This review looks at the iconic WWII era German MP 38 and MP 40 submachine guns. One book is reviewed in detail, plus three others are mentioned in brief. And just for fun, I have a review of the Umarex Legends CO2 powered BB gun replica as a sidebar.

The MP40 “Schmeisser”, part of the Great WW II Weapons series

• Author: Mike Ingram 
• ISBN13: 9781782746836
• Copyright date: This Amber edition published in 2018.   First published in 2001
• ePub or .pdf download? Y/N  No
• Binding: Paperback softcover
• Size: 8 3/8 x 11 1/4 inches 
• Pages: 96 pages
• Photos: 70 color and B&W photos and illustrations
• US importer: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 33 East 17th Street, New York, NY 10003
• US importer website:  www.sterlingpublishing.com/9781782746836/, custservice@sterlingpublishing.com
• UK website:   https://www.amberbooks.co.uk/book/the-mp40-schmeisser/
• Cover price: $24.95

The MP 40 “Schmeisser” 

   This book is laid out in much the same fashion as the two previous titles reviewed. It starts with a history lesson about trench warfare in WW I, and then moves onto the Interwar years (1919-1939). The Bergmann M.P.18,I is described in Chapter 1, Genesis of the Machine Pistol.

   Chapter 2, Between the Wars, mentions the rebuilding of the German military industry in spite of the Treaty of Versailles. It then covers a lot of German politics and history. It mentions Adolph Hitler joining the German Workers Party which became the Nationalist Socialist German Workers Party, better known as the Nazi Party. Also discussed is the Spanish Civil War, which gave Germany the chance to try newly developed weapons under combat conditions. I get the feeling that the author, Mike Ingram, is a political history geek. His profile states: “He holds an MA in history from the University of Birmingham and is qualified to teach history in adult education.” Guns mentioned are the M.P. 28,II, ERMA EMP, and the Finnish M31 and the Russian Pistolet-Pulemyot Degtyreva or PPD34/38.

Chapter 3, Machine Pistol Theory, gets into the mechanics of submachine guns, touching on rate of fire, blowback mechanism operation, bolt design, etc. It is a rather basic discussion, however. Perhaps I am being too picky here, but the explanations given in this section seem to be a bit awkward. If you understand guns, it will all make sense. If not, some bits will be difficult to digest.

Chapter 4, The MP 38 and MP 40 in Detail, really gets into the nuts-and-bolts details. There is a two page spread artists drawing of a stripped and sectioned MP 38, along with a numbered parts list. Production methods are also discussed, including differences between the two guns. Number and letter codes of the three factories are explained as well.

Chapter 5, The MP 40 in Combat, is an odd chapter. It is more like an overview of paratrooper and infantry tactics, and less about the MP 40. The MP 40 is mentioned, but mainly in the larger context of battle history. Again, author Ingram seems to let his history degree take over.

Chapter 6, Other Machine Pistols of WW II, takes a quick look at other subguns. Briefly mentioned are Sten and a German last-ditch attempt to copy the Sten known as the MP 3008. A two-page cutaway drawing showing the innards of a Sten is a nice touch. There is also a cutaway drawing of a Soviet PPSh-41. The Thompson M1928A1 and the later, far simpler M1A1 are described also, as is the PPSh-41. The US M3 and M3A1 “grease gun” is mentioned as being inspired by the success and the simplicity of both the MP 40 and the Sten.

The Appendix includes a very basic Glossary, a comparison chart listing dimensions and features of 17 types of submachine guns, and a diagram showing the breakdown of a German Infantry Division.

This book tends to cover the same content as the two previous books, but not in the same detail, and with much fewer close-up photos. Also, there are several lesser-known guns mentioned, but with NO accompanying photo. More detail photos, and perhaps some color photos would be welcome. It is not a poor book, but it is a basic book. It would be suitable as a gift for someone showing an early interest in German weapons, etc., but it is not an in-depth research tool.

German Submachine Guns, 1918–1945 (Schiffer Publishing)

I previously reviewed this book, along with two other books in the same series from Schiffer Publishing, in the Oct 2019 issue (V23N8) of SAR. A few quotes from that review:

The German SMG book covers many designs, starting with the Bergmann MP18/1, and continuing with the MP28/11, MP35/1, MP34, etc. These designs all used wood stocks, so had a “traditional” appearance, similar to the Thompson. The infamous Nazi MP38 and MP40 guns, with their distinctive under-folding skeleton stocks, are covered in great detail. Many clear, crisp color photos illustrate manufacturing details, variants, etc.

Many of the color photos are full-page studio type shots that portray not only the firearm, but accessories and other related militaria. This provides an interesting visual treat. These photos are by Marc de Fromont, and the guns and equipment are from the Collection of the Royal Army Museum of Brussels, and Le Poilu of Paris.

At only 80 pages, these books are not high-end research and reference manuals, but they are certainly worthy of consideration. The full-page photos noted above, disassembly sequences, side-by-side variant comparisons, and accessory photos should appeal to small arms enthusiasts. 

The MP38, 40, 40/1 and 41 Submachine Gun (The Propaganda Photo Series)

While I have not seen this particular title, I did review four other books from this same series in the Jan 2020 issue. (V24N1). As they follow the same format, these comments below from that review will also apply here. Although this title is now out of print, the SAR bookstore still has some copies.

What sets this series apart from other books is the use of official photos taken by German military photographers. These Kriegsberichter, or war reporters, were tasked with capturing inspiring images for the German propaganda machine. Propaganda being what it is, most of the original captions must be treated with a great deal of suspicion. The author, Guus de Vries, mentions this in the Preface.

Each book typically starts with an Introduction, then a look at the development process of the specific weapon. From there, accessories, different variants, markings, etc are covered. This technical study takes up the first 50 or so pages (Differs with each title). The Propaganda photos section makes up the remainder of the 152 pages.

As might be expected from the posed photos, they tend to be better quality than “grab” shots. Most photos are crisp and clear, although some are not (usually specific battle photos). All are B&W, there are no color photos.

 While these books are not the final word on each gun covered, they do hold a great deal of information in the technical first section. Adding in the official German Kriegsberichter photos makes this an interesting group of titles.

MP 38 and MP 40 Submachine Guns (Osprey Publishing, Weapon series)

Once again, I have not seen this specific title, but I have read and reviewed others from the Weapon series from Osprey Publishing. These observations should apply.

While small in size, the various titles in this series contain a lot of information. At 80 pages per title, these books will certainly not rival the massive encyclopedia type reference books available for some guns. However, they do provide a very good start for getting familiar with a new gun. As each title is written by a different subject matter expert, the writing style will vary somewhat. Generally, though, the booklet begins with a good bit of history and background to each weapon, and the path of development required to create the specific weapon. From there, a more detailed look at the different variants is given. All are available in multiple formats, this being paperback, ePub, and Pdf.

The Weapon series covers many types of arms from all periods of war. They are well researched and written, informative, and nicely illustrated. While not the final word on a given firearm, they are certainly a great starting point. The Weapon series is one series of a much larger catalogue of military books from Osprey Publishing.

By 1920, the Auto-Ordnance Corporation, who under the leadership of John Thompson, had finalized the development of the Thompson submachine gun. However, Auto-Ordnance did not have the manufacturing capability for series production of the weapon. An agreement was made with Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Company to manufacture 15,000 of the weapons. Twenty years after the 1921 initial run of 15,000 Thompson Submachine Guns by Colt’s there were still several thousand unsold Thompsons remaining in Auto-Ordnance’s inventory. For all intents and purposes the weapon was a commercial and financial failure; it seemed the Thompson submachine gun was destined to become a mere footnote in history. However, as history would show, the Thompson wasn’t dead yet, it was all in the timing.

For Sale: The Auto-Ordnance Corporation

In the years following the manufacture of the Colt Thompsons, the Auto-Ordnance Corporation, had very few sales and was deep in debt. After Auto-Ordnance’s primary financial backer Thomas Ryan died in 1928, his heirs were anxious to sell off Auto-Ordnance. The Corporation had shown little potential for making a profit, and a great propensity for undesirable publicity from the Thompson gun’s illicit use by the underworld. John Thompson retired and left it up to his son Marcellus Thompson to find another source of funds to purchase the corporation from the Ryan estate.

J. Russell Maguire

J. Russell Maguire was a shrewd businessman who along with Marcellus Thompson believed that with the 1937 Japanese invasion of China and events unfolding in Germany, there soon would be a great worldwide demand for the Thompson submachine gun. Maguire decided to purchase the failing Auto-Ordnance Corporation from Fortune Ryan’s heirs. Through some financial dealings and last-minute ultimatums, Maguire was able to obtain controlling interest in the Auto-Ordnance Corporation, much to the dismay of Marcellus Thompson. When Maguire obtained the assets of Auto-Ordnance, there wasn’t much remaining except for some drawings, prints and a few thousand Thompsons.

Russell Maguire would eventually make millions of dollars off of the military contracts for the Thompson submachine gun during World War II. Both John Thompson and his son Marcellus, who had believed so strongly in the Thompson gun, would never live long enough to witness its eventual large-scale adoption by the U.S. and the Allies.

When Hitler’s Wehrmacht invaded Poland on the morning of September 1, 1939, it marked the beginning of World War II. Just two days later on September 3, 1939 France and Great Britain, who had previously agreed to come to Poland’s aid in the event of a German invasion, both declared war on Germany; however, neither country was prepared for a major conflict. Shortly thereafter there was a rush by those countries to purchase all the weapons they could. In 1939, France and Great Britain approached the Auto-Ordnance Corporation wanting to purchase Thompson submachine guns. In November of 1939, the French committed to purchase 3,000 weapons, followed by another order in March 1940 for an additional 3,000 guns. The French capitulated before the second order could be shipped. While the British order became mired in bureaucratic procedures, the Swedish government acted, purchasing 500 Thompsons on 26 January 1940. The guns shipped to Sweden were believed to be some of the last Colt-made Thompsons still in Auto-Ordnance’s inventory.

After the German invasion of Poland, a world-wide demand increased for weapons, and by 1940 the remaining stock of Colt manufactured Thompson guns had been sold. Both France and Great Britain were eager to buy whatever weapons were available without regard to price. Maguire tried to interest Colt’s in another production run of the Thompson, but they were already committed to manufacturing Browning machine guns and were not interested. Maguire eventually was able to negotiate a deal with the Savage Arms Corporation, to manufacture the Thompson for Auto-Ordnance. On December 15, 1939 Savage signed the first contract to manufacture 10,000 1928 model Thompsons, the guns would be made at Savage’s Utica, New York plant.

