“Daniel Craig, the actor chosen to portray a tougher, grittier James Bond more akin to the cold-blooded killer conceived by the spy’s creator Ian Fleming, admits he is scared of guns. The 37-year-old actor, who was named as the sixth incarnation of the role a fortnight ago, said: “I hate handguns. Handguns are used to shoot people and as long as they are around people will shoot each other. That’s a simple fact. I’ve seen a bullet wound and it was a mess. Bullets have a nasty habit of finding their target and that’s what’s scary about them.” Quoted from the News Telegraph, 26 October, 2005.

That’s it, that’s the final straw. I won’t be watching any more Bond movies. Who the hell chose this sissified clown to play James Bond? Has he no understanding of the decorum, the conduct, the very presence necessary to act as Bond. There isn’t any way I can take him seriously now, and I was looking forward to more Bond movies. James Bond, 007, has always been a gun guy. He’s the top spy in the world, with Q at his disposal! It’s bad enough to listen to some Hollywood mental incompetent spewing rhetoric against firearm ownership while making a living off of the image of firearms use, but the man who will be Bond? Mr. Craig certainly has a right to his opinion, but whoever chose him for the part of 007 is certainly missing the proper thought process to be in charge of choosing the new Bond. As a non-drinker I am not really up in arms about Mr. Craig’s other faux pas regarding his martinis being straight up, no ice, neither shaken nor stirred. However, combining those two character flaws Mr. Craig brings to the job, Bond fans will be hard pressed to accept him as 007. Truthfully, fiction though he is, James Bond is a part of our masculine culture – an icon of days gone by, and casting someone as Bond who is not only scared of guns, but is an anti firearms person, is simply poor form. Rant mode off.

Debbie and I have decided to put off the SAR Show East for another year, until 2007. First we were looking at Dulles, Virginia, but the only open date was the end of July and the buildings couldn’t handle our show size in the future. We spent three months this year thinking that the Georgia State Fairgrounds in Perry, Georgia was going to be the right site. All the approvals except for the final one were in, and finally, the man who was supposed to bring the proposal to the board didn’t even bother. He said that “he” had decided “That” kind of gun show should not be at the Georgia State Fairgrounds. Pressed further on this, he said that the military nature of the firearms wasn’t keeping with the spirit of the fairgrounds. My head swirled when I heard that. The Heart of Dixie herself, rejecting the military history of these United States, rejecting as inappropriate the showing of military firearms? What’s next, instant grits at the Waffle House? Gas ripening Georgia peaches and pretending they taste as good as off the tree? Calling a Puh-cahn a Pee-Can?

The SAR Show West is in the Free State of Arizona, unencumbered by such small minded thinkers, and it is held every December at the Arizona State Fairgrounds in Phoenix. This year the show is expected to reach over 3,000 tables with 30,000 attendees over the three days of the show. This will make it arguably the largest gun show in the United States, a place where attendees and dealers can safely pursue their firearms interest. The Arizona State Fairgrounds is very, very happy with our virtually trouble-free event. We at SAR thank you for your confidence in the show we put on, and thanks to all who attend and display. We will continue to search for the right venue on the East Coast, and are thoroughly disappointed in the actions of one man in the great state of Georgia. – Dan

Russia wants to use the U.N. small arms process to protect their intellectual property rights in the Kalashnikov.

Russia plans to call for support in the United Nations in its quest to regain leadership in the small arms market, a Foreign Ministry official has disclosed. In a move to tackle unlicensed manufacturing of arms including its best selling Kalashnikov rifle, Russia wants to have its intellectual property rights in small arms recognized under a UN initiative against illicit trade in small arms.

“We are against countries making small arms without our permission that were designed in Russia,” said Pyotr Litavrin, deputy head of security and disarmament at the Foreign Ministry. Russia, which in Soviet times supplied its arms technology free-of-charge to countries in Eastern Europe and Asia, has lost its leadership in the small arms market over the past decade, estimated to be worth around $4 billion annually.

Russia sells up to $60 million in small arms per year, said Marat Kenzhetayev, an expert with the Center for Arms Control think tank. In one of its more recent major deals, earlier this year Russia agreed to sell 100,000 Kalashnikovs to Venezuela for $50 million. It is estimated Russia loses from unlicensed trade in these arms as much as it gets from official exports, or around $100 million.

In its fight for U.N. support, Russia plans to push the issue of intellectual property rights at a U.N. conference in 2006 on illicit small arms trading, Litavrin said.

National Museum of Arms and Armour

One of the world’s finest collections of working military firearms has been re-housed at the National Museum of Arms and Armour in the U.K.

The collection of historic British firearms was originally kept in the Tower of London before being dispersed. It has now been reunited in a new purpose-built display area at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. The weapons form part of the Ministry of Defence’s Pattern Room collection.

The collection comprises some 14,000 historic and current British and foreign military firearms. They range from concealed weapons to prototypes and the most comprehensive collection of Kalashnikov guns outside Russia. The collection was set up to manage quality control in the manufacture of small arms, but it now plays a key role in forensic investigations by civilian police as well as being used as a reference body for weapons research. It will now form the core component of an international centre of excellence, known as the National Firearms Centre.

The Ministry of Defence’s project leader, Roger Colebrook, said: “This collection is rightly regarded as the best of its type in the world; it is an important national resource as well as being a remarkable historical artifact.” Unfortunately, the collection is not open to members of the general public.

Swiss Export Policy in Disarray

There may be less Swiss-origin military surplus materiel available on the market in coming months as Swiss arms-export policy has been thrown into disarray following revelations that tanks destined for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ended up in Morocco.

The Swiss government has now set up a working group to re-examine existing procedures and to find out whether tighter controls on weapons sales are needed. The decision to set up the working group, comprising representatives from the economics, defense, foreign, and police and justice ministries, has been welcomed by all political parties.

But both the Greens and the centre-left Social Democrats are demanding further action, saying the government has lost control of the end-use of arms sales it makes and has called for stringent new controls on arms exports.

Economics Minister Joseph Deiss recently announced that 40 tanks sold to the UAE in 2004 had been sent to Morocco in a clear breach of the end-user certificate. The Middle East nation said it had obtained permission from the United States, which built the tanks, but not the Swiss authorities.

Deiss said Switzerland would probably not have approved their export to Morocco, due to the country’s long-running conflict with the Polisario independence movement in the Western Sahara, a disputed desert territory it seized in 1975. “The UAE is… trying to find a solution. It is unclear whether these tanks still belong to the UAE,” said Rita Baldegger, spokeswoman for the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.

Swiss officials have said they learned from foreign media that the tanks, sold for SFr4 million ($3.2 million), were being used in Morocco, possibly for training. But it has emerged that the Swiss authorities were well aware of the UAE’s desire to send the tanks to Morocco. According to a defense-ministry statement, the UAE had sought permission from Bern two years ago to transfer the tanks after the sale. The request was refused.

Green Party parliamentarian Josef Lang believes it would be safer all round if the government dropped arms sales altogether. “Personally, I think that all the weapons that the Swiss army does not need should be destroyed, because the political cost of exporting arms is too high. It damages the country’s neutrality and it’s wrong from a foreign-policy point-of-view.”

Australian Customs Wins Pistol Case Appeal

The Australian High Court has declared as “lawful” the Customs seizure five years ago of 2,000 Chinese-made semi-automatic pistols imported by Queensland gun lobbyist and dealer, Ron Owen.

The Australian Customs Service had appealed a ruling in the Federal Court last year that the seizure was unlawful. Early last month the High Court unanimously set aside the Federal Court decision and ruled that the handguns imported to Australia under cover of entry for home consumption are “special forfeited goods”.

The case was a test of the commonwealth’s blanket bans on some guns and tightening of importation laws following the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre in Tasmania in which 35 people were killed. While the commonwealth laws were tightened, state laws largely remained static.

Owen, a gun rights campaigner, had sued Customs for what he claimed was the unlawful seizure of the guns.

In January 2000, the Queensland Police Weapons Licensing Branch issued a permit to Owen to import the 3,000 weapons but it was rescinded the following month over concerns the Norinco 9mm pistols could end up on the black market.

Owen’s company, Omeo Way Pty. Ltd. then paid Victorian firm Granite Arms Pty. Ltd. to import and store the pistols.

The first batch of 1,000 firearms arrived in Melbourne in March 2000 and was imported to Omeo Way. The next batch of 2,000 handguns arrived on May 3 and a customs broker arranged for their storage in Melbourne to enable the safety testing of the pistols and repairs to some of the guns.

Customs subsequently seized the second batch for failing to comply with Prohibited Imports regulations. Owen claimed Granite Arms was technically the importer of the guns. Customs argued that Owen had been trying to circumvent tough gun control measures when he paid Granite Arms to import the firearms after his own import license was revoked. The court ruled that imports in this case require the importer to hold a license or authorization under the law of the relevant state or territory to possess the article.

New Canadian Regs Deferred

The Canada Firearms Centre has once again quietly put off several gun regulations that were supposed to take effect last September.

Among the measures delayed until 2006 is a provision to have police forces across Canada register all their weapons, including seized guns, with the federal agency. New rules governing gun shows have been deferred until November 2006, while regulations that would force gun-makers to identify all firearms with internationally recognized markings won’t come into force until the end of 2007. The provisions were initially supposed to take effect in January 2005, but were put off to Sept. 1. Now they’ve been deferred again.

A spokesman for Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan said the deferral is both to “ensure compliance and be responsive to the feedback” on the regulations from the public. “We’ve done similar things like this before and ultimately we’ve phased things in and done so in a way that makes it user-friendly for people.”

Over a year ago on the eve of a federal election, the Liberal government overhauled the much-maligned gun registry in an effort to control costs and streamline its administration. The latest delays indicate there are still many kinks in the system, said Conservative MP Peter MacKay.

“It’s another example of the ineffective, overly bureaucratic nightmare that is the gun registry,” MacKay said. “The government continues with this simultaneous face-saving, rear-end-covering exercise of trying to justify a very cumbersome, useless system.” MacKay insisted the government backed off because police forces would have ignored the registration demand.

Israeli Gun Ownership Declining

A survey conducted by Israeli Interior Ministry shows a reduction in private gun ownership, by about a quarter million persons, from past surveys. The survey found that as of June 2005, 236,879 Israeli citizens had guns. At the same time, the survey pointed to a downward trend in personal weapon possession.

