The 300 Blackout cartridge was created in response to a 2009 U.S. Special Operation Command’s request. SOCOM units were steadily involved in CQB operations in Iraq and Afghanistan where compact firearms were at a premium. Short-barreled 5.56mm M4 carbines were not cutting it. Advanced Armament Corporation (AAC) was given certain parameters to satisfy by the military procurement request — primary on this list was a .30 caliber cartridge that would be as quiet as a suppressed 9mm Heckler & Koch MP5-SD submachine gun while offering increased lethality, all out of an AR-style platform with a 9-inch barrel, using AR15 magazines. On top of this, the cartridge was to offer more power than the 7.62×39 from said short barrel. Both supersonic and subsonic factory ammunition that would work dependably with or without a suppressor was another key specification that sets the 300 AAC Blackout (300 Blk) apart from other AR compatible cartridge attempts. AAC was successful after making tweaks to the then existing 300 Whisper round creating the January 2011 SAAMI approved 300 Blk. From the onset, the M4/M16 platform was the primary vehicle to launch 300 Blk rounds. Designers kept this in mind during load development so as to ensure mechanical reliability while requiring minimal changes in the weapon to chamber the 300 Blk   — basically just the barrel needed to be changed.

The 300 Blk’s raison d’être is as a CQB weapon typified by tight quarters and operational use indoors. Sounds like the ideal basis for a personal defense weapon. What distinguishes the 300 Blk is its ability to access standard, hard hitting supersonic rounds superior to 5.56mm while maintaining the trump card of subsonic ammunition if the end user desires. The 300 Blk cartridge has emerged as one of the most successful alternate AR chamberings. The ability to access either supersonic or subsonic factory ammunition offers great flexibility to the 300 Blk user; especially considering the special attention paid to its compatibility with the AR platform.

The 300 Blk chambering has grown beyond AR type weapons. Numerous manufacturers are offering bolt action and single shot rifles in 300 Blk. Anecdotal information compares 300 Blk 115-125 grain ammunition as offering superior ballistics over the 7.62x39mm AK and totally eclipses 5.56mm both in ballistics and terminal punch, as well. Our focus will be on subsonic use.

Tactically it is not hard to visualize what roles a suppressed 300 Blk stocked with subsonic rounds would fill. Anything from sentry removal, canine or two-legged, disabling lights and security cameras. CQB operations indoors also come to mind when communications between team members is a priority, especially during nighttime operations. If an enemy is not aware you are present, even when already being engaged you have a real tactical advantage. Subsonic rounds are downright spooky in their arrival when combined with use of a suppressor.

However, for most of us, we must see past operations equipped with night vision and zombie apocalypse scenarios in our thinking. Being able to maintain discretion is an important aspect to be considered in numerous situations. For example, how best to acquire food discretely and efficiently is too often pushed to the back of the bus in gun literature. A normal sounding rifle shot is sure to attract what could be unwanted attention. Personal defense where you must maintain situational awareness, i.e. hearing or being able to communicate with loved ones, also comes to mind. Here the terminal penetration of 300 Blk subsonic loads (similar to a 45 ACP pistol) compared to supersonic rifle loads through various mediums is not such a huge disadvantage.

Initial 300 Blk subsonic loads took advantage of the plethora of heavy .30 caliber bullets available for use; however, most were match-type bullets. The heavier .30 caliber bullets are comparatively long which created concerns for what twist rate best were best suited to stabilize the round, especially with short barrels that typify 300 Blk-chambered weapons. While 1:7-inch or faster (depending on barrel length) was found acceptable, terminal performance with the match rounds were lackluster resembling FMJ punch-through characteristics. How to get 300 Blk ammunition to expand AND penetrate with terminal effect became the next goal. Multiple manufacturers have responded to this challenge. We are going to focus on two of the larger ammunition producers to see what they came up with. Hornady and SIG SAUER each offer subsonic 300 Blk ammunition offering superior terminal performance while maximizing noise reduction when combined with suppressor.

Hornady’s Sub-X 300 Blk load consists of a 190-grain bullet designed specifically to perform at subsonic velocities. The Sub-X bullet combines a lead core surrounded by a grooved metal jacket and tipped with the company’s Flex Tip insert. A cannelure groove is present for a positive case crimp. Long grooves scored into the Sub-X metal jacket combined with flat base create conditions for reliable expansion. The Hornady-patented Flex Tip insert placed in front of hollow point cavity kicks expansion off when striking a target. The Flex Tip prevents material from clogging an exposed hollow point negatively effecting expansion. Hornady made sure the performance of the new load meets or exceeds the FBI’s terminal ballistic requirements. Additionally, a low flash signature makes the ammo ideal for both suppressed and unsuppressed firearms.

Let’s remember, subsonic 300 Blk loads resembles a pistol round’s ballistic performance. For comparison’s sake, a 230 grain 45 ACP generates 461 ft/lbs of energy. The Hornady 190-grain Sub-X makes 465 ft/lbs. All things being equal a high-SD bullet penetrates better than a low-SD bullet. (BC is a measurement of how well a bullet moves thru the air.) Superior ballistic coefficients (.437 for the 190 grain Sub-X versus .188 for a 45 ACP) and sectional densities (SD .286 versus .162) help the Hornady 190 grain Sub-X maintain energy and penetration characteristics further downrange than a typical pistol bullet. The SIG Sauer 205 grain Tipped Hunting benefits from these same qualities.

SIG’s relationship with our military forces is well known. Elite units often reach out directly to SIG for support. When subsonic bullet performance proved lacking SIG got the call. The SIG 205-grain Tipped Hunting ammunition was the result. Conversations with SIG, as well as an article from Tom Beckstrand provided insight into the SIG load. Remember our 300 Blk subsonic to handgun analogy? SIG turned to their proven V-Crown pistol bullet design as a starting point. A polymer tip was added to properly start expansion at sub-1000fps velocities. Something handguns often have to deal with.

One thing that immediately attracts your attention with the SIG round is the bullet profile. While .30 caliber as it emerges from the case mouth, the SIG 205 grain tipped bullet has shoulder that’s similar to a cartridge case that steps its diameter down. Why not keep the .30 caliber diameter farther out the ogive? The answer lies with 5.56mm AR magazines. A .30 caliber bullet ogive that extends too far out from a case neck causes issues with a typical 5.56mm AR magazine. Heavy grain 300 Blk loads can come into contact with a magazine’s interior supporting ribs that run along the inside of a magazine. Magazine side ribs can push the bullet noses towards the centerline of the magazine instead of keeping them parallel along the sides of the magazine, especially long heavy grain subsonic bullets. This can cause the rounds to sit at an angle once loaded making it problematic for the feed lips to provide reliable feeding. Thus, SIG designed a subsonic load with terminal ballistic qualities that also provides peace of mind when feeding from a 30-round magazine when cycling full-auto.

Range Time

After all this bullet background, it’s time to fire some. A SIG MCX Rattler Canebrake was chosen for range time. The MCX Canebrake is a military grade weapon in the hands of our elite operators along with British and other allies that civilians can easily obtain thanks to its pistol brace eliminating the need for an ATF tax stamp– sans full auto capability. Like the 300 Blk, the MCX series was driven by a tier one DOD unit request that sought to increase accuracy, modularity and durability over the legacy of the AR15/M16 system. Furthermore, the light weight, compact weapon was intended to be operated suppressed from its conception. A SIG SRD762 suppressor was placed under the MCX Rattler Canebrake’s oversized SD handguard.

What sets the SIG Canebrake apart, even from its larger Virtus brethren, is the compact size made possible via the 5.5-inch barrel with 1:5 twist. The 29.25-inch, 6.5-pound Rattler Canebrake is chambered in 300 Blk; an obvious decision considering the intent to suppress. A free-floating oversized M-LOK handguard is paired with a Canebrake-specific MCX compact upper matched with a side-folding, pivoting arm brace. SIG created the MCX Canebrake as the ideal choice for operators needing maximum firepower in a quiet discrete package.

With magazines loaded with Hornady 190-grain Sub-X and SIG 205-grain Tipped Hunting rounds, the suppressed SIG MCX Canebrake was taken to the Echo Valley Training Center’s (EVTC) for sighting in before heading to the facility’s MOUT village and Hesco shoot house. The focus was making sure reliability was maintained. Engagement distances were kept within 100 yards – with most targets placed between 25 and 50 yards. Trajectory was surprisingly flat out to 50 yards. 100-yard bullet strikes were approximately 7-inches low with the 50-yard zero.

300BLK recoil impulse is similar to a 5.56mm when using standard supersonic loads. The SIG SRD762 suppressor not only serves reduces muzzle blast/signature, but also minimizes recoil impulse even further. Subsonic loads are even tamer. The Hornady or SIG Sauer subsonic loads had no issue cycling in the MCX Canebrake—a credit to SIG’s gas adjustable piston design. It never fails to impress when suppressed subsonic rounds sent downrange, especially in an aggressive manner. The rounds slapping steel, cardboard targets, berm or Hesco shoot house background could be heard distinctly over any blast at the firing point. Close range front windshield glass penetration was evaluated. The heavy 300 Blk slugs had no problem punching through. Hornady and SIG bullets were recovered from the berm. Though not a scientific as ballistic gelatin, which has results posted on the internet courtesy of Hornady and SIG, the recovered bullets exhibited the expected expansion while not losing jacket integrity thus ensuring deep penetration. Impressions of the subsonic 300 Blk fired from the suppressed SIG MCX exceeded expectations. Lack of recoil and muzzle blast allowed complete focus on the target during evaluation scenarios. It was like running and gunning with a .22 caliber rimfire weapon. It was almost surreal to handle a weapon like the SIG MCX without requiring hearing protection. What else can be said.

Firearms safeties may be best understood if they’re divided into two categories – manual safeties and automatic safeties. Manual safeties (sometimes called “active safeties”) typically require the shooter to manually operate a lever, switch, or button from an “off” position to an “on” position or vice versa. Comparatively, automatic safeties are internal safeties (sometimes called “passive safeties”) that operate without manual manipulation by the shooter.

There is another safety device category that is external to the gun itself – the external safety. This category includes bore locks, trigger locks and gun safes. In the late 1990s the ATF pressured handgun manufacturers to include integral locking mechanisms on handguns that could only be unlocked by inserting a special key into the gun at exactly the right place before the gun could be fired. That didn’t bode well with common sense and the gun owner community because it added yet another step to making a gun ready to fire in an emergency scenario. Fortunately, only a few manufacturers like Smith & Wesson capitulated to political and media pressure by adding integrally designed key locks to their handgun line. This entire safety device category is obviously intended for secure firearms storage and theft deterrence and does not apply to firearms for ready use or carry. For the purposes of this article, these will not be further discussed.

