7.62x51mm NATO caliber FN FAL rifle. So began the SARP (Small Arms Replacement Program). The Canadians looked at several rifles including the MN1 Galil, FN FNC, M16A1, HK33 and others. The two finalists were the FNC and the M16A1 and the rifle ultimately chosen by the Canadian Forces was the Colt M16A2 rifle. However, they were not satisfied with the standard M16A2 rifle. Perhaps a more practical view for Canada’s military needs was to come from those forces themselves, rather than the new product improved M16A2.

After negotiations, the Canadian Government obtained a licensing agreement from Colt to begin production for the Canadian Forces and Colt provided the Canadian Government with their proprietary Technical Data Package (TDP) for the rifle. This contains all the drawings, specifications and production methods required to produce the rifles. The Canadian government had no military-run arsenals for small arms development or manufacture and the private firm Diemaco, a division of Heroux Devtek, was awarded the manufacturing rights of the new Canadian rifle. Diemaco, located in Kitchener, Ontario is a 48,000 square foot facility employing 120 to 180 employees that have been involved with firearms manufacture and overhaul since 1976. Diemaco has full automation capability including CAD/CAM, CNC machining, a research and development department, testing and evaluation departments, as well as a technical support service including training, documentation/manuals and training aids. In due course, Diemaco ultimately learned much more was to be required of them than to just get to work on production. The design firm was to do much development work to customize the M16A2 for Canadian Forces needs.

The C7 and C8

The designation for the new Canadian weapons was to be the C7 rifle and the C8 carbine. The prefix “C” simply stands for Canadian. The C7 would appear to be an M16A2 but upon closer examination there are many changes.

The Canadian Forces opted to not adopt the fully adjustable rear sight assembly. They decided that the windage adjustment only A1-style sight was much more practical for a combat rifle than the target sights the U.S. Marine Corp requested for their M16A2. Many of the other U.S. Forces felt that the Marine A2 style sight was too complex for a combat sight. Therefore, the Marine Corps is to this date the only branch of the U.S. military who trains to use it. The end result is that millions of dollars were spent on a complex rear sight that only a small percentage of US armed forces train their troops to use. The Canadian forces wanted a more homogenous sight use and training regimen.

Another big departure was that the Canadians decided against the 3-round burst mechanism in favor of the fully automatic setting. There are many reasons that the AR15 system was desired by the commanders of the troops in Vietnam. Among them were increasing the ammunition carrying capacity of the average soldier, and the differing wound ballistcs tests that still spark controversy today. The practice of “Spray and Pray” firepower with these 5.56 caliber weapons was considered an enormous waste of ammunition, and in the M16A2 JSSAP program, it was decided by some factions that a burst limiter should be in the weapon. This is the “Three-round Burst” in some current military use. The Canadian forces chose a view that burst limiting is an option the serviceman should have, but it should come from training, and not limit his options for fully automatic fire in combat.

The Canadian Forces also have a tradition of having adjustable rifle stocks to compensate for larger as well as smaller shooters. The C7 would utilize a short and an A1-legnth stock and have a spacer that can be fit to either to provide four sizes so as to customize the stock length for larger shooters. Diemaco redesigned the A2 handguards to have interlocking notches to strengthen the handguards and to make them more durable for being dropped and during the rough handling of drill and ceremonies.

The C8 carbine was merely a carbine version of the C7. The only changes are the thinner 14-1/2 inch carbine barrel and the sliding buttstock. Like the American Forces, the day of the carbine would be left until the mid-1990s.

Production of the C7 series was carried out in 5 phases over two years. Each phase was made to put manufacturing and logistics of the weapon components in Canada. Early phases had many parts manufactured or supplied by Colt. Towards phase 5, all parts would either be manufactured at Diemaco or by a Canadian sub-contractor.

Cold Hammer Forged Barrels

Traditionally, the barrels manufactured by Colt and any other mil-spec rifle are button cut rifling: meaning the rifling is actually cut into the barrel during manufacturing. This is per the TDP and is mandated for all U.S. military production M16-type weapons. However, Colt had looked into the possibility of cold hammer forging the barrels. After consideration, the cost of the hammer forge itself was prohibitive. At the time Colt was looking into this process, the barrels could not be manufactured that would meet the current accuracy requirements. The U.S. military was not interested in it without major research and development.

When Diemaco went into production, they felt that the hammer forging process was better for their needs. They believed that by this process they could increase the longevity of the barrel as well as increase accuracy.

