British Lewis gun.

By Robert G. Segel

The iconic Lewis gun, invented by American Isaac Lewis, gained its fame in World War I as the then-new concept of a reliable man-portable light machine gun that the Germans nicknamed “The Belgian Rattlesnake.” Originally made in Belgium in 1914 before that country was overrun by Germany, the tooling was taken to England before capture where it was made by B.S.A. (Birmingham Small Arms) company. It was also made later in the United States by Savage Arms Company. But it was the British manufactured gun that saw the most service in World War I and the British who embraced it as a squad automatic weapon. Though ultimately replaced by the Bren gun as the primary light machine gun between the wars, the Lewis gun remained as secondary armament in the British inventory of small arm weapons and continued service well into World War II in many different capacities.

As an interesting aside, prior to U.S. entry into World War I in 1917, the army used some Savage made Lewis guns along the U.S. and Mexican border during that time in 1917, and the U.S Marines trained with the Lewis gun. When the Marines went to France in 1917 attached to the Army’s 2nd Division, the Lewis guns were taken away and the Marines were issued the French Chauchat M1915 in its stead.

Because the Lewis gun saw such wide service in two world wars, and had such an extended service life, gunner’s kits were a necessary accessory to keep them operational in the field. In World War I the gunner’s kit was a simple leather wallet that contained the bare essentials for the gunner. From lessons learned, the World War II era gunner’s kit was far more compete with a larger canvas carrier that allowed the gunner a wider range of field maintenance.

I want to welcome everyone to Knob Creek, where this issue of SAR will be handed out at the front entrance on Friday and Saturday. Hopefully, we’ll have good weather again, not too hot, not too cold, maybe a bit damp at night to keep the fire hazard and dust down and nice and sunny during the day. Like I said – hopefully. I look forward to meeting with people at the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot and Show every April and October, and since we moved to Nevada it has turned into one heck of a drive, but we keep doing it. I have to confess to being a bit punch-drunk from the long drive and the pounding of the guns, the long hours on the gravel, etc., but it is still great to see everyone.

Speaking of civilian sport shooting of machine guns, one of the things that has happened over the last month is that the state of Michigan has finally agreed that the citizens of Michigan can receive any transferable machine gun in transfer on a Form 4, not just the ones on the Curio & Relics list. That brings us down to only one state that is C&R machine gun restricted. There was an initial flood of interest from the Michigan residents who were paying attention, lots of transfers were started, then the whole process bogged down and ATF had to wait for their legal branch to OK the process. In the middle of February, the approval came down and transfers of machine guns were starting to be approved on Form 4s. Still up in the air, however, is the status of registered sound suppressors for firearms (silencers). The discussion is on, and Michigan residents who are interested in such things are pretty focused on getting ATF Legal to allow transfers on these as well. We are hopeful – whenever American citizens can get a give-back on gun laws, it has to be a good day.

In this issue, we have some fun with collecting and shooting; a bit of a break from our recent concentration on the current military firearms developments. We always try and balance the issue so there’s something for everyone, but considering that this issue is going to Knob Creek and the NRA Show, we did something on Bowling Ball Mortars as well as the collectible feature on Maxims that Robert Segel is displaying at the NRA Show.

I read Ted Avallone’s article on the LARC M19-A BB machine gun and just had to have it in this issue. It seems like it brings out the fascinated twelve-year-old in all of the people who have read it so far, and I don’t ever want to forget that feeling. We hope you enjoy it, and in this world of seriousness and tribulation, we at SAR hope that you remember to go have some safe fun at the range, and to take some kids along so they can share the fascinating history and technology of class 3 weapons.

– Dan

Firearms testing procedures employed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) are coming under increasing Congressional scrutiny.

In an October 19, 2005 dated memorandum from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) written in response to inquiries made by members of Congress, ATF officials have informed the CRS that there is no single “firearms testing procedures manual,” given the wide variety of firearms available in both legal and illegal markets.

The report’s author, William J. Krouse, a Specialist in Domestic Security, Domestic Social Policy Division at the CRS, said he was told that there is no “firearms testing procedures manual” by ATF Legislative Specialist Christine Smith in July 2005 as did ATF Inspector Liza Jones in September 2005. Jones also reiterated ATF’s official position on this matter during an Oct. 18, 2005 telephone conversation with Krouse, the report notes. Critics of ATF have requested congressional verification as to whether such a manual exists.

The issue of the methods used by ATF to determine whether a given firearm being examined can be fired in the full-auto mode has long been a bone of contention between defense attorneys and the Bureau. Allegations have been made that ATF’s testing results (in some cases) could not be replicated by private firearm consultants.

To address issues raised by ATF critics, in part, Rep. Phil Gingrey has introduced the “Fairness in Firearm Testing Act” (H.R. 1603) that would require ATF to make video recordings of all firearms and ammunition tests.

ATF Firearms Technology Branch

ATF’s Firearms Technology Branch (FTB) conducts tests to determine whether firearms are subject to the National Firearms Act, among other things. The FTB relies on a very large reference library of actual firearms and technical manuals in testing firearms. The ATF test-fires (at the FTB range) and disassembles firearms sent to them for evaluation. The disassembled firearm under examination is compared with sample firearms in the FTB gun library to verify whether it had been either modified to fire in a fully automatic mode or had been originally configured to fire that way. Following the evaluation, the results are documented in writing and with photographs by a firearms enforcement officer. In criminal cases, the officer will likely testify as to the classification of the firearm.

ATF Classification Letters

ATF regulations, rulings, and classifications are based upon the agency’s best interpretation of current law and reported case law. As such, ATF determinations are subject to the Administrative Procedures Act and can be challenged in federal court; after all other administrative remedies have been exhausted. (5 U.S.C. Section 702 establishes that “(a) person suffering a legal wrong because of agency action, or adversely affected or aggrieved by agency action within the meaning of a relevant statute, is entitled to judicial review thereof.”)

Upon written request, the FTB issues classification (determination) letters regarding technical aspects of the National Firearms Act and other applicable federal firearms laws. According to the CRS report’s author, ATF has said it maintains over 300 cubic feet of classification letters stored in file cabinets.

In general, these classification letters, once released to the original requestor, are not available to the public, although they can be obtained by outside interested parties through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). More often than not, the report discloses, they are redacted to protect the privacy of individuals and proprietary information. As there is no central index of these letters, however, some observers note that it is not a certainty that an individual who files a FOIA request for previously issued classification letters will receive every relevant letter issued by the ATF. Thus, ATF is the final arbitrator as to what classification letters are relevant to a particular FOIA request.

ATF’s findings and certifications made in court during criminal proceedings can be, and have been, successfully challenged by outside firearms experts. It has been suggested that attorneys defending individuals charged with NFA or other technical firearms violations make every effort to obtain all ATF rulings and technical records regarding a particular type of alleged firearm during discovery or through the FOIA process.

Rep. Gingrey’s bill is a Congressional attempt to resolve some of the controversies surrounding the ATF testing process. In addition to mandating that ATF make a digital recording, it would prohibit the Bureau from erasing or editing any such recording. It would also require ATF to furnish a copy of such recordings to defendants in criminal proceedings involving such items and to any person who requests a copy and claims an ownership interest in such a subject item. At last report, Gingrey’s bill was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security on May 10, 2005.

NRC Licensees & Contractors Can Get New MGs

The Class 3 firearms industry at press time was preparing for a batch of customers who have been newly authorized to possess post-ban machine guns due to an act of Congress.

ATF announced the change by way of a January 30, 2006 open letter which advised of the change which came about through a congressional amendment to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. Congress amended the Energy Act with the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-058) which was signed into law by the President on August 8, 2005.

Although the new provision does not amend the Gun Control Act of 1968 or the National Firearms Act, it does allow for the possession of machine guns by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensees and authorized contractors that provide security to these licensees at nuclear facilities. The language of the new law appears in 42 U.S.C. §2201a. This new provision is a departure from present legal restrictions which do not allow for post-ban machineguns to be imported for, transferred to, or possessed by non-government entities.

Before this new statute may take effect, the law states that the NRC must establish guidelines for implementation that are approved by the Attorney General of the U.S. (AG). Toward this end, ATF has met with the NRC to offer assistance in developing guidelines that will enable NRC licensees, contractors and FFLs to comply with all Federal laws and regulations that govern their conduct of business.

The NRC is reported as being in the process of preparing draft guidelines, but the approval process within the NRC and by the AG is detailed. For that reason, ATF advises, the implementation will take some time. In the meantime, ATF does not have authority to process import or transfer applications filed pursuant to the new regulations.

Trade Report: U.S. 2004 Ammo Sales Rose

Ammunition sales in the U.S. were reported as rising in all categories during 2004, according to the Ammunition Trade Report (2004) available on the “members only” section of the National Shooting Sports Foundation web site.

While the full report is only available to survey participants, IFT was able to discern the following excerpts. In response to the query, “Considering your domestic commercial sales of ammunition and components, please report the percentage change in shipments (units) over last year” (percentage change in 2004 sales over 2003), respondents replied that centerfire rifle sales were up 5.7%, centerfire pistol ammo sales were up 16.2%, rimfire ammo rose 7.6%, shotshells gained 13.4% and component bullets saw a 1.2% increase. The percentage of survey participants’ domestic shotshell shipments (units) that were comprised of non-toxic shotshells was 8.1%.

In response to the query asking what percentage of respondents’ shipments (in units) that went to wholesalers during calendar year 2004 (for only domestic commercial sales), the reply was: centerfire rifle 43.7%, centerfire pistol 38%, rimfire 26.3%, shotshells 29.5%, and component bullets 38.1%.

Respondents reported that the percentage of ammunition sold in 2004 that was imported into the U.S. (weighted average) was: 11.7% out of the total centerfire ammunition sales and 0.1% of the total rimfire sales.

Canadians Elect New Government

Paul Martin, Canada’s Liberal party prime minister who had proposed a handgun ban, has been defeated at the polls.

Conservative leader Stephen Harper will become Canada’s next prime minister, as Canadians have elected a Tory minority government and ended a 12-year reign of Liberal rule.

The Tories appeared to make significant gains in Ontario and Quebec, leading or elected in at least two dozen seats in Central Canada.

Martin had campaigned on his record as the former finance minister and his implementation of eight consecutive balanced budgets. He also promised to lower personal income taxes, create a national child-care plan, ban handguns, and subsidize post-secondary students.

Gun-owning Canadians reacted swiftly to Martin’s proposed handgun ban and many otherwise left-leaning newspapers editorialized against it, turning the issue against Martin. The new Harper government is expected to have closer ties to the American Bush Administration, and issues related to firearms commerce between the two countries may be eased.

XM-8 Project Reported Dead

The U.S. Army’s XM-8 weapon family project is reported as being suspended indefinitely. The government’s move was seen by analysts as a signal that the project is being written off as far as the military is concerned.

Last summer the U.S. Army had temporarily suspended the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the acquisition of the new family of small weapons – Objective Individual Combat Weapon Increment 1 (OICW-1). Increment 1 would have opened the door for the new H&K XM-8 weapon family, which was touted as the successor to the M16A4 assault rifle, M249 SAW light machine gun, and even the M9 pistol via a cut-down version.