Manual Safety

The most common gun safety is the manual safety. It consists of a switch, button or lever that, when manually set to the “safe” position, prevents the firearm from firing. While seemingly straight forward, the design mechanics involved in manual safeties are as different as the firearms they serve. Of the many designs, most conform to some variation of two basic designs. The first employs a block or latch that prevents the trigger and/or firing mechanism from moving. The second type mechanically disconnects the trigger from the gun’s firing mechanism. There are exceptions to the rule. For example, in a conscious effort to keep the firearm in a higher state of readiness many “double-action” firearms (like revolvers and some pistols) do not have manual safeties. The thinking is the double-action, longer-harder trigger pull to cock and fire provides adequate safety. Whether that’s the case, it’s left to the shooter to determine. That’s why many carry their revolvers on an empty chamber or do not chamber a round in a double-action, semi-automatic pistol for fear of accidental discharge. Of course, carrying a gun for the purpose of self-defense without a chambered round is akin to carrying an empty canteen into the desert in case you find water. It’s illogical.

Grip Safety

There are grip safeties, as well. The classic Colt .45 M1911 design is a prime example of a semi-automatic handgun with a grip safety, while Springfield Armory’s XD pistol and the Uzi submachine gun are other notable examples with a grip safety. A grip safety is a lever or other grip-depressible device positioned on the grip of a firearm (usually the rear strap area) that can only be actuated as a natural consequence of gripping the firearm in the proper firing position. Grip safeties function much like a manual safety, but they are momentary, and only deactivate while the shooter maintains his squeezing hold on the pistol grip. Once the shooter releases his grip, the safety is immediately re-engaged.

Integrated Trigger Safeties

Like grip safeties, trigger safeties are de-activated as a natural consequence of properly holding and pulling the trigger but are otherwise engaged, providing a margin of safety. First used in the 1897 Iver Johnson Second Model Safety Hammerless revolver, there are two independent parts that comprise a trigger safety – a trigger and a small blade-like spring-tensioned lever protruding forward from inside the trigger’s lower half. This lever, when fully depressed by a trigger finger on each trigger pull, disengages a trigger locking mechanism that allows the main trigger body to move rearward. The lever does not disengage the trigger lock without intentional depression.

Squeeze-Cocker

During the mid-1970s, Heckler & Koch debuted a unique squeeze-cocker safety in their Model P-7 pistol line. Without a doubt, this was a revolutionary pistol safety concept because the pistol was only cocked and ready to fire when a full, grip-length lever located on the front edge of the pistol grip was fully depressed by the shooter. When the shooter released his grip, the P-7 was immediately decocked. The design prevented the single-action trigger alone from cocking the firearm and so, the P-7 would not fire unless the grip was fully squeezed rearward to its stopping point. There were several other ways the P-7 could be fired. The trigger could be pulled first and then when the grip was subsequently squeezed, cocking the gun, the gun would fire. It could also be fired if the grip was squeezed  and the trigger was pulled simultaneously. The key to all the P-7’s firing alternatives was fully squeezing the grip cocking lever. The P-7 enjoyed limited popularity among U.S. hand gunners because a quickdraw and fire sequence was impossible. P-7 production stopped in the late 1990s because of a dwindling market. Nonetheless, the concept was out of the box thinking that could have been further refined for application on other types of firearms.

Decocker

Traditionally, semi-automatic single action/double-action (SA/DA) pistols are designed to be carried with the hammer down on a chambered round, with or without a manual safety engaged. With the hammer down, the pistol is uncocked, and it is considered safe. In this state, pulling the double-action trigger both cocks and fires the firearm. On the other hand, the double action trigger pull is both longer and heavier (measured in pounds) than the single action trigger pull which simply releases an already cocked hammer.

Therefore, discharging the firearm, or manually cycling the slide to chamber the first round will both load a round into the firing chamber and cock the hammer in the single-action mode.  This makes it necessary to un-cock the hammer to return the pistol to its safe state. On hammer-fired pistols, this is accomplished by holding the hammer spur with the thumb while carefully pulling the trigger, then slowly lowering the hammer down onto the firing pin. This procedure has the inherent risk of accidental discharge, especially if one’s thumb slips off the hammer during the process of uncocking. It takes practice.

Comparatively, striker-fired pistols, do not have a hammer. This means the only way to return the trigger to its longer double action pull is by means of a decocker mechanism that is purposely designed into the gun. The decocker mechanism safely releases the striker’s spring tension without allowing the firing pin to travel.

Some hammer-fired pistols also employ a decocker which consists of a physical firing pin block that physically prevents the hammer from contacting the firing pin as it falls. The actual process of decocking is done by rotating the decocking lever to the decocked position. The decocking lever is usually ambidextrous and located on the rear of the frame or slide for thumb manipulation. A decocker eliminates the need to pull the trigger and control the fall of the hammer.  While using a decocker seems straight forward, they are not foolproof. Always keep your gun muzzle pointed in a safe direction while decocking.

Remarkably, the decocker is not new to firearms. The earliest use of a single action decocker can be traced back to 1932 where it debuted on the Polish-built Radom Vis wz. 35. The Radom pistol was based on John Browning’s M1911 design, and its design purpose was to provide horse-mounted cavalry soldiers a pistol that could be safely decocked and holstered using one hand. The Radom decocker led to a more advanced, yet simpler, two-way decock-safety combination consisting of a manual safety switch and decocking. This single lever both engaged the safety and decocked the pistol. In 1938, SIG Sauer followed with its cocking/decocking lever in the Sauer 38H and has continued to feature decocking levers in its line of pistols to this day. Walther incorporated the decocking feature into its famous “PP” models and Beretta later used it on the Beretta 92 (M9) models.  

Not to be outdone, Heckler & Koch equipped their line of pistols with a unique “three-way” decocking safety system which decocked the pistol by pushing down on the safety lever from the “Fire” setting or engaged the safety (even on a cocked firearm) by pushing the lever upwards. In 2007 Ruger debuted the “decock-only” variants of its P-series pistols and has offered the decocking safety on these pistols ever since. As should be apparent, the decocking-safety, in its many forms, has become commonplace because it works reliably.

Drop Safety / Firing Pin Block

The oldest form of drop safety is the safety notch (many times referred to as “half-cock.”) It was used on most black powder 19^th Century-era rifles and pistols and transitioned to rifles and single-action revolvers manufactured before the invention of the hammer block. Numerous reproduction models of bygone era rifles and pistols are still equipped with a safety notch. The safety notch is nothing more than a relief cut made in the tumbler at the base of the hammer that allows the trigger sear to catch and hold the hammer a short distance away from the cap / cartridge primer. The safety notch is engaged by partially cocking the hammer a short distance from the firing pin or primer. Once the safety notch is engaged, the hammer is locked to any forward motion without first manually cocking the hammer before pulling the trigger. The safety notch, when engaged, acts as a primary safety by effectively preventing the hammer from any forward travel towards the firing pin should the weapon be dropped. More importantly, in scenarios where dropping a weapon jarred the trigger sear loose (the trigger releases the hammer from the drop shock of inertia), it provides a margin of safety by “catching” a falling hammer when the trigger has not been pulled.

There is a downside to the safety notch. Safety notch-style safeties are subject to wear and breakage which often results in unintentional discharges. Secondly, while not a complicated process, placing the hammer into the half-cock position is an active feature that the shooter must consciously engage. That process requires a certain amount of operator familiarity and manual dexterity to prevent accidental discharges. 

To make it appear they were in control of the situation, Congress stepped in following a rash of political assassinations in the 1960’s timeframe. Drop test requirements for imported guns were introduced along with the Federal Gun Control Act of 1968. The new law’s stated purpose was to provide a basis for import denial of cheaply built firearms that could inadvertently fire if they were dropped or roughly handled. Most firearm designs prior to 1968 had the uncocked firing pin being held idle by the firing pin spring above a chambered round. This meant the inertia from a vertical drop that was in line with the firing pin would drive the firing pin forward onto the primer of a chambered cartridge, causing the gun to fire. It also meant that the anti-gun community now had a raison d’etre they could use to regulate gun imports, while it further provided a liability premise for lawsuits. Unfriendly gun states like California immediately jumped on this bandwagon by requiring all new guns imported into California to have some form of positive drop safety built into them.

The gun manufacturers responded by engineering passive drop safeties into their new firearms. The best way to picture these passive safety designs is to visualize the firing pin being cut in its middle and physically separated by a wedge-like block called a “firing pin block” that is held in place by a small spring that is attached to the trigger mechanism. As the trigger is pulled, the wedge is withdrawn from the firing pin halves and the firing pin is made whole again so the gun can fire. As the trigger pull is relaxed, the wedge again lifts to physically block the firing pin mechanism. Therefore, drop safeties provide a physical obstacle to the operation of the firing mechanism. This block is only removed when the trigger is pulled so that the firearm cannot discharge if dropped.

While government-required drop safeties seem reasonable, there is a downside and that’s firing reliability. There are some drop safety designs that will only allow the gun to fire if it’s being held straight and level. That means your gun may not reliably fire if you’re engaging a target that requires the firearm be held in a vertical orientation (think aiming down from a rooftop, up a  stairwell, etc.) or while shooting upside down, laying on your back (think extreme situations, not Hollywood). So, for those who bet their lives on gun reliability, drop safeties are not necessarily desirable. 

Hammer Block

Like a firing pin block, a hammer block consists of a block built into the action that physically prevents the hammer from contacting the firing pin when down (at rest) in the uncocked position. Much like the firing pin block, the hammer block is withdrawn as the trigger is pulled.

Transfer Bar

Transfer bars are used in some exposed hammer-fired revolver and rifle designs. In most designs the transfer bar rotates out-of-line with the hammer’s travel, making it physically impossible for the hammer to contact the firing pin. When the trigger is pulled, the transfer bar rotates into alignment with the firing pin. The hammer falls, striking the transfer bar at its firing point, which transfers the hammer strike to a firing pin-like spur that strikes the cartridge primer and fires the gun. Like the firing pin block, the transfer bar provides a similar level of drop safety.

Bolt Interlocks and Trigger Disconnects

Some form of bolt interlocks and/or trigger disconnects are used on most all modern repeating action firearms to include bolt, pump and lever-action shotguns and rifles. A bolt interlock works by disengaging (or blocking) the trigger when the bolt is not in full battery (fully closed and fully locked). The trigger disconnect prevents the gun from firing until the bolt is fully locked and thus prevents out-of-battery “slam fire” malfunctions. These mostly result from worn out trigger catch mechanisms that allow the hammer to follow the bolt or bolt carrier group forward as it closes. That’s why modern self-loading firearms require a separate trigger reset and pull to fire each successive cartridge. Even though interlocks and trigger disconnects help prevent misfires when the firearm is not in full battery, they are not considered safeties because they can easily fail from excessive wear, rust, or accumulated dirt. Keep your weapon clean, lubricated and inspect for wear every time you clean it.

Magazine Disconnects

The Browning Hi-Power pistol was one of the first production handguns equipped with a magazine disconnect. In 2006, California passed legislation requiring magazine disconnects on all new handgun designs sold in the state beginning January 1, 2007 which resulted in their widespread proliferation. A magazine disconnect prevents the gun from firing if the magazine is withdrawn or not fully locked into place even if there is a round in the chamber. It works by means of a mechanism that engages an internal safety like a firing-pin block or trigger disconnect when the magazine is not locked in place.

Like any automatic safety, there are magazine disconnect pros and cons. Yes, the gun cannot fire without a properly installed magazine, and an accidental discharge can be prevented with the magazine removed. However, the disconnect mechanism, itself, adds tension to the trigger mechanism components and that often makes the trigger pull unpredictable or heavy. A real safety concern, especially on older guns, is that spring fatigue and/or rust can lead to magazine disconnect failure. When it does, it will most likely happen when the gun is in the “fire” mode without giving the shooter any indication of its failure; a circumstance that can be lethal.