The study also found that a number of guns held without valid licenses, 34,000, were mainly due to a failure by owners to renew their licenses. A spokesman for the firearms branch of the Interior Ministry, Yaakov Amit, said that the government had begun to target those who did not renew licenses.

“A person who shows up on the computers as not having renewed a license for their firearm is informed to apply for a new license. It’s very effective, far more then when we relied on the police, who were not able to enforce this law fully,” Amit said.

In order to qualify for a license, an applicant must pass a number of conditions, including an assessment of their medical and mental health, and whether they live or work in dangerous areas. A decade ago, there were almost no limitations on the ownership of guns.

ATF Now Allows Use of FAXed FFL Copies

Coming closer to home, while heretofore American federal regulations required Federal Firearms License holders to provide signed-in-ink copies of their FFLs before firearms were transferred, sending a copy of a signed FFL license by facsimile transmission (FAX) is now permitted.

For background, Section 27 CFR 478.94 requires the following for sales or deliveries of firearms between licensees:

“A licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer selling or otherwise disposing of firearms, and a licensed collector selling or otherwise disposing of curios or relics, to another licensee shall verify the identity and licensed status of the transferee prior to making the transaction. Verification shall be established by the transferee furnishing to the transferor a certified copy of the transferee’s license and by such other means as the transferor deems necessary…”

This section of the regulations requires a licensee to verify another licensee’s status prior to making sales or deliveries to such licensee. Licensees are advised that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives will now recognize a faxed copy of a federal firearms license as an acceptable alternative form of verification.

ATF still strongly suggests that FFL-holders utilize the FFLeZ Check system and verify the authenticity of the transferee’s license prior to shipping or disposing of a firearm(s) to another licensee.

In addition, verification and certification of a license is not considered valid unless a legible copy of the transferee’s license clearly identifies the name, address, license number and expiration date of the license. Acceptance of blurred or illegible copies of a transferee’s license may constitute noncompliance with regulations.

ATF Imports Branch Relocating

The ATF Firearms & Explosives Import Branch is in the process of relocating to Martinsburg, West Virginia.

As of July 18, 2005, the functions to process applications have transferred to Martinsburg. Examiner Wonjiri Ridley is currently the contact person for these application requests. The following is the new address and new Fax and phone lines that are to be utilized for all applications.

Bureau of ATF, Firearms & Explosives Import Branch,

244 Needy Road
Martinsburg, West Virginia 25401
Attn: Wonjiri Ridley
Phone: (304) 260-1102
Fax: (304) 260-1103

During this transition phase, the processing time will be approximately 10 weeks due to the fact that some applications are being forwarded to Washington, DC instead of Martinsburg, WV.

For questions or concerns, Ridley can also be contacted by e-mail: Wonjiri.Ridley@ATF.GOV

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.

HK 51 COVERT CARRYING CASE FROM WRB, INC.

WRB, Inc. has introduced a new product that will indeed be of interest to HK 51 owners. With several companies now producing an HK 51 rifle and possibly an HK 51 pistol, this new case is sure to be a hit. The new case is called the Covert Submachine Gun Case (Model CSMGC). This well padded case is made from 1000 Denier Cordura Nylon both inside and out and features a heavy duty #9 YKK zipper with padded zipper shield to protect the firearm from nicks and scratches from the zipper. The case also has a detachable, adjustable shoulder strap with a comfort pad. There is also a zippered clear vinyl pouch on the outside of the case (great for paperwork). Some of the best features are on the inside. There are five internal magazine pouches with Velcro flaps to keep the mags captive. The case can be ordered with 9mm, .223 or .308 sized magazine pouches so it can be ordered for several different weapons. Also, the new case features a fully adjustable internal tie-down system that can be customized to any weapon. There is also a center padded, removable leaf divider that separates the magazine pouches from the weapon. The Covert Submachine Gun Case is 10 inches high and 3 inches thick and can be ordered in overall lengths of 18, 22, 24, 26 and 28 inches. It comes in black, woodland camouflage, olive drab, navy, green and red and carries a full lifetime guarantee. For more information on this as well as a full line of other cases, holsters, range bags and accessories, please contact them at WRB, Inc., Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 5539, Gun Barrel City, TX 75147-5012. Phone/Fax: (903) 887-2899. Their website is www.wrbss.com.

NEW TRIPLE RAIL FRONT SIGHT FROM DPMS

DPMS asks the question, “Why use a front sight that only serves as a front sight when you can have a front sight that provides additional accessory mounting options?” The new front sight from DPMS does just that, by adding three additional rails to the standard front sight body. These three new rails, located at the 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions have been machined into the investment cast 4140 steel front sight body and feature four slots per rail. This new front sight also features a machined sling loop located in the rear support leg of the sight. Retaining the same height as the standard A2 front sight, this manganese phosphate finished sight is held to the barrel with two taper pins. Sporting a .750 diameter barrel opening, this new front sight from DPMS will fit standard heavy barreled rifles (5.56x45mm), AP4 Carbine models as well as the LR-308T, the 16-inch heavy barreled .308 caliber rifle from DPMS. The 3-Rail Front Sight from DPMS is available now and retails for $99.95. For more information, please contact DPMS, Inc., Dept. SAR, 3312 12th Street SE, St. Cloud, MN 56304. Phone: (320) 258-4448. Fax: (320) 258-4449. Their website is www.dpmsinc.com.

SENTRY SOLUTIONS NEW FIELD OPS KIT

Now it’s easy to keep firearms, knives and outdoor gear rust-free and at peak performance. Sentry Solutions’ Field-Ops Kit gives rust protection, lubrication and knife sharpening in one handy kit. The Sentry Solutions’ kit contains combat proven Tuf-Cloth gun wipe and Tuf-Glide dry lubricant packaged in a cloth pouch with a Gatco Micro X Ceramic Four Rod sharpener and other cleaning tools. Tuf-Cloth is the long-lasting, silk soft, lint-free alternative for oil and silicone rags. Simply wiping any metallic surface with Tuf-Cloth provides a fast-drying, water-displacing micro-bonded barrier against rust, friction and wear. This waterproof shield does not attract dirt and it doesn’t leave a slippery film like silicone products. Tuf-Glide is the partner for Tuf-Cloth that lubricates and protects hard-to-reach areas of equipment and gear. It is a powerful dry-film lubricant and rust inhibitor in a quick-drying mineral spirits carrier. The carrier transfers the active lubricants to the micro-pores in any metal surface. It delivers cleaning action then evaporates, promoting the bonding of the active ingredients to the metal. This dry barrier shield outperforms oils by more than fourteen times in any weather and at any temperature. The dry shield will not attract dirt and resists firing residue. Sentry Solutions’ oil-free lubricants give bonded, non-toxic protection that are combat proven in the War on Terror. More than 50,000 troops rely on the dry lubrication Tuf-Cloth and Tuf-Glide delivers. The Gatcos24’s Micro X Ceramic Sharpener is the industry’s leading compact sharpener for knives, and serrated-edged tools. The sharpening rods (two fine and two medium) are interchangeable and replaceable. The built-in angle guide makes sharpening to a razor-edge easy for anyone. For more information on this product, please contact Sentry Solutions, Ltd., Dept. SAR, 33 South Commercial Street, Suite 401, Manchester, NH 03101. Phone: (603) 626-8888. Fax: (603) 546-8049. They can be found on the web at www.sentrysolutions.com.

TAG INDUSTRIES INTRODUCES THE ASP TACTICAL SLING

Tag Industries now has a new Ambidextrous Single Point (ASP) Tactical Sling available. The new sling was designed to incorporate every positive feature that was suggested by end users and solve every negative issue relating to existing single point sling design. TAG Industries found that during their research that most single point slings were not as simple as the operator would prefer. Therefore, their first objective was “Keep It Simple.” This was accomplished by stripping the new sling to its most basic components and building on functionality. The ASP Sling comes preassembled, with only two possible configurations – right or left handed. There is no assembly required, no instructions necessary; which means you are up and running as soon as you open the package. They also wanted a durable designed sling. Most single point slings use 1.5 inch flat nylon webbing. This was an artifact from the weight distributing properties necessary in conventional 3-pont sling design. Since weight distribution is not a concern with single point sling design, the width of the ASP sling was reduced to 1 inch. Tubular webbing was substituted for flat webbing to insure durability. The break strength of tubular webbing far surpasses that of flat webbing by 4,000 pounds. Furthermore, tubular webbing has a much higher abrasion resistance and will not stretch when exposed to moisture. The use of tubular webbing also makes the sling “faster” as it is more pliable and has an extremely slick surface. The new sling also incorporates a tri-loop as a connecting point between the start and end points of the wrap-around sling. This allows the sling to lay flat against the user’s torso. There is no bunching or twisting of the webbing like many of the other single point slings on the market today. The ASP is available in black, olive drab and desert tan. Two different weapon attachments are available: the H&K type snap hook and the accessory stub which works well on the existing slot on the M4 collapsible type stocks. For more information on the new ASP Tactical Sling, please contact TAG Industries, Dept. SAR, 5283 Stone Ave., Portage, IN 46368. Phone: (219) 762-5424. Their web address is www.jtrusty.com.

VISUALOCK FIREARMS SECURITY SYSTEM

A new company, VisuaLock of Fremont, CA, has introduced a remarkable new firearms security system. The new device allows instant determination that a firearm has been rendered inoperable by both sight and touch. A live round cannot be chambered with a VisuaLock in place. There are VisuaLock devices available to accommodate revolvers, pistols, rifles and shotguns. Easy and quick to install or remove; a VisuaLock is virtually impossible to overcome. The security cartridge or shell is solid brass. The red outer security rod is made from heat treated 303 stainless steel with a powder coating that will not damage or mar barrels or the crowning. The inner security rod is made from 12L14 hardened steel. Rifles and shotgun versions have nylon spacers along the inner rod to further protect barrels and crowns. The VisuaLock is guaranteed for life. For more information, please contact them at VisuaLock, Dept. SAR, 48881 Kato Road, Tremont, CA 94539. Phone: (800) 903-1417. They can be located on the web at www.visualock.com.