 After a brief engineering study, Savage began acquiring most of Auto-Ordnance’s tooling and gages from Colt and Remington. The National Equipment Company of Springfield, Massachusetts made additional tooling, which was unavailable. In 1940, after a 19-year hiatus, the first Model of 1928 Thompsons were rolling off the assembly line. Savage delivered the first completed guns to Auto-Ordnance in April of 1940. Although Savage manufactured many of their own parts, a number of them were sub-contracted to their J. Stevens Arms sister plant located in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. A letter “S” was stamped into all parts made by Savage. Parts manufactured by the J. Stevens’ company were marked with a block letter S that often looks a lot like a number “5.” All Stevens’ manufactured Thompson parts were inspected by Savage personnel when they arrived at the Utica, New York factory.

Savage would eventually complete a total of fourteen contracts for the 1928 model. Savage and Stevens also manufactured a large number of parts to supply Auto-Ordnance’s own factory in Bridgeport, Connecticut that began manufacturing the U.S. 1928 A1 model in August of 1941.

During the 1921 Thompson production, the Colt’s name and address was prominently roll marked on the left side of the receiver.  However, in accordance with their contracts with the Auto-Ordnance Corporation, Savage was not to put their name on the Thompson, but Savage manufactured 1928 and 1928A1 Thompsons are easily identified by a capital letter S prefix in the serial number on their receivers. The receiver serial number of every 1928 and U.S. 1928 A1 Thompson was also roll marked into the underside of the trigger frame. Some early production 1928 Thompsons were well-made, earning them the moniker “Savage Commercials.” However, fine aesthetics, are not needed or desired on military weapons. As production increased, embellishments like the adjustable Lyman rear sight and the radial-finned barrel were replaced by a simple L sight, a smooth barrel and eliminating the checkering on the actuator handle and control levers.    

The British ordered their first 450 Thompson guns from Auto-Ordnance on February 15, 1940. By the time the Lend-Lease Act was enacted in March of 1941, the British had initiated eleven contracts in which they purchased 108,000 Thompsons directly from the Auto-Ordnance Corporation. By the end of 1944, the British had also received approximately 406,000 additional U.S. 1928 A1 and M1-M1A1 Thompson submachine guns through the United States’ Lend-Lease Act. The Thompsons were issued to the British Home Guard, the Army, the RAF and the S.O.E (Special Operation Executive). An estimated 5,000 of the British Thompsons were sent to India.

Auto-Ordnance Bridgeport

On August 22, 1940 Auto-Ordnance acquired a facility in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to supplement Savage’s Thompson production. Auto-Ordnance was one of the first manufacturers to establish the widespread use of Ordnance subcontracting, using nearly 75 subcontractors to produce parts during peak production. In many cases the subcontractors had no previous experience in ordnance work.

The company procured a large number of old and well-used machine tools, and made all its tooling and fixtures, jigs, cutters and gages in-house. Auto-Ordnance also supplied many of its subcontractors with tooling they manufactured. The Auto-Ordnance Bridgeport facility prepared itself to go into mass production of the Thompson submachine gun without the use of government loans or factory construction costs. At first, Auto-Ordnance leased the buildings in Bridgeport. In April of 1941, the corporation bought the factory buildings. The following year adjacent property was purchased for further expansion of the facilities. The Bridgeport Thompson plant ran 22 hours a day in 11-hour shifts; the downtime was used for machine maintenance and repairs. By 1943, Auto-Ordnance Bridgeport had increased its workforce to approximately 3,000 employees, mostly women.    

Late in 1941, the U.S. Ordnance Department had several meetings with Auto-Ordnance officials and engineers to discuss the immediate need to increase production of submachine guns by nearly one-hundred percent. In January of 1942, production of the Thompson U.S. 1928 A1 model had reached over 40,000 per month. Two authorizations were given by the Ordnance Department to increase capacity. The first called for a planned rate of 60,000 per month and the second for a rate of 90,000 per month. The expansion plan called for the procurement of additional equipment and machine tools on the government’s account. Some $665,000.00 worth of machinery, mostly used, was purchased by Auto-Ordnance on government contract W-478-ORD-1456.

In November 1941, the engineering staff at Savage began conducting a study of how the U.S. 1928 A1 model Thompson could be simplified. The engineers were looking for ways to decrease the time it took to manufacture the gun, in order to increase production. Consuming much of the manufacturing effort was the receiver, more specifically, the rails inside of the receiver that the bronze lock traveled on. The three-piece bolt/lock/actuator of the 1928 model was also labor intensive to manufacture. The engineers at Savage doubted that the locking device was necessary for the relatively low power of the .45 Caliber cartridge.

In late February of 1942, a prototype of the Savage “simplified” Thompson submachine gun was ready to be submitted to the Ordnance Department for testing and approval. The Savage Company had just completed a 10,000 round endurance test, which the new weapon successfully passed. Savage shipped the new weapon to Russell Maguire at the Auto-Ordnance Corporation headquarters. The Savage Corporation told Auto-Ordnance that they were submitting the redesigned Thompson, “Without any claims for compensation, reimbursement, royalty or patent interest.” The Auto-Ordnance engineering staff examined the new design, and then submitted it to the Ordnance Department in March of 1942. The new Thompson was sent to Aberdeen Proving Ground for testing and evaluation. The Aberdeen trials of the new Thompson were rather brief and concluded on 21 March 1942. The Aberdeen report stated that, “The overall consideration of the mechanical functioning leads to the judgment that the gun as a mechanism is equivalent or superior to the U.S. 1928 A1.” After a few government recommended alterations to the prototype were made, the new Thompson was recommended for adoption as Submachine Gun, Caliber .45 M1, at an Ordnance Committee meeting held on 24 March 1942. At the same meeting it was recommended that the U.S. 1928 A1 be reclassified as Limited Standard. On 25 April 1942, the Ordnance Committee approved the recommendation for adoption of the new Thompson as the Submachine Gun, Caliber .45, M1.

Savage engineer John Pearce and the Stevens Company’s designer Nicholas Brewer were credited with designing the new Thompson. While some parts of the original weapon remained unchanged, the primary modifications involved the receiver and bolt. The trigger frame was also redesigned, but most of the internal parts were identical. The M1 used the same box type magazine as the U.S. 1928 A1 model. On 24 February 1942, Savage agreed to a contract to manufacture the M1 model for Auto-Ordnance at a cost of $36.37 per unit, providing Savage with a profit of $12.93 per gun. Auto-Ordnance then charged the U.S. Government $43.00 for an M1 model and $42.94 for the M1A1 version, although the prices and profits varied slightly from contract to contract.

One of the major design differences between the M1 Thompson and the earlier U.S. 1928 A1 model was the M1 used a straight blowback design and did not use the actuator or controversial bronze “Blish” lock system. The M1 bolt assembly was a very simple rectangular block of steel. This allowed the receiver to be redesigned for easier manufacturer and its width reduced. The inside of the M1 receiver simply had a rectangular channel milled into it to accommodate the bolt. The cocking handle and slot were moved from the top of the receiver to the right side. Since drum type magazines had proven unsuitable for military use, the M1 series receivers eliminated the lateral slots on the sides of the magazine well for accommodating them. The length and width of the magazine well was reduced in size, and the receiver tapered at the top.

The simplified M1 Thompson was conceived to increase production and reduce cost. Savage and Auto-Ordnance were both aware that the Ordnance Department was seeking a less expensive submachine gun to replace the Thompson. The U.S. Government had on several occasions voiced concern over the Thompson’s high price. Additionally, newly developed foreign and domestic submachine guns, many made from simple sheet metal stampings, were becoming available, all at a fraction of the cost of the U.S. 1928 A1 Thompson.

The M1A1 Model

The Savage Arms Company, who originally developed the M1 version of the Thompson, continued attempts to further simplify the design by experimenting with a fixed firing pin model they designated as the M42. The prototype M42 was originally fitted with an M1 type bolt with a separate firing pin, but the firing pin was secured in the bolt in a manner that made it a non-movable part. The firing pin was fixed in an extended or “in battery” position. The firing pin, spring, hammer, and hammer pin were omitted. Less than 100 M42 Models were produced before the “fixed” separate firing pin was eliminated and replaced by a protrusion machined directly on the bolt face.

In January of 1943, the Ordnance Department announced to the Auto-Ordnance Corporation that the Thompson was going to be replaced by the newly developed U.S. M3 submachine gun. After the Ordnance Department’s official adoption of the U.S. M3, Thompson production was scheduled to be concluded in July of 1943. Plans were made to begin tapering off production of the weapon. In April 1943, 62,948 M1A1 guns were manufactured, this was reduced to 55,000 in May and 51,667 in June. This left only 5,000 guns remaining to be manufactured in July 1943 from existing contracts. Authority was then received from the Ordnance Department in June to procure an additional 60,000 weapons by the end of August. Before the end of August, more orders for the Thompson gun were received from Washington. A total of approximately 119,091 additional Thompson M1A1 models were to be manufactured, providing continuance of production through December of 1943. At the end of December there were enough parts remaining to assemble approximately 4,500 additional guns. In January of 1944 authorization was granted to complete the remaining guns by 15 February 1944. Production briefly resumed in February, completing a total of 4,092 additional guns. On February 15, 1944, the very last M1A1 Thompson submachine gun was accepted by the government via contract W-478-ORD-1949. After the Thompson production was terminated, Auto-Ordnance was awarded a contract to manufacture spare Thompson parts for Field service requirements. The parts would be used to maintain and repair weapons already in service. By the time of the last procurement of the M1A1 Thompson, the price charged to the United States government had been reduced to $42.94 per weapon. M1A1 Thompsons were manufactured by Savage in Utica, New York and at Auto-Ordnance’s Bridgeport, Connecticut plant.  

After the production of the World War II Thompson was terminated in February of 1944, the Auto-Ordnance Corporation was subcontracted to manufacture other material for the war effort. The company manufactured a variety of parts for the M1 carbine program, including receivers, bolts and slides. In October of 1944, the Auto-Ordnance Corporation became a division of Maguire Industries. Maguire Industries (Auto-Ordnance) manufactured 40,270 barrels for the M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle under contract W-19-059-ORD-316 in May and June of 1944. Maguire Industries also made a number of other miscellaneous small parts for the BAR and the 1919A4 Browning machine gun.