An additional safety argument against a magazine disconnect is that the user may eject his magazine when unloading his pistol, then reinsert an empty magazine into the magazine well to dry fire the gun for storage. Even though the magazine is empty, once it’s inserted, the disconnect firing system becomes reactivated. That means if a live round was inadvertently left in the chamber, the gun will fire. The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) stated that an “obvious concern with magazine disconnect features is that determining whether the gun is safe becomes linked to the presence of the magazine as opposed to actually checking the gun, opening the action, and making sure it is unloaded.” For the reasons stated above, many shooters deactivate their gun’s magazine disconnect feature and rely instead on sound firearm handling safety protocols. 

While not a safety, per se’, the loaded chamber indicator is found on many modern semi-automatic handguns. Its purpose is to provide the shooter a visual cue that a round is chambered. Depending on the manufacturer and model of the pistol, it may come in the form of a small protruding button or bar that pops up somewhere behind the slide’s ejector port to indicate the presence of a chambered round. Other designs consist of a small cut away section along the top or side edge of the bolt face that allows the shooter to see the brass cartridge rim of a chambered cartridge. Regardless, one should never bet their life on a loaded chamber indicator. There is no better way to positively confirm that a round is chambered (or not) and that is to do a simple “press check”. This is accomplished by partially pulling the slide back and visually sighting the rear of the chamber for the presence of a cartridge, and then easing the slide forward into battery.

Why Can’t the Firearms Industry Agree on the Use of a Common Safety Mecanism?

The answer is simple. Safeties are as varied as the gun models themselves. Different operating systems and trigger mechanisms require different safeties. What works for one design may not work for another. Most of all, we must not confuse what is theoretically possible with what is practically feasible. Trust and belief are different. Trust is based upon past performance. Belief is divine. Trusting a firearm safety’s reliability and believing safeties work both require physical verification. The bottom line: Never trust or believe any safety is 100% safe. Treat all firearms as though they’re loaded and ready to fire.

Recently I reviewed the first two volumes of a series covering the legendary Browning Machine Gun family of weapons (See SAR, V25N4, April 2021). Now we will look at Vol. III and IV of this brilliant reference set.

To recap, these four books are published by Collector Grade Publications, a company known for producing well researched firearms books. These four volumes are written by Dolf L. Goldsmith, one of the true greats in the full-auto collecting community (Vol. IV “Semper Fi FIFTY” is co-written with Frank Iannamico). Volume I explores the early development phase of John M. Browning’s machine guns, their use in the latter days of WWI, further refinement between the wars, and their huge influence in WWII in U.S. service. Vol. II covers the use of rifle caliber Brownings in foreign use prior to, and during WWII.

This month’s topics are Vol. III, which examines the accessories that go with the guns, and Vol. IV that covers the mighty .50 BMG, as the titles suggest.

There is actually a fifth volume, “Dolf’s Notebook”, containing hints and tips for working on Browning machine guns. That book, Vol. V, is published by Chipotle Publishing.

Volume III

Vol. III, Chapter one, Description & Principles of Operation starts out with a lesson on the function of the Browning machine gun. By using drawings borrowed from both U.S. and Dutch technical manuals, Dolf explains the complex function of the .30 cal Browning. This is broken down into seven separate phases of operation. These are: firing, recoiling, counter-recoiling, cocking, automatic firing, feeding, and extracting & ejecting.

Following this function lesson, the book delves into the most obvious accessory, the mount, usually a tripod. There are an amazing variety of mounts shown here; so many that they are divided into three chapters. Chapter two, Heavy Ground Mounts, shows many experimental tripods and mounts including a few on bicycle wheel type carts. Chapter three, Later Lighter Mounts, looks at lighter weight tripods. This eventually led to the iconic WW II era M2 tripod for the M1919A4 air-cooled Browning .30 cal.  And chapter four, Vehicle & Aircraft Mounts displays the wide variety of mounts available for vehicles and aircraft. Dolf divides these into five classes: pedestal, as found in jeeps and ¾ ton Dodge trucks, etc., bracket, as mounted to a vehicle dashboard or wall, ball mount, as used on tanks or armored fighting vehicles, rail, generally found on open-top vehicles like half-tracks, and ring mounts, as used on a tank cupola or on the passenger-side roof of a 2.5 ton 6×6 truck. The ring type mount allowed for a full 360°. The ring type was also called a Scarff mount (after its inventor) when used in early aircraft. Also shown is a pair of M37 (an upgraded version of the M1919) guns in a helicopter mount.

Chapter five deals with sights and sighting equipment, including several surprisingly complex rear iron-sights for the M1917/M1917A1. These were first issued calibrated in yards, then reissued in meters to work with European maps, then recalibrated back to yards upon return to the U.S. Then recalibrated to match the ballistics of the newly adopted M1 30-06 ammo (with a 174-grain bullet), and finally recalibrated yet again for the M2 cartridge (152-grain bullet). Also covered are clinometers, panoramic sights for indirect fire, telescopic, and anti-aircraft sights. An early night vision set-up on a Canadian C1 (M1919A4) in 7.62×51 NATO is also shown.

Separate chapters are given to: ammunition, ammo boxes, fabric belts, linked belts, belt-filling machines, link loaders, cooling equipment (for the water-cooled M1917), transport equipment, canvas accessories, blank firing attachments, training devices, the .22 Caliber M1 training machine gun, sub-caliber conversion kit, tools and gauges (This is my favourite chapter), caliber conversions, and manuals & handbooks. Most of the photos of various manuals are from former SAR Senior Editor Robert Segel, while Frank Iannamico and Frank Hackley wrote the chapter about ammunition.

Volume IV

This volume differs from the other books in this set by being co-authored by Frank Iannamico. Iannamico did contribute one chapter on ammunition to Volume III, as noted above, but was not given equal billing then.

The .50 caliber gun was roughly based on the M1917 .30 caliber system. No point in reinventing the wheel. The first version, the M1918 .50 BMG, was too late to see service in WWI. Further refinements such as the M1921 and M1921A1 grew into the famous .50 caliber M2. Yes, there was an M1 but it wasn’t produced in significant numbers.  

High firing speed aircraft machine guns for dog-fighting use are also discussed. This would eventually become the AN-M3 type gun. On a related note, there is a detailed look at the training of air gunners on B-17 and B-24 bombers. It is a surprisingly complex subject.

All total, about 2 million .50 BMG guns were made during WWII. Most common was the aircraft type. With so many war movies showing infantry battles, it is easy to think of the Browning .50 as primarily tank, truck, and tripod based. Not so!

Part II: The Browning .50 at War is a large part of the book. It deals mainly with the setting up of the factories and the making of huge quantities of Browning guns. Once the various factories got set up, they really cranked them out! As the factories got more efficient, the prices dropped dramatically. Of course, the value of a dollar has changed since WWII, but there are some astonishing prices quoted. For instance, the Frigidaire division of GM got the price of an M2HB down to $310 per gun. And High Standard got an M2 Aircraft type gun down to $245 in May 1944, then down to $191.42 per gun in Feb 1945.

Part III: Accessories and Ancillaries is of value to collectors. Chapter 13 covers various mounts, while Chapter 14 looks at the numerous accessories that collectors love to collect. Chapter 15 deals with ammunition, belts, and links.

Part IV: Chapter 16 examines modern day 50s. The M85 tank gun was intended to replace the M2, but it was later dropped from service, while the M2 still thunders on. The Quick-Change Barrel (QCB) system is also discussed. Modern builders such as ERMCO/RAMO, FN Herstal, Saco Defense, and General Dynamics are briefly profiled, too.

Collector Grade now closed

As I write this review in early January 2022, I see that the Collector Grade website now displays this message:

After 42 years in business, Collector Grade Publications has now officially closed its doors. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our many regular/loyal customers who have contributed to the success of our company over the years.

Anyone interested in purchasing Collector Grade titles, should get in touch at info@collectorgrade.com and we will forward a list of dealers in the USA who still have many of our titles available

The SAR Bookstore still shows Volume II of this set as available.

“All is fair in love and war” is an idiom referring to the practice of otherwise questionable actions being considered acceptable under exceptional circumstances. When talking about weaponry in general, one example to illustrate the saying is the direct use of an enemy’s arms of war to forward one’s own agenda. Anti-Communist Afghan Mujahideen fighting their Soviet enemies with Soviet-made weaponry, Islamic State attacking regional adversaries with U.S. M4 and M16 rifles or the post-war U.S. government employing former German and Japanese scientists and technologies for their fight against the red menace are all examples of this common practice. The Israeli Defense Forces‘ hexagram emblem on Nazi Mauser-manufactured Kar98k carbines is another interesting manifestation of this idiom.

On May 14, 1948, the day before the expiration of the British Mandate for Palestine, David Ben-Gurion and several of his comrades at the Jewish Agency were in full preparation to unilaterally declare the establishment of an independent Israel. The Jewish Agency was the representative institution for the local Yishuv, Jews native to the region, which helped coordinate Jewish immigration into Palestine and Jewish armed opposition to the British government and local Arab militias. By May 1948, the Agency realized that the fighting they had witnessed for months on end because of the raging civil war was only a prelude to what was about to come, when they would effectively declare their state proper. 

A year earlier, in 1947, the Jewish United Resistance Movement, a Jewish Agency-organized cooperation of the armed Haganah, Irgun and Lehi militias, came to the conclusion that they had two main problems that needed a decisive solution before any steps could be taken towards the establishment of the state of Israel. First and foremost, they had to come up with a realistic response to the reality of their geographical position, which had them locked and cornered between several enemy Arab states with numerically superior armies. Secondly, they would need appropriate weaponry and ammunition to counter that threat and to secure their soon-to-be independence.

David Ben-Gurion , the future first prime minister of Israel and its first minister of defense , knew that independence could only be achieved through warfare. Since the Arab states still had the upper hand on paper, the Zionists had to outdo them in weapons and ammunition. By mid-1947, he ordered various agents in Europe to begin negotiations with post-war governments willing to sell them arms, despite Britain’s conspicuous anti-Zionist stance.

In a surprising turn of events, the Jewish Agency and the United Resistance Movement had an unexpected stroke of fortune. Communist-controlled Czechoslovakia was open to a deal. Post-WWII Czechoslovakia had a huge surplus of German weapons and ammunition, either locally produced in Czechoslovak factories or surrendered by the German army. Since 1938, Czechoslovakia had been an industrial hub for Nazi Germany’s re-armament project led by Herman Göring, who had been in charge of administering Nazi Germany’s Four-Year Plan, a program of economic development and increased arms production. When the Germans started to annex parts of Czechoslovakia (the Sudetenland) from 1938 onward, Göring decided the country’s pre-existing heavy industry would be ideal for the industrial manufacturing of quality weaponry. The local plants made thousands of rifles for German use throughout WWII, most notably the Kar98k 7.92×57mm bolt-action rifle used by the German military. When the Red Army poured in throughout 1945, however, they seized the factories, and they seized the weapons. The cash-starved Czechoslovak Communists were literally sitting on vast stockpiles of German weapons and needed an opportunity to both sell the arms and empty their inventories. 

