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.

If machine guns interest you, consider attending the Big Sandy full-auto shoot! I had heard about this event in rural Arizona over the past few years but hadn’t been able to attend until this past March.

Held twice a year, in March and in October, it is now billed as the largest full-auto event in the USA. It takes place in northwestern Arizona, approximately 10 miles northeast of the small town of Wikieup.

The firing line is roughly a quarter mile long and overlooks a good-sized ravine or gully. The various targets are placed at the valley bottom and along the far side. This means that the bullet impacts are well-contained by a natural berm several hundred feet high. The targets consist of many 55-gallon steel drums painted white, a few old cars and LOTS of binary explosive targets! At times, a model aircraft enthusiast would fly a Styrofoam RC plane up and down the firing line to the great amusement of the spectators; and perhaps to the frustration of the shooters, as it is surprisingly difficult to hit, even with full-auto fire.

For those with their own machine guns, they rent a 10-foot-by-10-foot section of the firing line for the three-day event. For those without their own guns, a spectator pass is available. This allows access to the event and the chance to rent guns from several vendors that rent guns to the public.

The event starts at noon on Friday, runs all day on Saturday and has a short final shoot on Sunday morning. Of special interest are the night shoots on Friday and Saturday evenings. I cannot begin to estimate how many thousands of rounds of tracer ammo went across the valley, but it was a lot! The RC planes had glow sticks taped on for the night shoot. And still more binary exploding targets, plus colourful fireworks, had everyone grinning.

Among the belt-fed guns observed were several Browning 1919A4s and M2HBs, at least one water-cooled M1917 and M60s, including both pistol grip and spade grip versions. The classic WW I German MG-08 Maxim on a sled mount, as well as WW II-era MG-34 and MG-42 were also seen. And my favourite, the wonderful old British Vickers was there in both smooth and corrugated water-jacket versions.

Magazine-fed guns included M16/M4 types, AK-47s, Uzis, a Thompson M1928, at least one Bren gun and a Browning M1918 BAR.

Several artillery pieces also took part. We were treated to firing displays of a replica Civil War-style cannon mounted on wheeled wooden carriages and early WW II-era, anti-tank guns. The French Hotchkiss-designed Mle 1937 Puteaux 25mm anti-tank gun fired a few rounds, as did the Swedish M/36 Bofors 37mm guns. There were three Bofors guns there, with at least one being a Finnish license-made version known in Finland as 37 PstK/36. Two replica Gatling guns were seen, but I did not see either one fire. There was even a homemade bowling ball mortar, made from a high-pressure gas welding oxygen cylinder. As the name suggests, it lobs bowling balls across the valley. Great fun!

As the website says, “If you’re up to it, please come visit this uniquely American event.”

The next three shoots are scheduled for:

Fall: 19–21 October 2018

Spring: 22–24 March 2019

Fall: 18–20 October 2019

Prices are:

Line Shooters, 3 days $275 (advance) or $300 at the gate, per person, discounts for groups (see mgshooters.com/index.php). General Admission Spectator, 3 days $30

This article first appeared in Small Arms Review V22N9 (November 2018)

SAR is pleased to present this journal by longtime Emma-Gee, Rick Cartledge about his experiences at Knob Creek.

It was with great pride that I took this article assignment from Small Arms Review. This writer has been under the weather for about two years. The twelve cylinder Packard is back. It could use a paint job, but the tires are new and the motor’s tuned. Many of the faithful readers have been terribly kind. In the following I shall return that kindness. I invite you once again to climb up on my running board and ride with me for a while. We will travel through four very special days in October. Nearly everyone agrees that the Fall ’97 Knob Creek Show and Shoot surpassed any that we’ve had for years. The weather and the people could not have been nicer.

I crossed the Salt River on I-65 about sunrise on Thursday morning, hit the exit and pulled to the red light at the top of the ramp. I swung across the bridge and stopped at the light by the entrance ramp to I-65. At this point we begin our journey. I looked toward Shepardsville, Kentucky. Beyond it stretched the mountains that lead to the Knob Creek Range. Shepardsville gave the South one of its most honored sons, Col. Philip Lightfoot Lee of the Orphan Brigade’s 2nd Kentucky. I found it fitting that Shepardsville’s cloud laden sky glowed grey and crimson, the colors of The Gallant Pelham. Later at Knob Creek Range I would view a new Rich Pugsley gun, a gun that all Southerners wish that John Pelham had fired.