Although John T. Thompson’s vision of his submachine gun was originally a failure, the twenty-year old design was resurrected to serve the U.S. and her Allies during World War II. The original run of 15,000 Colt Thompsons in 1921, paled in comparison to World War II production, which exceeded 1.5 million Thompsons.

Ecerpted from American Thunder III, the Military Thompson Submachine Gun

The year 1939 was a time of change at the Auto-Ordnance Corporation. The Thompson family was no longer involved with the Company; Wall Street Financier J. Russell Maguire was now in control. Mr. Maguire invested a lot of his own money to take charge of a practically defunct company whose only assets were, “…in January 1939 approximately 4500 guns remained unsold.” (Blish v. Thompson Automatic Arms Corporation, 64 A.2^nd 581). But Mr. Maguire saw the clouds of war developing over Europe and believed General Thompson’s nearly twenty year old “Trench Broom” would be one of many answers to face the ever growing German war machine. As the deal for Auto-Ordnance was being finalized in the summer of 1939, the United States government unexpectedly purchased 951 Thompson guns and spare parts for $435,418.63. Mr. Maguire must have been all smiles knowing he had a large order in-hand on the first day of his presidency. But this one order would not sustain the company for long. There were many more guns to sell. 

France was one of many soon to be targets of Germany. The French government had to act fast to secure arms for a near certain invasion. Unfortunately, the production of military arms around the world had progressed at a snail’s pace after World War I – except in Germany. The French Purchasing Commission wasted little time engaging in negotiations with Mr. Maguire’s corporate attorney, Eugene Daniel Powers, for the purchase of thousands of Thompson guns. A deal was soon consummated and the French government purchased 3000 of the long ago Colt manufactured Thompson guns.

There has been much misinformation about the French November 1939 order of Thompson guns. The number sold has been stated as 2000, 3000 and 3750 from several different sources. An April 8th 1940 letter from Russell Maguire to the British Minister of Supply resolved this mystery once and for all. Mr. Maguire stated that the French government had ordered 6,000 Thompson guns, “…of which 3000 have already been delivered.” Since the initial delivery of 201 Thompson guns by Savage Arms did not roll out of the factory until later in April 1940, there is no doubt the 3000 delivered guns referenced in Maguire’s letter were of Colt’s manufacture. Of note, 180 of these first Savage made 201 Thompson guns were shipped to the British. What’s not in doubt is the purchase by the French government of 3000 Thompson guns represented the largest sale in Auto-Ordnance history to date.

The number of surviving Thompsons from this very large order of Colt guns is extremely small. As was the customary business practice during the World War II, there were no serial number lists of the guns sold. Like the Thompson guns purchased by the British Ministry of Supply (MoS) under the cash and carry program, 10 guns to a crate was most likely the method of shipment; 10 crates, 100 guns; 300 crates, 3000 guns. The known serial numbers of most documented French Colt’s appear to be in the higher serial number ranges – 9,000 and above.

Of course with everything Thompson, exceptions do exist. It is also believed the great majority of the 3000 guns sold were in the original Model of 1921 with no compensator configuration.

Colt Model of 1921 Thompson guns were not equipped with sling swivels when delivered to Auto-Ordnance Corporation by Colt’s, nor when sold to the French. The French military solved this problem by modifying the Thompson guns in a manner that made identification of the French Colt’s much easier in the years to come. It has been reported many times over the years that rotating Berthier sling swivels were fitted to the vertical fore grips and butt stocks. A close examination of eleven known French Colt’s revealed this is only half true. Non-rotating sling swivels that appear to be from French Lebel rifles were installed on the butt stocks of 10 of the 11 examined French Colt’s, including NO 10374. Only one exception (NO 12551) has been found to date. Further research continues.

Of the 3000 Colt’s purchased by the French government, only 23 have been identified from various sources to date. Known serial numbers include: 5771, 8207, 8540, 9259, 9283, 9639 (frame only), 9873 (frame only), 10171, 10374, 10384, 10592, 10623, 10697, 10709, 11659, 11733, 11848, 11944, 12290, 12551, 12592, 12784, 12799. Approximately one-half of these have not been personally observed so be aware of possible discrepancies. It is believed more French Colt’s will surface in the future and undergo the deactivation process in Europe. How many is the unanswered question? 

Robert Watson, Jr., enlisted in the U.S. Army in December 1942. He attained the rank of Corporal before being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in September 1944 with duties in Mess Supply and Transportation. Lt. Watson was stationed in Landstul, Germany shortly after World War II ended and placed in charge of the Motor Pool. He was promoted to First Lieutenant in March 1946. Like many American soldiers, Lt. Watson was an avid gun aficionado. Germany in 1945 was awash with weapons, many just for the taking. Watson is known to have collected 6 or 7 pistols along with at least two rifles while stationed in Germany. He also acquired Thompson submachine gun NO 10374, the focus of this story. Watson was very careful to follow all the necessary Army rules and regulations in sending his gun collection to the USA. He completed and filed with the Internal Revenue Service on June 28, 1948 a Form 6, APPLICATION FOR IMPORTATION OF FIREARMS, to legally import and register NO 10374. The Form 6 was approved on August 31, 1948. NO 10374 is listed as a “Thompson Submachine Gun (Not Stamped U.S. Government property)” and described as a “…souvenir of the late war.” Watson was promoted to Captain in October 1953. He transferred to the Reserves in 1969 and retired from the U.S. Army with the rank of Major in 1984.

Members of the Watson family knew about the Thompson submachine gun, but it was never displayed or brought out at any family gatherings or get-togethers. Watson’s son, Robert III, was told his father mounted the Thompson gun on a motorcycle and supposedly rode around his farm shooting rabbits. Watson’s involvement with family functions greatly diminished after his first wife passed away and he remarried. Watson passed away in 1992. Shortly thereafter, his second wife called his son, Robert III, and told him all Watson’s guns were going in the trash if he did not come immediately and remove the guns from the house. Robert III wasted no time in retrieving all his father’s firearms, including NO 10374.

Thompson submachine gun and war souvenir NO 10374 is now part of the Watson family trust. The family did not know about the French pedigree until joining the Thompson forum on MachineGunBoards.com. They used to shoot NO 10374 on occasion until learning original Colt 1921 actuators are fragile – and expensive. Future shooting plans involve a GI 1928 actuator and buffer pilot!

A special thank you to Mr. Pierre Blaise for helping with the research on the French Colt’s sling swivels. His knowledge of the French Colt’s was invaluable. Tom Davis, Jr. is known to readers of Small Arms Review magazine for his stories about the Thompson submachine gun. He has written three books about the Thompson gun. The story about the French Colt is one of many stories featured in his latest book, A Thompson Compendium. All of Tom’s books are available at Amazon.com.

The Thompson submachine gun is certainly one of the most famous and recognizable firearms ever produced. Although the original intent of the weapon was for a military application, the gun had its reputation tarnished by criminals during the prohibition era in the United States. The weapons’ use by gangsters in the 1920-1930s, as limited as it was, made for headline stories in the newspapers of the day. Unfortunately, the million-plus Thompson submachine guns fielded during World War II have often been overshadowed by its comparatively limited criminal use. The gun’s popularity today has been garnered through television programs of the 1950s and 60s by those of us who grew up watching Thompson wielding G-men (and bad guys) on Saturday afternoons.

The Auto-Ordnance Corporation

The Auto-Ordnance Corporation was organized in 1916 by John Thompson to develop a new military service rifle. The early work on the new semiautomatic weapon, dubbed the Auto-Rifle by Thompson, was done in Cleveland, Ohio with a small staff. There was a war on in Europe that the United States would be soon entering. Thompson was understandably anxious to get his weapon developed, manufactured and hopefully adopted by the Army.

When Thompson was setting the groundwork for his rifle project, he was searching for breech mechanisms and other inventions that might be utilized in his Auto-Rifle concept. Before long, Thompson discovered the Blish principle of metallic adhesion. A U.S. Navy officer by the name of John Blish discovered the principle. Blish had theorized that certain metals when set at particular angles became alternately adhesive and repellent under alternating high and low pressure.

As Auto-Ordnance’s chief engineer Theodore Eickoff experimented with prototype Auto-Rifles, he discovered that the Blish principle was simply not workable with any cartridge in the 30-06 class. Upon further development Eickoff discovered that the .45 ACP pistol round was workable with the Blish lock. After Eickoff reported his findings, Thompson then proposed a hand-held .45 caliber machine gun using the Blish lock principle. Soon the work at Auto-Ordnance began to focus on a new weapon, a “sub” machine gun, Thompson pictured as a “trench broom” intended to sweep the enemy from their trenches. Ironically enough, that is exactly what the Germans had in mind when they fielded their MP.18 machine pistol.

The focus of the Auto-Ordnance Corporation shifted from the Auto-Rifle to the development of a .45 caliber automatic weapon. The results of these efforts later to be named the Thompson submachine gun, in honor of the man who had envisioned it, John T. Thompson. After several prototypes and experimental models were built a production model finally evolved. The production gun was the soon to be famous Model of 1921. The initial Thompson production run of 15,000 guns subcontracted out to Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company, had taken only 16-months to manufacture.

The Men Behind the Thompson Submachine Gun

John T. Thompson

John Taliaferro Thompson was born in Newport, Kentucky on December 31, 1860. He had spent much of his military career assigned to the U.S. Ordnance Department and had worked at the Springfield Armory and the Rock Island Arsenal. Thompson was influential in the United States adopting the .45 ACP cartridge for military use. Thompson accomplished much in modernizing the weapons of the U.S. Army. He left the army in 1914 at the rank of colonel. He then accepted the position of consulting engineer at Remington Arms, during his tenure at Remington, John Thompson gained valuable experience in the manufacturing of small arms.

John Thompson was recalled to active duty in 1917 when the United States entered World War I. Thompson was assigned the position of Director of Arsenals and attained the rank of Brigadier General. He was released from active duty in 1918 after World War I had ended. After his discharge from the Army he devoted his full energy to the Auto-Ordnance Corporation. While John Thompson didn’t actually design the famous submachine gun that bears his name, it would not have existed if it were not for his vision of such a weapon.

Theodore H. Eickoff

After graduating from Purdue University in 1908, Theodore Eickoff accepted a position as a electrical and mechanical draftsman at the United States Ordnance Department. Eickoff had met and worked with John Thompson in the U.S. Ordnance Department’s Small Arms Division, studying the characteristics of foreign military rifles. Shortly after Mr. Eickoff left the Ordnance Department he was recruited by John Thompson to act as the chief engineer of the newly formed Auto Ordnance Corporation. During World War II, Mr. Eickoff served as an Ordnance officer assigned to the Cleveland Ordnance District.