ARMA-COAT FIREARM FINISH FROM BARRET ARMS

Barret Arms, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of Arma-Coat Firearm Finish as the newest in technology available in the firearms finishing industry. It is a very versatile coating which can be applied to a broad range of firearms, optics, parts and accessories. Arma-Coat can be applied over metal alloys, stainless steel, synthetics, plastic and wood with no high temperature baking required. Arma-Coat is a user friendly product for both professional and do-it-yourself gunsmiths, which can be applied using any HVLP, automotive spray guns, airbrushes or Barret’s own starter kits. The product comes in a variety of earth tone colors to choose from, which compliment any style of camouflage finish the user desires. It comes in 4oz, 8oz, 16oz, 32oz and 1 gallon sizes. The new finish offers the best versatility, durability and user friendly characteristics that surpass all other firearm finishes in the industry. Barret Arms, Inc. offers firearm finishing services as well. They will also be offering camouflage templates in the near future. For more information, contact them at Barret Arms, Inc., Dept. SAR, 9747 106th Street, Suite 603, Edmonton, AB Canada T5K 1B4. Phone: (780) 429-2636. Their website is www.armacoat.net.

For years I sat at my gun show table next to the Idaho Automatic Weapons Collector’s Association (IAWCA) booth, doing a lot of people watching in between sales. I noticed how, invariably, a couple would come along, he would see the IAWCA booth and his eyes would glaze over and he would, as if in a trance, barge into the crowd in front of the booth, and drool as he fondled the machine guns. Now the wife, or girlfriend, as the case may be, might come in if she was a shooter or had a lot of interest in machine guns, but if she didn’t she might gaze for a while at the black and brown, sometimes greasy, always warlike historic weaponry and would lose interest. Upon realizing that her male companion was going to be obsessing for a while, she would saunter off to view things that were more to her interest. Gun people can yak for hours on the merits or demerits of one gun or another, they can recant glowing historic events and war stories, and unless one shares the interest one might feel excluded and leave.

Those of us who have the machine gun bug get really, really intense in our passions. There are a considerable number of women in IAWCA. Many are wives that caught the bug from their husbands, and there are many who have the shooting interest on their own. There is one girl that gives names to her pet machine guns. In the larger picture, there are too few women in the game at a time when we really need to protect (and expand) our rights.

My wife, Tonja, is a firearm enthusiast and has shot quite a few different guns in her life. When we first dated, she could disassemble and reassemble an AR-15 blindfolded. We would go to IAWCA events and shoot using a variety of borrowed guns (as well as all the regular shooting and hunting we would do). She rather liked historic military guns, her CMP Springfield Armory M1 Garand being her favorite and she was quite a respectable shot with it. She decided it was time to get her first machine gun. Looking to keep the costs down, we located a consecutively numbered pair of M-11s for a fair price. One went to a friend who kept his pretty much as issued, the other was destined to be talked about – or giggled about – as the case may be.

Jim Weaver of Weaver Engineering in Boise, Idaho did the majority of the customizing work. He cut off the magazine housing/grip and replaced it with a Craig Wheatley replacement that allowed the use of Sten magazines of which we had an ample supply and needed to put to good use. Jim then put a CAR-15 stock adaptor on the rear of the receiver and fitted an AR-15 SP-1 butt stock. A modified Mauser 98 firing pin was welded onto the back of the bolt so it would impinge upon the buffer assembly and slow the rate of fire down. An SWD 10-inch side cocking upper with FAL fore-grip was added as was a BSA 50mm red dot sight. A Bowers CAC-9 suppressor was added to increase forward stability of the platform and eliminate the need for uncomfortable ear muffs during competition runs.

While the rate of fire was down to around 600 rpm, she wanted this gun to just purr. We asked Roy Cagnacci to make a solid-bronze AR-15 style buffer that cut the rate of fire to less than 500 rpm, dependant upon the ammo employed. Now we have learned that anything but near full load FMJ rounds may result in some malfunctions, but the white-box Winchester ammo makes this gun sing.

Tonja is a fan of all the David Niven “Pink Panther” movies, and has acquired some of the “Pink Panther” collectibles, so we figured, this is her gun, so let’s make it a “Pink Panther” gun! I got some solvent-resistant VHT 550-degree engine enamel paint and baked it on and created the “Pink Panther.”

The black butt stock, pistol grips, scope and suppressor compliment the Hot Pink nicely, making it attractive to the eye, hard to steal, cute and silly at the same time. It would be hard for an anti-firearms ownership politician to hold it up before the TV cameras and call it an evil weapon of mass destruction.

Tonja has shot it at the IAWCA annual Idaho State Sub Machine Gun Match in the Women’s Division and took Top Gun for her very first effort. Her scores were better than many of the more experienced shooters. She looks forward to competing in the future and when she gets more comfortable with it, watch out guys, the “Pink Panther” will be coming to kick butt and take trophies.

Now, when a couple comes by the IAWCA booth, frequently the woman who may not have been interested in machine guns gets a glazed look as she zeros in on the one gun in the display that is NOT black, brown and greasy.

In all fairness, this may not be the first hot pink machine gun in the country. Kent Lomont saw these photos and told of a pink painted Sten Mk II that passed through his hands some decades back. It was on his tables at Knob Creek that year, and was quite a conversation piece. (Dan’s note: I remember that Pink Sten, I think that Newell bought it from Kent)

For more information on the Idaho Automatic Weapons Collector’s Association (IAWCA) visit: www.iawca.org

For information on the custom work described above, contact: Jim Weaver at (208) 376-4335

Roy Cagnacci at (208) 459-0269.

T. Allen Hoover is an NRA Personal Protection Course Instructor in Boise, Idaho. He has a degree in Political Science and is an activist in Idaho politics and Second Amendment issues. His political website is www.TALLENHOOVER.com. You can visit his commercial website at www.Y2kBodyarmor.com which offers body armor for civilians and Sten replacement parts sets.

In 1980, the Elisco Tool Company was founded in the province of Bataan to produce the M16 rifle under license from Colt for the Philippine armed forces. The Aquino brothers and Gene Cordero, an engineer, were top civilian employees that worked in the government controlled facility. President Marcos, and his millionaire crony Manuel Elizalde, owned the majority of the shares of the establishment. Both controversial figures fled the country with their accumulated wealth after Cory Aquino and his People’s Power revolution was about to overthrow the dictator who had been in power for over two decades. With Elizalde and Marcos out of the country, the funds that ran the arms plant dried up quickly prompting the closing of the facility in the late 1980’s. Aquino and Cordero remained as overseers of the now vacant facility and were looking for new investors to take over the operation, which was still capable of producing weapons in large scale.

In 1988, there were several parties from the Philippines who contacted this writer through my book publisher, Paladin Press, who had read my “Rim-fire Battle Guns” books published in that same year. One of them was Gene Cordero. Gene expressed his interest in my designs and wanted to produce them in the Philippines if I could find an investor to take over the Bataan facility. A year later, I received a letter from foremost gun designer Gordon Ingram through his close associate Donald Thomas, a noted military arms historian and current Small Arms Review staff archivist, indicating he was looking for offshore vendors to supply parts for his new generation Ingrams – The “Ranchero” rifles. I quickly passed the information on to Cordero. It is my understanding that a brief negotiation took place between Ingram and the Philippine party but nothing came of it. The Bataan facility was offered to manufacture complete weapons but Ingram was only interested for a sub-contractor to make certain components for his guns. To run the massive Elisco complex that originally employed hundreds of workers and operated 24 hours a day in its heyday, was a costly undertaking and something Ingram was not prepared for. Ingram weapons were known to be produced both in the USA and abroad and many were used by police and military forces in South America and the Far East.

I did not hear from the Philippine contact for several years. However, in 1992, a letter from Cordero was received informing me that they had finally sold the Bataan facility, had bought some of Elisco’s machinery and rented a small shop in Blumentritt, a busy business section of Manila and formed a small company called Automatic Weapon System, Inc. The Aquino brothers controlled marketing matters while Cordero supervised shop operations which employed a dozen former Elisco machinists and gunsmiths. AWS’s primary function was geared towards research and development of new weapon concepts for the local police forces that had now been integrated with the military under the new Aquino administration. In addition, the company also produced small quantities of sporting guns and hunting rifles as well as providing gun repairs. Cordero’s letter indicated that AWS was currently looking for a simple double action 9mm semi automatic design which they intended to develop and produce for the local police and security market to compete with Arms Corporation of the Philippines’ Colt style revolvers and 1911 pistol copy. After the fall of Marcos, civilian gun ownership was quickly revived and instantly revitalized both the local manufacture and import market of small arms. Prior to the martial law in 1972, there was only one local manufacturer licensed by the government to produce commercial arms for the local market and export, the Arms Corporation of the Philippines (Armscor). Once the military government was ousted, Armscor was soon joined by smaller companies producing commercial grade imitation revolvers and automatic pistols of various calibers as well as magazine fed pump shotguns and bolt action hunting rifles. Many of these shops were based in Danao, the famous creators of home-made “Paltik” guns. AWS is one of the very few newly founded arms makers to be based in the heart of Manila. I was requested by the company to submit a handgun design along with terms of the contract. A 9mm automatic pistol design meeting AWS specifications was submitted at the end of that year. However, no concrete negotiation took place. The company opted to produce a Colt revolver type and a pump action shotgun instead, which they claimed found more interest in the local police and security market.

In early 1994, another request for a gun design was put forward by AWS. The company indicated that they are working closely with several military and police agencies who expressed interest in a concealable submachine gun smaller than an UZI or an MP5; something that can be employed by undercover operatives and VIP bodyguards. Political warlords maintaining private armies are the biggest clientele of weapon importers in the country. They are equipped with the best assortment of military hardware, made from around the world, which money can buy. AWS’s goal was to tap into this open lucrative market by producing a comparable weapon to the Mini UZI, Beretta 93R and HK VP-70 at a fraction of the cost. The vast availability of the .45 ACP 1911 pistols in the military inventory was considered a viable alternative. It could be redesigned to selective fire to meet the concealability criteria. The original specification called for a simple substitute mechanism that can be readily installed without any modification to the gun so quantities of the military issue 1911 could be instantly transformed to a machine pistol format should a batch urgently be required by a special unit to deal with a specific role. This was a sound idea from an economical stand point, but the 7-shot firepower of the single stack .45 ACP magazine was questionable. AWS came up with a noteworthy “drop in” type mechanism that would permit automatic fire in a 1911. A prototype was build and successfully tested. However, this arm failed to attract any takers due to its very limited firepower and excessive recoil in .45 ACP.