While freshening up at the motel, I snapped on the news channel. The presenter waxed fondly about the Harvest Home Festival in New Albany. She introduced a local string band from the Louisville environs. The musicians cranked up with Bill Monroe’s ‘Uncle Pen’. As I motored up to the range house, Range Master Homer Saylor flagged me down. We shook hands. I told Homer about ‘Uncle Pen’ and stated it appeared we would have a great weekend. Homer agreed. We plan to go together one day to Rosine and pay our respects to Mr. Monroe. Homer and I both wore short sleeves. Short sleeved shirts became the dress du jour for all four days and nights. The presence of automatic weapons goes without saying.

Ola Amigos

I headed past the main line and around to the front of the range house. Twice a year this spot becomes the crossroads of the Title 2 world. Don Turnbull sounded the horn on his golf cart. I shook hands with the raconteur and master of the Boyes Rifle. We exchanged greetings. I brought him salutations from his good friend William Helmer, author of ‘Dillinger: the Untold Story’. Bill sent his regrets that he could not attend. He and Rick Mattix had just completed ‘The Public Enemies Almanac’ for Facts on File. Mr. Helmer experienced unexpected delays in Chicago and Rick was trailing some new Bonnie and Clyde story in Iowa.

While I searched for Paul Mahoney of Krinks, the prettiest mule driver in the Alabama Cavalry motored around the corner of the range house. She threw up her hand and I waved her over. She stopped her titanium taxi and accepted my contribution to the campfire. She safely bore it to the campsite in Kenny Sumner’s eighty acre camping field. I would later join them under St. Andrew’s Cross. We talked of distance guns and the election of the Scottish Parliament. We shall follow with great interest the developments north of Hadrian’s Wall. We send a heartfelt ‘Well done!’ to the children of William Wallace and Robert Roy MacGregor, as we are one in the same. Come springtime we will hoist a flagon and toast the tattoo on Sean Connery’s arm. It translates ‘Scotland Forever’.

On returning to the range house I found Paul Mahoney. Pauly said he had finished his post sample BREN in time for the shoot. He was on his way to get it. While I awaited Paul and the BREN, Beth and Glen Whittenberger strolled up and said hello. I first met Beth when she and Glen were dating. The week before Knob Creek, AMC ran a series of Film Noir greats. I taped most of them.
While watching the Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell classic ‘His Kind Of Woman’ I thought of Beth and Glen. About an hour before the movie debuted, the mail came. ‘The Thompson Collector News’ arrived and told the story of the ‘All Thompson Show and Shoot’ in August. The winners of the men’s and women’s shooting competition both answered to the name Whittenberger. Enough said.

Paul Mahoney sauntered out of the pole barn with the BREN gun thrown over his shoulder. He drew a crowd. BRENs have a tendency to do that. Mr. Mahoney gave us a good show. He asked us to find the receiver welds. There in the bright sunlight I could only find one. He showed us three more. Pauly stripped the receiver so that we could view the inside. Paul marveled at the skill that the Commonwealth machinists used to make the BREN. I marveled at Paul’s skill in putting one back together.

I had sent Paul a copy of the BREN gun book that Jim Allee prints at IDSA Books. Jim prints the Small Arms Identification Guides written by distinguished Australian gun writer, Mr. Ian Skinnerton. Pauly found the exploded diagrams and serial number sequences especially helpful. He considered Mr. Skinnerton’s book the best nine bucks he’d spent lately. Paul then took his BREN to his shooting slot and went to see Bob Landies for some magazines. We each departed to our separate ways.