Oscar Payne

Oscar V. Payne was a gifted young man. Prior to working at Auto-Ordnance he was employed by a firm that made patent drawings and researched patents. The firm represented many arms companies. John Thompson, always looking for talented individuals, had learned of Oscar Payne’s unique skills. When Payne left his job at the patent firm, Thompson hired him as Theodore Eickoff’s assistant. Eickoff assigned the job of designing the .45 caliber submachine gun to Payne. Payne is also credited with designing the gun’s box magazine, the “L” and “C” drum magazines. Credit must be given to Payne’s talent as a designer because the final design of the Thompson and its magazines was almost flawless. The designs endured without any major alterations or changes for many years. From 1917 until 1921 he worked at the Cleveland, Ohio engineering facility.

George E. Goll

George E. Goll was a mechanically inclined individual who assisted with the .45 caliber submachine gun project. When the Thompson submachine gun was being marketed, George Goll traveled the globe demonstrating the Thompson to kings, presidents, and army generals. After Eickoff left Auto-Ordnance, Goll took over the position of chief engineer. Goll later became a civilian quality control inspector for the Auto-Ordnance Corporation during military production of the gun at the Savage Arms plant. His initials GEG appear on virtually every Savage Thompson submachine gun manufactured for military service.

Marcellus Thompson

Marcellus Thompson was John Thompson’s only son. Marcellus, like his father and grandfather before him, was a graduate of West Point. Marcellus served as an officer in the U.S. Army from 1906 until 1919 when he left the army in order to work at the Auto-Ordnance Corporation. He would become Vice President and General Manager. Marcellus took over the corporation upon his father’s retirement in 1928. Marcellus died shortly before his father in October of 1939 at 56 years of age.   

Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company

In 1921, an agreement between the Auto-Ordnance Corporation and the Colt’s
Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company was reached. The manufacture of the Thompson submachine gun was contracted to Colt who produced the entire lot of 15,000 Model of 1921 Thompsons. The weapon was subcontracted because the Auto-Ordnance Corporation, who developed the weapon, did not have any manufacturing capabilities.

All of the 15,000 Thompson submachine guns originally manufactured by Colt’s were produced as the Model of 1921. From these 15,000 guns, several different models were created and sold by Auto-Ordnance.

The original run of Thompson guns was manufactured to very high-quality standards, common of the era. The 1921 model had a very high commercial quality lustrous Colt blue finish, and complementary fine walnut furniture. The manufacture of the buttstocks and a few other parts were subcontracted out to Remington Arms Company. Originally, the 1921 models were equipped with a vertical foregrip. The Lyman Sight Company of Connecticut manufactured the rear sight assembly for Auto-Ordnance. The rear sight was the ladder type and considered by many to be quite complicated for use on a rapid-fire weapon. The barrel featured radial cooling fins, and a milled ring style front sight. Cutts compensators were not originally fitted to the guns. The actuator, fire mode selector and the safety levers were finely knurled. The one-piece ejector on the Colt guns was machined. Colt manufactured Thompson’s were inspected by Auto-Ordnance’s Chief Inspector John H. Barrett and many have his initials JHB stamped on the right side of the receiver. There is a passionate collector interest in the Colt manufactured Thompsons.

The original cost of the 1921 model was $200.00 supplied with one type XX twenty-round box magazine. The first production Colt Thompson, serial number 41, came of off the assembly line in March of 1921. By this time World War I had ended and there was no demand for new weapons. Sales of the Thompson were extremely slow. It would take almost twenty years to sell all of the initial production of 15,000 guns. The $200.00 list price of the Thompson was quite a sum of money in the 1920’s.

During 1923 a “new” military model was introduced as the Model of 1923. The new model was no doubt influenced by the World War I success of the Browning Automatic Rifle, better known as the BAR. The 1923 military model was nothing more than a standard 1921 model refitted with a longer 14.5-inch barrel, a bipod and a horizontal foregrip. To increase the effective range, a new special cartridge was offered. The new .45 caliber cartridge was called the Remington-Thompson. It featured a 250-grain projectile in a longer .998-inch case. Muzzle velocity was 1,450 feet per second. The concept of the Thompson Military models proved unsuccessful, and few of the 1923 Models were built. The idea was scrapped shortly after it was conceived. 

The 1921AC Model

Introduced in 1926, the 1921AC model was simply a standard model 1921 with a Cutts compensator fitted to the muzzle. The compensators for the Thompson were designed by Colonel Richard Cutts, and manufactured by the Lyman Gun Sight Company. The compensator was offered as an enhancement for the 1921 Thompson. The compensator was claimed to significantly reduce muzzle rise and was offered as a $25.00 option. The Thompson Gun without the optional compensator was then designated the 1921A model. There were no changes to the markings on the receivers. The 1921A and 1921AC designations were only used in Auto-Ordnance’s advertising literature. There were several variations of the Cutts compensators manufactured. The early Cutts compensators fitted to existing 1921A Thompsons were not marked, and had a .660-inch inside diameter with 28 threads per inch. A new compensator was introduced in 1932, which was longer and larger in diameter, and had a .750-inch inside diameter with 28 threads per inch. The new compensator was marked with the Cutts diamond trademark and patent dates on the top leading edge of the compensator.

The Model of 1927 Semi-Automatic Carbine

The Model of  1927, semiautomatic carbine is one of the rarest variations of the early Colt Thompson Guns. The 1927 was again, created from existing 1921 models. The unique feature about the 1927 was that it was made into a semi-automatic-only weapon. This was done to offer a model of the Thompson to law enforcement organizations and correctional facilities who simply did not want to arm their officers with a submachine gun. The conversion was accomplished by redesigning a few internal parts. The full-auto markings were neatly milled out of the receiver and remarked. The 1927 model is still regarded as an NFA firearm because of its short barrel and submachine gun receiver. Model 1927 Thompsons are not often encountered in their original semi-auto-only configuration; many were converted back to select fire at some point in time. The 1927 model was available with or without the optional Cutts compensator installed.

The 1928 Navy Model

The most prolific Colt manufactured Thompson model was the 1928 Navy model, also referred to by collectors as the Colt overstamp, the 1921 overstamp, 28 Navy or the 28N. The 1928 Navy model, like the others, were created from existing 1921A model Thompsons. It was conceived because of the Marine Corps request to have the rate of automatic fire reduced from 800 rounds per minute to approximately 600 rounds per minute. This was accomplished by redesigning the actuator by adding a block of steel. This made the assembly four ounces heavier, and along with a redesigned recoil spring and buffer pilot, slowed the rate of fire to an acceptable level. The firing pin spring was also redesigned and was slightly shorter than in the 1921 model. All 1928 Navy models had the numeral 1 (in the 1921 designation) overstamped with the numeral 8 to alter it to read 1928. The words “U.S. Navy” were also stamped into the receiver on many of the converted guns. The Navy markings were impressed into the receiver rather lightly and appear different from all the other receiver markings. Although the Colt 1928 “Navy” models were marked “U.S. Navy,” relatively few of the guns actually were sold to the United States Navy. The U.S. Navy endorsement proved to be a very good marketing tool as the “1928 Navy” Thompson was the most popular variation of the early Colt Thompson, and as a result many “U.S. Navy” 1928s were purchased by large corporations, police departments and foreign governments. The 1928 “Navy” Thompson, was available with a vertical or horizontal foregrip, and with or without a Cutts muzzle compensator.

The military often referred to the 1928 Navy Model as the “slowed down model” in correspondence and documents. Although the redesign of the internal parts to slow down the cyclic rate of fire of the Thompson is often credited to former Auto-Ordnance employee Oscar Payne, the new parts were reportedly designed by Philip P. Quayle at the Quantico Marine facility, Quantico, Virginia with U.S. Marine participation. The first “slowed down” Thompson was successfully tested in January of 1927.

 In March of 1932, the U.S. Army procured a few of the 1928 Navy Models as “Limited procurement, Gun, Submachine, Caliber .45 U.S. Navy Model of 1928.” The 1928 Thompson would be the last small arm adopted by the U.S. Army that used a year designation in the official nomenclature of the weapon. The Marine Corps expressed interest in the Thompson submachine gun and procured a total of 671 Thompsons from 1926 to 1928. A few of the early Thompsons received by the Marines were in the rapid firing 1921 model configuration. Many were later converted to the slower firing Model of 1928 configuration at a cost of $8.50 per gun.

Unfortunately, by the time the Thompson was finally produced, World War I had ended, and there was no peace time market for the weapon. In addition, the bad publicity the gun was receiving from its use and lagging sales of the Thompson, the future of Auto-Ordnance Corporation appeared quite bleak. By all appearances, the concept of the Thompson submachine gun was a failure. However, as history would soon show, the Thompson gun wasn’t dead yet.   

J. Russell Maguire

Russell Maguire was a shrewd businessman believed that with the 1937 Japanese invasion of China and events unfolding in Germany, there soon would be a great worldwide demand for small arms. Through some financial dealings and last-minute ultimatums Maguire was able to obtain controlling interest in the Auto-Ordnance Corporation. During 1939, Maguire subcontracted with Savage Arms to resume manufacture of the Thompson submachine gun, and later opened the Auto-Ordnance factory in Bridgeport Connecticut to keep up with the wartime demand for the weapons.        

Despite the design of the Thompson being twenty years old, Russell Maguire would eventually make millions of dollars off of the military contracts for the Thompson submachine gun during World War II. Both John Thompson and his son Marcellus, who had believed so strongly in the Thompson gun, would never live long enough to witness its eventual large-scale adoption by the British and U.S. military.

Apex Announces New CZ P-10 Trigger Kit

Apex Tactical Specialties is pleased to announce the introduction of its new Action Enhancement Kit for the CZ P-10 line of 9mm pistols. Starting at just $104.95, the package includes an Apex Action Enhancement Trigger, Apex Performance Disconnector and Apex Slide Cover Plate, which, when installed, significantly improves the feel of the trigger pull while reducing pull weight.

Apex’s engineering and design team developed the Action Enhancement Kit as a direct drop-in replacement for the factory polymer trigger, disconnector and slide cover plate of the CZ P-10. The end user has the option of using either the Apex or factory disconnector to achieve one of two distinct trigger pulls.