M9 Pistol Magazine Contract Awarded

TACOM Rock Island Arsenal has awarded a five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to Airtronic Services, Inc. in Elk Grove Village, IL for the production of Beretta M9 Pistol Magazines. Airtronic Services is a woman-owned manufacturer of firearms, destructive devices and components for military use.

The contract requires Airtronic to initially produce 900,000 magazines for $4,059,000. The maximum number of magazines to be produced is 14 million units at $63 million ($4.50 each). Airtronic noted that the previous vendor, Checkmate, had charged $8.51 each.

TACOM’s award did not remain uncontested. PHT Corporation filed a bid protest with the US Government Accountability Office, maintaining that the agency improperly evaluated the past performance record of Airtronic, and that Airtronic’s price was unreasonably low.

In decision file B-297313, the GAO denied the bid protest, stating: “Where solicitation defined relevant past performance as performance on contracts with a value over $500,000 that demonstrates the successful manufacture of M9 magazine cartridge or similar item, award to offeror with no relevant past performance was reasonable where source selection authority recognized the awardee’s lack of relevant past performance, but nonetheless reasonably concluded, consistent with the solicitation, that the awardee’s overall past performance record justified a ‘moderate’ risk rating.”

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.

New Uzi CAR Stock Adapter from 25th CTC

From 25thCTC, the inventors and makers of the SKS “H” Recoil Buffer, Sten Recoil Buffer, Tec AB-10/PM-11/SKS “Muzzle Adapters” and much more, comes one of five upcoming new products; their new “Uzi CAR Stock Adaptor” or UCS. 25thCTC’s “UCS Adapter” allows any CAR/16 stock to be installed on semi-auto or full-auto Uzis. It will fit all full-size Uzis that have the hole for the stock nut in the receiver back plate. The UCS Adaptor is all metal, has a black matte finish and is made in the USA. No modifications to the gun are required, and it comes with complete installation instructions, stock nut and screw and two hex wrenches. Using their new “UCS Adaptor” along with a CAR stock will allow for custom length of pull and excellent weapon control. Retail price of this new adapter is only $35. For more information on this, and all of their full line of firearm accessories, please contact them at 25thCTC, Dept. SAR, 108 Smokey Lane, Griffithville, AR 72060. Phone: (501) 516-6025. They can be found on the web at www.25thCTC.com.

DPMS Introduces the Pardus Rifle

DPMS Panther Arms President Randy Luth’s vision of a rifle inspired by the elusive leopard (Panthera pardus), has come to fruition with the debut of the Pardus Rifle. The Pardus features many of the same components that have made the DPMS line of rifles successful, such as the forged 6061-T6 aluminum lower receiver, .223 caliber chambering and the outstanding accuracy and reliability of every DPMS rifle, but the new rifle will be a smaller, sleeker version of the traditional Panther rifle. Tapered lines will entice shooters to pick up the rifle and examine the 16 inch bull barrel with an integral compensator and an overall length of 36.75 inches. Shooters will also appreciate the overall clean profile, balance and light weight (8.1 pounds) of the rifle. Looking down the barrel, shooters will notice the shortened sight radius and the comfortable grip of the 4-Rail carbine length free float tube, as well as the single rail Koelbl gas block that will allow shooters to mount both optics and iron sights. The 3-Rail upper receiver, machined from a 6066-T6 extrusion, provides shooters a multitude of mounting options with the two additional Picatinny rails on the left and right sides of the receiver. A titanium nitrate plated bolt carrier assembly completes the upper receiver, and a titanium nitrate plated trigger highlights the forged lower receiver. The new rifle also features the new Pardus buttstock, a 6-position stock with a curved and serrated buttplate, and a Monte Carlo style cheek rest provide the shooter with a better comfort and fit. Hard coat anodizing and a tan coating make this rifle a custom design from DPMS. For more information on this exciting new rifle, please contact DPMS Inc., Dept. SAR, 3312 12th Street SE, St Cloud, MN 56304. Phone: (320) 258-4448. Fax: (320) 258-4449. They can be found on the web at www.dpmsinc.com.

Trigger Tamer – Improves Your AUG Trigger

As good as the Steyr AUG is as a rifle, you can now improve the heavy trigger pull with the new Trigger Tamer. The Trigger Tamer is a drop-in part and requires no modification to the host rifle. The Trigger Tamer is made from machined Delrin, which is actually smoother and slicker than the original Steyr parts. The new part requires only a pin punch (or a ball-point pen) to install and detailed instructions are included. It takes longer to read the installation booklet than to actually install the part. But if you don’t want to install the Trigger Tamer yourself, you can send your trigger pack to the manufacturer and they will install it for you free of charge. The Trigger Tamer works in semi-auto packs as well as full-auto packs and will work in AUGs as well as USRs. Users have a 60-day trial period to return the device for any reason for a full refund if they don’t like it. The Delrin part is so tough and strong that it is covered by a full lifetime replacement guarantee. Original Steyr trigger packs have various pull weights and it is hard to say what pull weight the Trigger Tamer will produce. But it will give a pull weight that is about 2/3rds of the original. For more information, please contact Trigger Tamer LLC, Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 759, Genoa, NV 89411. Phone or Fax: (877) 230-5950. You can also place on order online at www.triggertamer.com.

Command Arms Accessories Introduces Magazine Loader/Unloader

First Samco Inc. and & TDI Arms USA have combined to provide the best and most advanced arms accessories for your weapons. The new company, known as CAA, Command Arms Accessories, is committed to producing innovative products such as Picatinny rail systems, advances light and laser devices, hand grips, stocks, bipods and adaptors to satisfy the most demanding operators and usage in the most extreme conditions. Most products are available in black, tan, and OD Green. All Command Arms Accessories come with a lifetime warranty. This change does not affect the Fobus line of holsters and accessories. One of their first new products are two new magazine loader/unloaders. These new magazine loader/unloaders are made for the popular .223 caliber and the 7.62×39 caliber magazines. These new devices work with the M16/AR-15, Ruger Mini 14 magazines and the AK47 magazines. The new loader/unloaders are designed to load and unload single magazines as well as two magazines that are coupled together. Lightweight and compact, the magazine loader/unloaders utilize thumb activated levers for easy loading & unloading of magazines. For more information, please contact Command Arms Accessories, Dept. SAR, 1300 Industrial Highway, Suite B-3, Southampton, PA 18966-4029. Phone: (267) 288-9995. Fax: (215) 322-9223. Their website is www.commandarms.com.

Aimpoint Introduces Comp3 and CompML3 Red Dot Sights

Aimpoint, the world leader and innovator of red dot sighting technology, is introducing a new generation of sights. The new Advanced Circuit Efficiency Technology (ACET) is a breakthrough in technology and has been implemented in a new series of sights. ACET combines Aimpoint’s superior accuracy and ease of use with significantly lower power usage. ACET sights can last nearly 50,000 hours (on setting 7 out of 10) on a single DL1/3N battery. That is 49,000 hours more than other competitive sights on the same setting. The new sights are called Aimpoint CompM3 and Aimpoint CompML3. The difference between these two models is that the Aimpoint CompM3 is compatible with all generations of night vision goggles. The new series of sights have several improvements in comparison with present sights. The new sights are even more rugged than the previous generation and with the new ACET technology follows the possibility to choose from two fixed sizes of the red dot – 4 Minutes of Angle (MOA) or 2 MOA. It is said that 30 years of experience shows that the 4 MOA dot provides the best combination of accuracy and speed, whereas the smaller 2 MOA dot puts accuracy before speed.

The Aimpoint CompM3 and Aimpoint CompML3 come with a rubber cover that makes these sights extremely durable in severe environments. The covers are available in either black or dark earth brown. Both sights are submersible down to an impressive 135 feet (45 meters). The Aimpoint CompM3 and Aimpoint CompML3 are available now but will not replace existing CompM2 and CompML2 models. Also new from Aimpoint is their 3XMag. This is a 3 power magnifying adapter that is designed to mount behind an Aimpoint sight. It takes advantage of using the red dot of the Aimpoint and also adds greatly extended range for the shooter. There is no need to rezero, just mount the 3XMag and go. It allows the operator the best of both worlds: a CQB sight and an extended range sniping sight. In addition to the magnifying module, Aimpoint has also developed a patented new mount called the Aimpoint Twistmount. This mount allows the 3XMag to be removed or attached in seconds. For more information on these two new products as well as their full line of excellent sighting options, please contact Aimpoint, Inc., Dept. SAR, 3989 Hwy 62 West, Berryville, AR 72616. Phone: (870) 423-3398. Fax: (870) 423-2960. Their web address is www.aimpoint.com.

Most of you know that the NFATCA has been working diligently to develop the NFA Handbook. This effort, spearheaded by two former ATF resources, has been underway since late 2005. What we fondly describe as the Machine Gun Dealers Bible on steroids is well on its way to being completed. At this stage we have reviewed, and are in final process of, six of what is expected to be nearly two dozen chapters on a wealth of information concerning the NFA world.

We have had many requests from the NFA community asking to look at the information that we are developing to be published this year. As many of you can appreciate, our process of getting to a “version one” of this handbook won’t allow for us to disperse the information in detail and allow the feedback that I know we will receive once the first version is completed.

Nevertheless, we do want to “wet your whistle” on what is forthcoming at a high enough level of detail and yet not spoil its unveiling later this year. So many of you have asked we felt it was time to let you in on some of the details.

The handbook is primarily for the use of persons in the business of importing, manufacturing, dealing, and collecting in firearms defined by the National Firearms Act (NFA), or intending to go into an NFA firearms business. It should also be helpful to persons having questions about the application of the NFA.

This publication is not, nor is it ever intended to be, a law book. It is intended to be a “user friendly” reference book enabling the NFA community to quickly find answers to questions concerning the NFA.

We have defined and drafted Chapter One, which details the history of the NFA and how all of the current rules and regulations took effect that all of us follow today. Many of us know and understand the history contained in this chapter, but it is intended to communicate to the reader the specific laws and their history that define the NFA.

Chapter Two is an in-depth attempt to define what firearms, under the law, are governed by the NFA. This chapter is dedicated exclusively to clearing up many of the issues of “what constitutes an NFA device or firearm.” The information contained in this chapter will provide a greater understanding of the rules and regulations that govern classification.

Chapter Three is an in-depth look at the National Firearm Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR). Many of us have had a variety of questions concerning the NFRTR, how it works, how NFA information is kept and what it takes to register new NFA items in the registry. The chapter explores all aspects of the NFRTR and will serve as the first shot at answering some of the questions the NFA community has concerning the NFRTR.

Chapter Four deals with the NFA tax issues. This chapter is dedicated to the explanation and detail of how NFA taxes work for the community and how different NFA weapons are taxed in our community. The first level of details on tax issues with NFA weapons are defined in this chapter.

Chapter Five deals specifically with licensing issues as they relate to the NFA community for dealers, collectors, manufacturers and those wishing to do business in the NFA environment. It will provide a wealth of information to those interested in entering into this business.

Our final chapter that has been completed is Chapter Six. This chapter details much needed information on making NFA firearms by non licensees. Details of Form 1 preparation and the rules governing the manufacture are detailed in this chapter.