I didn’t get far. Brian held out a friendly hand and we talked about the 1914 Hotchkiss article that we are working on. As we talked, we watched Mike Krotz and Bill Mitter unload a dewat Soviet 107mm recoilless from the Vietnam era. Just then, Jim Ballou dropped some web gear over my shoulder. ‘What’s that?’, he inquired. It appeared to be a World War I BAR gunner’s belt fitted for a wide looped .45 holster. Wrong! Jim stated that I held in my hand an original Colt Monitor commercial belt. A shrewd collector had found it up East. The collector brought it to the Knob Creek Shoot for a friend of his. Though he had already sold the rare belt, he lent it to Jim for inclusion in the BAR book. I told Jim that I had brought the Baby Face Nelson picture for the ‘In Unfriendly Hands’ section and would bring it to him later. Jim said thanks and went to photograph the Monitor belt. It is not without good reason that many of us eagerly await Jim Ballou’s book.

Show Time

A group of friends motored up I-65 past the Gene Snyder on Thursday night. We zeroed in on the Outback Steak House off Wendy Lane. Our table talked automatic weapons, the next table discussed the battle rifle match, and the table behind us talked suppressors. Outback treated us as cordially as the Derby crowd. Good to their word, the restaurant enforced ‘No Rules’. We stayed too late enjoying the stimulating conversation.

We all looked a little bleary eyed when we met Friday morning. All of us arrived early, anticipating the opening of the gun show and putting some brass on the ground. While we waited, a man with a confident stride walked toward us. He carried two trophies. I had seen the impressive trophies displayed in the range house on Thursday morning. The sponsors bought large third place trophies. The sizes went up from there. This man carried a very large one and the biggest of all — ‘Aggregate Top Shooter’.

He introduced himself as Malcome Davis of Huntsville, Alabama. We talked shooting for a while. He then noticed the ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ shirt I wore, presented by the fine citizens of Dexter, Iowa. I told Malcome that I wrote historical articles on Title 2 for the Small Arms Review. I asked him if he knew that he carried the same name, though spelled differently, as the Tarrant County, Texas Deputy killed by Clyde Barrow and W. D. Jones. Malcome replied that he did. He laughed. Malcome then told the story of the first date he had with the woman who would become his wife. He took her to see ‘Bonnie and Clyde’. With shooting and knowledge like that, the “Alabama Cavalry” may be engraving Malcome an invitation at this very hour. We shook hands at about the time we heard Kenny Sumner on the loud speaker.

Kenny announced the opening of the show. The crowd poured into the pole barn. For those who have never had the privilege (and it is a privilege) to stroll through the gun show at Knob Creek Range, the following will attempt to give you a sense of it. To say that weapons, accouterments, books, videos, and RKIs fill up the place states the case too simply. Specifics tell the tale. We will have to dodge all of the Lafette tripods that march out of the pole barn like the mop brigade in ‘Fantasia’ — 34s, 42s, Yugos, and what Bill Mitter humorously calls ‘Braunsweigers’, the optically equipped Bundeswiers sold by Robert Landies. The following describes some of the many interesting exhibits seen at this gun show.

Kent Lomont displayed one of the rare 1898 brass Argentine Maxims. This gun was very similar to the one Bob Landies displayed last spring. I confess an unmendable weakness for the venerable Maxim gun. The ’98 tops my list. An American genius designed this gun. Master machinists breathed life into this magnificent weapon during the twilight of the Guilded Age. Mr. Lomont kindly field stripped the top of the gun and handed over the pieces. The lock reminds one as much of a Swiss watch as it does a gun part. The brass D handles pass for a work of art in their own right. The safety looks like a brass ellipse bonded to a thick popsicle stick. When flipped up for firing, one views a series of concentric brass ellipses cradling raised brass letters that exclaim ‘Fuego’. The whole gun reminded me of Tom Berringer’s famous line from the ‘Rough Riders’ by John Milius — ‘Indian Bob, kill the German!’ Kent once remarked that if they told him he could have only one gun and that was a Maxim gun, he wouldn’t be too unhappy. Though I would plead for a Thompson, this writer agrees.

I moved on to the book and video tables to search for several items. Friends in Georgia sent me with a list. Alabama Arms sold a very fine video on the Browning guns. A friend had recently purchased a nice DLO A-4. He wanted some visual instruction. On viewing the Alabama Arms video, my friend stated that he found it very interesting. He stated it wasn’t fancy, just very helpful. Alabama Arms now debuts a video on the Swedish K. Several dealers featured video material on a wide range of interesting subjects. To those new to the Title 2 world, some of the most informative videos come from Knob Creek Range. For those who wish to know more of KCR’s biannual event, I recommend Fall 1996 and Spring 1997.