Installing the Apex Trigger, Performance Disconnector and Slide Cover Plate will reduce the trigger pull to sub-4.0 lbs and provide a light, smooth take-up with linear rolling trigger break at striker release and a reduction in over-travel.

For more of a duty/carry trigger, using the CZ factory disconnector with the Apex Trigger and Slide Plate Cover will provide a more defined trigger break at striker release and a pull weight at approximately 5.5 lbs.

Both trigger installation options require the use of the Apex Slide Cover Plate which is an engineered product designed specifically to work with the Apex and factory components to achieve the proper trigger performance.

The new trigger kit, in Black, is now available for pre-order. Retailers and wholesale distributors that have not yet ordered and wish to stock the new trigger kit can contact Apex at dealer@apextactical.com or (623) 322-0200 for pricing and quantity availability.

Features and Specifications:

• Reduces trigger pull to approx. sub 4.0 lbs (using full Apex Enhancement Kit)
• Reduces trigger pull to approx. 5.5 lbs (using Apex Trigger and Slide Cover Plate)
• Direct drop-in replacement of factory components
• Maintains factory safety values
• Easy to install
• Apex Part #: 116-115 (Black)
• MSRP: $104.95
• ApexTactical.com

SMITH & WESSON
M&P 12 Shotgun 

Smith & Wesson announced today that it has introduced a new, bullpup-style pump action shotgun: the M&P12. Designed for home protection, the new M&P12 shotgun is packed with features in a compact, maneuverable package. The M&P12 is chambered for 12 gauge 3” shells but is able to accept a combination of stan-dard 2 ¾”, 3” magnum, and mini-shell loads, offering the user a variety of load options to best suit their needs. The M&P12 also features complete ambidextrous controls, an M&P grip, picatin-ny-style rail, and more.

Kyle Tengwall, Vice President of Marketing, said, “Smith & Wesson has a long, storied history of making handguns for self-defense, yet no conversation around personal protection can be complete without mentioning the 12 gauge shotgun. With the introduction of the new M&P12, Smith & Wesson is able to offer our consumers a personal protection product in a variety of categories: pistol, revolver, rifle, and shotgun. Today, we’re excited to unveil the M&P12 – a new category introduction for Smith & Wesson, and a firearm that’s purpose-built for protection and a blast to shoot at the range.

The M&P12 shotgun is built on a reliable, pump-action platform with two independent magazine tubes that feature load assist buttons to simplify loading and unloading. Each tube can hold up to 7 rounds of standard 2-3/4” shells, or up to 6 rounds of 3” magnum shells. Mini-shells can also be utilized for maximum ammo adaptability. Magazine tubes are easily selected using a simple, push button selector, providing the operator with a visual cue of which magazine tube is feeding the barrel.

The M&P12 features fully ambidextrous controls, utilizing an oversized action release that can be engaged from either side of the firearm as well as the familiar AR-style ambidextrous safety selector. Hallmark M&P features can be found throughout the shotgun, including the new M&P grip with four interchangeable palmswell grip inserts to customize fit for the user. The M&P12’s bullpup design delivers maximum maneuverability with an over-all length of 27.8”, as well as M-LOK slots on the barrel shroud to easily accessorize with lights, lasers, and more. The M&P12 shotgun ships with both modified and cylinder choke tubes, four palmswell grip inserts, a 15” cable lock, choke tube wrench, & hard plastic, foam-lined case.
The MSRP on the new M&P 12 shotgun is $1,165. smith-wesson.com

Armalite

AR-10A Supersass Precision GEN II

The SuperSass (Semi-Automatic Sniper System) was originally designed for use by the US Military, but a civilian model is available to discerning shooters who demand superb accuracy. The SuperSass Gen II has a fully adjustable stock and an adjustable gas system built to accommodate suppressed and unsuppressed fire. The SuperSASS Gen II is the ultimate tactical rifle on the market.

• Caliber(s): 7.62×51 NATO
• Barrel:  Hb, Black Nitride 416r Stainless Steel
• Barrel Length:  20 inches
• Twist: 1:10 RH
• Magazine: 20-Round
• Trigger: Two-Stage Precision Trigger, Drop-In
• Stock: Adjustable Cheek And Length Of Pull
• Finish: Black
• Weight: 11.2 lbs
• Overall Length: 43 inches
• Price: 3,150
• armalite.com

Barrett Firearms

MK22

The MK22 defines a new class of long-range rifles by providing even greater flexibility within the MRAD rifle platform. With unfailing precision and Sub-MOA performance, this bolt action sniper rifle adapts to a variety of user needs by converting between 7.62 x 51mm, 300 NM and 338 NM calibers. The aluminum chassis features a folding stock with adjustable length of pull and cheek piece, M-LOK attachment system, 10 mil rail, and suppressor capable muzzle brake.  

• Calibers: 338 NM, 300 NM, and 7.62 x 51 NATO
• Barrel: Stainless Steel
• Barrel Lengths: 338 NM: 27” (686 mm), 300 NM: 26” (660 mm), and 7.62 x 51 NATO: 20” (508 mm)
• Twist(s): 338 NM: 1:9.4” (240 mm), 300 NM: 1:8” (200 mm), and 7.62 x 51 NATO: 1:8” (200 mm)
• Magazine: 10 Round Magazine
• Trigger: Single Stage Curved
• Stock: Folding
• Finish: Coyote
• Weight: 338 NM: 15.2 lbs (7.0 kg), 300 NM: 15.2 lbs (7.0 kg), and 7.62 x 51 NATO: 13.9 lbs (6.3 kg)
• Overall Length: 338 NM: 49.4” (1255 mm), 300 NM: 48.4” (1229 mm), and 7.62 x 51 NATO: 42.4” (1077 mm)
• MSRP (USD): $18,300
• barrett.net

Barrett Firearms

MRAD SMR

Built with a specific purpose in mind. The MRAD SMR (Single Mission Rifle) is a fixed caliber and stock rifle system that is focused on the task-at-hand with 5 shot Sub-MOA performance. The simplified package retains 90% parts commonality with the standard MRAD, and offers the user a choice between 7 dedicated calibers and 3 Cerakote colors.

• Calibers: 338 LM, 338 NM, 300 NM, 300 PRC, 300 WM, 308 Win, and 6.5 Creedmoor
• Barrel: Stainless Steel
• Barrel Lengths: 338 LM: 26” (660 mm), 338 NM: 26” (660 mm), 300 NM: 26” (660 mm), 300 PRC: 26” (660 mm), 300 WM: 26” (660 mm), 308 Win: 17” / 24” (432 mm / 610 mm), and 6.5 Creedmoor: 24” (610 mm)
• Twist(s): 338 LM: 1:9.4” (240 mm), 338 NM: 1:9.4” (240 mm), 300 NM: 1:8” (200 mm), 300 PRC: 1:8” (200 mm), 300 WM: 1:8” (200 mm), 308 Win: 1:8” (200 mm), and 6.5 Creedmoor: 1:8” (200 mm)
• Magazine: 10 Round Magazine
• Trigger: Two Stage Curved
• Stock: Fixed
• Finishes: Black, Tungsten Grey, and Flat Dark Earth
• Weight: 338 LM: 12.3 lbs (5.6 kg), 338 NM: 12.3 lbs (5.6 kg), 300 NM: 12.3 lbs (5.6 kg), 300 PRC: 12.3 lbs (5.6 kg), 300 WM: 12.3 lbs (5.6 kg), 308 Win: 10.6 lbs / 12.0 lbs (4.8 kg / 5.4 kg), and 6.5 Creedmoor: 12.0 lbs (5.4 kg)
• Overall Length: 338 LM: 48.5” (1232 mm), 338 NM: 48.5” (1232 mm), 300 NM: 48.5” (1232 mm), 300 PRC: 48.5” (1232 mm), 300 WM: 48.5” (1232 mm), 308 Win: 39.5” / 46.5” (1003 mm / 1181 mm), and 6.5 Creedmoor: 46.5” (1181 mm)
• MSRP (USD): $4,995
• barrett.net

CZ-USA

CZ 457 Varmint Precision Chassis MTR

The 457 VPC MTR comes with CZ’s famous cold hammer-forged and lapped barrel, 16.2 inches in length and with 1/2×28 threads for mounting a suppressor or muzzle device. It rides in an incredibly stable aluminum chassis system that is equipped with an adjustable Luth-AR stock, and the rifle features a fully adjustable trigger, a 5-round detachable box magazine and integrated 11mm dovetails for scope installation, coming in at an MSRP of $1,115.

• Caliber(s): 22 LR
• Barrel: Heavy Cold Hammer Forged
• Barrel Length: 16.2 in
• Twist: 1:16 in
• Magazine: Detachable, 5 capacity
• Trigger: Fully Adjustable
• Stock: Aluminum Chassis
• Finish: Anodized OD Green Chassis
• Weight: 7 lbs
• Overall Length: 31.1” /34.1”
• Price: $1,115.00

Desert Tech

SRS M2

The SRS M2 was built by military request. It has all the same benefits of the SRS A2 rifle, but with the added features of a full-length optics rail on the top of the rifle as well as a built in Arca rail on the handguard. The optics rail has a built in 30 MOA cant, to keep day and night optics on the same plane. And the built in Area 419 Arcalock rail allows quick attachment and adjusting of support accessories like bipod, tripods, etc.

• Caliber(s): Multi (6.5CM, 308, 300wm, 300NM, 338LM)
• Barrel:  Stainless steel match grade
• Barrel Length:  22 to 26 inches
• Twist: varies with caliber
• Magazine: 5 to 10 rounds
• Trigger: Adjustable 2-5 lbs
• Stock: Chassis system
• Finish: Black or FDE
• Weight: 9.3-9.9 lbs
• Overall Length: 37 inches max
• Price: $5949.00
• deserttech.com

IWI – Israel Weapon Industries

IWI DAN.338

IWI DAN.338 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle was developed in collaboration with the Elite Units of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and reflects years of battlefield experience delivering outstanding accuracy for long distances of more than 1200m.

Advantages and benefits: Sub MOA accuracy, MIL-STD 1913 (Picatinny) Rails at 3, 6, 9 & 12 o’clock positions for mounting accessories and devices, ambidextrous safety and magazine release, adjustable bipod and cheek rest, foldable & adjustable mono-pod, and removable trigger mechanism for an easy and accurate tune.