However, such a massive arms deal had to be tolerated by the highest authorities in Moscow, since there was no way it could be done secretively without informing their dominant Soviet neighbor. Yet again, the Jewish Agency was in luck. Joseph Stalin  was aware of the need for a loyal USSR ally in the Middle East. Since a vast number of Jews had previously served in the Red Army and since the Soviet Union was home to around 30 percent of all Jews worldwide, the Jewish Agency seemed to be an excellent candidate for a possible political investment. And thus, in 1947, Stalin authorized the selling of large amounts of arms and ammunition to the Jewish militant organizations in Palestine. His only condition was that these would not be of Soviet manufacture or design so the USSR could maintain a certain neutrality on the ground and vis-à-vis the British. A Soviet satellite state would be well placed to undertake the transactions and Communist Czechoslovakia had the obvious preference by both sides of the deal. David Ben-Gurion declared his support for the plan – Operation Balak was conceived.

The first contract with Czechoslovakia to supply rifles, machine guns and ammunition was signed on December 17, 1947, but the mode of transport to Israel was not resolved until well into January 1948. There was a problem after all. Since the British government was officially at war with the different Jewish militias, which it considered terrorist entities, one couldn’t simply walk into Palestine with a boatload of weapons; not to mention the U.N. arms embargo on combatants in the Middle East. The only way to succeed was to smuggle everything into the area by plane or boat. Through code name Operation Balak, a reference to a king of the Moabites whose name is mentioned in Numbers 22:2, Jewish and gentile pilots supportive to the Zionist cause flew tons of weaponry and millions of ammunition rounds from a Czech airfield near Žatec, and later another near Nikšić, to abandoned and make-shift air strips in Palestine. They had assembled a fleet of transport planes, among others the Douglas C-54 Skymaster, bought privately in the United States, to ferry the arms and complete their objective.

The smuggling operation lasted for about three months, the last trip reaching Palestine by sea on April 28, 1948. David Ben-Gurion wrote in his War Diaries dated April 1st 1948: “The tools that were received tonight were already put to work in the war on Jerusalem.” On May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence as a sovereign state. Just 15 days later, the Arab League – Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, mobilized sizeable armies and attacked Israel as had been anticipated, leading to the beginning of the First Arab-Israeli War. Since the nascent state had more than 35,000 Kar98k bolt-action rifles stocked in its arsenals by then, it distributed the rifles to every able-bodied Jewish man and woman in an emergency measure to secure their borders against multiple enemies. Thousands of immigrants with little or no military training were given rifles and sent directly to the front lines. By the end of May 1948, these conscripts and the United Resistance Movement were reorganized by the government into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), a conscript army specifically designed to match Israel’s security situation.

After the war, which ended with Israel’s independence secured, Israel purchased an assembly line to locally produce their own version of the Kar98k. Due to delays and the increasing replacement of the rifles (the IDF decided in 1955 to adopt the Belgian FN FAL as its standard-issue infantry rifle), the facility was left to produce spare parts and overhaul all the remaining Kar98k’s. To standardize ammunition, all rifles were reworked and re-barreled to use the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. They received finger-grooved beechwood stocks, new barrels, a clear “7.62” hammered into the receiver and a “7.62” branded into the butt of the stock. Acceptance/proof marks consisted of the IDF emblem, which is a Star of David enveloping a sword and an olive branch stamped on the receiver and the Hebrew letter tsade in a circle, added on the receiver’s left side. 

By the time the 1956 Suez Crisis broke out, the country still had a lot of the original Mauser 7.92×57mm ammunition and only a portion of the Kar98k’s had been overhauled. The FN FAL was only just starting to enter the IDF’s arsenal. So, the Kar98k went to war again, in both 7.92 and 7.62 calibers. Only by the time of the 1967 Six-Day War, most of Israel’s Kar98k’s had been overhauled and rechambered to the standard 7.62×51 NATO cartridge. When the Kar98k’s where completely eclipsed by Belgian FN FAL’s, local IMI Galil’s and American M16 rifles, the era of former Nazi weaponry came to an end and most Kar98k’s were outsourced to allied Third World countries like Guatemala, exported for arms collectors or put out as surplus.

Sources:

• Luttrell, R., I flew for Israel, Flying Magazine (1949)
• Sachar, H., Israel and Europe: An Appraisal in History (2010)
• Morris, B., 1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War (2008)
• Greenberg, J., Fun Stuff in ‘48: British gentile in Israel Air Force, The New York Times (1998) 
• Shanel, L., The Deal, published on the official website of the Israeli Air Force (2011)

Images: wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com

This article originally appeared at Silah Report, a project of Armament Research Services (ARES) monitoring arms and munitions developments in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. More original material is available at: www.silahreport.com.

Not only is this the line uttered by Charles Bronson in 1985’s Death Wish III, which served to introduce the world to the Wildey Survivor pistol, but it’s also the title of Wildey Moore’s autobiography, published in 2019. You may already be aware of Wildey Moore, and his work in the firearms industry. Not only has he designed iconic pistols, he was also responsible for founding the country of Jordan’s Jordan Armament & Weapon Systems (JAWS) state arms factory.

Moore grew up in New York City and he would go on to serve as a Weapons Mechanic in the U.S. Air National Guard during the Korean War (1950-1953). It was here that he really developed his knowledge of firearms design while working on standard-issue firearms, such as the M1911A1 pistol and the U.S. M1 rifle (more commonly known as the .30-06 M1 Garand). After his enlistment in the Air National Guard was up, Moore went to work for several firearms companies including famous American firms such as Stoeger and Winchester. After making a name for himself within the U.S. firearms industry, the Swedish government owned Forenade Fabrikwerken hired Moore as their new U.S. sales representative and design consultant. While working for this firm, Moore was introduced to a set of gas-operated pistol prototypes chambered in 9×19mm and designed, he believed, in the 1940s. Moore saw potential in these forgotten gas-operated pistols, and it was at this point he struck out on his own. Several years later, in 1973, Moore introduced his massive, adjustable, gas-operated Survivor pistol, which was initially chambered in 45 Winchester Magnum.

Moore’s Survivor pistol was featured in the U.S. film “Death Wish III”. This starring role, as well as other press in the firearms industry, caught the eye of a certain “gun nut”, in the words of Moore, none other than His Majesty Prince Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan. Today, Abdullah II, King of Jordan, but back then, in the late 1980s, he was Prince Abdullah. The prince made it known to Moore that he had a great desire to see Jordan develop its own domestic firearms production capability. It would take another decade, when Abdullah II ascended the throne of Jordan in 1999 that these plans would finally be set in motion.

In the spring of 2000, King Abdullah II sent for Moore and set him to the task of building up Jordan’s new firearms manufacturing infrastructure. Moore soon found that Jordan lacked even the most basic manufacturing requirements for producing firearms, but with the King’s backing via The King Abdullah Design and Development Bureau (KADDB), Moore soon acquired machinery and tooling from Germany. This would form the Royal Jordanian Machining Center, which would, in turn, supply parts for JAWS. As the first product of JAWS, Moore designed a handgun, which would be called “Viper.” Moore earned three U.S. patents on the Viper pistol.

In addition to the patented design features, the JAWS Viper was to be a multi-caliber handgun with rotary barrel, short-recoil action, and ambidextrous controls. The Viper had the makings of a unique and interesting handgun, but it was not to play out that way. In 2006, just as the Viper was ready for mass production at JAWS, Moore suffered a stroke that essentially crippled him, and he was never again able to travel to Jordan. Concurrently, there were changes in leadership at KADDB (the parent organization of JAWS), and that new leadership sought to remove Moore from his position at JAWS entirely. This eventually led to Moore suing JAWS, KADDB, and even the King of Jordan himself. To avoid the press of a trial, the King of Jordan returned his own 51% interest in JAWS as well as Moore’s personal company (Wildey FA) at no cost. The lawsuit was subsequently dropped. Moore eventually sold Wildey FA and the rights to his Survivor pistol to Charlie Rhoades in 2015, and he now lives at home in Connecticut with his wife, Linda.

“Wildey’s Here” is an autobiography, written and published by Wildey Moore himself; it’s not meant to be a reference book, rather it is Moore’s recounting of his life and experiences. For example, throughout the book Moore often tells anecdotal stories that, while making for entertaining reading, must be taken with a grain of salt. In one of these accounts, Moore describes showing the Viper pistol to Mikhail Kalashnikov, as follows:

“It further helped that the gun had the blessing of Mikhail Kalashnikov. In Abu Dhabi, I had the privilege of having him critique the Viper pistol. By this point he was already well into his 80s and approaching 90. He took the pistol and examined it thoroughly. When he finished, Kalashnikov took off his tie pin and gave it to me as a sign and as a medal of his approval. This was his way of honoring the design. It’s hard to think of a better endorsement than from the designer of the greatest assault rifle of the 20th century. The Viper pistol had arrived and not only that, but people knew it.”

Did Kalashnikov truly approve of the design, or was he simply being polite to a fellow designer? That is a question that cannot be definitively answered. Another aspect of Moore’s autobiography is that he often injects his own personal political and religious beliefs at random times.

In one example he suggests that the Bush family’s interests in a defense company, The Carlyle Group, has seen both President George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush seek war in order to stoke profits for the company. In another section, he laments that the institution of marriage was not what it once was and that, “the necessity of salvation is further obscured by our language which has been perverted to the point where meaning can be difficult to apprehend.”

While Moore is verbose regarding his personal beliefs, he is relatively sparse with any description or technical data regarding the JAWS Viper handgun. He only briefly mentions the three patents listed above in the following quote:

“What we eventually made of the Viper was a semi-automatic pistol with the capability of rapidly accepting different calibers by a simple exchange of barrels, extractors, bolt faces, and magazines. I was awarded three new patents in the U.S. during the development stage, patents which have gained worldwide recognition in every country JAWS has filed for them. The first of these was the double action hammer trigger mechanism; the second was for a removable bolt face; the third was for a readily removable side plate.”

This lone paragraph is the only description of the JAWS Viper handgun throughout the entire book. Considering how proud Moore was of his other work and beliefs, it is a shame that he barely bothers to describe what was arguably his greatest design. Perhaps his minimal discussion of the pistol is an effort to protect his work, though this seems at odds with the intended audience for the book, who will be most interested in Moore’s firearms. The Viper was the product that was to launch a firearms manufacturing revolution in Jordan, and its design was worthy of more than three sentences in this book.

“Wildey’s Here” does exactly what it was meant to do. It gives us an up-close and personal look at the life of a proud firearms designer. We definitely come out of reading this book with a better understanding of Wildey Moore. Where it comes up short is where it most concerns researchers of MENA-based firearms history. We are given only a small dose of the Viper pistol that was to initiate domestic firearms manufacturing in Jordan. From the little Moore gives us, we see a pistol with many features that were almost ahead of their time. While DA/SA semiauto pistols were all the rage in the late 90s and early 2000s (when the Viper was conceived), ambidextrous controls were still a novelty, rather than the norm. The photos included with this review show a pistol that reminds me of popular self-loading pistols of that era (Beretta M92, SIG P226, and even the Ruger P85) while having a design as unique as its designer. It’s sad that this pistol did not see more than a paltry production (only 150 or so were made for the Palace Guard, according to Moore), and that Mr. Moore could not provide the research community with more details and primary source documentation on the JAWS Viper.