That being the last of what we have completed thus far, the NFA Handbook moves forward with new chapters and new information being developed every day. As we finalize the plans of working with ATF on this document we will, in later articles, divulge the process on how we disseminate the entire handbook to the NFA community.

At nearly fifty pages of information so far, we are well on our way to providing the NFA community with one of the finest resources ever available to explore issues, answer questions, and to begin the definition of the framework on how the NFA community lives. The NFATCA will be proud to release this document in 2006.

Estate papers recently surfaced documenting the life of a fascinating individual named Jean Koree of Romania. Mr. Koree owned 1/4 patent rights to the Hyde Model 35 Submachine Gun. Information from the documents shed new light on the weapon’s development and history.

Koree was an industrial engineer who moved to New York City in 1919, serving in various Romanian consulate positions. He left the government, going into business for himself in 1923. Koree developed a razor blade, which he began manufacturing in 1925. He later patented 3 different safety razor designs. He registered the trademark “ABC” for “American Blade Company” in 1926, (U.S. Trademark #216,330) and “Flexo,” for one of his razor designs in 1930 (U.S. Trademark #281,818). Koree saw good business success.

Auto-Ordnance Connection

Koree had an interest in small arms, particularly the Thompson Submachine Gun. He attempted twice to purchase Auto-Ordnance Corporation from the estate of Thomas Fortune Ryan in 1932 and 1935. Both attempts involved Auto-Ordnance company executive Col. Marcellus H. Thompson, son of John Thompson, namesake of the Thompson Submachine Gun.

The Auto-Ordnance deals fell through, which disappointed Koree. He may have seen a similar opportunity when he met George Hyde, who looked to approach the market with a new submachine gun design.

Association of George Hyde and Jean Koree

Hyde and Koree probably became associated through Koree’s interest in small arms, and Hyde’s observation of Koree’s business acumen. A 1935 letter said of Koree; “Mr. Koree has always impressed me as a man of unusual ability, with an unusual knowledge of foreign matters, and with unusual connections and selling capacity.”

The earliest record of Koree and Hyde’s association exists in the form of invoices for 450 rounds of .45 ACP ammunition purchased in late March 1935 for the purpose of “Testing Hyde Gun.”

Koree and Hyde contracted on April 11, 1935, and Koree began the patent paperwork. Hyde exchanged 1/4 of the weapon’s patent rights for Koree’s assumption of all costs involving patenting, manufacturing, and marketing of the weapon. The two agreed to form a corporation, which later became Triangle Ordnance Corporation.

The Hyde SMG Patent

The following list summarizes Koree’s patents leading up to and including the Hyde SMG patent:

• Vehicle Wheel, Patent #1,428,243, September 5, 1922 (Shared with Assad Malluk of France)
• Lockable Cover for Automobile Fuel Tanks, #1,447,260, March 6, 1923 (Shared with Assad Malluk of France)
• Resilient Bumper for Motor Vehicles, #1,457,259, May 29, 1923 (Shared with Assad Malluk of France)
• Safety Razor, #1,929,982, October 10, 1933
• Vehicle Wheel Rim, #1,931,229, October 17, 1933
• Safety Razor, #1,932,110, October 24, 1933
• Safety Razor, #1,981,958, November 27, 1934
• Gun, #2,049,776, August 4, 1936 (This is the Hyde SMG patent: 75% Hyde, 25% Koree)

Koree used other gun patents, and small arms manuals of the 1930s to aid in presentation of the Hyde gun in the patent application, and for marketing ideas. He developed a specification sheet for the Hyde based on one for a Steyr-Solothurn S1-100 SMG. Patent attorney Daniel Morris worked the details, including potential Hyde patent infringement on Auto-Ordnance patents for the Model of 1921 Thompson and box magazine with the U.S. Patent Office in late 1935.

The Hyde 35 patent was approved on August 4, 1936. The weapon was originally developed by Hyde in the early 1930s at Lake Erie Chemical Company, and refined to the patented model sometime in early 1935.

Koree’s excitement about the weapon’s prospects was apparent in his letters to various government agencies seeking marketing research information. He inquired regarding the total number of U.S. banks and sheriff’s departments existing at the time, in an attempt to determine potential marketability.

NFA of 1934 and Neutrality Laws: Industry Jitters

Since the National Firearms Act of 1934 was newly enacted, Koree familiarized himself with the law, and appeared to mostly follow the rules. As a foreign national showing interest in machine guns, and with the situation heating up in Europe, he nevertheless attracted some attention.

Koree made several inquiries regarding parts suppliers, and received an appointment with a Mr. Carpenter at Remington’s Bridgeport, Connecticut plant in March 1936. The meeting organizer mis-communicated the backgrounds of the attendees, and Koree subsequently arrived with an associate from his former Romanian government work. Since the gentleman with Koree served in a foreign government capacity, Mr. Carpenter chose to shun both men, as Remington was nervous about recent neutrality laws, and the potential for trouble involving public discussion of armament sales to foreign countries. Mr. Carpenter was described as “surprised and disturbed” when Koree introduced the Romanian representative, and the situation resulted in embarrassment. Remington chose to “do nothing, rather than run the definite risk of doing anything that might be misinterpreted.”

Nervousness abounded in the 1930s firearm industry, as an inquiry to Winchester by Koree regarding manufacturing Hyde barrels raised concerns with Winchester, and subsequently, the Feds. Edwin Pugsley, a vice-president at Winchester who later gained notoriety during development of the M1 Carbine, wrote a letter to Koree on April 7, 1936 regarding barrel pricing. Pugsley stated, “…we are all set as soon as we can find out from the Government what the regulation is so far as making the barrel is concerned. To date we have been unable to get a ruling on this and have written again for an interpretation of the law.” A follow-up letter from Pugsley to Koree on May 4, 1936 stated Winchester had received an answer from the government, and could proceed with a price quote based on the submitted sample. The quote was $6.75 each in lots of 1,000, and $5.75 each in lots of 5,000, and indicated they could deliver at a rate of 40 barrels per working day. The quote was for barrels made of “regular Winchester proof steel, which is a chrome molybdenum alloy having extremely good physical properties, insuring great strength and long life.”

Federal Scrutiny

Winchester’s inquiry to the Feds regarding the barrel deal prompted federal action. On May 18, 1936, Treasury Deputy Collector Harry Frankel sent a letter to Koree, “…in reference to some information regarding firearms the government would like to know.” The Treasury Collector had tried to contact Koree on several occasions, and seemed apprehensive in the letter. Frankel finally spoke to Koree on the same day he mailed the letter, and he followed up in a May 19th letter stating the following: “As per our conversation, I would like you to send me an affidavit, sworn to by a notary, whether you had any firearms in your possession on or before July 26, 1934 – and what use you intended in the machine gun barrels you were negotiating for with the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. of New Haven, Conn., also full details of your regular business at that time, and at present.”

Koree replied to Frankel on May 25, 1936: “In answer to your letter dated May the 19th I am glad to state, that I did not have any firearms in my possession on or before July the 26th 1934 or thereafter. I am interested in a new invention in Sub Machine Guns however and have therefore asked the Winchester Repeating Arms Corp. of New Haven Conn. to let me know what their quotation in lots of 1,000 and 5,000 barrels would be, in case such barrels and such quantities should be required.

“It is my intention to organize a company for the manufacture and/or sale of such new and improved guns and to endeavor to sell them to such organizations (Police, Banks, etc.) as the Company will have the legal right to sell to.

“I have been engaged for the last 5 years in the sale and manufacture of Safety Razor Blades and had the honor of serving as a member of the Code Authority of the Razor and Blade Industry.

“Numerous inventions on Razors and Blades take my time now. Until last month my offices were at 187-189 Mercer Str. N.Y. where we occupied the entire second and fifth floors.”

Koree provided some inconsistent information to the Feds. He understated his time of engagement in the razor business, and also possessed a Hyde SMG for the photographic session in June 1935. Perhaps Hyde accompanied him with the weapon, but only Koree’s name appeared on the invoice. He also received a 1936 letter thanking him for demonstrating multiple Hyde guns to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

“Dear Mr. Koree,

We were more than pleased with your demonstration last week of the sub-machine gun which I hope to be able to put in use with the bank in the near future.

As you know, the guns were tried out by some of our expert shots and they found them most accurate, and the men were impressed with the simplicity of the mechanism. They noticed that the weight of the gun was so much lighter than other guns used by us.

One of my experts commented about the gun having little or no kick notwithstanding its lightness in weight.

Very Truly Yours,

Myles C. McCahill
Manager, Administration Department”

The lighter weight comparison undoubtedly referenced the 1921 Thompson Submachine Gun, used by the bank at the time.

Triangle Ordnance Corporation and Hyde Arms Corporation

Hyde’s 75% patent share produced a contract guaranteeing payment of $3.75 for every gun sold during the 17-year patent term. He agreed to work for 5 years at a salary scaling from $75 to $125 per week. The corporation recognized “the unique and extraordinary character of the knowledge and experience of said Hyde, and that his services cannot be duplicated.” His employment was retained to “carry on experimental work and make inventions in ordnance and to perform such other duties as may be assigned to him by the corporation from time to time.” Koree received $1.25 for every gun sold.

Triangle Ordnance Corporation incorporated in New York on July 9, 1936. Koree owned 50% of the company.

While Koree and Hyde assigned their patent rights to Triangle Ordnance Corporation, Hyde Arms Corporation was granted exclusive license to manufacture and sell Model 35 Submachine Guns. Hyde Arms conducted the only business that occurred with the gun, and they subcontracted most manufacturing to Griffin and Howe. Hyde Model 35 Submachine Guns cost about $75 to produce, and sold for $125.

Triangle Ordnance Corporation was an umbrella company that was well intended to engage in ordnance business, but never engaged in any substantial business. Koree faced New York State franchise tax problems between 1941 and 1943, and stated the following about Triangle Ordnance Corporation in 1941: “This corporation has not transacted any business since its incorporation. The owners of it wish to retain it as it is possible that it will become active in the near future.”

Lake Erie Chemical Company

Hyde first worked independently, and then for Lake Erie Chemical Company on his weapon as competition for the Thompson. Lake Erie wanted a submachine gun to compete with Federal Laboratories, who had exclusive distributor rights for the Thompson in the U.S. This hurt Lake Erie’s chemical agent sales, as most such sales to police forces were made in conjunction with weapons purchases.

The Hyde Model 35 Submachine Gun was evaluated during the U.S. Submachine Gun Trials at Aberdeen Proving Ground in late 1939. While the weapon was not adopted, it demonstrated some favorable aspects, including controllability and operation under certain adverse conditions.

George Hyde probably abandoned the project in 1939. The weapon never proved commercially successful, and the government trials sealed its fate. Hyde’s later projects are well known, and he appears to have disassociated from Koree after it became apparent the Hyde 35 wouldn’t be successful.

Koree did not give up, and retained rights to the Model 35 through Triangle’s patent ownership.

The ABC Automatic Hand Machine Gun

Koree began using his “ABC” razor trademark as a new name for the Hyde Model 35 SMG in January 1940, and the gun’s name changed to “The ABC Automatic Hand Machine Gun.”