Having failed to gain interest among the local government agencies to adopt their big-bore machine pistol invention, AWS was forced to look for another alternative solution. The major stumbling block was the weapon’s limited firepower and excessive recoil in .45 ACP. The sensational Canadian made Para-Ordnance hi-capacity 1911 pistols were taken into consideration as a primary candidate for the Model-2 machine pistol project. Its 15-shot firepower in .45 ACP and 20-shot capacity in 9mm/.38 Super was ideal along with its all steel construction. This writer was again consulted in this project and was requested to submit a design that would allow a selective fire for a 1911 type pistol that would also function with the new hi-capacity models. The select fire hi-capacity version was designated AWS Model-2. The author’s design only required a single hole to be drilled above and between the sear and hammer pins to the right side of the frame to assemble the fire selector lever pin, which was the same diameter as the sear pin. The selector is retained in position by the slide. A captive 1/8 diameter spring loaded index ball locks the position of the selector to the desired setting. The rest of the required components simply replaced the regular parts such as the hammer, sear and disconnector. In addition to mechanical simplicity requirements, AWS also specified compensators and heavy duty spring actuated buffers for caliber the .45 ACP and .40 S&W versions to counter recoil and muzzle rise in full auto. The buffer system must also prevent slide battering that can result in frame cracks; something experienced with the earlier “full auto only” Model-1. In addition, a detachable folding stock was added for long range application as well as a folding front grip positioned near the muzzle for a more natural two hand hold that would allow maximum control of the weapon in automatic fire with the powerful .45 ACP and .40 S&W calibers.

In December 1995, I submitted a new design to AWS. The company built several prototypes based upon this design using imported Para-Ordnance frame kits, and an assortment of military and commercial slides and small parts. The final prototypes used many after market custom parts and accessories including several types of compensators that were readily available from mail order sources. The final configuration resulted in extraordinary custom 1911 machine pistol fit for the 21st century. According to Cordero, the test guns proved extremely reliable, were controllable with compensators and very accurate with custom grade barrels. The experimental guns were built in various calibers (.45 ACP, .38 Super and 9mm) and were tested by various local agencies in 1997 with favorable result. All weapons functioned extremely well with 1,000 rounds fired on each prototype with very few malfunctions, and those were attributed to locally manufactured ammunition utilizing lead bullets and not the full metal jacket type. The rate of fire was considered too fast in full auto with the .45 ACP in excess of 1,000 rpm; the .38 Super at 1,200+ rpm and the 9mm close to 1,300 rpm. The evaluators were quite impressed with the weapon’s overall configuration and handling characteristics especially with the .38 Super with virtually no felt recoil and minimal muzzle rise in automatic fire. The Super also produced the best in overall accuracy. Interest in the weapon was indicated but wanted a slower rate of fire or a burst limiting device like those employed in the VP-70 or 93R to conserve ammo – something an agency can not overlook when a single .45 ACP round can cost as much as $1 for an imported brand. Locally manufactured ammunition for big-bore autoloaders, such as those made by Armscor, are not reliable when used in automatic pistols because of their soft lubricated lead bullets.

The result of the evaluation test was forwarded to me by AWS requested that a burst limiting device be added to the design feature to make it competitive with other modern machine pistols being offered by Heckler & Koch and Beretta. I briefly went to work on a revised trigger mechanism design but abandoned the idea after AWS failed to keep their part of the bargain. Later, it became apparent that AWS was experiencing financial difficulties during the last stage of the machine pistol project; something not indicated to this writer. The company eventually failed to compete in the local market with their existing products that ultimately led to its final demise in 1997. According to Cordero, whose last contact with me was in 1998, the working specimens were sold to the highest bidder among the political warlords to recoup the cost of the development and prototyping expenses.

1911 type machine pistols were commercially offered in the past such as those produced by the Spanish firm STAR in the 1930’s but failed to gain commercial success due primarily to its lack of compact firepower. There were 15, 25 and 30-shot stick type magazines offered for these early generation service class machine pistols but they are a foot long being of a single stack format. These magazines made the weapon bulky and unwieldy defeating its primary design objective – concealability. Despite the addition of some very clever cyclic rate reducers in the later Star machine pistol models, the company failed to incorporate a muzzle brake device and front grip to aid in control and prevent muzzle rise. Colt also experimented with 1911 machine pistols during World War II to evaluate its military potential. The US military did primary testing for these prototype guns but found them less effective and more expensive to manufacture than a conventional submachine gun like the M3 Grease gun and Sten. Although AWS is now history, its machine pistol program is not considered a total failure. It was in the right direction all along. They had the perfect weapon that is ideally suited to fill special roles with the modern military and law enforcement, not to mention VIP protection. This evidence is even clearer today with the introduction of ultra-modern miniaturized assault weapons such as the FN P-90, H&K PDW and others. The small hi-intensity ammunition used in these new breed of mini-assault weapons, when utilized in a state-of-the art 1911 machine pistol, will certainly find takers among military specialists from around the world. Equipped with a light ultra-compact folding stock (doubles as a holster), front grip and a competition proven compensator, a modern polymer high capacity 1911 machine pistol would finally come to age. It is an old friend in a new guise, trusted in many wars, and given a new image to fill an even greater role for America’s fighting men in the new millennium. The AWS 1911 machine pistol system is the shape of things to come.

The Two-Stage cocking system

The AWS 1911 machine pistol trigger mechanism has been kept to outmost simplicity. There were dozens of patents relating to full auto modifications for this famous combat handgun since the 1920’s but none will come any simpler to this design requiring only a small hole to the right side of the frame to accommodate the fire selector pin. The illustration shows how the two-stage cocking system works during manual loading. (Note: trigger not pulled). The fire selector is set for semi-automatic fire.

The Select Fire Mechanism

The original trigger mechanism employed in the AWS 1911 machine pistol features a simple “drop in” type full auto converter kit. This was designed by Gene Cordero of AWS. The system was later refined by the author in a select fire format to meet the company’s formal request for the improved Model-2 that can be adapted to a high capacity 1911 pistol. In order to assure reliable functioning of the weapon, the required modification to the original mechanism was kept to bare minimum. To complement the simplicity of the design, a simple fire selector mechanism was incorporated to the right side of the frame where the usual right side paddle of an ambi-safety would seat.

Semi Automatic Functioning

To fire the weapon in semi automatic, rotate the selector lever towards the rear in a horizontal position. The notch of the lever pin will face the hammer mounted auto sear. When the trigger is pulled on a cocked hammer, the front end of the auto sear will pass the notch of the selector pin after the regular sear is tripped camming the disconnector downward to separate the connection between the trigger and disconnector in the usual manner. (Note: The top end of the original disconnector was cut off to prevent it from being actuated by the action of the slide.) The sear will bounce back to its normal position under spring tension. During rearward recoil of the slide, the hammer is first held in fully cocked position at the rear shoulder of the frame by the auto sear. As the slide reaches its last 1/8 inch forward closing, the trip will depress the top shoulder of the auto sear, releasing the cocked hammer from its connection with the frame. As the hammer is tripped, the regular sear will intercept the hammer and will hold it in cocked position ready to fire the next round after the trigger pull is released. This sequence of operation is repeated as fast as the operator can pull and release the trigger until the magazine is empty.

Full Auto Functioning

To fire the gun in full auto, rotate the fire selector downward to a vertical position until it rests against the grip. The solid portion of the selector pin will now face the auto sear. Assuming that the weapon is loaded and the hammer is cocked, pulling the trigger will trip the regular sear to fire the gun. On its downward motion, the hammer mounted auto sear’s front end will be deflected away from the disconnector by the solid portion of the selector pin, precluding the usual disconnecting process as described in semi-auto functioning. With the disconnector not being cammed downward as the hammer hits the firing pin, the trigger retained its connection with the regular sear. Maintaining the pull on the trigger in this mode will prevent the regular sear from re-engaging the hammer. During the firing cycle, the auto sear takes over the cocking and firing of the weapon mechanically. This sequence is repeated automatically until there are no more cartridges in the magazine or the operator releases pressure on the trigger. The slide will be held open after the last round is fired.

The Dual Action Spring Actuated Recoil Buffer System

Primary tests conducted by AWS with their Model-1 “full auto” only 1911 machine pistol in .45 ACP resulted with the gun being uncontrollable in automatic fire due to excessive recoil and muzzle rise. The high rate of fire also resulted in frame cracks and heavy peening of slide as a result of metal-to-metal battering during recoil. To solve this serious problem, the writer designed a heavy duty buffer system incorporating dual action springs, which are mounted on both ends of the full length guide rod. The rear mounted spring buffer is actuated at the last 3/4 inch of slide closing. As the slide reaches its last 1/4 inch of forward recoil, the second buffer is brought into action combining the power of the dual springs together to block the remaining impulse of the recoil, which cushions the metal-to-metal contact between the slide and the frame. This part also prevented damage to major components while providing neglible felt recoil with full power .45 ACP and .40 S&W cartridges. The triple-chamber compensator has effectively minimized muzzle rise and is further aided by the use of a front grip. Utilizing the heavy duty buffer system to .38 Super and 9mm has virtually eliminated felt recoil on long burst even without the aid of a compensator device. This advantage provided the operator maximum control of the weapon in any mode of fire being selected.

In 1963, the United States placed an arms embargo against South Africa because of their government’s position on apartheid. This embargo was expanded in 1978 when the United Nations prohibited the export of arms to South Africa from all its member nations. At that time South Africa was experiencing a wave of terrorism that was a threat to its security and stability. Without a reliable supply of arms the situation was getting desperate. South Africa took a bold step and started its own defense industry by creating ARMSCOR along with Lyttelton Engineering Works. Lyttelton was a small arms manufacturing facility located in the beautiful city of Pretoria. I was in South Africa in 1985 and accompanied a friend who had a job interview there. We got a very brief tour of the facility as security was extremely tight at that time. Lyttelton grew under the pressure and was producing the FN FAL under license. They named that rifle the R1 and it was built to supplement the military. They also built the IMI Galil variants, also under license, that were named the R4 and R5. The LM4 was a civilian variation of the R4 as it only fires in the semi automatic mode.

ARMSCOR was also very prosperous and expanded its operation from small arms to military vehicles, electronic and telecommunication equipment. They then started to export these products to other nations bringing much needed revenue to South Africa. This was short lived however, as the United Nations in 1984 passed another resolution calling for another embargo against the purchase of arms from South Africa.

The LM4 was developed for use by civilians and farmers of South Africa. Being isolated on the large farms and cattle ranches, miles from help, they needed a weapon that was both reliable and handy and could produce a great deal of firepower to hold off the bands of heavily armed terrorists that were threatening their very existence.