—

This article originally appeared at Silah Report, a project of Armament Research Services (ARES) monitoring arms and munitions developments in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. More original material is available at: www.silahreport.com.

There’s a reason why iconic firearms hold a special place in our psyche. The Hi Power is just such a firearm. This is because the Hi Power heralded a transition in form and function from the handguns that preceded it. The Hi Power set the standard that descendent designs strove to match or improve on. The Hi Power pedigree is unmatchable considering John Browning’s involvement in the project. Many pundits will claim the Hi Power was Browning’s refinement to his legendary 1911.

When word spread that Springfield Armory was offering its own rendition of the Hi Power in the form of the SA-35, many wondered what market sector they were going after. It didn’t seem natural to offer a high-end customized version of the Hi Power. This niche was already filled by companies specializing in perfecting the Hi Power. Springfield Armory decided to take advantage of its manufacturing experience and offer an improved Hi Power with its SA-35 model with a price well below $1,000 — brilliant. A similar pattern of behavior is evident with Springfield Armory AR rifles that have knocked the AR market on its ear as well as with Springfield Armory 1911s, M1As, and polymer framed XDs and Hellcats. So why not do the same with the Hi Power. After all, Browning discontinued Hi Power production in early 2018.

Classic is another word for the Hi Power—though Springfield Armory literature insists in not using this term. This is because its SA-35 offers more than just curio and relic-like qualities. The Springfield Armory SA-35 takes advantage of forging technology for strength and durability in the frame and slide along with barrel. Tweaks have been made in ergonomics, extended the thumb safety lever, along with modern sights with tactical ledge-type rear sight and a white dot front sight, improved feed ramp design, and an increased capacity, 15-round magazine. The much complained-about magazine disconnect from the original Hi Power design was abandoned in the SA-35, enabling both a magazine that drops free and an improved factory-tuned trigger. An integral, beveled magazine well speeds reloads and a recontoured exposed hammer prevents hammer bite during slide cycling. A matte blue finish and checkered walnut grips complete the steel and wood aesthetic, so familiar to the Hi Power design.

The Hi Power was the original Wonder Nine, existing well before the 1980s when the term first became popular. The original Hi Power can be thought of as the blending of American and European handgun design concepts. It took someone of Browning’s stature to pull this feat off and have it accepted on both sides of the Atlantic. The Browning Hi Power was conceived in response to a 1921 French military requirement for a new service pistol. The French requirement called for the pistol to have a capacity of at least 10 rounds, a magazine disconnect device, an external hammer, a positive safety, and easy disassembly and re-assembly. The 9mm cartridge was seen as the natural selection based on WWI experiences. With Colt holding the patents to Browning’s 1911 design, Browning had to create a different pistol so as not to infringe on the original 1911 patents. Colt wasn’t interested in pursuing the potential French contract, so Browning turned to Fabrique Nationale (FN) with his initial two prototypes. FN was interested and submitted one of Browning’s prototypes to the 1922 French pistol trials. Based on French trials, Browning prepared two more prototypes and submitted them to the French Army in 1923. Browning died November 1926, but was awarded a patent for the Hi Power base design posthumously in 1927.

After Browning’s death, the Hi Power design was taken over by FN designer and Browning’s friend Dieudonné Saive. With no market interest for a new service handgun in the late 1920s, Saive was able to continually refine Browning’s design. By 1928, many of Browning’s previous patents for the 1911 were expiring. The Browning Hi Power version featured the removable barrel bushing and take down sequence of the 1911. By 1931, the Browning-Saive Hi Power design incorporated a 13-round magazine, a curved rear grip strap, and a barrel bushing that was integral to the slide versus a removable barrel bushing.

The Hi Power, like many other Browning designs, operates on the short-recoil principle, where the barrel and slide initially recoil together until the barrel is unlocked from the slide by a cam arrangement. Unlike Browning’s earlier 1911 pistol, the Hi Power barrel is not moved vertically by a toggling link, but instead by a hardened bar which crosses the frame under the barrel and contacts a slot under the chamber, at the rearmost part of the barrel. The barrel and slide recoil together for a short distance but, as the bar and slot engage, the chamber and the rear of the barrel are drawn downward and stopped. By 1934, the Hi-Power design was complete and ready to be produced. The Hi Power was first adopted by Belgium for military service in 1935 as the Browning P-35. Ironically, France decided not to adopt the Hi Power.

The Hi Power is one of those rare weapons that served on both sides’ militaries in WWII. In 1954, the British military adopted the Hi Power as its first standard semi-automatic pistol. 50 more armies also adopted it after WWII. Interestingly, the Hi Power was also the choice of such elite units as the British SAS, SBS, and Royal Marines. The FBI HRT and various intelligence agency direct action units utilized the Hi Power until the late 1980s. Impressive, indeed, that after more than 60 years since its introduction, the Hi Power was still the go to sidearm for elite LE and military operators.

While the upside of the Hi Power such as capacity, reliability and ergonomics obviously outweighed its negatives, especially compared to contemporary designs, the Hi Power had features that could be improved upon. The trigger pull, especially heavy for a single action, minimalist sights, weak internal extractor and slide/hammer bite of a shooters hand come to mind. Various Hi Power upgrades and cloned models over the years have addressed these issues. Custom gunsmiths also created a cottage industry of offering services to improve upon base Hi Power models. Browning’s (Belgium-based FN is the parent company of Browning) decision to discontinue Hi Power production in 2018 opened the door for a company like Springfield Armory to offers its SA-35 Hi Power version.

One immediate concern any time a double stack magazine is used is how it effects grip and trigger manipulation. Browning and Saive made sure the Hi Power frame did not sacrifice ergonomics in the quest for capacity. Even average size hands have no issue working the trigger or other controls on the Hi Power. Still today, the Hi Power grip feels smaller in the hand compared to other double stack designs. This is attributed to the way that the top of the grip reduces inward near the slide, thus moving the hand closer to the trigger and shortening the trigger reach.

The SA-35 tale of the tape is a barrel length of 4.7 inches with an overall length of 7.8 inches. Slide width is .9 inches, 1.4 inches at the controls and weight is 31.5 ounces. The Springfield Armory SA-35 represents portability, capacity, reliability, controllability and lethality comparable to more current designs, including polymer striker fired handguns. No one can argue against the Hi Power being an instinctive handling weapon. The trigger and grip size and angle cause it to be one of the most accurate handguns in most arsenals. Why do you think hostage rescue units and other special purpose military/LE teams use it? It’s accurate and conducive to precise shot placement. Springfield Armory’s SA-35 maintains these characteristics.

The Hi Power’s trigger mechanism has an arrangement of springs and levers that limit what can be done to it in terms of improving it. A magazine disconnect safety further compounds the problem. The single action trigger on the Hi Power will never be confused with the trigger found on the 1911. Springfield Armory’s tuning of the Hi Power trigger produces a 4.5 pound break; removal of the magazine disconnect safety was a no brainer, as well.

The SA-35 was evaluated using Black Hills Ammunition, Speer, Hornady, and Federal/American Eagle premium ammunition. 9mm loads fired ranged from 115- to 147- grain with both hollow points and FMJ bullet types tested. Early production Hi Powers were designed to function with FMJ bullets. This changed as time passed and JHP bullets became more common with Hi Powers receiving throated chambers and polished feed ramps. The SA-35 is well done in this area with a straight polished feed ramp. Approximately 350 rounds were fired while compiling this article. An ammunition can with assortment of steel, aluminum, and brass cased 9mm loads that were consolidated from partially used boxes was purposely used in conjunction with the brands listed previously.

The SA-35 was tested at the range first by verifying sight zero and then firing multiple round bursts at various steel man-size targets. This quickly shows if any reliability issues exist. Reports of weak extraction were borne out during my tests with one stoppage for every two magazines fired was typical. Tiger McKee has produced an excellent summary of the issue tracing it back to a shorter than typical Hi Power extractor spring. Knowing Springfield Armory, they will take care of any issues. Not every review is reporting this issue, which is good news.

Further testing consisted of strings of fire against steel plate racks and popper targets at 7, 15, and 25 yards. The sights were zeroed out of the box for 25 yards using the classic 6 o’clock hold. The thin SA-35 front sight and Tactical Rack rear sight proved advantageous for both accurate and rapid shot placement. The benefits of the SA-35’s tuned single action trigger proved evident during range evaluation. Groups fired from standing or kneeling positions were impressive with bullets unerringly hitting their mark. The tapered double-column magazine is easy to fit into the magazine well with Springfield Armory further improving this by beveling the grip bottom. The magazine is vigorously ejected when the mag-catch is depressed. Bench testing could not be resisted after witnessing the unsupported accuracy results. 2.5-inch groups at 25 yards were not unusual.

The natural pointability of the Springfield Armory SA-35 was confirmed along with speed getting it into action. The extended thumb safety was positive and easy to manipulate. Drills included working around vehicles and CQB activities typified by experiences encountered in shoot house environments. The slight beavertail frame settles the weapon naturally into your hand and provides a point of reference when drawing the pistol. No hammer or slide bite was experienced, even when drawing quickly from the Galco Avenger belt and Summer Comfort IWB holsters that were used on the range. The double column grip tapering up to the thin slide sits the SA-35 in your hand in such a way that eliminates any front-heavy sensation that some handguns exhibit. Successful handgun designs constantly evolve. Based on the above, the SA-35 is still a valid choice for real world use.

My familiarity with Trijicon’s IR Hunter started in its pre-production days in 2015. At the time, the options were extremely expensive military thermal scopes that cost more than some cars, and relatively affordable imagers with many extraneous functions but only mediocre sensors. The IR Hunter by IR Defense fit neatly in the middle, producing a very good image with a minimum of extraneous frills for a feasible price. A compact, solidly built unit, it also had better battery life than the mil-spec model. Being able to use the thermal scope by itself without mounting it in tandem with a day scope cut the weight and much improved the sight picture. For the longest time, the sight lived on a Smith & Wesson M&P15-22 rifle. Sound-suppressed, it was discreet enough for nighttime walks around the property. Turns out that steel targets at the range retain daylight heat for hours, so practice in the dark was possible, especially in the hot summer months when midnight temperatures were far more comfortable than in the daytime. At some point, IR Defense was absorbed into Trijicon and a refined IR Hunter was released. Although it looked identical on the outside, I borrowed a sample to find out how it compared with the original model. The manual of operation has not changed, but the quality and the usability have improved considerably.