No photographic evidence exists of a smaller model, but availability of a compact Hyde Model 35 was referenced in “European” calibers. A prototype may have been produced by Abercrombie and Fitch Co.

Koree believed strong foreign markets existed for the Hyde gun. As World War II began, more restrictive U.S. weapons export laws made many potential markets disappear.

Following the U.S. trials, sales efforts were focused on South America, including Peru and Argentina. Peru seemed interested, but wanted the weapon’s caliber changed to 7.65mm. Argentina did not respond to an invitation to demonstrate the weapon in their country.

Koree formed a sales commission agreement with an individual for sales to Canada, Britain, and France in March 1940.

Total Production Numbers

Estimates put total production of the Hyde Model 35 Submachine Gun between 86 and 101 guns. This figure does not include prototypes, or earlier models that were produced in small numbers by Hyde prior to his association with Koree. Winchester produced 100 barrels for Koree directly in 1936. An April 1940 Griffin and Howe document reaffirms this number, and references an additional 100 produced by Winchester for Hyde Arms Company after the first batch. An undated assets and liabilities sheet lists 99 barrels remaining in inventory. The Hyde barrels referenced in the document are probably the barrels Numrich has sold for many years, one of which was purchased by the author to look for markings. The barrel, which is the only remaining Hyde part available for current purchase, appears of high quality, and no markings exist except for an index mark.

An undated assets and liabilities sheet found in a Triangle Ordnance folder lists assets totaling $3,392.09, and liabilities of $4,798.25. Included in the liabilities were $1,629.48 owed to George Hyde, and almost $3,000 owed to either Seymour Griffin personally, or to the Griffin and Howe Company. Hyde formerly worked at Griffin and Howe, and Hyde Arms subcontracted them for manufacturing.

Remaining inventory included $203 cash, $1,700 worth of machine tools, 99 Hyde barrels, 1 Thompson barrel, 46 straps, 64 swivels, 24 Mauser sights, 3 complete guns, and 15 partially complete guns.

The list represents all that remained of the venture. Griffin and Howe probably got paid, based on a letter to Winchester in 1940 releasing to Koree any tools they had paid for that Winchester used for making Hyde barrels.

Conclusion

George Hyde saw his subsequent submachine gun design adopted by the U.S. Army as the M2, only to be eclipsed by the cheaper M3 after production startup problems with the M2 caused cancellation. He died in 1964.

Jean Koree achieved other successes, including invention of a new subcutaneous injection device, and prosperous real estate deals. His interest in ordnance continued through his life.

The Hyde Model 35 Submachine Gun compared favorably to the Thompson, but never saw success. Some mystery remains, and we may never learn its entire story. Examples of the weapon exist in the NFA registry, but the total number remaining is unknown.

The Koree estate documents provide a fascinating glimpse into small arms history. Other undiscovered paper treasures undoubtedly exist that can provide more insight into this and other weapons. We just have to keep looking.

By Robert G. Segel

The 14th annual All Thompson Show & Shoot, in association with the Thompson Collectors Association (TCA), was held on August 12-13, 2005 at the Thompson Collectors Conference Center in Newark, Ohio. Established in 1990, the All Thompson Show and Shoot is a gathering of interested people devoted to the collecting, shooting and history of the famous Thompson submachine gun.

Friday Thompson Show

Over one hundred people registered to attend the show and twenty-five people exhibited their Thompsons and accessories on fifty display tables. The two-day event was extremely well organized with TCA members and guests arriving on Thursday and setting up their tables for the show on Friday, which opened at noon. The sheer number of Thompsons in their various models and configurations, and the variety of accessories, would make any Thompson enthusiast wide-eyed in wonder.

At one p.m. on Friday, Michael Sigillito and David Albert conducted a multimedia lecture series in the conference room of the Thompson Collectors Conference Center based upon their new book Thompson Manuals, Catalogs and Other Paper Items. The ninety-minute presentation was attended by over thirty-five people and was split into two parts. Mike Sigillito began by discussing the “golden age” of the Thompson era and the differing early editions of the Auto-Ordnance Corporation manuals, catalogues and other related Thompson paper items, including French and Swedish language manuals for the Model of 1928. David Albert followed with his presentation of wartime and post-war manuals, catalogues and other related Thompson paper items focusing on Marine, Army and Navy technical manuals, field manuals, base generated training manuals, Ordnance Supply Catalog Standard Nomenclature List (SNL), and Depot Level manuals. Foreign manuals discussed included the British and Indian Small Arms Training Manuals (SAT) and Czech manuals in the Serbian language. Also discussed were the different newer West Hurley and Kahr Arms catalogs and manuals.

Following the presentation, the TCA held a general membership meeting for their members and a meeting of their board of directors. Additionally, a mandatory safety meeting was held for all who were going to shoot on Saturday. Failure to receive a safety meeting attendance sticker on your badge disqualified you from participating in any of the shooting activities whether organized or open range time. Attendees circulated among the many displays and socialized until about nine p.m.

Saturday Thompson Shoot

Saturday was set aside for the Thompson shooting match at a beautiful outdoor Newark firearms range. Only Thompsons could be used for the two matches but anything could be used on the open line. The morning paper shoot began at eight a.m. and ran until noon with ten groups of five shooters shooting five events. The five events of the paper shoot were:

1. 20 rounds, single shot, 50 yards, 30 seconds, single target.
2. 20 rounds, full auto, 25 yards, 25 seconds, three targets.
3. 20 rounds, full auto, 25 yards, 20 seconds, three targets.
4. 20 rounds, full auto, 10 yards, 15 seconds, three targets.
5. 20 rounds, full auto, 15 feet, 4 seconds, three targets.

Scores were calculated on the number of hits on the regulation man-target with notation of number of hits in the “INZ-zone” to ultimately determine tie breakers. The INZ-zone is the area of the target that encompasses the brain and spinal column.

The shoot was professionally conducted with a range officer assigned to each shooter on the firing line with strict adherence to range rules and commands. Safety was the number one priority and not a single violation occurred.

After a break for lunch, shooters had the option of participating in a pepper-popper shoot at a side range, or open time at the main range, or both if eliminated early from the pepper-popper challenge. The pepper-popper shoot was also well attended and consisted of two shooters competing against each other, each shooting at their own set of five steel reacting targets with a sixth and final steel reacting target. The two final sixth targets were set at an angle to each other so that as they fell, they would cross over each other so as to determine which target fell first and thus determine the winner in a tight race. Each shooter shot against another in a best of two-out-of-three heat. The loser was done and the winner went on to shoot against another winner until, finally, only one was left.

By three o’clock, everybody was pretty much done and tired and everyone went to their respective area hotel rooms to shower and clean up for the outdoor catered banquet back at the Thompson Collectors Conference Center later that evening.

The outdoor catered buffet banquet was attended by over eighty people and featured tenderloin medallions, baked chicken, baked potatoes with all the trimmings, vegetables, salad, and a wide assortment of delicious deserts. The winners of the day’s shooting events were announced and given awards for their achievement. The first place winner of the paper shoot was Jim Graham, scoring 97% out of the 100 rounds fired with 23 hits in the INZ-zone. The second place winner was Mike Wank, also scoring 97% with 9 hits in the INZ-zone. The winner of the pepper-popper event was Frank J. Cygler.

The All Thompson Show & Shoot is a well run, well operated organization of Thompson shooters, collectors and historians. All giving freely of information and exchanging of ideas and research. The attendees are a true cross section of Americana who have a common interest in Thompson submachine guns and a nicer group of people you could ever meet. Their meeting this year, in association with the new American Thompson Association, will mark the 15th annual All Thompson Show & Shoot and will again be held at the Thompson Collectors Conference Center in Newark, Ohio. This year’s event, scheduled for August 11-12, 2006, promises to be an exciting affair with many surprises as they celebrate their 15th anniversary of the show and shoot. Please contact The American Thompson Association if you require more information or are interested in attending the August event.

By Chuck Madurski

Collector Grade Publications has been publishing high quality, high-value books on the world’s most important small arms for over 25 years. Beginning with their initial title North American FALs, published in 1979, they have provided advanced collectors, researchers, military historians and other arms enthusiasts with an ever-increasing catalog of in-depth historical studies. From the very beginning, R. Blake Stevens, the man behind Collector Grade Publications, has ensured that his books were printed using the best materials with sewn binding, full-color laminated dust jackets, and an attention to detail that has set the standard for the genre. Profusely illustrated with excellent and often rare photographs, Collector Grade books never fail to impress. However, it is the subject matter that truly sets Collector Grade Publications apart.

Today, Collector Grade books are the best-known sources of detailed, accurate information on various military small arms, and the good news is that a large percentage of them are about machine guns. From the esoteric WWII German FG42 Death From Above; now sadly out of print, to the politically controversial but now near-ubiquitous M16 (in two classic studies The Black Rifle and Black Rifle II), over half of the thirty-three Collector Grade titles currently in print are about machine guns or other automatic arms. When one considers the consistent quality of the books, the wealth of information and the subjects covered, it is obvious that the Class 3 community owes quite a debt to R. Blake Stevens and Collector Grade Publications.

With all of this in mind, and recognizing the important niche Blake has created for Collector Grade in the gun world, especially regarding machine guns, SAR paid a visit to his office in the charming country east of Toronto, Ontario to talk about gun books and the publishing business.

SAR: How did you get started writing and publishing gun books?

Blake: Like a lot of writers in the gun business, I started out as an avid gun collector. In fact, at one time I had my own small mail-order gun parts business called Collector Grade Parts & Accessories, which is where the name of the publishing company came from. My ads always included the phrase “Description Guaranteed,” and I’m proud to say that I never had anything come back.

The gun parts business wasn’t my “day job” though – I had a regular career going. But after a number of years of beavering away in the corporate environment, I found I had had enough. Unless you are working for yourself, there is always someone above you to make sure you know who is really in charge. I got to the point where I didn’t want to do that anymore. This was much tougher than I had thought, however. I had to learn a new way to think: instead of looking outside for my paycheck, I had to look inside and ask myself, “What do I know enough about so that people will pay me to do it?” No one teaches Entrepreneurship 101, at least not in the schools I went to. When I was younger I knew I wanted a job where I couldn’t wait for Monday morning to get back to work, and lo and behold, I found it. Due to my interest in the C1, the Canadian service rifle of those days, I already had a lot of research at hand, so I thought I’d write a book about the “North American FAL”!

SAR: That explains how you became an author, but what about creating the publishing company at virtually the same time?

Blake: I wrote that first manuscript by hand. Computers weren’t nearly as common or affordable then, and I found it easier to just write. It was a learning curve in a number of respects. So I’m going to write a book, well that’s great; lots to learn. Then I get it written and think “Oh thank God, the end!”, you know? It’s finally over. But no, that’s just the first step. Next thing was I had to get it published and printed, and that’s a big job. Not to mention distribution, otherwise you end up with a garage full of books forever. I tried to find a publisher who would take my project on and pay me a royalty, but I soon found that all the “general-interest” publishers viewed a large, in-depth gun book as obscure and off-the-wall, and nobody really wanted to touch it. The only other approach was for me to do it myself, which is quite an undertaking. Had I understood just how large it really was, I might have not attempted it. However, it was publish or perish at that point, and I didn’t want to waste all the work I had done, so I did it.