• Caliber(s): .338 LAPUA Magnum
• Barrel: Heavy fluted free-floating barrel
• Barrel Length: 785 (31″) (including muzzle brake)
• Twist: 1:10″ twist
• Magazine: 10 round, drop-free magazine
• Trigger: Two-stage trigger and a self-fitted trigger, trigger pull force: 1.5-1.7 kg
• Stock: Lightweight foldable buttstock with adjustable Length of Pull
• Finish: Black hard anodize – matte
• Weight: 6.9 Kg
• Overall Length: 1,280mm
• Price: NA
• www.iwi.net

McMillan Firearms

McMillan TAC-50C

The McMillan TAC-50C is an update to the renowned TAC-50A1. The TAC-50C features the new folding Cadex Dual Strike chassis system. It includes an adjustable cheek piece with vertical adjustment and an adjustable length of pull. The stock incorporates a smaller pistol grip to fit a wider range of hand shapes, with and without gloves. Three 1913 MIL-STD rail sections allow for customization of accessories.

• Caliber(s): .50 BMG
• Barrel:  Match Grade, Stainless Steel
• Barrel Length:  29 inches
• Twist: 1:15″
• Magazine: McMillan 5 Round
• Trigger: Adjustable Match Grade Trigger
• Stock: Cadex Dual Strike 50 Series
• Finish: Cerakote Metal Finish To Match Stock
• Weight: 29 lbs
• Overall Length: 56.5″
• Price: 11,250
• Mcmillanfirearms.com

Sako

T3x TACT A1

The Tikka T3X TACT A1 is fully modular and fulfills all operational requirements. It provides all of the field-proven features the Tikka family is known for around the world:  Accuracy, crisp trigger and smooth bolt operation. The aluminum chassis stock system is compatible with most common AR type fore-ends, grips and stocks. A foldable stock with quick adjustable cheek piece and adjustable length of pull comes standard. The muzzle is threaded for attaching brakes and/or suppressors.

• Caliber(s): .223 Rem, .308 Win, .260 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor
• Barrel: Cold hammer forged, free floating, stainless steel, M18x1 or 5/8-24 muzzle thread
• Barrel Length: 16, 20 or 24 inches
• Twist: 1 in 8 inches (1 in 11 for .308 Win)
• Magazine: Removable.  10 rounds
• Trigger: Two stage, adjustable
• Stock: Folding stock with aluminum chassis.  AR grip and stock interface
• Finish: Black or Coyote Brown
• Weight: 10.9 pounds (with 16 inch barrel)
• Overall Length: 35.8 inches (with 16 inch barrel)
• MSRP (USA): $1,949 ($1,999 for left-hand)
• www.tikka.fi

Sako

TRG M10

The Sako TRG M10 is a bolt action, manually operated, magazine-fed, sniper weapon that is available in hundreds of configurations.  This multicaliber sniper rifle is modular and configurable, allowing the operator or armorer to quickly change configuration, barrel or caliber to tailor it to the mission specific needs.  A foldable stock can be adjusted quickly and without tools. Fore-end M-LOK rail interface system can be equipped with rails and accessories to meet any operational requirement.

• Caliber(s): .308 Win, .300 Win Mag, .338 Lapua Mag
• Barrel: Cold hammer forged, free floating, stainless steel, M18x1 muzzle thread
• Barrel Length: 16, 20, 23.5, 26 or 27 inches
• Twist: 1 in 11 inches (1 in 10 for .338 LM)
• Magazine: Removable. 11 rounds (.308 Win), 8 (.338 Lapua Mag), 7 (.300 Win Mag)
• Trigger: Two stage, adjustable and removable
• Stock: Folding stock with aluminum chassis
• Finish: Black or Coyote Brown
• Weight: 12.4 to 14.1 pounds, depending on configuration
• Overall Length: 36.9 to 47.9 inches, depending on barrel length
• MSRP (USA): $11,999
• www.sako.fi

VOERE Jagd- und Sportwaffen

VOERE X4

The VOERE X4 is equipped with a switch barrel system, that means that the rifle is modular interchangeable. The rifle is equipped with a linear bearing guided steel bolt, as otherwise known from artillery guns. The system is suita-ble for right-handed shooters, as well as for left-handed shooters. It can be set modularly for a right- or left ejection of the cartridges. The bolt handle can be easily mounted on the left- or on the right side, so that a real left/right system is realized.

• Caliber(s): 300 Norma Mag. | 338 Lapua Mag. | 375 CT | 408 CT
• Barrel:  Stainless steel match barrel fluted with VOERE Match muzzle brake with 3 chambers
• Barrel Length:  27” (338 Lapua Mag.) / 28” (300 Norma Mag. / 375 CT / 408 CT)
• Twist: 1:15” – 1:9” progressive (300 Norma Mag), 1:16” – 1:10” progressive (338 Lapua Mag), 1:16” – 1:10” progressive (375 CT), 1:19” – 1:11” progressive (408 CT)
• Magazine: 5-rounds steel- or polymer magazine (300 Norma Mag. | 338 Lapua Mag.)
• 5-rounds steel-magazine (375 CT / 408 CT)
• Trigger: Two-stage match trigger with various trigger blades  Optional: Single-set trigger or Direct trigger
• Stock: Modular and ambidextrous aluminium and polymer match stock | Folding stock right / left Optional: various front- and rear-stocks
• Finish: Cerakote coatings; Standard coatings = armor black / flat dark earth / coyote tan / tactical grey
• Weight: approx. 19.2 lbs – 21.4 lbs   (depending on caliber and stock)
• Overall Length: 54” – 55”
• Price: € 8.597,30 (standard configuration)
• voere.com

VOERE Jagd- und Sportwaffen

VOERE LBW MATCH-VARMINT

The LBW Match-Varmint a universal interchangeable sporting rifle ranging from calibre .223 Rem. up to 338 Lapua Magnum. The LBW-Series is a modular system (hunting- and sporting rifles) where stocks, barrels, bolts and bolt heads are interchangeable. The action of this rifle is aluminum. It is a rigid design for long range shooting and strong calibres.

• Caliber(s): 6,5 x 47 Lapua | 6,5 Creedmoor | 6,5 x 55 SE, 223 Rem. | 308 Win. | 300 Win. Mag. | 300 Norma Mag. | 338 Lapua Mag.
• Barrel:  Stainless steel match barrel fluted with VOERE Match muzzle brake with 3 chambers
• Barrel Length:  20” (223 Rem.) ; 26” (6,5 x 47 Lapua | 6,5 Creedmoor | 6,5 x 55 SE | 308 Win. | 300 Win. Mag.); 27” (300 Norma Mag. | 338 Lapua Mag.)
• Twist: 1:8” (6.5 x 47 Lapua & 6.5 Creedmoor); 1:8.5” (6.5 x 55 SE); 1:9” (223 Rem.); 1:12” (308 Win.); 1:10” (300 Win. Mag.); 1:15” – 1:9” (300 Norma Mag); 1:16” – 1:10” (338 Lapua Mag)
• Magazine: 4-rounds steel-magazine (300 Win. Mag.); 5-rounds steel-magazine (all calibres except 300 Win. Mag.); 10-rounds steel-magazine (6,5 Creedmoor | 6,5 x 55 SE | 308 Win. (special magazine))
• Trigger: Direct trigger  Optional: Single-set trigger or Two-stage match trigger with various trigger blades
• Stock: GRS (Grodas) laminated wood stock “SPORTER” (grey-black, blue-black) VOERE carbon fibre reinforced polymerstock – thumbhole stock / pistole grip GGS (German Gun Stock) „REX“ laminated epoxy resin stock “7013 Jaeger”
• Finish: Cerakote coating in armor black or other coatings.
• Weight: approx. 4,5 kg / 9,9 lbs – 5,2 kg / 11,5 lbs   (depending on calibre and stock)
• Overall Length: approx. 103 cm / 41” – 121 cm / 48”
• Price: MSRP € 3.693,40 (standard configuration)
• voere.com

Story & Photography by Richard Jones

In the last months of World War II, Hitler decreed that Germany would fight to the last man.  All males between the ages of 16 and 60, not already serving, were drafted into the Volksturm, or “People’s Army”.  To arm these soldiers, and Hitler was careful to declare them soldiers so that they would fall under the protection of the Geneva Convention, Hitler ordered a series of cheap and easily manufactured weapons be developed.  One of these weapons was the VG1-5, a semi-automatic, gas operated “assault rifle”. This gun was a straight blowback design utilizing the 7.92×33 Kurz cartridge, the same as that used by the Stg 44.  It also utilized the same magazine.

The VG1-5 is pretty much a straight blow back operated rifle. There are four holes in the forward part of the barrel that vent gas into a barrel shroud to retard blow back. These four holes aren’t really necessary. I decided to make mine in 9mm. An Airsoft Mp44 served as a parts donor. The airsoft gun is made of pot metal, but I was mainly interested in the magazine housing. The magazine is made of steel and appears to be a replacement mag for the MP44 rifle that has had the follower removed. I could interchange my real MP44 mag with the airsoft mag with no problem.

The receiver and fire control group is from a Sten MKII converted to comply with NFA rules.  The gun is semi -auto, straight blowback, striker fired from a closed bolt.  I fabricated the butt stock and fore-end from Birch blanks.

My only plans were photo’s and illustrations from books.  The original gun had a barrel shroud that served as a gas chamber and charging handle.  Mine would only need to serve as a charging handle since it wasn’t necessary to bleed off any pressure.  The barrel shroud/charging handle reciprocates as it fires.  The original dust cover was stamped from metal and was corrugated.  I made my dust cover from a reproduction cas mask canister.  The muzzle cap is from an M3 grease gun.  The safety, charging handle and front sight were completely hand fabricated.

Markings for the stock and receiver were copied.  The metal parts were chemically etched while the stock was stamped and pyrographed.

The shortened and re-welded Sten magazine was acra-glassed into an MP44 magazine body. 

The completed gun was given a battle-worn finish in matte-black and glacier silver Cerakote.  The stock was was given some battle scars and finished with boiled linseed oil.  The original guns used gas can canister straps for slings so I fashioned one of those and attached it as the originals were done.  A test fire showed good function and a fair level of accuracy at 100yds…around 5moa.  I decided to mount a period correct Meopta ZF-4 scope to make shooting a little more fun.  I had to make a custom off-set mount.