The Trijicon IR Hunter uses the same 640×480 resolution sensor but delivers a much higher quality picture. The battery life is improved, and boot-up time is reduced to a small fraction of the original. The controls are familiar and simple: the on-off rotary switch, three knobs that look like capped turrets, a +2 to -6 diopter adjustment ring. Focus is fixed, limiting clarity at short distances, but adequate down to about 12 yards. The rubber eye cup has a shuttered eye guard; the pressure of shooting glasses on it opens the petals to show the sight picture. When the sight is away from the eye, its output is hidden from potentially unfriendly eyes, also avoiding ruining adapted night vision of its user. Eye relief is 1.1 inch, enough to keep the ocular lens from touching shooting glasses when running up to about .308 caliber. A hinged front objective cover is a must-have accessory and required for correct sensor calibration. My IR Hunter uses three CR123 batteries to extend its battery life to about 3.5 hours at a fast 60Hz refresh rate and nearly 5 hours at the slower 30Hz refresh rate. MK2 comes with either 35mm or 60mm lenses, roughly 2.5x or 4x magnification. My test sample has the 2.5x optic. 2x and 4x digital zoom option is included, but doesn’t really help with detail. At 37 ounces, the sight is heavier than it looks thanks to its all-metal construction. The battery door and image output interface are covered with rubber gaskets. The sight is submergible up to one meter for an hour.

The MK3 offers five BDC reticle options. With a one-shot zeroing process, the setup is quick and easy. A stadiametric rangefinder option is included on the MK3 but that function can be performed quicker with any of the standard reticles. In general, the left-side rotary knob sets up the menu entry, the top and the right-side knobs make adjustments. Imaging options include white-hot and black-hot modes with various degrees of contrast, along with an edge mode that turns the objects in the image into outlines. Enhanced Target Recognition (ETR) is for images with a dominant sky, essentially the thermal equivalent of backlight compensation on a camera. The digital focusing option is actually unsharp masking. At 2.5x magnification, the absence of a focus knob simplifies construction without taking away from the scope’s functionality.

The optic can be used to take photos saved to internal memory in BMP or JPG formats. After selecting photo mode with the left knob, turn the top knob to take a photo. Downloading requires an optional IRDACC-9703 USB/RCA video cable, which is also employed for live video output. A downloading program, supplied by Trijicon, is required.

The quality of the image is impressive. At 200 yards, I can identify a cat. At 75 yards I can differentiate one cat from another. Looking at vehicles, it’s easy to tell how long they’ve been driven by the engine and tire heat signature. Set up on a JP Rifles SCR-11 for coyote hunting, it excels far above amplified night vision for spotting targets. Having taken rabbits at ranges from 25 to 75 yards, I appreciate how rapidly this optic handles on a variety of rifles. As with other thermal scopes, the limitation on distances comes from the atmospheric humidity and on the limited number of pixels available to resolve detail. On targets like feral hogs, engagement is possible out to 600 yards; further with the 4x version. On the other hand, telling the difference between a person carrying a handgun and another carrying a wrench might be limited to a much shorter distance, perhaps 150 yards.

The main appeal of the IR Hunter is the combination of operating simplicity, toughness, and excellent image quality. Due to its appetite for batteries, make sure to watch the viewfinder indicator to know when it’s time to swap in fresh cells.

The newest model of this scope that came out since I got mine has some major upgrades. The output port is now USB-C, making both for easy photo and video output, and for charging from external battery packs. New reticle selections include caliber-specific BDC options for .223, .308, and .300 Blk. The weight has been reduced by about 20%. Manual focus adjustment has been added to the 60mm lens. Due to the change in the sensor size, the new lens magnification options are now 1.2x, 1.75x, and 3x. Battery life with two CR123 batteries has been bumped up to 4 hours.

It seems that Trijicon didn’t just refresh the design from IR Defense but upgraded it significantly on all fronts. It’s definitely a formidable tool for night varmint control and other ballistic applications.

What is the most fun weapon and caliber combination to shoot? The possibilities are limitless. Everyone has their own pet systems, loves, and opinions. Let’s take a look at options and evaluate. My keen scientific mind has concocted a very detailed system to evaluate the options that are too difficult to explain, so you will just have to trust me. The category is FUN FACTOR and we are looking to fill the podium with a winner.

My focus is on items that people can actually own, even if slightly difficult. This assumes you don’t live under the near communist regimes of some of our bluest states. Also, the Battlefield Vegas 20mm Vulcan mounted to a Toyota Prius and miniguns are a rare occurrence, so I will exclude those as ‘extraordinary’ items. I will not include any civil war or WWII artillery, that by some loophole, is legal.

My background in the industry has provided me with the opportunity to shoot a larger spectrum of cartridges and weapons than the average shooting sports enthusiast. I am told I shot my first .22 Long Rifle at age three, I have no such memory. However, knowing my father’s desire to give me all the experiences under the sun, and recall how much time we spent at the family gun range growing up, it’s probably true. I’ve shot so much that I’ve likely forgotten some of the interesting weapons I’ve fired. Therefore, I feel I’m a pretty worthy judge of what firearms might be the most fun to shoot.

BIG BORE ENTERTAINMENT

During my time in the manufacture of cartridge cases for Dakota Arms, Lazzeroni, Tubbs, Huntington’s, Old Western Scrounger, Midway, Cheytac, Federal, Holland and Holland, Dixie Gun, John Rigby & Co., Kynoch and too many others to list, I had the opportunity to shoot many of their products. You don’t want to fire too many of these at one time. For those of you that have never had the experiencing the percussion and the recoil from these large calibers — let’s just say big bore cartridges can give a headache the size of a small country.

The recoil from some of them is quite painful. I have never fired from the shoulder the round my father created, the 700 Nitro Express. I’ve only shot it from a pressure barrel. The rifle itself weighs more than 40 pounds; another reason to avoid shooting it. I’ve fired its younger brothers in the Nitro Express arena and I have done it enough to know it’s painful… painful enough to not want to shoot it all that much. But, boys will be boys, and if the opportunity presents itself to shoot something unique, damn the torpedoes – we’re gonna shoot it. In testing some 50-70 or 50-90 or 50-110 ammo in a Sharps rifle, I gained a scar above my right eye, along with a memory that’ll last forever. This is the rifle that was used by Tom Selleck in “Quigley Down Under” in the 1980s. The peep sight requires you get rather close to it to aim. Then there is the front locking trigger and the rear hair trigger. I took a last breath before intentionally getting my finger near the hair-trigger and accidentally touching it. It went off and blood ran down my face. The large size of the weapon, cartridge, and the boom all make it a blast to shoot. Channeling Tom Selleck’s character shooting a moving bucket at 1200 yards adds to the experience (now you have to stream the movie). So, in my book the large African or Black powder calibers are not at the top of the list for fun due to recoil, first, percussion, second, and weight of weapons, third.

The ability to decimate targets at 1000 yards is pretty awesome. Many shooters only dream of making a near-world record shot at over a mile. Nearly all of these have a muzzle brake which dramatically reduces recoil when fired from the shoulder.

Some of the long-range calibers like 50 BMG, 408 Cheytac, 338 Lapua, 338 Norma Mag, 300 Norma Mag, Lazzeroni 7.82 Warbird, and 12.04 BiBaMuFu (Big Bad Mother*ucker) and are very similar in their percussive effects. The ability to decimate targets at 1000 yards is pretty awesome. Many shooters only dream of making a near-world record shot at over a mile. Nearly all of these have a muzzle brake which dramatically reduces recoil when fired from the shoulder. The muzzle brake can wreak havoc on any instrumentation placed alongside the weapon, though. The sniper calibers are not at the top of the list for percussion, first and recoil, second.

I have less experience in handgun calibers. As a teenager, I was sucked into the frenzy calibers of the day. Most of the larger calibers like 44 Magnum, which according to Clint Eastwood’s character in “Dirty Harry” is, “the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?” Feel free to stream this movie as well! The 44 Mag does kick like a mule and only seems to transfer the pain from your shoulder to your wrist (and arms, and shoulders). It also has some serious percussion. Now, there are many large pistol calibers, including some rifle calibers, being shot from pistols. The stories and videos online make those look painful to shoot. Therefore, the large pistol calibers are not on the top of the list for fun guns to shoot.

FULL AUTO PLAY

Smaller pistol calibers can be a lot of fun. Shooting .22 LR in pistol or rifle is great because it can be fired indoors and, therefore, year-round. It has low recoil and is not terribly loud. The biggest negative I can think of is the time spend reloading and the sore fingers you get from feeding those finicky magazines. Since 22 LR is such a popular, mainstream cartridge, it reduces the reduces the wow/fun factor. But, when the right gun comes along, the caliber is moot. For example, my father is working on a homemade 22 LR Gatling gun. I can’t wait to fire that!

Fully automatic, magazine-fed machine guns are the next category that turns a corner in our story. Someone rarely fires these weapons without a big smile on their face. Most of these are in 22 LR, .223/5.56mm, 7.62x39mm, and .308/7.62x51mm, which have reasonable percussion and recoil. The .308/7.62x51mm, after enough rounds, can give you a headache. As a pre-teen, I shot a lot of 22 LR in a Ruger 10/22. We tried all the high-capacity magazines of the late 1970s & 1980s. The short version of the story, anything over 30 rounds did not work. The biggest negative in this category is the cost of the ammo. Of course, this is reduced with 22 LR, however, it doesn’t have the wow factor of the larger calibers. A second negative is the paperwork on a fully automatic weapon. A third negative is the limited number of ranges where you are allowed to fire these weapons. I give this platform a bronze medal for the FUN FACTOR.

BELT-FED ENTERTAINMENT

One step up from the above is fully automatic, belt-fed machine guns. This mainly ends up being 5.56mm, 7.62x51mm, or .50 BMG. The M2 is a blast to shoot, and I highly recommend it on an outdoor range with tracers or Mk211 semi-HE ammo. In some of my work events, I get to shoot the M2 for free, which only amplifies the fun. To boot, most times I have shot belt feed I did not have to link the ammo myself, which is even better. At the 2021 NDIA Armaments conference at Ft. Benning, I got to shoot a suppressed M2 with an MGRS Optic. Now we are cooking with gas! An M249 SAW or Minimi is a blast and everyone should have one. The most fun I have personally had with belt-fed is dual 7.62x51mm M60’s mounted on a shoulder-high tripod. It had motorcycle handlebar lever-style triggers, one for each. The range allowed tracers, and walking rounds in on a target was unbelievably fun. It reminded me of WWII fighter pilots walking in a stream of rounds on a target. On the downside, paying for all the ammo you run in a belt-fed is no fun, and that’s doubly so when talking about a twin M60. I’m sure if I had to link the rounds every time I shot, it might swap positions… But, a solid effort for this group gives belt-feds the FUN FACTOR silver medal.

40mm WINNING FUN

The reason 40mm Low Velocity rounds are the most fun to shoot are numerous. First, due to the low velocity, you can see the round from the muzzle all the way to the target. Next, the recoil is very minimal. Third, the sound and percussion are almost non-existent. It does make a cool, hollow “ploop” sound when fired. The orange dye is cool to see, and most rounds don’t have this kind of clear hit signature. Next is hitting things downrange with nearly a 2,700-grain projectile makes interesting things happen. Wood railroad ties, metal frames, concrete barricades, and whatever else you are shooting at really takes a beating. If you can shoot at a car or old truck, you are really moving metal. If you’ve never been in a competition to put a 40mm round in a 55-gallon drum at 300 meters, it should be on your to-do list. Add other options in 40mm that include parachute flares, smoke rounds, and non-lethal rounds and you have a fiesta.

On the weapon side, there are numerous options. You can go old school with an M79 Launcher. You can mount M203 under an AR-style rifle. A stand-alone, rail-mounted M203 is highly recommended and can be had for around $3000, new. A Milkor M32A1-MSGL 6-shot launcher is the pinnacle of the bunch, however they’re extremely difficult to obtain and cost around $15,000.