Cold hammer forging is a process where the carefully selected ordnance steel stock is cut to length. A pilot hole is drilled through the center of the blank and the blank is then placed on a table on the hammer forge platform. A robotic arm picks up the blank and feeds it into the hammer forge. A mandrel is pushed through the pilot hole through the center of the barrel. The mandrel is approximately five inches long and contains approximately 3 inches of rifling plus the chamber. The mandrel costs approximately $7,000 and can manufacture between 7,000 and 8,000 barrels. When the hammer forge begins, 4 hammers exert 140 tons of pressure on the outside of the barrel blank at 1,000 strokes per minute. As this process progresses, the mandrel is positioned under the hammers in the barrel forming the inside of the barrel bore. As it reaches the end of the process the mandrel moves forward and the chamber is formed. When completed, the final barrel is approximately 50% longer than it was when it first went into the hammer forge. The early hammer forge used by Diemaco was extremely loud and shook the building. Over the last couple years it was replaced by a new one that you hardly need to wear hearing protection when it is making barrels.

There are many benefits to this cold hammer forging process. The first is repeatability. Every barrel that is manufactured from the same mandrel will have identical internal characteristics. There is significantly less changes in internal characteristics than in a tool changing every time it cuts. The second is enhanced accuracy. Cold hammer forging permits much greater concentricity of bore and chamber as opposed to a chamber that is drilled separately from the bore. Due to this process, the choke is controlled which impacts the release of the bullet from the muzzle. In essence, the bore diameter decreases the further down the bore the bullet travels. This increases velocity and accuracy while standard button cut barrels maintain the same bore diameter the entire length of the barrel. The third advantage is the strength of the barrel will be enhanced over conventional barrels. During cold hammer forging, the barrel aligns and compresses the steel molecules very tightly thus hardening the steel without the need to heat the barrel up to transformation temperature. This greatly affects the chances of avoiding brittleness. The fourth benefit is the surface quality of the barrel. Hammer forging produces “striations” that are longitudal and minor compared to chatter. This produces smoother surfaces on the lands and grooves. Additionally, the edges of the lands are not sharp, but are rounder. By having no sharp edges to wear, accuracy is maintained significantly longer. This is extremely beneficial on machine guns. Most of the models manufactured by Diemaco are hammer forged with a 1 turn in 7 inch twist. Diemaco has made barrels in 1:9 and sold barrels in some Custom Tactical (CT) rifles in 1:8 twist made by others.

The Canadian Polymer Magazine

The Canadian military felt there was a better way to produce magazines than the current aluminum magazines in service. In the mid 1980s, polymers began making an appearance in the firearms industry. With the onset of the M16A2 program, better materials were found that increased the durability of polymers and in some cases exceeding their metal counterparts. In some ways, synthetic materials are truly better. Plastics are impervious to shock and climate changes and, most importantly, they will not corrode.

The Canadian Forces adopted the Thermold magazine and Diemaco went on to refine and manufacture the new magazine. This would be a black synthetic 30 round magazine and were made of glass filled Zytel ST nylon. The first attempt did not meet with success. Issues arouse with the magazines breaking in the feed lips as well as the seam where the two halves were brought together. The Canadian military rejected them in favor of Teflon coated aluminum magazines. The second attempt in 1990 met with success. Main changes were in the mold itself and to the follower. Additionally, the feed lips were thickened and there is now a machine cut on the top side of the magazine lips which assist in feeding. These magazines will be identified by the mold code on the magazine. The year code may be found on either side of the magazine. Any magazine made prior to 1990 should be discarded. Many of the foreign contracts that Diemaco received utilize the current production polymer magazine. The magazines are still produced from Zytel by Dupont. This is the same material used in the pistol grip and buttplate of the M16A2 rifle. These Canadian/Diemaco magazines are not to be mistaken with the commercially produced Thermold magazines. These magazines will have the Canadian maple leaf on the bottom left or right side of the magazine. Diemaco claims these are just as reliable, and in some cases superior to, the aluminum magazines currently in use throughout the world. Diemaco never produced 20-round magazines.

Part two of the series Diemaco: The Canadian M16 will introduce the second generation C7/C8 series rifles and carbines; the C7A1/C8A1 flat top upper receiver. There will also be detailed descriptions of the expanding Diemaco family of weapons including the C7A2 Mid-Life upgrade, the CQB, SFW, SFSW, LSW and the CT as well as a description of other lands where Diemaco weapons are in service.