A video of the gun firing is available here. https://youtu.be/zZSKtvGFL28

Tinkering with a Thompson

Story & Photography by Richard Scheidel

This tale started with my subscription to Machine Gun News way back in the day, circa May, 1990. I read every issue of MGN cover to cover every article was fascinating to this young life-long shooter. I read it all, The Forms by Dan Shea, Strictly Stens and Focus On by Carl Silver, and of course…Raffica.

Years would go by before I got my West Hurley  M1-A1, courtesy of a fellow gun club member in Connecticut who got nervous with Connecticut’s various then new weapons restrictions and bans. Seeing as I had recently moved out of state, he asked if anyone would be interested in purchasing his Thompson. I only asked him what he had to get for it and he wanted everything he had into it…accessories, etc. I told him I’d see if I can find someone and on the way home called my wife to tell her we were buying a Thompson.

SO… now out come the old issues (in perfect condition, thank you) of MGN and there it was…Tinkering with Thompsons. Supposedly, the old girl had some issues. Long story short, the gun was up and operating just fine. However… there were some cool articles in those pages of Klodzinski’s ramblings.

Jim Klodzinski had some radical ideas and of course, being a noob in the Title II world, I was fascinated by everything.  One of his better ideas was his “Quick Change Barrel” system. That caught my eye. I followed the recipe…not to the letter. He wanted a hand tightened screw and I preferred an Allen wrench screw. He also filed a flat in the Thompson barrel; I ran a flat-faced mill down the hole to mark the barrel and with the barrel removed just enlarged it a bit. Now the setscrew sat down in the barrel a bit. Mission accomplished!

Then the Internet happened. Now known simply as the Machingunboards.com, it was then the source of Thompson info. One individual changed the caliber of his gun to 9mm. Hmmm. Everything was there… what he used, what magazine, and all the necessary modifications. But to me the gun was missing certain panache. It didn’t look like a Thompson anymore. It was different, the barrel profile just looked wrong. But I can fix that. I found 9mm barrel blanks on the West Coast.  Lathe took care of the rest with a new chamber reamer to boot. The bolt needed to be modified. I had a broken faced 45 M1-A1 bolt in the drawer and welded it up, brought it into spec on the lathe and now sporting a 9mm chamber face. The extractor groove on the bolt nose had to be lowered as well. Some adapters were machined and welded on a Suomi 50 round magazine as well as a Suomi 70 round drum. The ejector needed to be welded up a bit longer and reshaped. No adjusting needed…it was ALIVE! It made its debute at the Marietta, Ohio shoot that fall. Now it looked like a Thompson…except for the magazines.

Then Shotgun News started running ads for boatloads of 7.62×25 ammo, cheap. Hey, why not? I started looking for 308 caliber donor barrels and accidently banged my shin on a stack of Browning 1919A-4 barrels. Hmm. After finding one with SOME rifling still left, it was back to the lathe. This time, even the barrel fins were reproduced. A 7.62×25 chamber reamer was bought and not wasted…I made three MP-5 barrels out of some more Browning barrels. Bonus! The 9mm bolt was perfect for the 7.62×25 round. I only had one 7.62×25 magazine in my possession, a PPSh drum. The adapter went on, but the drum had to be thinned a bit, it was too fat to fit the mag well. Worse, I missed the 7.62×25 sales glut and only found one box (50 rounds…who buys ammo per box anymore?) and I found that one box at Cabala’s in East Hartford CT.

So I go to my old gun club and a fellow hoser sees the Thompson with a PPSh drum hooked up and says, “What the heck you doing now? (You know who you are…) Does it work?” I honestly replied, I didn’t know if it would. I put it on semi and banged one off. Then a couple more. Meh, switched to rock & roll and let it rip. Yeah, emptied the drum and the gun hardly moved. He grinned, shook his head and went back to his shooting.

Then PK at Diamond K advertised a .40 caliber barrel for sale. A quick phone call and it was mine. This caliber change still needs a bit of magazine work. I occasionally get a Brass Rainbow out of the top of the magazine if it gets jostled a bit. Embarrassing, yes. Four empty cases followed by twenty-six intact rounds flying out of the ejection port. Needs some mag tweaking. Thinking about rechambering it to 400 Corbon. That’ll take care of the magazine issue, not to mention the sloppy bolt face.

Now I have to mention Merle Bitikoffer here. He has done a simply marvelous job of making an absolutely functional .22LR conversion that doesn’t run at 1,000 rpm or better. His Thompson Conversion kit runs at a real enjoyable 550-600 rpm and actually lets you enjoy shooting 22s in a machine gun. Now I’ve got 22 conversions for my Macs, some HK’s, even my 1919A4. But only Mel’s kit runs at a nice sedate rate of fire. I added a half dozen 30 round Black Dog Machine magazines and yeah, one 50 round Black Dog drum. That went to the Eden shoot as well as The Bum’s Rush at Knob Creek. The magazines were loaded with nothing but Piney Mountain 22LR red and green tracers, the $50 suppressor was greased up with pine scented Bore Butter, acting as an ablative and unleashed on the world. Can you say… Christmas? Yeah, man. Red and green tracers alternating with the pine scented Bore Butter wafting in the air.

All in all, the modifications were fun. The gun raises some eyebrows in the Thompson circles, but I have to throw in the disclaimer that whoever sold the Thompson originally modified it for a drum. Now a West Hurley isn’t exactly known as any kind of collectible, but seeing that somebody actually cut the receiver to accept a drum eliminated my concerns of destroying a “pristine” Thompson M1-A1. I’m certainly not selling it while I’m alive, so why not have fun with it?

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Note: The U.S. Code spelling for “machinegun” is atypical and is different from the spelling used in the regulations, which is “machine gun.” For consistency, this article uses the spelling as it appears in the U.S. Code, unless quoting a source that uses the spelling “machine gun.”

On July 26, 2021, the Tampa Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) issued a cease-and-desist letter to Rare Breed Triggers, LLC (RBT), a Florida limited liability company, in reference to the model FRT-15 trigger. According to ATF, the RBT model FRT-15 is a machinegun subject to the registration, transfer, taxation, and possession restrictions of the National Firearms Act (NFA) and the Gun Control Act (GCA) restrictions governing machineguns.

The parties are in the very early stages of court filings, but this could shape up to be an interesting case, especially considering the ongoing cases challenging ATF’s rulemaking outlawing bump stocks, which took effect on March 26, 2019. What is likely to be a central issue in this case is whether the court should accord deference to ATF’s interpretation of the statute and the meaning of the phrase “single function of the trigger.”

Machinegun Controls

         A. Congress – Statutory Controls

Since 1934, when Congress passed the NFA, the U.S. government has controlled machineguns as “uniquely dangerous” weapons. Targeting the criminal use of concealable and high-powered firearms, the NFA imposed a then-hefty tax on the manufacture, making and transfer of machineguns and other weapons thought to significantly contribute to the crime problem manifesting in the gangland crimes of that period. See generally, David T. Hardy, The Firearms Owners’ Protection Act: A Historical and Legal Perspective, 17 Cumb. L. Rev. 585, 589-592 (1986).

Since it first defined “machinegun” in 1934, Congress has expanded the term two times, first in 1968 as part of the Gun Control Act, and again in 1986 as part of the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act. The current definition reads as follows:

[A]ny weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. The term shall also include the frame or receiver of any such weapon, any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts designed and intended, for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun, and any combination of parts from which a machinegun can be assembled if such parts are in the possession or under the control of a person.

26 U.S.C. § 5845(b) (emphasis added).

Noteworthy, the statute does not define the terms “automatically” and “single function of the trigger.” Although Congress has enacted other gun-related legislation since 1986, it has not amended the definition of “machinegun.”

The GCA defines “machinegun” by referencing the NFA definition. 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(23). In addition, the GCA defines “semiautomatic rifle” as “any repeating rifle which utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fired cartridge case and chamber the next round, and which requires a separate pull of the trigger to fire each cartridge.” 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(28).

         B. ATF – Regulatory Controls

Congress charged the Attorney General with enforcing the GCA and the NFA.[i] The Attorney General in turn has delegated the authority to ATF, whose implementing regulations are found in Title 27 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 478 (Commerce in Firearms and Ammunition) and Part 479 (Machine Guns, Destructive Devices, and Certain other Firearms).

Prior to 2018, ATF’s definition of “machine gun” in its regulations implementing the GCA and the NFA was identical to the statutory definition. As with the statute, ATF did not define the terms “automatically” and “single function of the trigger.”

In 2018, ATF revised the definitions of “machine gun” in its regulations in Parts 478 (27 C.F.R. § 478.11) and 479 (27 C.F.R. § 479.11) to “clarify that ‘bump fire” stocks, slide-fire devices, and devices with certain similar characteristics (bump-stock-type devices) are “machine guns” as defined by [the NFA and the GCA], because such devices allow a shooter of a semiautomatic firearm to initiate a continuous firing cycle with a single pull of the trigger.” 83 Fed. Reg. 13442 (Mar. 29, 2018). Not only did the new rules specifically add “bump-stock-type” devices to the definition of machine gun, but ATF also defined “automatically” to mean “functioning as the result of a self-acting or self-regulating mechanism that allows the firing of multiple rounds through a single function of the trigger; ….” In addition, ATF made clear that “single function of the trigger” means a single pull of the trigger. Id. At 13457. See also Johanna Reeves, ATF Issues Final Rule on Bump Stocks, Small Arms Review, Vol. 23 No. 7 (Aug./Sept. 2019).

There can be little doubt that the 2018 changes to the definition of machinegun factors heavily in the current RBT enforcement case.

The Rare Breed Triggers Case

RBT sells the FRT-15, a patented AR-15 drop-in trigger mechanism that includes a hammer, a trigger member, and a locking bar. The patent describes the trigger mechanism as follows:

The present invention provides a semiautomatic trigger mechanism for increasing the rate of fire that can be retrofitted into popular existing firearm platforms. In particular, this invention provides a trigger mechanism that can be used in AR-pattern firearms with an otherwise standard M16-pattern bolt carrier assembly. The present invention is particularly adaptable for construction as a “drop in” replacement trigger module that only requires insertion of two assembly pins and the safety selector. In the disclosed embodiments, the normal resetting of the hammer, as the bolt or bolt carrier is cycled, causes the trigger to be forcibly reset by contact between the hammer and a surface of the trigger member. Once reset, movement of the trigger is blocked by a locking bar and cannot be pulled until the bolt has returned to battery, thus preventing “hammer follow” behind the bolt or bolt carrier.