To be fair, there are negatives. The cost of the rounds is prohibitive. Reloading the rounds can be accomplished for around $2 to $3 each if you reuse the zinc body, 38 S&W blank, and the M212 base case. There are some paperwork restrictions on owning a 40mm weapon. The cost of some of the more exotic weapons is a challenge — however, a used M203 can be had for under $1000. Despite all this, the 40mm wins the gold medal as the most fun thing to shoot.

After this goes to print, I typically post the article on my LinkedIn account. Please check in there and let me know if you agree or disagree with my extremely scientific analysis of the most FUN FACTOR medal winners. If you have a more deserving candidate, please let me know.

I first learned of the Naval & Military Press while searching online for books about the Nordenfelt hand cranked machine gun. I’m glad I stumbled across this company and their collection of military titles.

The Naval & Military Press Ltd (N&MP), based in England, was started in 1991. The company has established itself as a great source of books for the military enthusiast. Their website describes themselves as “Britain’s leading independent military bookseller”.

Upon learning of them, and the above mentioned Nordenfelt manual machine gun book, I looked over their website to see what other books they offer. Their catalog is logically arranged by time periods, starting with Ancient & Medieval, and progressing through 16^th to 18^th Century, Napoleonic, 19^th-20^th Century, The Great War, and ending with WW II. The last three mentioned contain the most individual titles, as expected. There are a few modern Cold War era titles, but not a lot. They even carry a decent selection of British railway and steam locomotive books, if that appeals to you.

Naval & Military Press’s catalog features their own line of titles, as well as books from other publishers. There are a number of books from the well-known Images of War series, for example.

For this review I will focus on the N&MP titles. These tend to be reprints of long out-of-print military manuals, and battle reports, etc. Currently, there are over 2100 N&MP titles listed. From these, I ordered:

• The Nordenfelt Machine Guns Described in Detail
• Textbook of Small Arms, 1929
• The Complete Lewis Gunner

The Nordenfelt Machine Guns Described in Detail is a reprint of a book originally published in 1882 by Thorsten Nordenfelt himself. As such, it is rather biased, as might be expected. However, it does contain many technical details on his many variants of manually-cranked machine guns. These ranged from single-barrel to ten-barrel designs, and from one-inch bore to 2.2-inch bore. These were primarily deck guns for naval vessels.

It’s divided into four parts and further divided into 17 chapters. The four parts are: Descriptive, Comparative, Naval, and Military (Referring to land-based use.) In part II, Comparative, there are the results of several tests between the Nordenfelt 1-inch gun and the Hotchkiss 37mm (Approx 1.5-inch) gun.

The book measures 8 x 11.5 inches, is 206 pages, and contains 57 engraving type full page illustrations & diagrams. Soft cover. £28.00 (approx. $37)

The Textbook of Small Arms 1929 has its origins in a publication dating back to 1863. Reprinted or revised every few years, it served the British Army for many years. In 1929, it was almost completely rewritten. As the editor’s preface explains, this was due to the great strides in small arms technology that occurred during WWI.

Part I covers small arms ranging from service rifles to machine guns. Chapters are titled The Rifle, The Sword, Lance and Bayonet, Revolvers and Self-Loading Pistols, Grenades, and Machine Guns & Light Machine Guns. There are a surprising number of hand and rifle grenades described. Fortunately, clear section view drawings accompany the text. Likewise, the various machine guns covered also have section view drawings showing the internals of each. There are also photographs of the various machine guns as well. (No photographs of grenades were included.)

Part II covers ammunition in detail. It explains the manufacture of smokeless powder, and the different shapes it can be supplied in, such as flake, extruded, and Cordite strands. It even mentions shapes I was not familiar with such as cube, strip (Axite brand), disc, and perforated disc. It also shows the multiple step drawing process to make a cartridge case, and discusses the need to anneal, or soften, the mouth of the case to prevent cracks forming. There is even a bit of metallurgy covered in relation to the alloying of copper and zinc to create a suitable blend of brass.

Part III, Ballistics, contains a HUGE amount of complex mathematics and charts. One day, when I have much more time on my hands, I am going to revisit this portion. So far, I have only scanned over it. It has chapters on Internal, External, and Terminal (Wound) Ballistics. Between part III Ballistics, and part II, Ammunition, this book is university-level course material.

Part IV, Appendices is a collection of charts, range tables, and tables, etc.

This book is definitely not a lovely coffee table book, nor is it light reading. It is a serious study of the science of small arms during the inter-war years, prepared by the British War Office (Equivalent to the U.S Department of Defense.), and originally printed by His Majesty’s Stationary Office. The N&MP edition is an accurate reproduction of the original, so it contains the same older style font, and small type. As the original textbook contained relatively few photographs (and certainly no color photos.), neither does this edition.

With that in mind, if you are interested in older reference books that go well beyond the usual level of detail, consider this one.

Measures 8 x 11.5 inches, 427 pages. Soft cover. £22.00 (approx. $29)

The Complete Lewis Gunner is a small, pocket size (5×8-inch, 80 pages) manual that gives a concise introduction to the U.S.-designed, British-made light machine gun. This booklet is a 1941 re-issue of an instruction manual first published in 1918. While the Lewis MG is thought of as primarily a WW I weapon, it certainly did see service in WW II as well. The booklet covers the parts in an interesting fashion. It first describes the stationary parts, and then covers the moving parts in a following chapter. Odd, but effective… Next is a very basic look at Stripping and Assembling, then an explanation of how the mechanism works, followed by Stoppages. Other chapters are Elementary Drill, Care and Cleaning, Points before, During and After Firing, and Additional Notes… The Appendix explains the differences between the British version in .303 and the U.S. version in 30-06 (called .300 American in the U.K.).

This is a fun little book, especially if you collect military manuals. Or Lewis MGs! Soft cover, £4.95 (approx. $6.60)

The Naval & Military Press website is well worth a look. As noted above, N&MP also carries books from other publishers. These are often bought in large quantities at good discounts, allowing them to pass these savings onto their customers. Shipping from the U.K. to the USA can be a deal-breaker, so getting some nice discounts, and bundling several books together can be a deal saver.

Website: naval-military-press.com

It didn’t look like much until it cost 9,777 U.S. Marine casualties over just a couple of months that summer of 1918. They were the worst losses ever experienced by the Marine Corps up to that time. It was a hell of a European baptism of fire, especially after earlier actions in the Spanish-American War days like Nicaragua and Cuba. But American Expeditionary Force (AEF) troops had never experienced killing on such an industrial scale, as the European theater was described after World War I. They were fighting against seasoned German troops, fresh from years of combat on the Russian Front, that had been released to ‘take ‘em on’ that summer. French troops, exhausted after four years of incessant combat, were in support. Unlimited artillery ammunition was available to the enemy. German 7.7s (77mm) in particular, fired from latest Krupp FK 96s, devastated them, the equivalent of British 18-pounders fired by the tens of millions a little further northwest in Flanders’ trench war…the “Western Front”.

Marines were hastily equipped before being shipped off from the continental United States. They toted their rifles, .30-06 caliber ’03 Springfields and P-17 Enfields with them (the latter made by Winchester, Remington Arms and the Eddystone Arsenal) with new-issue ’06 ammo stashed and issued quickly from quartermaster stores. Some of the ammo was modified from .30-03 stocks

the original caliber that predated the ’06, of which eight million rounds were modified by Frankford Arsenals to the new 2.479-‘06 case. Those new ‘06s, stoked with Hercules smokeless powder, propelled their 150-grain stannic-stained, cupro-nickel jacketed bullets from the muzzle at 2,750 feet per second.

Light machine guns (LMGs), usually restricted to French “Chauchat” C.S.R.G. machine rifles, originally chambered for the French 8mm Lebel but, later, rechambered to the American .30-06. Perhaps there was the odd M1917 Browning watercooled medium machine gun (MMG). More commonly the Hotchkiss (Benet-Mercie) LMG, probably the last model that was good enough to remain in service until after World War II, despite the fact that the 1918 B.A.R. (Browning Automatic Rifle) had been developed at the time but was not an issue item then.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, “follow the bullet” was the word of the day as I got to Belleau Wood in July 2018 after having previously spent time down south in the relatively unknown Vosges Mountains battlefield of Hartmannswillerkopf.

The impeccably maintained Aisne-Marne American Cemetery with its marble gravestones, the redolence of thousands of pink roses, and the echoing chapel at the top of the hill. A deeply moving place. But the forest behind the cemetery beckoned.

Researching U.S. involvement in World War I is a sketchy business because politics sticks its nose into everything. America often claimed a role that other combatants of the time contested, claiming the U.S. had hardly entered that war before it concluded on November 11^th, 1918. Regardless, the actions of U.S. troops at that time were brave beyond measure. The problem for me was trying to imagine what happened in Belleau Wood during those days of summer, 1918.

I asked the French cemetery maintenance staff where the actual battle area was and they pointed me to a narrow-paved lane to the east, its grassy verge lined with red poppies. Immediately north of the memorial chapel, and with no-one apparently caring, I went up in the rental car, my metal detector and shovel in hand. What I found told a forensic story.

Belleau Wood today is administered by XXXX (details to follow). They do not encourage visitors to explore the one-mile by one-mile now-heavily-treed battlefield. [PULL THE RED HIGHLIGHTED PASSAGE IF WRITER CAN’T AMMEND/CONFIRM-RC] A flimsy wire fence surrounds the southern boundary, close by where French farmers dump rotting bales of hay and produce. But there is an unlocked gate and no sign forbidding entry.

The forest resounds with birdsong today. The rocks and topography are much the same as they must have been more than 90 years ago. Remnants of slit trenches wander beneath the fallen leaves. Not the deep trenches as in Flanders, but the type of crawl trench that would keep your ass from being shot off if you kept your buttocks low.

Two grayed rocks poked above the forest floor a few hundred yards north of the gate through which I passed. I looked at them, looked out over the field to the northeast where I figured the Germans must have attacked from, then tried to work out their tactical situation of the time. Deploying my detector I looked in front of the rocks and found what, from my point of view a century later, told a story.

Just ahead of the crevice of the large rocks, which I too would have chosen as cover for my LMG, was a small pile of empty cases and a live one: an 8mm Lebel. To the right were some corroded .30-06 empties and a couple of empty five-round brass stripper clips.

To the left were some corroded empties plus a partial stripper clip of unfired .30-06 rounds. Casting about behind the rock and the trench behind it, I found a partially exploded artillery shell about 15 feet away. Here’s my interpretation of what happened during those moments of that day. It’s a guess made on the evidence I found:

I wondered about the presence of 8mm Lebel ammo there since I knew the French weren’t present. It was likely a U.S. Marine Hotchkiss position, the whole business of light machine guns with U.S. forces being a complete story unto itself.