Lyttelton took the basic Galil design and changed it to develop the R4. It was then refined slightly again in the creation of the LM4. The first change was the elimination of the wood forend and the steel buttstock. On the LM4 the forend is synthetic and the stock tubes were replaced with nylon. The buttstock was also lengthened about an inch to accommodate the larger stature of the average South African. The typical Galil carrying handle was also eliminated. These three changes make the LM4 significantly lighter (4.3kg) which is a benefit to those who have to carry it around all day long. Lyttelton also strengthened the front sight base by adding metal in that area to improve the original Galil design. Another improvement is the typical AK-style safety selector – characteristically both awkward and noisy to engage. On the LM4 it is still there, but it has been supplemented with another lever that is ambidextrous. This new addition is located on the left side of the weapon on the top of the pistol grip. This improvement allows the safety to be engaged while the stock is in the folded position which otherwise would be impossible. It is also a big help for left handed shooters. The only problem with this improvement is that the pistol grip lever operates backwards. The lever must be pulled backward to select “R” (repetition) and pushed forward to select “S” (safe). Despite this design quirk it is a tremendous upgrade as now the shooter does not have to remove his hand from the pistol grip to disengage the safety. The movement of this lever is a bit stiff but proved not be a problem for an average person. It has been reported that several members of the SADF have remedied this situation further by prying the selector away from the receiver slightly. This not only solved the problem of stiffness, it also made quieter the dangerous loud click that occurs when the selector is moved. Another internal change was the addition of a recoil buffer in the back of the receiver, which is a much needed improvement. The 5.56mm version of any of the Kalashnikov variants puts a great deal of force on the rearward motion of the bolt carrier assembly. This is a common problem with this cartridge often resulting in the back end of bolt carriers peened over and the backs of receivers severely battered from this forceful motion. It has been observed that a milled receiver on a new Bulgarian AK actually cracked because of this violent cycling. The large plastic buffer thoughtfully positioned in the LM4 would eliminate this problem.

The LM4 came packaged in a sealed plastic bag. Inside was a very well done instruction manual printed in the typical South African style of both English and Afrikaans, as these were the two official languages of the country at that time. The manual is very comprehensive and covers everything from technical data, operation, disassembly and assembly, preventative maintenance, trouble shooting, guarantee and after sales service.

The rifle came equipped with one 35-round steel magazine, which is identical to the Galil magazine. A nylon 35-round magazine was also available at that time along with a 50-round magazine. The 50-round magazine provides an impressive amount of firepower but its long length prevents its use with the bipod when shooting from the prone position. Another option was tritium night sights. The rear consisted of two dots and the front was a vertical bar. These sights were easy to install and were very bright. They were invaluable at night and could be folded down when not in use. Oddly, the other optional item that had to be purchased separately was a cleaning kit. The kit came in a canvas roll and included all the normal components one would find with one exception: the kit contained a broken shell extractor. Again, some forethought went with this choice. Taking into consideration that a broken shell could render the rifle useless in a tight situation, and the vast distances one would have to travel to remedy this occurrence, this tool gave the farmer or rancher a quick fix that he could do in a few minutes.

The LM4 is a very reliable rifle being able to shoot all types of 5.56mm ammunition with no malfunctions. The trigger is the typical Kalashnikov type that one would encounter in any of the variants and is noted for a great amount of creep. Some say that this creepy trigger affects accuracy, but you must remember that this is a battle rifle and the accuracy it achieves is more than adequate for fighting in the bush.

The LM4 has a pillar-type adjustable front sight and a flip-type rear sight. The low setting is for 0 to 300 meters and the high setting is for 300 to 500 meters. The night sights are set for 100 meters. The recoil produced by the 5.56 round is negligible and therefore it is a very comfortable rifle to shoot.

Very little information is available regarding this rifle as ARMSCOR was more concerned about security than commercial sales. The LM4 is a fine rifle that was very well made and reliable, but was rarely encountered outside of South Africa. Unfortunately, because of the drastic political changes in South Africa, this rifle is no longer in production and examples are extremely rare.

LM4 ASSAULT RIFLE SPECIFICATIONS

Caliber………………………………………………………………….5.56 NATO

Operation……………………Gas. Rotating Bolt, Semi Automatic Only

Weight………………………………………………………………………9.48 lbs.

Length Buttstock folded……………………………………………………29.13 inches

Buttstock extended………………………………………………..39.57 inches

Barrel Length………………………………………………………..18.11 inches

Rifling……………………………………..6 Groove, 1in 11.8” Right twist

Manufacture…….Lyttleton Engineering Works (Pty) Pretoria, RSA.

GI Joes and Janes fighting the Global War on Terror (GWOT) are getting some damn good stuff through the system these days. Among noteworthy pieces of gear are a variety of day optics that help pinpoint bad guys in crowds of ordinary citizens and increasingly sophisticated night sights that strip away the cloak of darkness and even “see” through smoke and sandstorms. Just about everything from pistol magazines to “smart munitions” is more and better as America’s vast technological advantages and economic resources are directed toward supporting the warfighter. Who thinks this has resulted from the collective wisdom and dedication of legions of bureaucratic bean counters? SAR argues that troops fighting terrorists today – and those who will undoubtedly be doing so well into the foreseeable future – should credit NDIA in general and its Small Arms section in particular.

This worthy organization’s 2005 annual gathering was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey’s impressive Convention Center over three information packed days beginning on 17 May. Each morning kicked off with a general session, giving all an opportunity to benefit from prepared remarks by authorities like Marine Corps Systems Command’s top general and the Army’s Program Manager for Small Arms.

Back to School

Afterward, attendees had to make some hard choices among more than fifty multi-track panel discussions, informational and technical papers. So, there was a fair amount of shuttling between conference halls where experts explaining ammunition innovations spoke concurrently with those of mortars. Or small arms at the same time as international infantry, then fire control vs. weapons and ammunition. Luckily, PowerPoint files with many of these presentations are readily available to all though the internet. Inexcusably, most postings omit the text of prepared remarks so one is left for the most part with meatless bones to gnaw on. Wise to this frustrating situation, many attendees run tape recorders but that presents the equally daunting task of reviewing hours and hours of poor quality audio. Note-taking requires a fast pencil and a keen eye for essential points. What follows are some brief points from downloads, tapes, slow pencil, and jaundiced eye.

Those needing more are strongly encouraged to log on at www.dtic.mil/ndia/2005smallarms/2005smallarms.html and scroll down to the titles listed here in the order posted.

• LETHALITY 101 by Shawn Spickert-Fulton, US Army ARDEC. “When a shooter asks the experts about his weapon’s ‘lethality,’ he is likely to get more responses than he has rounds. These answers, like the shots, will all be off target to some degree.” The Joint Service Wound Ballistics Team is working to clarify, define and standardize methods of gauging relative lethality. Will this someday put an end to endless silliness written about “knockdown” and such?
• MORTAR OVERVIEW by Major Paul Shuler, APM for Army Mortar Systems. This set the stage for seven in-depth papers on the latest developments in the infantry commander’s “hip pocket artillery,” including smart ammo and mortars linked to the digital battlefield.
• PROGRAM MANAGER SOLDIER WEAPONS OVERVIEW by Colonel Michael Smith, PMSW. Colonel Smith led an in-depth presentation by key members of his team on what’s in the pipeline for near term and later issue. (Editor’s Note: SAR was given the opportunity to conduct a wide-ranging interview with the colonel and his two top deputies. A comprehensive feature on the vital work of PMSW may be found in Small Arms Review, Vol. 9, No. 3, December 2005.)

• JOINT SERVICES SMALL ARMS CAPABILITIES UPDATE by Joel Goldman, JSSAP Chief. JSSAP is working to correct identified shortcomings in current infantry weaponry with respect to target acquisition, lethal and non-lethal capabilities, personal defense, and detection avoidance. The US Army National Small Arms Center and the National Small Arms Technology Consortium are actively seeking technologies that advance state-of-the-art and improve capabilities to sustain military supremacy so JSSAP can plug these in to both today’s weapons and developmental platforms. Among JSSAP’s many cutting edge programs may be found the 25mm XM109 Anti-Materiel Rifle and XM29 Integrated Airburst Weapon System.

• LIGHTWEIGHT SMALL ARMS TECHNOLOGIES by Kori Spiegel, JSSAP, and Paul Shipley, AAI. In February 2005, AAI won JSSAP’s multimillion dollar contract for further development of what may emerge in about two years as a replacement for the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. “Alternative materials” are being explored for the receiver and barrel along with caseless or plastic cased ammo. See also: COMPONENT TECHNOLOGY INVESTIGATIONS FOR LIGHT MACHINE GUN APPLICATIONS by Lucian Sadowski, ARDEC.

• FUTURE FORCE WARRIOR UPDATE by John Edwards, ARDEC. Tomorrow’s high tech infantryman is on track from a Stryker Integrated Land Warrior sometime around 2007 to the Objective Ground Soldier System of 2014. Along the way technological developments now in the works will be incorporated to increase survivability and lethality.
• FCT (Foreign Comparative Testing) and SOCOM SHOULDER FIRED WEAPONS by Keith Martin, SOCOM. It’s no secret that American special operators – Rangers in particular – have a great affection for their awesome 84mm Carl Gustaf M3 recoilless launchers. The family of off the shelf ammo includes some spectacular rounds such as the newly procured ADM 401 Area Deterrent Munition packed with more than a thousand flechettes.
• MINIATURE DAY/NIGHT SIGHT DEVELOPMENT by Barry Gatewood, NSWC Crane. Shortcomings in SOPMOD sighting components are being addressed with new COTS (commercial off the shelf) products including Elcan’s quick switch 1 to 4 power day Enhanced Combat Optical Sight-Carbine, Litton’s “starlight” Miniature Night Sight Version II and Insight Tech’s Clip On Night Vision Device Thermal.
• LIGHTWEIGHT REMOTELY OPERATED WEAPONS SYSTEMS by Anthony Sebasto, ARDEC. Recently demonstrated combat success of the formidable 600 pound CROWS (common remotely operated weapon station) compels development of smaller and lighter systems at ARDEC. One is the Picatinny Lightweight Remote Weapon Station, only 200 pounds ready to shoot. Another is SWORDS, familiar to our readers as the weaponized TALON robot.
• S.C.A.R. – SOF COMBAT ASSAULT RIFLE by Troy Smith, NSWC Crane. FN won the initial contract for the 5.56mm SCAR Light so the Belgian firm has a lock on further development and manufacture of the 7.62mm Heavy version and the 40mm Enhanced Grenade Launcher Module.
• MPRS – MULTI PURPOSE RIFLE SYSTEM by Alon Guttel, Israel Military Industries. While Uncle Sam continues long-track development of the XM29 Integrated Airburst Weapon System, IMI is said to have already fielded something with very similar capabilities. MPRS is a modular bolt-on system consisting of a sophisticated fire control system that interacts with tube launched “smart” airburst programmable 40mm grenades or advanced muzzle launched ordnance. Need quick aerial recon but no spy drones available? Shoot a Rifle-Launched Reconnaissance Grenade carrying a miniature TV camera that sends pictures back to your GI issue Palm Pilot!
• 40MM AIR BURSTING MUNIITON SYSTEM AND LIGHT WEIGHT AUTOMATIC GRENADE LAUNCHER by Fong Kok Chung and Aw Chen Hok of Singapore Technologies Engineering. Similar in capabilities to General Dynamics’ 40mm MK47 Advanced Lightweight Grenade Launcher, the STE LWAGL boasts a computerized day/night fire control system and a “smart” airburst blast and fragmentation warhead. Total system weight of 65 kg breaks down into three loads of 23.5 kg or less for individuals to carry.