U.S. Patent No. 10,514,223 (filed Dec. 24, 2019). According to the owner of RBT (who also serves as the company’s legal counsel), the FRT-15 allows for a more rapid subsequent firing of rounds, but “does not allow more than one round of ammunition to be expelled per function of the trigger.” Maxwell Aff. p. 4. “In the FRT-15’s patented design, as the bolt carrier cocks the hammer, the cocking hammer also forces a reset on the trigger, which pushes the shooters [sic] finger forward. This FORCED RESET is what make [sic] the FRT-15 legal under the NFA, because it requires the shooter to pull or function the trigger again in order to fire another round.” Id. at 3. “Only after the bolt locks into place inside the chamber is the locking bar disengaged which allows the shooter to pull the trigger again.” Id. (Punctuation as in original).

ATF, however, determined the FRT-15 to be a combination of parts, designed and intended for use in converting a weapon (AR-15-type) into a machinegun and therefore a machinegun as defined in the GCA and NFA. According to a July 15, 2021, report from the Firearms Technology Criminal Branch Division (the “FTCB Report”),[ii] the FRT-15’s unique parts (hammer, trigger and locking bar) “are specifically designed to incorporate the standard rearward and forward movement of the AR-type bolt carrier in its cycle of operations allowing the weapon to function as a self-acting, or self-regulating, mechanism.” FTCB Report at 5. The Firearms Enforcement Officer who conducted the examination explained in his findings that “the FRT-15 utilizes the forward movement [of the bolt carrier] to automatically release the trigger and hammer, allowing the weapon to expel a second projectile without a separate pull of the trigger. In this way, one continuous pull of the trigger allows a semiautomatic firearm to shoot more than one shot.” Id.

Subsequent to the FTCB Report, on July 26, 2021, the Tampa Field Division issued RBT a Cease-and-Desist Letter stating that ATF examined the FRT-15 trigger and determined it to be a machinegun because it is a combination of parts designed and intended for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun because it “allows a firearm to expel more than one shot, without manual reloading, with a single, continuous pull of the trigger.” A copy of the examination report was not included with the Cease-and-Desist Letter.

The letter demanded RBT immediately take the following actions (the bolded language is original in the text):

1. Cease and desist all manufacture and transfer of the Rare Breed Trigger FRT-15.
2. Contact ATF within 5 days of receipt of this letter to develop a plan for addressing those machineguns already distributed.

The letter closed with a threat of law enforcement action by ATF, including a referral to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for criminal prosecution, tax assessment and collection, and/or seizure and forfeiture of the firearms and property involved in violations of Federal law should RBT fail to take the above actions.

On August 2, 2021, RBT and its owner/counsel, Kevin Maxwell, filed a complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Arguing the ATF’s interpretation of the term “machinegun” is arbitrary and capricious, the plaintiffs are seeking to enjoin ATF from enforcing the Cease-and-Desist Letter, and also a declarative judgment that the FRT-15 does not constitute a “machinegun” under federal law. The plaintiffs also filed for a temporary restraining order, which the court denied on August 5.

According to the complaint, “the FRT-15 requires a separate and independent pull/function of each round fired. Thus, by definition, the FRT-15 does not make a semiautomatic rifle into a “machinegun”. Rather, the only thing the FRT-15 does is enable a shooter to accomplish a faster follow-up shot because of the speed at which the trigger resets.” Comp. ¶¶ 29-30. The operation is described as a “forced reset” in that “as the bolt carrier cocks the hammer, the force of the cocking hammer also forces a reset on the trigger by pushing the shooter’s finger forward and making the trigger ready to function again upon a subsequent pulling of the trigger.” Comp. ¶¶ 37-38.

The Complaint details the expert opinions the company obtained from three retired ATF special agents: Daniel O’Kelly, Director of the International Firearm Specialist Academy in Dallas, Texas; Rick Vasquez, proprietor of Rick Vasquez Firearms, LLC, in Hubert, North Carolina; and Brian Luettke, Owner of the Firearms Training and Interstate Nexus Consulting, LLC, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The company also obtained a legal opinion from Kevin McCann, an attorney who also served as a special agent with ATF. All four found the FRT-15 to not be a machinegun.

The first opinions were obtained from McCann and O’Kelly before RBT began manufacturing. Comp. ¶ 44. In McCann’s opinion, dated July 31, 2020, he concludes that “a rifle equipped with the FTM is not a “machinegun” as it does not fire more than one shot by a single function of the trigger. I further conclude that a rifle equipped with the FTM utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fired cartridge case and chamber the next round, and fires only one shot with each separate pull of the trigger, and is thus a “semiautomatic rifle.” Comp. Ex. B.

The report from Dan O’Kelly, dated August 6, 2020, states the FRT trigger “is designed such that upon firing a shot, as the bolt-carrier moves to the rear it cocks the hammer as normal. However, the hammer in turn forces the reset of the trigger to its original position. Upon doing so, a locking bar locks the trigger into the reset position, making it physically impossible to move the trigger rearward during the remainder of the cycle of operation.” Comp. Ex. C.

After starting manufacturing, RBT obtained two additional expert opinion reports from Vasquez and Luettke “to ensure that any developmental changes to aid in the manufacturing of the FRT-15 had not changed its function in any way that would cause it to fall under the definition of a “machinegun.” Comp. ¶ 52. According to Vasquez in his report, dated Feb. 17, 2021, “[t] he FRT trigger system does not have an automatic sear nor does it operate by electronics, springs, or hydraulics, therefore is not a “machinegun.” Comp. Ex. D.

Luettke also found the FRT-15 to not be a machinegun in his report, dated May 4, 2021. “Due to the design of the FRT-15, the locking bar does not allow it to function as a “hammer follow” machinegun. Rather, during the cycle of operation the bolt carrier cocks the hammer and resets the trigger. The locking bar pivots forward locking the trigger in place until the bolt carrier comes back forward to the locking position and the.” locking bar is unlocked. The FRT-15 trigger can now be pulled. The FRT-15 allows for very fast semiautomatic trigger pulls due to the quick resetting trigger.” Comp. Ex. E.

This likely will not be the last article on this issue. If the case gets to trial, we may see a battle of the experts as to whether the FRT-15 constitutes a machinegun. There will be procedural hurdles to even get to that point, however, and the central issue will likely be whether the court will give deference to ATF’s interpretation of what constitutes a machinegun and their findings related to the FRT-15. In my next article I will examine this core legal question, which is also prevalent in the cases challenging ATF’s bump stock rule. Stay tuned!

***The information contained in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to be construed or used as legal advice or as legal opinion. You should not rely or act on any information contained in this article without first seeking the advice of an attorney. Receipt of this article does not establish an attorney-client relationship.

About the author

Johanna Reeves is the founding partner of the law firm Reeves & Dola, LLP in Washington, DC (www.reevesdola.com). For more than 17 years she has dedicated her practice to advising and representing U.S. companies on compliance matters arising under the federal firearms laws and U.S. export controls. Since 2016, Johanna has served as a member of the U.S. Department of State’s Defense Trade Advisory Group (DTAG).  From 2011 through 2020, Johanna served as Executive Director for the Firearms and Ammunition Import/Export Roundtable (F.A.I.R.) Trade Group. Johanna can be reached at jreeves@reevesdola.com or 202-715-9941.

[i] Originally, ATF was part of the Treasury Department but was transferred to the Department of Justice pursuant to the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135). See 26 U.S.C. § 7801 (a)(2); 28 U.S.C. § 599A(c)(1).

[ii] The FTCB Report references an examination the Firearms Technology Industry Services Branch (FTISB) conducted in August 2018. “FTISB previously examined a similar “forced reset trigger” from [redacted] (holder of U.S. Patent 10514223) and determined it to be a combination of parts, designed and intended for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun; and therefore, a machinegun as defined in the GCA and NFA.”

It has often been said that being involved in the shooting world is all about turning money into once-fired brass.  Even more so with machine guns!  One can often witness the twisted smile that develops on an NFA shooter’s face when somebody laments the cost of burning up a “whole” box of 50 pistol rounds at the range.  A box of 50?  Many of us are very well acquainted with the gentle pull on the wallet of dropping 5,000 rounds at the range in just a few hours.  But what if we could accomplish a bit more?  Instead of just making sure that the bullets go “that way,” we deliberately and purposefully strive toward building our skillsets.

What I am suggesting is that each of us get out and take a class.  It really doesn’t matter what the class is all about, as long as you are building on your skills.  Pistol work.  Carbine use.  Long range.  Small pistol.  Low light.  Long distance.  Active shooter.  Close quarters.  Drawing from concealment.  And then we move into personal skills.  Situational awareness.  Space combatives.  Team work.  There is literally no limit to what can be served up.  Please allow me a specific point:  I am not talking about watching a YouTube video.  I am talking about doing a bit of research and finding a qualified expert to help you achieve your goals.  It’s not for everyone, but everyone can gain something from it.

I recently had several opportunities to take multiple classes at West Orlando Firearms Training (W.O.F.T.) in Orlando, Florida.  Okay, it’s also known as Tactical DisneyLand… I signed up for a variety of instruction modules that were specifically tailored to my initial skills, something that they call “meeting first gear with first gear.”  I should probably stress the plural in that module word that I tossed out.  I went through red dot pistol, close quarters combat in a blade dojo, carbine, scenario training for shoot/no shoot, small pistol techniques, low light awareness and shoot house scenarios.  I was pushed and I got exhausted.  And I learned quite a bit!

Yes, I still put lead downrange.  But I built a lot of skills on the first set of classes and immediately jumped back into the mix and signed up for even more.  More importantly, I learned that the skills that I was learning were far too important to keep to myself.  So, I signed my wife and kids up for the exact same classes.  Making once-fired brass is fun.  But learning how to shoot well, at the right time… Learning the proper techniques for superior marksmanship and situational awareness… Gaining confidence in my ability to make good decisions… That took things to the next level.

You certainly don’t have to do the grand weekend extravaganza (though you should consider it!).  You absolutely should endeavor to expand your horizons.  Feel free to give my friend, Phillip Toppino, a look over at www.woft.com.  He takes a lot of pride in the training he provides, as I am sure, many other teachers do.  The point is to do more.  Today. I have been writing this column to encourage you to expand your opportunities and experiences.  The NFATCA has been doing that for nearly 20 years.  More NFA opportunities for more people, more often, on a level playing field.  We have accomplished quite a bit!  If you would like to assist us with this important work, please consider joining or renewing today.  www.nfatca.org , info@nfatca.org .