SAR: What did you do before the book writing and publishing business?

Blake: Well, I played trumpet in a dance band in high school, and considered music as a path. However, I got a job in a trust company in the financial sector in downtown Toronto and worked there for some years, advancing into systems analysis and computer programming. Then I went to General Motors for a short time, working as a programmer on early IBM mainframe computers. Then out of the blue I got a call from an IBM salesman who had made a sale to another trust company whose first concern was, “We don’t have anybody who knows how to program a computer.” He put them in touch with me as someone who could head it all up. So, not for the first time or the last, I took a leap. It brought me back to my home town of Toronto and it was a much better arrangement financially, but after a few more years, when the system was up and running well, that’s when I decided to go out on my own.

SAR: Why did you start with the North American FAL?

Blake: I guess it was mainly because the research material was comparatively close at hand, but it sure stood me in good stead when I had to fly to England and Belgium to dig up the information to do the second and third FAL books.

SAR: Did you plan from the start for your books to be the large format, high-quality reference tools they are?

Blake: Back when I started there were very few gun books which focused on a specific gun or system. The type of guns I was interested in were expensive even then, and I wanted to create the kind of books that would do them justice, in a quality format that would complement the guns in my own collection.

A large specialist book dealer told me that he has lots of gun show customers who want a book dealing with some gun or another they like to collect. The dealer will point out the several choices usually available, from a copy of an old military manual for a few dollars up through a series of books designed to sell at various price points, and then conclude by explaining that if they want the best, here is the Collector Grade book that will provide complete and authoritative coverage of the subject. Often the customer will buy one of the cheaper books, and come back a few gun shows later to tell the dealer he was right – they need the Collector Grade book.

Some of the better books out there have a lot of good information in them, but the text seems to jump around and can be hard to follow. I lay mine out chronologically, so the reader can see what happened, and why, throughout the entire history of the firearm. And right from the start with the original paperback edition of North American FALs, which by the way is a bit of a collectors item itself these days, all our books have had sewn-in pages. I wanted these books to be read and studied, and to last without falling apart.

SAR: Why don’t you include an index in your books?

Blake: Frankly, the reason why my books are not indexed is simply that I find myself genetically unequipped to produce such a thing. Every time I try (and I have), I get the same frustrated feeling: “Browning, John: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6…”. With my original premise in mind, that “Collector Grade” books are designed with the needs of an advanced collector in mind (myself, originally), I have consciously tailored the layout and content to be not something just to pick off the shelf for a quick check of a model number or caliber, ala Small Arms of the World, but as an enduring reference which will bear repeated readings, so that the greater the reader’s knowledge and familiarity with the text, the greater the dividends it will pay him. Added to this is my deliberate editorial arrangement of the material in a logical, chronological fashion, and the expanded Table of Contents, including up to five levels of subheadings, so that anyone even remotely familiar with the subject can reference any particular portion of the text quickly and easily.

SAR: Have you considered going offshore for printing, to cut costs and lower prices?

Blake: I could go offshore, and God knows they are doing excellent work these days in Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and places like that. But if you send your money overseas it never comes back. When I spend my money in Canada or the USA, it stays here, you know? Every few books I get a comparative quote from some printer I haven’t dealt with before but in the end, well, the longer I stay with the company I’m with, the better the relationship we have. They have come to know my needs and will do some little extra “custom” things for me. I am very happy having my books printed by the Book Division of Friesen Printers in Altona, Manitoba. Friesen’s specialize in high-quality image reproduction and are generally recognized as the finest coffee-table book producers in Canada. The extra touch of quality they bring to everything they do is much appreciated, certainly by me. They are also among the very few printers in North America who are equipped to print and bind right in their own facility. That does away completely with the problems one can (and often does) encounter when dealing with separate printers and binders, who both try to point the blame for wrinkled pages or worse at one another, to the ultimate dissatisfaction of me and my customers.

Also, today’s hi-res scanners, ultra-fast computers and photo imaging programs have allowed me to greatly improve the appearance of my books without increasing outside costs. The manuscripts for some of my early books were typeset in galleys on equipment which had no memory, and consequently every alteration required a laborious paste-up of a few new lines of galley type. Now with word processing programs and layout software, setup doesn’t take nearly as much time and the end result is a much better product.

SAR: Why are some of your books done in the landscape format as opposed to the usual portrait format?

Blake: I was following the content of the book. I chose the landscape (horizontal) format for books on large, long guns like the Lewis, the Bren, and even the Thompson. In a “vertical” layout the biggest image I can place on a page is eight inches wide, as the paper itself measures only eight and a half inches wide. In the horizontal or landscape format, I can make the same image nine and a half inches wide, which is 20% bigger. I got the idea from a publisher who specialized in commemorative books about famous warships – destroyers and so on – where the landscape format showed off the long ships in the water to their best advantage. I thought that was a really good idea, so I used it for some of my books where the format made sense. However some customers complained that landscape books don’t fit on their shelf properly and, due to these complaints, I discontinued the use of this format. After all, this is a business, and the clients should certainly have a say in what they are willing to pay good money for.

Conversely, I have had nothing but praise and approval for our continued use of upgraded matte coated paper and library-quality hardcover binding. This “reader acceptance” factor applies especially to the sewn-in pages I mentioned earlier. I feel that this is really an essential element for a reference work to which repeated returns are invited. Nothing is more annoying than to pick up an interesting book and find yourself holding a folio of loose pages!

SAR: What books do you have coming up?

Blake: We recently published Volume I of The Browning Machine Gun series by ex-US Army armorer Dolf L. Goldsmith, wherein Dolf covers all the rifle-caliber Brownings in US service. Volume II, subtitled Rifle Caliber Brownings Abroad, will be our next title. Our latest published book is called Desperate Measures – The Last-Ditch Weapons of the Nazi Volkssturm, a really fascinating look into the last desperate days of WWII in Hitler’s Germany. There is also a big Luger book in the cards. I don’t want to give too much away, but as you know there are already a lot of Luger books out there. So why is Collector Grade doing a Luger book? Wait and see…

Some people have asked me if I will be doing more Mauser books, for example, assuming that our Swedish Mauser title was a natural “follow-on” to Backbone of the Wehrmacht. The answer is that there is no master plan. I’ll get a call out of the blue from someone who will say something like, “Hi, my name is so-and-so and I’ve been collecting such-and-such for the last xx years. I like the way you do your gun books, but I can’t find anybody interested in doing mine with that degree of quality. Would you be interested?” I’ve had to turn down a few projects, such as a book on the Gyrojet, which would doubtless be very interesting, but I have to remember what happened to our SPIW book. This was one of the most fascinating projects I ever did, but sales were very slow. They’re all gone now, but basically the only guys who bought that title were cartridge collectors. The flechette-firing guns themselves were all experimental, and there just aren’t any in private hands, you know?

SAR: I am surprised at how small the Collector Grade operation really is. Do you have any assistants?

Blake: My wife, Susan, is our financial person, and also my proofreader.

SAR: How did she become your proofreader?

Blake: Because she’s really good at it. She hasn’t got a clue what many of the technical terms mean, but she knows if the words are spelled correctly or not, and she also knows her grammar. She was educated in private schools in Scotland and Switzerland, and she’s very quick and sharp. I can read the text over and over and miss some of the typos she finds right away, but of course I’m reading it for sense, which is different. Don’t forget, we do books in British English (calibre; armour; defence) as well as American English.

SAR: Which is your favorite Collector Grade book?

Blake: The Black Rifle has probably been reprinted the most times, though US Rifle M14 and The Browning High Power Automatic Pistol are also very popular titles, which we’ve reprinted several times over the years. But I think perhaps the best example of our work is Hans-Dieter Handrich’s Sturmgewehr!, the complete story of the WWII German MP43/MP44, which we published in 2004. This was written by a prizewinning military historian working directly from German archival material, and I consider this to be the most important book we have ever done.

SAR: Do you find it difficult to edit or change the painstaking work of others? I mean with how strong personalities can be in this business.

Blake: It can be a problem at times, but since it’s my money on the line and our customers, who deserve the best for their money, it’s my job to keep things on the straight and narrow. Personalities can come into it. Rarely does the author’s manuscript come into my hands ready to go. I’ll just get a big box full of all sorts of great information, and start sorting through it. The first thing I do is to prepare a chronology. I go through a whole text putting everything in order based on the date on which each event occurred. This shows up a lot of discrepancies right away. For example I’ll see an important point which the author has placed in say, chapter three, followed by something that really belongs in chapter two.

SAR: How did the change from writer/publisher to editor/publisher happen?

Blake: I had completed most of the FAL Series when a very good friend of mine who’s unfortunately no longer with us, Tom Dugelby, said to me, “Gee Blake, you’re doing a great job here, how about doing a book for me on the EM-2?” That was the first book I did for anyone else, and it worked out rather well. He was really pleased with it.

SAR: You currently have 33 titles in print, several of which are now revised editions. How many others are now out of print?

Blake: The EM-2, The SPIW, Modern Military Bullpup Rifles and Death From Above, the book about the FG42. That’s about it, at least on automatic weapons.

SAR: Who was your greatest influence, or was there possibly a mentor of sorts?

Blake: That’s easy. Ed Ezell – the late Ph.D. military historian, Dr Edward C. Ezell. Ed was just a super guy. He was a real mentor to me. He was the most, not driven, but just on-the-go-all-the-time guy I think I’ve ever known. I got tired just watching him. We met at one or other of those great old Houston gun shows, when he was the historian at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. At the time I was doing the M14 book, and he became one of the major contributors to that project. Then he moved back East and was appointed Curator of Military History at the Smithsonian in Washington, and we collaborated on the SPIW and the M16 projects. Ed just said to me one day, “I’ve got all this material on the M16 and I don’t really have time, and you’ve already done the M14 book, so…”. And he gave me this mass of absolutely incredible archival documents and photographs on the M16 controversy.

So Ed was certainly the greatest influence and help that I had. Everybody has to have somebody, you know – this doesn’t just happen in a vacuum. Thinking about this, I feel somewhat obligated too. If there is anything that I could do to help anybody coming along in this business, I’d be more than happy to do it. It’s a tough row to hoe alone.

SAR: How much longer do you plan to continue?

Blake: I’m 67 now and one of these days I’ll have had enough. But for now, certainly in these last few years, I have had more work in front of me than I’ve ever had before. The “specter” of completing one job and having nothing else to do is over, long gone. If I decide to stop it will be a decision, not a necessity.

SAR: After you retire, will Collector Grade carry on as a name? If so, do you think (or demand) that this future Collector Grade publisher maintain your high standards?

Blake: The most likely (so far) successor with whom I have talked feels, as I do, that it would make all the sense in the world to carry on with the Collector Grade name. This is still a year or two down the road, God willing and the creek don’t rise – but I think it’s just good economics to keep the same format and name. Content will be a different story. I will probably be available to act as a consultant for the first one or two projects, but after that, of course, I can make no guarantees. However, I’m sure the purchaser, whoever he might be, will recognize and appreciate that the niche we have created, or at least inhabited, is built solidly on quality presentation and reliable, in-depth content.