Mysteriously absent from the posted proceedings is a presentation by Transformational Defense Industries’ Tim Lindsay and Andrew Finn on “Super V,” an exciting new recoil-mitigating technology demonstrated in the prototype KRISS submachine gun firing full power .45 ACP ball at 1,300 rpm. TDI expects to apply “Super V” to long arms as well and has promised SAR a live fire evaluation as this program matures.

Awards

This year’s George M. Chinn award was presented to Rich Audette of Program Manager Soldier Weapons and the Carlos Hathcock award went to Christopher Mitternight of Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane. Also honored for years of exemplary professional service were Sal Fanelli and Jim Schatz of Heckler and Koch, Marvin Maule of Aberdeen Test Center, Colonel Michael Smith and Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Clarke of PM Soldier Weapons, as well as Lieutenant Colonel Robert Carpenter, now with National Defense University.

Dr. Stephen Small, JSSAP’s own national treasure, succeeded again this year in telling a century-old story that was spot-on relevant to today in his Awards Luncheon address “A Bold Initiative: Colonel Miles and the Lee Magazine Rifle in 1879.” This fast-cycling bolt action became better known in later times as the British Army’s beloved Short Magazine Lee Enfield. Small’s postscript had heads nodding in agreement that true visionaries should not expect to be warmly embraced by entrenched bureaucracies. “As for the Lee rifle, it has the dubious distinction of being the most successful rifle ‘never’ to be purchased by the U.S. Army.”

Hardware Show

Welcome respite from information-rich presentations was provided by numerous breaks in the large exhibit hall where more than sixty commercial firms and government entities showed their wares. The diverse subjects of many dry technical papers and an alphabet soup of acronyms took form there in an array of things to pick up, point, look through, and discuss.

From AAI with a model of JSSAP’s conceptual “Lightweight Machine Gun” and ammo mockups (www.aaicorp.com) to Weibel Scientifics’ precision instrumentation (www.weibel.dk), attendees got up close with new hardware and knowledgeable product reps – many of whom are the engineers responsible for design and production.

SAR Editor-in-Chief Dan Shea and this reporter started at opposite ends of the hall searching for what’s new, improved, and noteworthy. Some observations from our pooled notes:

• NSWC Crane, the superstore for SEALs and Special Boat units, has combined a deck mounting soft recoil heavy machine gun mount with smoke projectors. Shoot, screen, scoot!
• JSSAP is working diligently on reducing the bulk and weight of remotely-aimed weapons stations and PMSW is proud of many quick-fixes to urgent soldier requests. Some cases in point are the SWORDS robot gun mount, the eleven pound XM192 tripod and an M240 with titanium receiver. www.peosoldier.army.mil.
• Elsewhere in the hall we found Savit, supplier to PMSW for those handy soft pack belted ammo carriers and a neat little collapsible stock for the M249 SAW.
• Reed Knight’s candidate in PMSW’s XM110 Semiautomatic Sniper System competition, a highly evolved SR-25 with a custom-built Leupold day optic, adjustable buttstock, and URX (Upper Receiver Extending) Picatinny Rail. www.knightarmco.com
• Aimpoint’s new 3Xmag, a quick-mounting three power magnifier optimized for in-line use with the M68 Close Combat Optic (Aimpoint CompML3). www.aimpoint.com
• Elcan’s SpecterDR, a dual-role combat sight that switches instantly from 1x close combat to 4x for extended range engagements. www.elcan.com/specter
• Buffer Tech showing Enidine’s remarkable new M16 buffer, as well as an improved MagCinch with built-in bottom pull tab and several sizes of MOLLE compatible pouches to hold multiple cinched mags. www.buffertech.com
• Otis Technology continues literally “on a roll” with a bunch of different compact weapons cleaning kits built around a flexible, coiled-up cleaning rod. Uncle Sam and most everybody else dealing with anything dirty from pistols to grenade launchers are using Otis kits – now available in stylishly practical desert tan. www.otisgun.com
• Brownells nifty 3-way combo cleaning head for 40mm blooper barrels and plenty of other stuff from their indispensable catalog. Don’t go to war without it! www.brownells.com
• MEI’s Hellhound and Draco 40mm enhanced effect ammunition (www.martin-electronics.com), perfect companions to Milkor USA’s MGL-140 six-shooter 40mm blooper.
• McNett’s “Camo Form” stretch material for guns and gear in all the favorite disruptive patterns including USMC MARPAT and the new Army ACU digital. www.mcnett.com
• Cobb Manufacturing’s FA50(T) bolt action sniper rifle in .50 BMG caliber. www.cobb50.com
• RUAG Ammotec’s button-tipped, high energy transfer 9mm “green” ammo that is reputed to be in widespread SOF use including Germany’s famed GSG9. www.ruag.com
• Metal Storm is continuing development of its unique stacked caseless ammo/launcher technology on several fronts including the planned live fire demonstration featuring an unmanned helicopter equipped with a cluster of downward-blasting MS tubes. www.metalstorm.com

Range Time

Atlantic City has just about everything one might expect in an oceanside vacation playground with the glaring exception of a suitable military multipurpose range. So attendees climbed aboard chartered busses late Thursday morning for a pleasant hour-long drive up the Garden State Parkway to the US Army’s Fort Dix.

HK’s Sal Fanelli once again did most of the hard work in coordinating and emceeing the Small Arms Symposium’s traditional government and industry live fire demonstrations on good old Range 59C. With its sweepingly panoramic vista of Dix’s enormous impact area, the range’s “safety fan” allows everything from popguns to air strikes so collateral damage wasn’t an issue.

What was a big issue arose from New Jersey’s draconian and punitive gun laws, discouraging all but the most determined commercial firms from bringing in weapons and ammunition for the event’s demos. While a suitable subject for a full page rant, suffice to say that the NJ State Police’s petty prohibitions and absurd obstacles to law-abiding defense contractors contribute nothing to national security. If half the attention NDIA got was directed at Newark, all of the Garden State would be a safer place to live.

Fortunately, the US military doesn’t face such harassment so planned demonstrations by some of Picatinny Arsenal’s better-known organizations could proceed. The buzz among attendees centered on plans by JSSAP and Program Manager Soldier Weapons to show and shoot most of the lineup of experimental weaponry so it made sense to drive out early to cover setup and test firings.

Sure enough, ARDEC and contractor technicians soon rolled in with truckloads of hardware and plenty of ammo for all the promised XMs. Apparently because SAR works hard to stay on the “good guy list,” we were allowed to not only stick around but also get in close for detailed photos.

The pictures accompanying this feature document the extraordinary first “public” firing of a HEAB (high explosive airburst) round from ATK’s 25mm XM25 airburst weapon, the newly-selected 40mm XM320 grenade launcher from HK, and General Dynamics’ cleverly convertible XM307/XM312 in 25mm and .50 caliber respectively. Additional Picatinny demos included the Barrett .50 cal. M107 Long Range Sniper Rifle and its astonishing big brother, the 25mm XM109 “Payload Rifle.”

The final government demo was PMSW’s CROWS (common remotely operated weapon station) fitted for the occasion with the delightfully anachronistic M2HB, John M. Browning’s 85 year old design that’s still going strong worldwide. CROWS, usually mounted atop an up-armored HMMWV, is a remotely aimed and fired techno marvel that allows a gunner seated at a computer station inside in relative safety and comfort to find and fire on enemies in all light and weather situations.

Industry Demonstrations

More homage to the influence and importance of NDIA Small Arms Symposium attendees came from a determined firearms industry cadre with the strength and fortitude to jump through New Jersey’s flaming hoops.

HK Defense led the way by unveiling its innovative HK416 Enhanced Carbine. This complete rework of the Stoner/Colt M4 features a short stroke gas piston, simplified bolt assembly, no-rebound buffer, and free-floating barrel inside a four quadrant rail forearm. A slightly modified version of its underbarrel mounted 40mm side-opening grenade launcher was recently selected by the Army’s PMSW as the XM320.

HK is always savvy to what makes demonstrations impressive and memorable. HK’s Rob Tarter completely submerged the carbine in a barrel of water then immediately fired a thirty round burst. Similarly, Phil de Garis’ grenade blooping was done with some special 40mm tracer rounds that arrest the eye as they lazily arc to the impact point then smash open to release a cloud of orange powder. www.hkdefense.us

Armalite’s president Mark Westrom got some help from Kathy Roa, PMSW’s public affairs officer, for a suppressor muffled demo of his firm’s entry in the Army’s hotly-contested XM110 SASS (Semiauto Sniper System) trials. www.armalite.com

Lietner-Wise Rifle Company’s petite Marianne Rosato showed there was nothing to fear from recoil in firing the LW15 .499 in semi and full auto. This M16 type rifle is cleverly modified to reliably feed and fire L-W’s astonishing 300-grain .499 caliber cartridges, delivering a stunning 1,875 foot pounds of energy at 200 yards. www.leitner-wise.com

Grenade blooping reached epic proportions as Milkor USA’s Richard Solberg Jr. repeatedly popped 40mm target practice rounds from his firm’s MGL-140 six-shooter at a menacing lineup of silhouettes. Reloading is fast and easy with the launcher’s swing open design and all six rounds can be squeezed off in about three seconds. Sadly, safety nannies had previously ruled out any firing of MEI’s spectacular new DRACO and HELLHOUND grenades. www.martin-electronics.com

Remington is aggressively in there for some PMSW competitions including the XM26 Modular Shotgun and the XM110 SASS. Mike Haugen showed how his firm’s 12 gauge 870 based Modular Combat Shotgun could be quickly customized in four versions from high capacity conventional to underbarrel accessory.