Flanking the Marine MG gunner and his loader must have been a couple of riflemen. When the Germans attacked the action was deadly. The M1914 Hotchkiss, one of 7,000 purchased by the U.S. from the French, chattered until there was a stoppage. The gunner cleared the jam, extracting the chambered round where it dropped onto the ground amongst the empties, and kept on smoking at 500 rounds per minute. On either side his flankers were firing their bolt guns as fast as they could. The right-hand guy was whaling away effectively, making every round count. Grabbing clip after clip from his webbing and reloading his now-hot rifle. The Germans’ nightmare of Marine “Devil Dogs” and their accurate fire coming true. General John “Blackjack” Pershing, commander of the AEF, was quoted as saying, “The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle!” He is also quoted by various sources as having said, “…the Battle of Belleau Wood was for the U.S. the biggest battle since Appomattox and the most considerable engagement American troops had ever had with a foreign enemy.”

The left-hand flanking rifleman wasn’t as certain. He must have tried to reload in the heat of combat, fumbling and dropping a full five round clip onto the ground. Maybe he was distracted by the muffled explosion of something hitting the ground just behind him: a German 7.7cm artillery round that failed to completely detonate (see the sidebar.) He did manage to send off many 150-grain cupro-nickel deadly messages to the Germans before this happened, judging by the corroded empties near his position. We’ll never know for sure.

What we do know is where and when the rifle ammo was made, by whom, and how it reflects more than just ammunition: it is an indirect record of how well U.S. supply lines worked, reaching from the shores of the continental United States to a battered forest in northeastern France, and contains some interesting clues on the development of the .30-06 Springfield round.

Incidentally, the artillery round that almost killed the Marines manning that Hotchkiss position also provides an equally interesting sidenote into artillery use during World War I.

About 100 miles east of Belleau Wood and Chateau Thierry is the 1916 slaughterhouse that was Verdun and the fortress of Douamont. One of the most inexplicable and bizarre ammunition finds I ever made was found in a stretch of forest a few kilometers southeast of the fortress itself. Under the loamy duff, I found a section of steel plate that had been blasted by artillery fragments, had a bullet hole, and was dimpled by something else. Nearby was a French 8mm Lebel cartridge that seemed to be empty at first blush and had a crack on the case that looked like water had frozen inside, expanded, and split the case. When I shook it there seemed to be something inside the case, mud, or sand I thought, until I gave it a vigorous shake. Out came the base of a bullet.

Since I had personally dug it up, I knew that there had been no substitution. This was how the thing had been made! But “why” is a question I’ve not been able to answer. The closest guess is hearkening back to the introduction of the first tanks during World War I…but that was at Cambrai in 1917, which was a year after Douamont had fallen. At that time the Germans found their 8x57mm bullet, which would glance off the primitive armor of the time more often than not, would penetrate the armor if the bullet was reversed in the case. So why this?

The 8x50R Lebel has some interesting design characteristics that I only discovered after having observed different base designs on the various cartridges I found on battlefields across Europe where French forces had been involved. One of the major design differences is a large annular ring around the primer. Some samples didn’t have that ring.

Turns out that the French had a unique solution to deal with using their then-new spitzer (pointed) bullets in the eight-round tubular magazine of their Mle 1886 M93 (Lebel) rifle. The point of one bullet wouldn’t touch the primer of the round ahead of it because it was guided onto the annular ring so accidental ignition from the rifle’s recoil was significantly reduced. These rounds were usually base-stamped “D a.m.” which stood for the Balle D. bullet and a modified primer.

The Balle D bullet, in conjunction with the 8x50R cartridge, was a major milestone in small arms ammunition that involved both French and Swiss technical advances at the time.

It was the first rifle round to use smokeless (nitrocellulose) propellant, Poudre B, developed by French chemist Paul Vielle in 1884, and to use a spitzer, or pointed, boat-tailed bullet. Although the gracefully designed 197-grain Balle D was solid bronze, it sprang from Swiss Capt. Eduard Rubin’s (a partner in the design of the Swiss straight-pull action Schmidt-Rubin rifle) development of the cupronickel-jacketed, lead-cored, full metal jacket bullet that has been the defactostandard in small arms projectiles ever since. The French use of smokeless powder and the new bullet tripled the power and effective range of a small arms round over the former black powder cartridges of the time. The claimed maximum extreme range for the Balle D was claimed to have been 4,000 yards; the maximum wounding range 1,800 yards, and a realistic effective range of 457 yards. The round had a muzzle velocity of just over 2,100 feet per second with a remaining velocity of about 750 feet per second at 2,250 yards.

About 300 miles southwest of Belleau Wood, where Germany, France, and Switzerland meet, about an hour south of Strasbourg, France, is the little-known battlefield of Hartmannswillerkopf. At 4,500 feet and the highest peak of the Vosges Mountains, it was the site of interminable struggles through the whole 1914 – 1918 period that involved almost all the European powers drawn into the conflict, even the Swiss. Over the years I have found some technically and historically fascinating ammunition and other materiel that would paint a picture of what happened there. Another example of “follow the bullet.”

Riddled with tunnels and concrete bunkers, the original forest blasted to matchwood at one time, the rugged area is again heavily forested today. You could easily imagine how difficult it must have been — all while under intense fire — for the individual soldier to get around, much less keep the troops supplied. I heard from Alsatian locals that between 1914 and 1918 almost seven meters (22 feet) was blasted off the entire mountaintop by the millions of artillery shells fired at it.

Shallow slit trenches, paralleling the rugged contours of the mountainside almost like terraces, still exist and tend to lead to the more complex fortifications perforating the mountain. The combatants had four years in which to consolidate the many positions, which regularly changed hands, so it was always a guessing game to find still existing redoubts that were still relatively safe to explore. (Deep trenches, such as those found in Flanders’ salients, were difficult to dig in Hartmannswillerkopf because of the crenellated topography and rocky substrate.) I wouldn’t have wanted to attack uphill there where dozens of grenades could simply be rolled down on top of you by the defenders.

Because of the well-drained and relatively dry rocky soil, unlike the wet blue clay underlying Flanders, artifacts such as barbed wire, small arms ammunition, explosive ordnance, and other materiel remains quite well preserved. The classic World War I 12-barbs-to-the-foot barbed wire, which has crumbled to red dust pretty well everywhere else, still remains effective there, even a hundred years later, as my jeans can attest!

When I first started exploring World War I battlefields in 1971, I made an interesting find in one of the tunnels. Just inside the entrance I found the remains of a cardboard box partly filled with 8x50Rmm Lebel ammunition. Later, at home in Germany, on pulling the 197-grain bronze Balle D bullets, I found the case to be filled with fine sand, which I thought was the result of water and silt infiltration. Later I learned that, well into World War I, the French knew they were losing. At least one ammunition manufacturer lined its corporate coffers by substituting powder with sand, theorizing the ammunition would never be fired anyway. I understand from reading the history of the time that those responsible were eventually executed by the French for treason.

Other unique discoveries included an odd spent bullet; a nearby lead core; something that looked like an overgrown “jumping jack”, and a grenade of some sort.

The flat-based bullet miked out at 7mm (.284-inch), which was unusual since everyone was using a fairly distinctive 8mm bullet in their small arms at the time. My best guess is that someone (probably German) was using a gun chambered for the 7x57mm cartridge and rifled with a five grooved right-hand twist. A more comprehensive examination could probably tell you the specific gun it was fired from.

The jumping jack was a caltrop, a small multipronged steel spike that, however thrown, would always land with a point upwards. It was originally intended to be used as an area denial device against cavalry horses and could possibly have been intended to deter horses used to haul artillery and supply wagons on this battlefield. (Quite possibly the last time in the history of warfare that the caltrop was used.)

The grenade was shaped like a lemon and had the remains of a wooden plug at its mouth. A rotted length of safety fuse and a perforated blasting cap was in its interior. Otherwise, it was free from explosive. Just full of mud and one juicy worm. As its shape would indicate, this was an example of the French “Citron” grenade. I had visions of a French trooper, glowing Gauloise cigarette butt in hand, trying to light the fuse. I’m unsure of how they were initiated since this model is a very early one.

About 400 miles (670 kilometers) due north of Hartmannswillerkopf are the well-known battlefields of Flanders, Belgium, Ypres being the most notable. Others included Passendaele and Poelkapelle. While America took a while to shuck their notion of isolationism, Canadians had been beavering away in many of the salient battles, the fields still rich with lead shrapnel balls, shell fragments, artillery fuses, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and the general litter of war.

Virtually every farm has an “Obus” pile: a stack of UXO of every description which are regularly carted away by a Belgian armed forces truck.

One strange experience I had early on in my battlefield explorations took place on the bank of the Yser Canal, near the village of St. Eloi in Belgium, within earshot of the cathedral bells in Ypres, and virtually a stone’s throw from one of the immense craters created by a huge underground mine explosion, part of the “Battle of the Craters”. The explosion was so immense that it had been heard many miles away in England.

My friend and I were having lunch one summer’s day and I was idly digging through the soil with my fingers. It didn’t take long before I found a couple of empty cartridges; an 8x57mm and a .303. A little bit lower down I found another couple of empties, again, 8x57mm and .303.

Curious as always about headstamp information I cleaned off the bases.

What I saw made me re-examine them more closely. The 8mm round had been manufactured by Germany in 1943. The .303 had been manufactured in 1941 and also featured the Mk.VII stamp, which denoted the propellant type. More strangely from the evidence, the 8×57 round had unmistakably been fired from an MG-42 machine gun and the .303 round from a Bren light machine gun. The MG-42 characteristically mangles the case mouth on ejection from the gun for a few reasons: one being that the ejection port is on the bottom of the receiver. Another being that the roller-locked action is assisted by a muzzle booster which taps powder gases in order to give a greater impulse to the action and which contributes to the phenomenally high fire rate of 1,200 rounds per minute of this stamped-steel gun. This violence of operation left a characteristic imprint on one of the empties. The Bren has an elliptical firing pin imprint. Remember: we were sitting on a World War I battlefield.

The other two empties? They had been manufactured variously between 1914 and 1916. German and Allied troops had fought over the same ground, decades later, showing that no lessons were learned in the interim.

Overall, it’s interesting how a modicum of gun knowledge can reveal long gone worlds of conflict, much like reading a book can. Ammunition is the tell-all if you can speak the language. All you have to do is “follow the bullet”. As for explosive ordnance? Well, if it didn’t go off when it was intended to, then it wasn’t just dropped in the heat of combat and still remains as deadly as when it was first made.

Finally? By sheer dint of tenacity, bravery, and timing, Belleau Wood ultimately became an American victory. Semper Fi, guys. Semper Fidelis.

The German UXO 7.7

This shell led me on a merry chase. At first, I measured it as a “75”, which was the standard caliber of the then-famous 75mm French artillery piece. But the French couldn’t have been firing on the Americans in Belleau Wood since they were allies.
With rust and mud on the round from having been buried for almost a century I could be forgiven for my error. It was a heavy piece of ordnance. From later research I found it to be the equivalent of the British 18-Pounder, but without the lead shrapnel balls used further northwest in Flanders to get at the deep trenches of that area of operations, although the shell did have a shrapnel-ball variant along with poison gas and a primitive, direct-fire antitank round.
Concerned about explosive content before bringing the spent round home to Canada with me, I cleaned it out and found that, indeed, there was still some explosive material left in it. The neutron backscatter explosives sniffers at Montreal’s Trudeau airport reported the traces of 100-year-old explosive. Terrorists beware!