SAR: What was the most difficult project you ever tackled?

Blake: Every project is a challenge, both in the “learning curve” which is necessary right off the bat in order to be able to critique someone else’s manuscript intelligently, and the sheer amount of work involved in producing and editing that much text, scanning and enhancing all the images, and then putting it all together. But since I mentioned at the beginning of the interview that I wanted to make this article an inspiration for younger people who might consider such a writing and/or publishing career as their life’s work, I have to say frankly that for me, the greatest challenge lay in the early days, when I had to confront and overcome some serious doubts and hesitations from within myself.

I well remember contemplating the first copy of the little pamphlet I showed you, which I did for another publisher back in 1974, on the Canadian Inglis “Hi-Power” pistol. It was my first published book and an accomplishment, to be sure; but I immediately found myself playing my own devil’s advocate with the thought that it was as nothing compared to a comprehensive book on ALL the Browning High Power pistols. But that was such a daunting thought! How would I be able to travel to Belgium and convince the busy engineers and department heads at Fabrique Nationale to co-operate? The whole idea seemed so impossibly beyond my reach! But, a few years later, that’s just what I did, numerous times, and, if I do say so, the results were even better than I could have imagined in my wildest dreams.

And don’t even get me started on the “window of opportunity” – suffice it to say that those early books, especially The Metric FAL, simply could not be done today, as all the people who so kindly did assist me have died or retired. Most of the early documentation has long since been thrown away, and no one is left who remembers the events of those days.

SAR: Thanks Blake!

Blake: You’re welcome.

Following the Bolsheviks fiasco in Finland during the winter of 1939, their Maxims, Degtyarevs and the new DShK did not perform in the field as well as their controlled trials would suggest. With the dreadful Degtyarev DS medium machine gun design being canceled and production stopped, the situation would require a bold gamble to find a fresh medium machine gun design. One of the high points of the Soviet system at that time, and presently, is, there never was a shortage of weapons design engineers or design teams. Often several lines of development were pursued at the same time.

This was certainly the case in 1941, as Pyoter Goryunov and his team were already well on the way with their unique medium machine gun and ready to demonstrate it to the military. The SGMB encompassed some of the more remarkable design features of its day. A relatively complex belt feed mechanism was mandatory because of the use of the 7.62x54R rimmed rifle cartridge. With no straightforward stripping of the link, the rimmed round must first be withdrawn rearwards from the belt by using a twin claw extractor device and then pushed down and in line with the barrel via a spring loaded arm in the top cover, then forced forward by the bolt into the breech. Logistically any and all of the Soviet 7.62mm ammunition belts may be used with this weapon, including the Maxim cloth belts.

The SGMB longitudinally fluted chromium plated barrel is massive. It is 32.5 inches long including the flash suppresser, over 1.5 inches round, and weighs in at a beefy 10.25 pounds. A very unique, simple and effective quick barrel change mechanism is found to the rear left side of the feed tray. By pushing down the serrated button with one’s thumb and pulling the .75 x 2.25 inch device to the left 1.75 inch, will release the barrel and can be pulled forward and out of the receiver with its attached wood handle. Built into this device is an efficient micrometer head space barrel lock adjustment. A square Allen head type lock plays against a wedge slot in the barrel. Thus, as the barrel and/or receiver wears, it is possible to unlock the slide device and tighten it in the desired position via an engraved scale marked 0 to 10 after the components have had enough use to make a significant difference in headspace.

The bolt lock, based upon an early patent by Mr. John Moses Browning, is brilliantly simple in design and is similar to the Bren bolt designed by Vaclav Holec of Zbrojovka Brno that cam up and into the rear of the receiver. The Goryunov SGMB cams the rear of the bolt 3/16 of an inch sideways and to the right to lock into a recess in the receiver. The head of the bolt is recessed at an angle with the center of the bolt to give normal support to the base of the round at ignition.

The graceful groove we normally see milled on top of Browning, and many other bolts, associated with the side to side belt feed pawl movement necessary for the belt feed cycle, is absent from the SGMB bolt. Instead we find two, 2.5 inch long slightly angled, side by side and front to rear grooves on the top forward part of the bolt carrier that correspond with two identical raised areas on the bottom of the belt feed slide. With this simple and robust design, the belt feed lever found in most other designs can be eliminated.

The SGMB has a three way adjustable gas port that appears identical with the RPD.

The ejector closely resembles the German MG34 style of a chisel tipped pin placed at an angle through the right side of the bolt to contact the base of the cartridge case. When the bolt and bolt carrier are in recoil, the protruding part of the pin contacts the locking recess of the receiver. The ejector pin and the cartridge are forced forward pivoting on the extractor and the empty cartridge is vigorously thrown through the ejection port on the left side of the receiver.

The large rear sight is finely machined of solid steel with highlighted graduations and is 4.5 inches tall and 1.5 inches wide. Rapid elevation adjustment is accomplished via a spring loaded button and fine adjustment by the knurled knob on the top. A windage knob is at the lower right. The SGMB is sighted to fire either the heavy 200-grain ball using the left side of the sight marked to 2,300 meters, or the more common 148-grain ball using the right side of the sight marked to 2,000 meters.

The SGMB retains many of the original SGM design features, such as the lower right side non-reciprocating cocking handle, no dust covers, adjustable head space and original barrel configuration. The most notable difference is the use of the RPD laminated stock, pistol grip and RPD bipod. Characteristics of the 7.62x54R Goryunov SGMB medium machine gun operates from an open bolt, gas tilting bolt lock-up and is full automatic only with a cyclic rate of 650 rpm and muzzle velocity of 2,832 fps. It is 54 inches long with a 32.5 inch barrel with flash suppressor and weighs 31 pounds. It uses a 250-round non disintegrating metallic belt and its sight radius is 34 inches.

The Historic Arms Conversion

All SGMB parts kits entering the United States must have their receivers torch cut in three places, with a total of 1.5 inches of material missing as prescribed by ATF. The first torch cut is through the trunnion at a 45 degree angle from the top toward the rear. The second is a 45 degree front to rear cut at the center of the receiver and through the ejection port on the left and the locking recess on the right. The third and last compliance cut is 45 degrees from the top front of the sight base to the bottom rear of the receiver. The semiautomatic version of the fully automatic SGMB must fire from a closed bolt and never allow any fully automatic components to fit within the receiver. There must be a positive trigger disconnect after each single pull of the trigger and not be readily restorable to fully automatic operation.

Historic Arms is the leader in receiver restoration with the development and manufacture of the specialized jigs necessary to minimize the possibility of warpage during the initial assembly. As with the Historic Arms semiautomatic Bren and RPD, the SGMB lower disconnecting trigger group is completely interchangeable from one firearm to the other. To facilitate this option, they carefully remove the rear 1.5 inch from a Bren receiver and methodically fit, then welds it to the rear of the SGMB receiver passing on the simple no tools cross pin take down method of the venerable Bren. As with the Historic Arms Bren, they sandwich 1/8 inch thick square plates to the right and left sides of the weakened torch cut receiver. This successful manufacturing technique is used with the SGMB as well in the critical high stress bolt locking recess. A 1.5 x 3 inch beveled plate is carefully welded between the bolt locking recess and the belt feed pawl channel spanning the center torch cut reinforcing this extremely critical area. In order to comply with ATF rules disallowing any fully automatic parts within the semiautomatic receiver, they machined a 6.5 inch long by .25 inch wide channel completely through starting 1 inch from the rear left side center of the receiver and ending at the ejection port. A hardened 6.5 x .25 x .375 inch square rod is fusion welded end to end to the receiver from the outside of the channel then machined back down to its original dimension. Any attempt to remove the rod will in fact destroy the entire receiver. The original right and left channel on the bottom of the receiver intended for the fully automatic sear, spade grip and cocking arrangement has been machined much wider to except the semiautomatic only pistol grip and shoulder stock assembly. Trying to reinstall the original fully automatic parts is impossible, because there is absolutely no physical material to hold them in place. The rear tripod lugs have been removed from the receiver and in their place are the right and left channel/grooves necessary to facilitate the installation of the new semiautomatic lower. The lower used very closely resembles the RPD with its laminated shoulder stock and pistol grip also found on the Hungarian made KGK. Within the trigger group, a simple disconnecting sear replaces the fully automatic parts, slightly repositioned and re-welded in such a way that the selector switch cannot physically be moved into the full auto position. A sliding spring loaded striker assembly is used with the mandated closed bolt in lieu of the more complex less reliable hammer fired system. The original Bren bolt and bolt carrier return spring and operating rod found within the shoulder stock is retained and functions very well with this conversion.

The bolt, bolt carrier and gas piston assembly are amazingly simple in construction and design. The only changes necessary to fit and function within the newly configured semiautomatic receiver is to mill a corresponding groove into the left side of both the bolt and bolt carrier, in this case only the front bottom 1 x 3/8 inch of the bolt must be machined away along with the top rear 2.5 x 3/8 inch of the bolt carrier. On the original SGMB, the bolt has a short nail like captive firing pin that dead ends on the bolt carrier tower causing primer ignition when in battery. The semiautomatic bolt version has substantial changes; the original firing pin is removed and the rear of the bolt has a 3/8 inch hole drilled through it to accommodate the new semiautomatic 4.25 inch long firing pin. This firing pin over hangs the rear of the bolt by .25 inch allowing the striker to impact it. The bolt carrier has the top 3/8 inch of its tower milled away to allow for free movement of the new firing pin.

The original SGM recoil spring assembly is housed within the bolt carrier, a necessity due to the use of spade grips. On the semiautomatic SGMB version, the end of the bolt carrier where the return spring would normally go has been welded closed, and that surface used against the stock mounted recoil spring instead.

As with all of Historic Arms’ wonderful creations, they are carefully and meticulously welded, ground, filed and sanded to perfection, then bead blasted and Dura-Coated. Bluing and/or parkerizing are not an option because of the many welds and discoloration that comes with them.

All Historic Arms products can be field stripped effortlessly for cleaning and maintenance. A single pushpin found at the upper rear of the receiver can be removed to the right, then pull the lower trigger group straight back and off the receiver. Next, the striker will move straight back and out as well, then pull the cocking handle back until you can grasp the bolt carrier and bolt pulling straight back to the rear. The last part to be removed is the cocking handle. Familiarize yourself with this simple procedure as most 7.62x54R ammunition is corrosive and proper cleaning is required each time you fire this weapon.

This outstanding firearm was purchased through Hit and Run Guns, the exclusive distributor of Historic Arms products. It was delivered in a high quality gun case and accessories included two 250 round metallic belts, two ammunition cans and a copy of the BATF letter of approval.

The 32 inch long, ten pound barrel had to go, so a quick phone call to Historic Arms was all it took for them to grant my request. Within the week, the second barrel was in hand; missing about a foot displaying outstanding craftsmanship with an early Bren stainless flash suppresser and new wood handle.

Three other items were needed: ammunition, belt loader and spare belts with their carry cans in that order. J&G Sales of Prescott, AZ came to the rescue with $60 per thousand Czech FMJ 7.62x54R ammunition. Cole Distributing, Inc. of Scottsville, KY came through with new 250 round belts and cans. The belt loader was a little more difficult to locate, but one was found in its original transit case from a gentleman from Poland named Robert Kruk for $120 delivered to Hawaii in seven days.