Haugen used the shorty Breaching version to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of Remington’s no-lead and frangible Disintegrator Number 4 buckshot ammo by blowing open a door without skipping a beat in his narration. www.remingtonmilitary.com

Once the last round had been fired in formal demonstrations the line opened up for event attendees to come forward and put a few rounds downrange. Regulations kept all but active duty military and government program personnel from firing the JSSAP and PMSW weapons but all were welcome by the industry presenters.

Want bragging rights from full auto with a .499? Line up at Leitner-Wise. Curious about how HK made the troubled M4 workable for special operators? Slam a High Reliability mag into a 416 and pump it dry. Always hated to reload after every round from your M203? Thump out six 40 mike-mikes from an MGL-140. Worth the price of admission all by itself….

Auto-Ordnance “Bridgeport” Drums

One of the most common drum magazines encountered by Thompson collectors is what is referred to as the “Bridgeport L drum.” However, very few collectors realize that there is more than one style of these venerable drums. The following are my personal observations and is not meant to imply that one variation is rarer or more valuable than another. Rather, simply a statement of fact for collectors to start looking for the differences.

I am also not going to get into differences in markings where a comma or period is or is not visible. Collectors must remember that dies used to mark parts wear out and among the first thing that wears out are the small marks in the roll die. Manufacturers generally don’t worry about replacing a die until you cannot read all of the information. Instead, I will discuss changes of entire die sets and is what I will call a separate production run.

When Russell Maguire purchased the Auto-Ordnance Corporation on March 3, 1939, he owned a debt laden company with little assets but had some very good prospects. At the time, the Type XX Box and L Drum magazines were being produced by Mitchell Stamping Co. (M.S.CO) and probably Wooster Pressed Steel Co. respectfully. Mitchell Stamping was merged into a new company called United Specialties Company and became one of at least two different stamping divisions, with the headquarters for the new company being in Chicago.

With Maguire in control of Auto-Ordnance, the L drum production was also moved to United Specialties. The exact reason is unknown, but having one company supplying all of the magazines may have been the contributing factor. By the time that United Specialties took over the production of the L drum, the drum face plates already had the well defined drain slots and the cover markings with the “WIND TO 9 CLICKS” at the eight o’clock position on the face.

United Specialty used this design for their first L drums. The first design has the wording “WIND TO 9 CLICKS” (using .185 inch high lettering) centered on the drum face at the six o’clock position. The front face plate uses the drain slots and terminology (with slightly different alignment – i.e., a new set of dies) as the last Wooster L drum. A block outlined capital letter “U” is stamped between the front face plate rivets. The back face plate information still has the New York, NY., USA address (again with slightly different alignment than the Wooster), slightly less well defined drain slots and a block capital letter “U” (not an outlined U).

The second in the series of United Specialties L drums is the first of the “Bridgeport” address drums. This transitional drum’s front cover face plate and instructions are the same as the first United Specialties drum. However, the back face plate now has the Auto-Ordnance address as “Bridgeport, Connecticut”. There is also the “U” between the face plate rivets. This drum was probably made about the time that Auto-Ordnance built their factory in Bridgeport, circa 1941.

The third in the series is the L drum that has the instructions “WIND TO 9 OR 11 CLICKS” (using .200 inch high letters) centered on the front face. The front face plate also has the winding instructions changed to “9 or 11 clicks” and no information on the Model of 1921. Actually, the instruction to wind to 11 clicks is for the Model of 1921. The “U” is marked between the rivets on the front. The back face plate information stayed the same.

The fourth version is the first design to have the Auto-Ordnance “Thompson Bullet Logo” located centered at the 6 o’clock position above the “WIND TO 9 OR 11 CLICKS”. The “WIND TO 9 OR 11 CLICKS” (using .180 inch high letters) is a different font style than the third series as another set of dies were made. All other information on the face plates stayed the same.

The fifth and final version is very similar to the fourth and is the hardest version to visually pick up the differences on. This drum has the “Thompson bullet logo” and “WIND TO 9 OR 11 CLICKS” in what appears to be a bolder type font, using .220 inch high lettering. The front and back face plate instructions are the same though the “U” on the back face plate is now an outlined “U”.

Other World War II L Drum Production

The Crosby Co. (183 Pratt St., Buffalo, NY) – Crosby was contracted to produce the L drum by the British government in 1940. Crosby was paid $25,000 for tooling and $420,000 for the production of drums under a Defense Aid contract (DAW 740-ORD-2). By the end of the war, Crosby had produced about 243,000 L drums.

Crosby drums are considered by most collectors to be low in quality, yet if properly maintained they will function as well as any Thompson drum ever produced. It is just that they were never finished as nicely as other maker’s drums. The metal surfaces were never grit blasted and were either Black Oxide coated or painted black.

The Seymour Products Co. – These drums were originally shipped with a silver sticker label with the company name typed on and applied over the stamped markings on the front face. However, these labels were normally removed by the first users. The body is blued with no grit blasted finish applied. Seymour produced about 190,000 L drums during WWII under Lend Lease contracts. The company was awarded the Army- Navy E Award of excellence for its Thompson submachine gun magazine production on 21 August, 1943.

Wooster Pressed Steel Co., Wooster, Mass. – The company began production of L drums during WWII under a British contract in 1940. Prior to this, Wooster had produced L drums directly for Auto-Ordnance in the 1930’s. The British drums were produced under contract DA-W-241-ORD-726, for a total of 50,000 drums. The WPSCO drums are blued or diluted with no grit blast finish.

Charles Fischer Spring Co. – These drums were produced during WWII. However, all were rejected and ordered to be scrapped. Nevertheless, a few examples still exist today.

Robbins .22 Caliber Drum Magazine – One of the rarest of the WWII drum magazines is the drum for the Robbins .22 caliber conversion unit. Designed and built by Charles Robbins of Cincinnati, Ohio prior to the US entering World War II, it was the first successful .22 caliber conversion unit for the Thompson submachine gun. The units were all hand fabricated and sold to police and military. One sale of these units required Mr. Robbins to be recalled from the Philippines, after “MacArther’s return,” to produce the units for the US Secret Service. After the order was complete he was returned to combat.

Prophylactic Brush Co. – The Prophylactic Brush Co. was contracted by the US Army Ordnance Dept. to produce phenolic Bakelite “plastic” reinforced with hemp rope L drums in 1940. The idea was to reduce the need for steel in the production of magazines. However, the drums were a failure as the plastic drums weighed more and were even more fragile than the steel drums.

During the Knob Creek event this October, the National Firearms Act Trade and Collectors Association (NFATCA) held a meeting with a large number of dealers and collectors who were present on Thursday evening during set-up for the shoot. The group addressed an audience of approximately 100 guests at the range. The President of the NFATCA, John Brown, of Battlefield Sports, began the meeting by summarizing the short history of this non-profit trade association whose primary mission is to work collaboratively with ATF and the NFA Branch to advance the interests of the NFA community. The meeting focused on the many achievements of the group since its formation in early 2005.

Among its more substantial accomplishments, the group contracted two former ATF employees to write the first NFA Handbook focusing on providing dealers, manufacturers, and collectors with a wealth of information, currently undocumented, concerning the rules, regulations, and procedures governing the NFA community. To date, the contractors and the NFATCA have provided four draft chapters of this handbook to ATF for review. The NFATCA continues to work with ATF to review and approve the content. Once complete, ATF agreed to publish this handbook as a formal handbook much like the current “Green Book”. Both ATF and the NFATCA believe the content will be extraordinarily helpful to ATF and the dealer, manufacturer, and collector community.

In addition, the NFATCA continues to provide substantial input to ATF in order to assist with the development of electronic Form 3 and Form 5 transfer applications. We will all see the progress on this program at SHOT in 2006.

After the President’s opening remarks, Mr. Brown introduced the current members of the NFATCA Board of Directors and special guest Ken Houchens, Chief of the NFA Branch.

Mr. Houchens explained the move process from Washington, D.C. to Martinsburg, West Virginia and the changes and additions in personnel that have taken place with the move. Mr. Houchens addressed the group on many of the transfer issues that face our community and answered a series of questions from the assembled dealers and collectors. At the conclusion of his presentation, those present applauded Mr. Houchens’ efforts on behalf of the NFA community.

The NFATCA concluded the meeting with an appeal to the community to get involved by joining the NFATCA. Mr. Brown announced that the NFATCA would be actively participating in the Small Arms Review Show in December and the SHOT Show in January. Mr. Brown also announced that the NFATCA is actively seeking new members to continue to push an agenda for the entire NFA community that preserves the rights and interest of every dealer, manufacturer, and collector in the community. For more information please visit www.nfatca.org.

S.O.E.

The Special Operations Executive (S.O.E.) was formed on July 19, 1940. It was primarily concerned with the organization of agents and cells of resistance throughout occupied Europe, as well as providing them with the weapons and means necessary to resist the German occupying forces and their collaborators. The research and development department, Station XII, was based in Aston House close to Stevenage. In addition, there was a weapons section located in the barns at Bride Hall known as Station VI, who, among other assignments, was tasked with the gathering of weapons from any imaginable source for the use of the resistance movements in Europe. The development and production of weapons for the SOE was handled by Station IX. The Commander of Station IX, Col. J.R.V. Dolphin, resided in The Frythe, a mansion approximately one hour drive north from London near the town of Welwyn.

Station IX

Early in 1941, the decision was made to separate development from production. Station XII at Aston House took care of the production and Station IX became solely a research and development facility. Station IX now busied itself with the research and development of weapons and gear to be distributed to the resistance movements. Small cabins and barracks began to sprout all over the estate taking up function as laboratories and workshops. Station IX rapidly became a key factor in the support of the resistance movements and agents behind enemy lines in occupied Europe. One among many successful SOE projects developed at Station IX was the Welrod pistol. The Welrod was produced in two basic versions: the Mk II, firing the .32 ACP round, and the Mk I, chambered for the 9mm Parabellum. The Welrod was so named by combining the first three letters of the town Welwyn – Wel – with the English word “rod”.