Test firing the SGMB was done at Ukumehame, the only range available on the island of Maui and located just south of the former Capitol and old whaling town of Lahaina. This rifle, pistol and long range rifle facility is actually a State Park and the day to day work load and maintenance is all done by volunteers from Valley Isle Sport Shooters. The range is shared with several shooting clubs, the Police Department, Coast Guard, Land and Natural Resources, Sheriffs Department and the National Guard to name just a few.

The first time out was with a 250 round can of the yellow tip 200-grain FMJ heavy machine gun ammunition and the original barrel. No sight adjustment was necessary using the bipod and at 230 yards there was no difficulty in putting all the rounds in a 5-6 inch group. There were no failures experienced in either feeding or ejecting. Recoil was minimal and there was no muzzle climb; understandable with a weapon weighing in at 35 plus pounds.

The second test was with 1,000 rounds of the 148-grain Czech FMJ ammo and the custom carbine barrel. The objective was to put the hammer down and run through the belts and cycle the weapon as fast as possible with a semiautomatic weapon. The nineteen inch barrel produced an impressive fireball and the vent holes on the gas tube managed to light both of my sandbags on fire. There were three failures to fire, all with dinged primers, and four failures to eject. The only other complaint was the bipod is about 3 inches too high for me and doesn’t sit right on my shoulder.

Nevertheless, this Soviet workhorse can deliver a lifetime of trouble free trigger time under normal shooting conditions. Historic Arms has produced another winner and is a welcome addition to anyone’s collection.

Sources

Manufacturer
Historic Arms, LLC
(706) 675-0287

Exclusive distributor
Hit and Run Guns
4771 Britt Road #E5
Norcross, GA 30093
(888) 207-2220

Ammunition
J&G Sales
Prescott, AZ
(928) 445-9650

Belts and cans
Cole Distributing Inc.
P.O. Box 247
Scottsville, KY 42164
(270) 622-3569

Range
Valley Isle Sport Shooters
P.O. Box 216
Puunene, HI 96784
(808) 573-4113

Themed “Freedom’s 2nd Army,” the 135th National Rifle Association Annual Meetings & Exhibits will take place May 19-21, 2006 at the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. More than 300 exhibitors representing every major firearm, ammunition and accessory manufacturer, as well as hunting outfitters from around the world, will be set up at the show. Seminars, business meetings, special interest sessions, fund-raising auctions and banquets will occur throughout the weekend. 45,000 people are expected to attend this major weekend event.

In addition to the huge array of commercial displays, an extremely popular show area are the exhibits of some of the finest and rarest firearms in the United States shown by NRA affiliated collectors associations. Collecting firearms of all types is an integral part of the National Rifle Association membership and the opportunity to see some of these rare and historic firearms is, in itself, worth the visit.

Collecting rare and historic automatic weapons has, unfortunately, been a stepchild to the larger collecting community for many years. The good news is that is finally changing and is beginning to be accepted as a legitimate collecting discipline.

In the last several years, the Thompson Collectors Association (TCA), an NRA affiliated organization, exhibited rare and historic Thompson submachine guns a number of times at the annual NRA shows. The exhibits were extremely popular and well received, winning a number of prestigious NRA Gun Collector Awards for their exceptionally professional presentations. But more importantly, they led the effort to break the “barrier” and underserved “stigma” of collecting Class III weapons. They were the leaders in helping to establish the legitimacy of historic Class III collecting within the arms collecting community and have demonstrated that collecting historic automatic weapons is just as reasonable, and important, as collecting Colt Single Action Armys, Winchester repeating rifles, Revolutionary War muskets, or anything else in the historic weapons collecting repertoire. They followed up on their mission of legitimizing the collecting of automatic weapons by putting together and sponsoring a Thompson exhibit at the William B. Ruger Gallery of the National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia (see Small Arms Review Vol. 8, No. 1, October 2004). So popular was this exhibit, it was extended for another four months beyond its original run.

In their efforts to continue this legacy of promoting Class III collectibles, the Thompson Collectors Association board of directors have voted to sponsor, along with the Dallas Arms Collectors Association, an exhibit at this year’s NRA show in Milwaukee. The title of the exhibit will be The American Genius of Sir Hiram Maxim: Father of the Modern Machine Gun. The theme of the exhibit will be the brilliance of American Sir Hiram Maxim and his invention of the world’s first truly automatic weapon. This groundbreaking 10×20 exhibit will feature six different historic models of the Maxim gun, along with rare accessories, highlighting the genius of Hiram Maxim and the contribution he made to the arms world. The foresight and dedication of the Thompson Collectors Association and the Dallas Arms Collectors Association in their continuing efforts to make Class III collecting acceptable to the wide-spread firearms collecting community should be commended and applauded for their hard work that benefits all of us.

So modern and revolutionary in its design and operation, Maxims were used by many countries throughout the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Efficient and reliable, some models were made, under license, by manufacturers in other countries. To the layman, the words “German Maxim” are one and the same. In reality, Hiram Maxim was an American, living and producing his guns in England, and licensing manufacturing around the world, including Russia, Switzerland, the United States, and, of course, Germany.

A thumbnail history of the six featured Maxims that will be on display at the NRA show in Milwaukee follow.

Argentine Maxim Model 1895

Argentina was an early user of the Maxim and began by ordering 50 Maxims from the Maxim Nordenfelt Co. in England in 1895. In 1898, a second order of the Model 1895 was placed with Deutsche Waffen und Munitions Fabriken (DWM), a licensed Maxim manufacturer in Germany, for another 150 guns. Even though most South American countries adopted the French Hotchkiss machine gun, by 1902, Argentina had 200 of these early Maxims in their inventory. Beautifully made with its water jacket, feed block, fusee spring cover, receiver floor plate and rear grip plate made of brass, the Model 1895 was a stunning, and lethal, piece of the firearm maker’s craft. This model had the early straight style of crank handle, an 1889 style lock and wooden roller belt assist located within the brass feed block. The gun also has provisions for attaching a commercially made 2×12 optical sight made by Carl Zeiss of Jena, Germany and a shoulder brace made of steel and wood. The gun was mounted on an Ackland tripod that was manufactured by VSM (Vickers, Sons & Maxim) in England.

All 200 of Argentina’s Maxims were originally chambered in the 7.65x53mm 1891 Belgium Mauser caliber and the long sight bar affixed to the upper receiver was calibrated for this round-nosed, high trajectory bullet. Each gun was fitted with a brass data plate on the top cover over the feed block reading, “Cartoucho Mauser Argentino 1891” indicating the use of the 1891 Mauser cartridge. In 1909, Argentina adopted the new 7.65x53mm Spitzer round with the pointed bullet and flatter trajectory. All of Argentina’s Maxims were then rebarreled for the new cartridge and the long sight bar was shortened for the high-speed, flatter trajectory of the new cartridge. The brass cartridge data plate had the “1891” milled out and “1909” engraved in its place to reflect the change. Because of the restamped “1909”, the gun is often mistakenly identified as a Model 1909.

Though well equipped, Argentina did not participate in any major conflicts during the period that the Maxim was in their inventory. In the late 1950s, Argentina decided to sell some of their now obsolete weaponry and 91 Model 1895 Maxims were exported to the United States. Those that remained in Argentina were used to decorate various officers’ clubs, donated to museums or sold to Argentine collectors. Of the 91 guns imported into the US, 8 were exported, 28 ended up in government custody for museums, storage or destruction, and the remaining 55 are now mostly owned by collectors.

U.S. Maxim Model 1904

The US Maxim Model 1904 was the first rifle caliber heavy machine gun approved for use as the standard service type by the United States Army in 1904. The army was interested in the new Maxim gun as early as 1887 and procured examples of the “World Standard” Maxim Model 1889 and Model 1900 for testing. After sporadic testing, the Chief of Ordnance finally gave approval for adoption in 1904. The first order for 50 guns and tripods were manufactured by Vickers, Sons & Maxim (VSM) in England in the US caliber .30-03.

The Ordnance Department wanted the Maxim to be made in the United States and enlisted the Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Company to manufacture the gun. Problems arose and it was several years before Colt’s could begin production. In the meantime, the Ordnance Department ordered another 40 guns from VSM. When Colt finally began production in 1908, they continued with the serial number sequence for the model type. The first Colt produced Maxim Model 1904 began with serial number 91. By 1908, the service cartridge had changed from the .30-03 to the .30-06. The 90 guns produced by VSM were all converted to the new service cartridge while all the Colt guns were manufactured in .30-06.

In all, there were a total of 287 Model 1904 Maxims produced. The first 90 guns (serial number 1-90) were made by VSM in England. The remaining 197 guns (serial number 91-287) were made by Colt.

Colt had no desire to produce tripods or wheeled mounts for the gun. All of the tripods were made by VSM in England and wheeled carriage mounts were produced by Rock Island Arsenal (RIA). The tripods and wheeled mounts were ordered separately from the guns, and though serial numbered, they were thus not numbered to a specific gun. VSM produced 176 tripods and RIA produced 111 wheeled carriages.

The US Model 1904 Maxim was issued to US infantry companies and to cavalry troops. Mules were the primary means of transport. The gun was well made and reliable but was not popular in the field. The Model 1904 Maxim had the distinction of being the heaviest Maxim ever produced weighing in at a total of 145 pounds (gun with water – 65 pounds, tripod 80 pounds). Besides the normal heavy brass and steel make-up of the gun, the Model 1904 Maxim had an oversized water jacket holding 9.5 pints of water instead of the normal 7 pints. Nevertheless, the gun was widely used and saw service in such distant outposts as the Philippines, Hawaii, Mexico, Central and South America. Yet, it never saw active combat service, being relegated to training purposes. The gun was not used overseas in World War I but remained in the United States as a training weapon where it was ultimately replaced with the Colt Vickers Model 1915 and the Browning Model 1917.

Few of these historic US machine guns have survived. They saw a brief service life, quickly being declared obsolete and scrapped for their metal and brass components. Of the 287 guns made, there are less than 10 Model 1904 Maxims being registered as transferable to private individuals with another 4 or 5 in museums. Additionally, there are even fewer original 1904 tripods that have survived, again, being scrapped to salvage their large brass content, making the tripod even rarer than the gun.

Swiss Maxim MG11

In the interest of maintaining their peaceful neutrality, Switzerland has a long history of fielding the finest equipment available and was quick to realize the advantages of rapid fire weapons. They acquired Gatling guns in 11mm in the 1870s and Gardner guns (in the then prototype Swiss 7.5x55mm cartridge) in the 1880s.

In 1887, Hiram Maxim arrived in Thun, Switzerland to compete in the long-range shooting trials with his “World Standard” Model of 1887 machine gun in 11mm. The Model of 1887 “World Standard” was a massive weapon chambered in the rimmed .45 caliber/11mm black powder cartridge. The Swiss were impressed and placed an order but they wanted the gun chambered in the new and experimental 7.5mm Swiss cartridge. Maxim thought he could just “tweak” his large gun to accept the smaller, rimless round but encountered major reliability problems with many malfunctions. Ultimately, rather than convert the 11mm Maxim, he redesigned the gun specifically to accept the 7.5mm rimless cartridge. This resulted in Maxim’s first “Reduced Caliber” (approx. .30 caliber) machine gun. This gun was tested in 1889 and the decision was made to adopt the Maxim into the Swiss army.