Model 1

Preceding any successful invention there are always one or several prototypes, as is the case with the Welrod pistol. The following is a brief description of the Welrod’s predecessor, the Model-1. One of the more notable differences is found in the bolt action; a conventional reloading mechanism similar to that of the Mauser K98. The bolt itself has been tilted in a further downward angle, placing it snugly to the side of the pistol in order to prevent it from snagging on the operator’s clothing. The difference in the trigger also distinctly stands out as it is positioned on the left side of the pistol and therefore must be activated with a forward movement of the thumb. The last major difference has to do with the magazine. It is clad with wood and doubly functions as the pistol’s grip. It is noticeably shorter than on the later Mk II and is an integrated part of the pistol and thus not removable. This means that the pistol had to be loaded from the top and with the breech open, similar to the Mauser C96. Generally, the design was met with satisfaction, but the fact that the pistol had to be loaded from the top, the clumsy bolt-action system, the reduced grip upon trigger activation and the disproportionate size of the pistol grip all combined to redesign the construction around March 1943, ending with the model we know today as the Welrod Mk IIA. That the Welrod wasn’t merely for show has been demonstrated on numerous occasions and it was far from coincidental that it became the pistol that, for decades, set the standard for suppressed pistols.

Variants

The Mk II was air dropped to the resistance in several variants. The primary difference between the two basic models, the Mk II and Mk IIA, are the shape of the trigger and the trigger-guide. Also on the Mk II you can see that the ejector port was ground along the length of the weapon (oval shape) whereas on the post #3300 series the ejector port has been ground perpendicularly to the length of weapon (angular shape). Furthermore, lesser variations can occur on both basic models as the changes were made currently. Typically, these are things like the shape of the sights, the ejector port or the way the suppressor was packed; the number of spacers and baffles, etc. The alterations were solely made for reasons of production and had no influence on the functionality or use of the pistol. It should be noted that other variants than the above-mentioned can occur as these descriptions only adhere to the Welrods I have had the opportunity to study. According to a document from The National Archives UK, the Welrod was, in both 9mm and .32 ACP, tested along with 76 other devices during the period October 1. 1943 – October 10. 1944. Both versions received the grading “B” meaning “substantial modifications needed.” It is tempting to assume that these modifications resulted in the change of designation from Mk.II to Mk.IIA. Sadly the characters of the modifications were never specified in detail and why the question remains unanswered. The Welrod Mk I (9mm Parabellum) was equally produced in at least two variants: Type A and Type B. However, I have not been able to define with certainty the difference between the two.

Description of Mk II and Mk IIA

On the exterior, the pistol consists only of the tube which, including the breech, measures 12.2 inches. On to the tube is fitted an approximately 1 inch wide magazine housing. The housing fits a modified magazine from a Colt Pocket Model 1903 .32 ACP pistol. The modification consists of a little locking mechanism soldered onto the back of the magazine. When inserted into the magazine housing, the mechanism locks into a small square hole on the back of the housing. The magazine, sheathed in rubber (Ebonite), doubly functions as the pistol’s grip. Unfortunately, this system turned out to be inexpedient, as the operator in extreme cases risked accidentally activating the locking mechanism thus ejecting the magazine. The safety of the pistol is a so-called grip safety. When the grip is held correctly the safety device on the back of the grip will be deactivated and the weapon can be fired. The safety works by mechanically blocking the action of the trigger but not that of the firing pin. The trigger, best described as a bent nail, is, contrary to the Mk I, not protected by a trigger guard, meaning that it cannot simply be tucked into the belt without risking an accidental discharge. The sights are basic front and rear with the rear mounted in a dovetail with no adjustment alternative as the Welrod is pre-sighted from the factory. The pistol weights 2.4 pounds. Even though the magazine holds 8 rounds, the manual recommends the loading of 5 rounds maximum in order to ensure a reliable feed of the chamber upon reloading. The Mk II’s are bi-coloured in that the receiver is brownish. The Mk IIA pistols appear well made, sturdy of construction and without lavish detail. It is parkerized and the finish appears steely grey. The rubber magazine is black. With the magazine off, the pistol can pass for almost anything. It was quickly dubbed “The bicycle pump” due to its anonymous appearance. Several of the Mk IIA’s and Mk I’s inspected bear semblance of having been painted black. Several areas still have paint residue around the trigger, trigger-guide and magazine housing. If they actually at some point in time were black, the reason has yet to be determined.

Function

The pistol is a single-shot weapon but since it is operated, and basically functions as a bolt-action rifle, it is possible to reload and fire relatively fast. This is accomplished by twisting the knurled end of the breech 90 degrees counter clockwise and pulling it back approximately 1.5 inch until it reaches the stopping screw. This extracts and ejects the empty cartridge case vertically as with the Luger P.08. The breech is then pushed forward, stripping a round from the magazine and feeding it into the chamber, and at the same time cocking the firing pin. The pin is of the “floating” type, as we know it, among others, from the Luger P.08 and basically functions in the same manner. To lock the breech, twist the knurled end 90 degrees clockwise and the pistol is ready to fire. The breech has its two locking lugs placed to the rear, as opposed to modern rifles where the lugs are placed in front of the breech head. As there is no protruding grip on the breech, you can visually verify the correct locking by checking that the purpose made V-shaped notch on the knurled part is aligned with the V-shaped notch in the receiver just behind the rear sight. For cleaning or maintenance the stopping screw is unscrewed with a coin or screwdriver allowing the breech to be extracted from the receiver. Keeping in mind the purpose for which it was built, it is obvious why the Welrod had no place on the open battlefields. This statement is supported in the English manual from December 1943 where the reason for the shape of the nose cap is given as follows: “The nose cap of the weapon is hollowed to enable an operator to place it tightly against the body of a person and fire. The noise is then still further reduced. This will allow the shooting of a man in a crowd with the minimum chance of detection. For this purposes, there is no question of any special training.” In the same manual, the effective range in daylight is given to be 25 yards, and in darkness – hence the fluorescent coating on the sights – 7 to 10 yards. The manual does however recommend that the operational distance be kept to within 8 yards. A prerequisite for shooting at 25 yards is explained as follows: “For these deliberate shot, extreme accuracy is required. It can only be obtained by correct trigger squeeze, that is by gradual squeeze of the whole hand. With training and practice it will be found quite possible to get very accurate groups at the distances mentioned. The gun should be held with the thumb and forefinger as close up to the muzzle as possible, the pistol grip being held by the right hand no harder than is necessary to compress the safety catch. For standing shots, the left elbow should be held as close in to the body as possible.”

The Suppressor

The Welrod differentiates from others in that it is constructed around an integrated suppressor. The entire mechanism is built into an 11.8 inch metal tube with a diameter of 1.26 inches. The roughly 3.74 inch barrel ends in a bearing approximately halfway down the tube. Along the five-tracked rifling, 20 holes have been drilled with a 0.63 inch diameter, permitting the gases to escape into the containing cylinder housing functioning as an expansion chamber. The bearing, best described as a sort of baffle, is provided with 12 holes equally 0.63 inches in diameter, enabling the gases to further circulate from the expansion chamber and into the deflector system consisting of a series of baffles and washers. When fired, the projectile passes through 18 metal disc baffles separated by twelve 0.2 inch wide spacers and three rubber washers. The baffles are of course provided with a hole to allow the projectile to pass unobstructed, but it must be noted that four of the discs has a hole diameter of 0.5 inch while the other 14 are but 0.37 inches across. It is extremely important when replacing the baffles that the three baffles with the wider diameter are placed on the outside of the washers in order to allow the washer material to expand as they are penetrated by the projectile. Somewhat different is it with the three rubber washers who have no holes until penetrated by the very first shot. The purpose of these washers are to reseal themselves, if not entirely then as much as possible after the exit of the projectile, thus restraining the gases and forcing them into the deflector system. However, the washers are quickly worn resulting in a significant decrease in noise reduction. This has no greater tactical influence though as the Welrod was solely meant as a liquidation weapon. The speed of sound at a temperature of 15° Celsius (59° Fahrenheit) travels 1,115 fps. (340 m/s). For every single centigrade rise in temperature, the speed of sound increase accordingly by 1.6 fps. (0.5 m/s.) It is therefore important to maintain a certain tolerance between the muzzle velocity and the speed of sound if the optimal sound reduction is to be obtained. According to the manual, the Welrod delivers a 72-grain Kynoch projectile at a muzzle velocity of 920 fps. (280m/s).

Decibel

The suppressor functions optimally within the first 10-15 rounds fired. The American OSS (Office of Strategic Services), according to a document dated February 12, 1945, performed a measurement on noise from suppressed weapons to help evaluate their own just finished prototype: the Hi-Standard Automatic Pistol calibre .380 ACP. All measurements are performed at a perpendicular angle 10 feet from the muzzle. From the document, the average noise level of the Welrod pistol was at 73 dB, Hi Standard .380 ACP at 81 dB and Hi-Standard .22LR at 71 dB. In comparison, a non-suppressed calibre .32 ACP pistol has a noise level of 105 dB. This equals, in the case of the Welrod, a noise reduction of approximately 32 dB. You need to keep in mind that the decibel scale is logarithmic as opposed to linear. From 1 dB to 3 dB you double the value, 6 dB you quadruple, 10 dB is tenfold the value and 20 dB a hundredfold. I, and many others, am of the opinion that the decibel factor is too intangible a notion to deal with, which is why I much prefer an audio/visual explanation and comparison. For this reason, the sound of a suppressed shot is best described as the sound of a .22LR percussion cap followed by the sound of a match being struck; the match sound being the gases slowly seeping from the suppressor. Should the operator choose to reload the weapon immediately upon discharge, the hissing sound of the gases will then be replaced by a dull “plop” as the gases are now released at once under pressure through the chamber. After firing 15 rounds or so, the efficiency of the suppressor is considerably reduced as the holes in the baffles are being worn to the size of the calibre itself. In many cases, an extraction tool together with a small canvas bag containing 3 spare washers was issued, permitting the operator to change these as the need arose.

Acknowledgement

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the following in no particular order: Mr. J. M. Ramos for allowing the use of his drawing in my article, Dr. J. David Truby, Dr. John W. Brunner and Mr. Ralph Hagan for contributing with their help and knowledge. Museum Inspector Esben Kjeldbaek and Storage Manager Soren Rasmussen, both of The Museum of Danish Resistance 1940-1945, Copenhagen. Police Inspector Ole Rasmussen and Weapons Technician Palle Larsen, both of the Federal Danish Police department of weapons technology.

Editor’s note: Measuring equipment available in 1945 was incapable of accurately measuring sound levels, and measurements from then are approximately 45 dB lower than those obtained by modern MIL-STD procedures today. SAR published modern tests on the Welrod system in SAR Vol. 5 No. 11.