The Swiss began by purchasing 72 Maxims from Maxim Nordenfelt in England in 1894 and designated as the MG94. Then, with some improvements, another 40 guns of the improved model were purchased from Maxim’s new company Vickers, Sons & Maxim (VSM), as well as Duetsche Waffen und Munitions Fabriken (DWM) in Germany in 1900 and designated them as the MG00. When DWM introduced their new Commercial Model in 1909, which was substantially lighter than the previous Maxims, the Swiss tested it and adopted it in 1911, designated it as the Maschinengewehr 11 (MG11) and ordered 167 guns.

When World War I interrupted their source of supply in 1914, they began to produce their own Maxims, under license, at Waffenfabrik Bern in Switzerland. Production began in 1915 and continued to 1946 with 10,269 Maxim MG11s being produced.

The MG11 was mounted on the DWM designed Commercial Model 1909 tripod which was also produced at the Waffenfabrik Bern factory. This tripod was more stable than any other tripod in use at the time and was considered the finest mount available.

There were a number of optical sights used with the MG11 for both direct and indirect fire. The more common early style direct fire sight used with the MG11 was made in Germany by Carl Zeiss of Jena. There was also a specialized long-range telescopic sight used in mountain fortresses.

The Maxim MG11 as made by the Swiss at Waffenfabrik Bern is rightly considered the finest Maxim ever made. The quality of workmanship, fit and finish surpasses any other Maxim made and is worthy of the dependability inherent in all Maxim guns. Because of its neutrality, Switzerland has a stringent policy concerning the export of its military weapons and thus Swiss maxims are exceptionally rare outside of Switzerland. There are only six Swiss MG11s in the United States making it one of the rarest types of its kind in US collections.

German Maxim MG08

In 1892, the Maxim Nordenfelt Co. of England entered into an agreement with Ludwig Loewe & Co. of Berlin granting them the rights to produce Maxim guns in Germany for Germany, the entire German Empire and her allies. Maxims were produced by Ludwig Loewe under that name for several years until, because of a growing anti-Semitic movement, Loewe changed the name of his company to Deutsche Waffen und Munitions Fabriken (DWM) so that the name of Loewe would not be connected with it. DWM then became a public company owned by, but administratively separate from, the Loewe engineering firm.

The German army adopted the DWM Model 1901. After observations gained from the Russo-Japanese war, the German army suggested changes in the Maxim; particularly addressing the major problem of weight of the gun and mount. The government arsenal at Spandau, working alongside DWM, began to implement the suggested changes by redesigning the heavy parts of earlier guns with lightweight steel. Thus the water jacket, trunnion block, feed block, fusee spring cover and backplate assemblies became much thinner and lighter resulting in a 17 pound weight reduction from 57 pounds to 40 pounds. A bracket for mounting an optical sight was added to the receiver and the cocking handle knob was increased in diameter to provide a better grip. The sledmount was redesigned with lighter materials and the wheels were removed. This mount provided unequaled stability with resulting incredible accuracy, though it later proved difficult to set up on uneven terrain. The improvements were completed in 1908 and the new gun and mount became standardized and adopted by the German army as the Maschinengewehr 08 (MG08) and the Schlitten 08 (sled 08).

At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Germany had approximately 5,000 Maxims and was the only country that truly recognized the value and importance of the machine gun on the battlefield in terms of firepower and strategic advantage in both attack and defense. This resulted in an aggressive armament of machine gun companies within regiments and battalions. Tens of thousands of MG08s were eventually produced by the government arsenal at Spandau and DWM to equip the German army. Training in operation and tactics was crucial to the operational success of the MG08 and machine gunners were all hand picked, particularly personnel for the “marksman” units. Woefully, hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers were slaughtered in the fields of France and Belgium in the futile old-world massed assaults against the well dug-in German machine guns. The ultimate defense to this onslaught was the inevitable trench network to shield the foot soldier from the fusillade of bullets.

Warfare of the past five thousand years abruptly changed with the new weapons of war as developed during the industrial revolution of the late 19th and early 20th century. No longer were the massed attacks with foot infantry or swift assault with cavalry capable of overwhelming an enemy equipped with the modern tools of war. As with all advancements, the eventual downfall of the emplaced heavy machine gun came about with the advent of mobile warfare, most notably with the development and advancement of the tank and airplane. But the heavy machine guns of the early twentieth century epitomized the state-of-the-art martial development of firearm design and function.

German Maxim MG08/15

The British were able to gain a small tactical advantage over the emplaced German heavy machine gun by issuing large numbers of lightweight, air-cooled Lewis and Hotchkiss machine guns. Man-portable and prized as the ultimate front-line weapon, these light machine guns in rifle caliber proved extremely valuable on the battlefield. So highly were they valued that the Germans went to great lengths to capture and use them. They even printed a field manual on the Lewis gun for their troops.

In 1915, Germany established a large group of engineers to develop a light machine gun to counter the Lewis gun. With a relatively large number of designs to work with, they ultimately decided to stick with the Maxim action as it would be the least disruptive to current production facilities and training. The result was a hybrid “light” machine gun called the Maschinengewehr 08/15 (MG08/15). The MG08/15 went into production in late 1916 and was first issued generally to troops fighting in the Verdun sector in early 1917.

The MG08/15 was a lightened MG08 fitted with a bipod, shoulder stock and pistol grip. The reduction in weight was achieved by making the receiver walls thinner and reducing the size, and thus capacity, of the water jacket. Further weight-saving changes included a smaller feedblock, cutouts on the top of the rear and bottom front of the receiver sideplates to eliminate enclosed “dead” space, and eliminating the use of the cartridge ejection tube and spring in favor of a simple hole in the lower front of the stepped receiver. The recoiling parts of the gun – barrel, barrel extension, crosshead, connecting link and lock – were kept the same as the MG08 except a muzzle sleeve was screwed on to the already threaded muzzle end of the barrel. The only other interchangeable parts were the feed slide and belt holding pawls, roller and pin. All otherMG08/15 components were somewhat smaller and lighter than their MG08 counterparts. Additionally, since this was now a portable “light” machine gun, the MG08/15 receiver was fitted with a bracket to accommodate the affixing of a special spooled 100-round ammunition drum. Two of these drums were fitted in a wooden transit box and accompanied each gun.

Wanting to quickly supply the German Army with light machine guns, seven factories produced about 130,000 MG08/15s – making it the most common German machine gun of World War I. Manufacturers included: Gewehrfabrik Erfurt; Rheinische Maschinen & Metallwaren Fabrik, Sommerda; Maschinen Fabrik Augsburg-Nurnberg (M.A.N.) Nurnberg; Siemens & Halske (S&H) Berlin; J.P. Sauer & Sohn, Suhl; Gewehrfabrik Spandau; and Deutsche Waffen und Munitions Fabriken (D.W.&M.F.) Berlin.

The MG08/15, like its big brother the MG08, was extremely reliable and fired at about the same rate of 500 rounds per minute. It is interesting to note that the steel used in both guns was very hard and designed to withstand denting from shell fragments and other small low velocity projectiles. Only a well placed rifle bullet or direct shell fragment to the receiver could be sure of putting it out of action. British snipers were instructed to shoot at the receiver casing of the gun, rather than at the gunner, as the theory being that the gun was harder to replace than the man behind it.

While the MG08/15 was a reliable weapon, it had the distinction of being the heaviest “light” machine gun ever made. It was big, bulky and not easily controllable on its small bipod; it was designed to be a “trench broom” by a walking operator equipped with a large leather sling for support. Fully loaded with water and the 100-round drum, the gun weighed 49 pounds. Not an easy load to carry “over the top” under fire and in the muddy fields of no-mans land.

Russian Maxim M1910

Since 1865, Russia purchased and used a large number of Colt Gatling guns; even later manufacturing their own version called the “Gorloff.” With his success with sales to Italy, Switzerland and Austria, Hiram Maxim traveled to Russia in 1889 to demonstrate his new invention in St. Petersburg. The Russians had no concept of what an automatic gun was and thought the crank handle on the side of the Maxim gun was manually operated. This “little” gun could never replace the Gatling. Maxim fired an entire belt in half a minute and the Russian officers were, indeed, truly impressed. The Russian army and navy began purchasing Maxims from Maxim Nordenfelt in 1889. In 1899, Russia purchased more Model 1899 Maxims from DWM in Germany.

The Russo-Japanese war (1904-1905) was the first major conflict in which both sides used machine guns. The Japanese used the French designed Hotchkiss and the Russians used their heavy brass Maxims. Though relegated defensively to the rear along with artillery firing over the heads of their advancing troops, the Russian Maxims performed exceptionally well; most notably at the battle of Mukden repelling seven strong Japanese attacks.

The heavy brass Maxims were mounted on high, wheeled artillery-type carriages exposing the gunners to concentrated fire. With exceptionally high loses sustained by Russian machine gun batteries at the Yalu River battle, Russian Maxims were then mounted on heavy tripods with armor shields.

The Model 1905 was the first Maxim actually manufactured in Russia and was produced at the Tula Arsenal. This was the basic Model 1899 that still had the heavy brass water jacket, feed block, trunnion block, etc., but incorporated a few of the improvements found it the “new pattern” 1901 commercial Vickers-Maxim that included the “S”-shaped crank handle and easily-stripped lock.

By 1908, VSM (Vickers, Sons & Maxim) and DWM were producing guns that were lighter in weight, replacing the brass parts with steel. The Russians acquired some samples of VSM’s “new light” Model 1906 with the steel fluted water jacket and adopted it as the Model 1910. The Model 1910, as produced in Russia, now weighed in at just 44 pounds, producing a weight savings of 16 pounds over the Model 1905.

Wheeled transport was popular due to the weight of the gun but a new distinctive low wheeled mount with a small armor shield was developed by Colonel Sokolov soon after the adoption of the Model 1910. It featured a cradle designed to slide forward and back on curved rails allowing large adjustments in elevation and depression. The early mounts were quite heavy at about 100 pounds and included two folding legs that could be swung down to form a tripod raising the wheels off the ground. Sine the entire platform was so robust, the legs were later eliminated.

Production of the Model 1910 continued through the World War I years until 1917 when production dropped of considerably due to the disruptive Russian Revolution in 1917. Production picked up again in late 1918 and all through the interwar years. During World War II, production went into high gear and it remained the standard heavy Russian machine gun. An interesting modification was made in 1943 by the addition of a large, distinctive “snow cap” incorporated to the top of the water jacket to allow the insertion of snow (water) into the water jacket. The Russians actually copied this feature from the Finns who used such a contrivance on their own Maxims during the Russo-Finnish War of 1941-1944.

The Russian Maxim soldiered on for over four decades and more Maxims were built in Russia than all the other countries in the world combined. Production estimates indicate that over 600,000 guns were produced, including those given to the North Koreans, Chinese and others who received assistance from Russian armament programs after World War II.