On another table I found a book seller of very discerning taste. Among his fine wares, he offered ‘The Devil’s Paintbrush’ by Dolf Goldsmith and Jim Allee’s quality reprint of ‘A Rifleman Went To War’ by Herbert McBride. I still consider Mr. Goldsmith’s book on the Maxim gun to be the finest gun book on a single gun by a single author. Tracie Hill called me during the formative days of ‘Thompson: the American Legend’. He asked me to write for him. The first question I asked was, ‘Do you have a copy of The Devil’s Paintbrush?’. Tracie replied that he did. I stated to him that Dolf had set the bar two notches higher and we should strive to reach it. Tracie agreed. The rest is history. ‘A Rifleman Went To War’ speaks for itself. Along with T. E. Lawrence’s ‘Seven Pillars of Wisdom’ and ‘The Art of War’ by Sun Tzu (the Hoosier warrior Bobby Knight’s favorite book), my family considers McBride required reading. Capt. Herbert McBride brings us to ‘White Feather’.

Mike Waterhouse came carrying a white 20 round box of ammo. Mike knew I wasn’t a distance shooter but thought I might want a box of the ammo he now carries at his table. As usual, the knowledgeable Mr. Waterhouse proved correct. Dennis Duphily had returned from overseas and I had run into him outside the pole barn. I remembered something wonderful when I read the name on Mike’s white ammo box — Carlos Hathcock II.

Several years ago, Carlos Hathcock came to the Knob Creek Range as the guest of Dennis Duphily, and Dan Shea. By the time I got to Carlos, he had run out of his sniper books. Neither his health nor mine is what it once was. I shook the hand of the man who embodies the phrase ‘Every inch a Marine’ and promised to return. I found a copy of ‘A Rifleman Went To War’ and brought it to him. I asked, ‘Do you know this book soldier?’. Carlos cracked a knowing smile and replied, ‘That’s the bible.’ I explained to Carlos that my young nephew had a tough time getting into this world. I asked Carlos to write something for Liam in Herbert McBride’s book. Carlos did.

I don’t shoot well enough to know how good the ammunition is. What I do know is this. If Carlos Hathcock put his name on it, it’s good enough for me. At the end of that day several years ago, Dennis and I watched as Carlos Hathcock departed. As he motored away Dennis said, ‘I hope that Carlos knew how loved and respected he was by every one who met him.’ I told Dennis that I was confident that he knew. With the white box from Mike Waterhouse, I am equally confident of something else. Carlos Hathcock would find welcome at the Knob Creek Range at any time. I hope that in some fall or some springtime that one of America’s most beloved soldiers might find the time to come and, once again, be among us. Should he wish to come on short notice, he should bring his books and T-shirts. I am confident that there will always be a place for him at the S.A.R. table. Dan Shea and Jeff Zimba back me up on this.

I then went to Jonathan Arthur Ciener’s table where I always expect to see something new. Jon rarely fails to have some innovative new product or variation on display. This time, Jonathan smiled broadly as he showed me the ‘Platinum Cup’, his new 22 conversion for the 1911 pattern government automatics. Jonathan stated that he responded to his customers’ requests for a full featured upper. To his 22 slide, he added a number of custom features. He first fabricated a raised serrated flat top slide. Jon then inlayed a micro adjustable Millet sight. He augmented the Millet rear sight with an accentuated serrated front sight. Jon then added angled cocking slots and tightened the whole thing up. He then finished it with the kind of quality that people have come to expect from Jon Ciener. Some years ago I shot with Dave Rosenfield and Mary Ann Sanborn, they of the famed ‘His’ and ‘Hers’ Vickers guns. Dave assisted Jonathan in evaluating some of the first Ciener prototypes. Dave gave me a test drive and it functioned flawlessly. Next spring I hope to try one of the new ones.

Knob Creek takes shooting seriously, but it isn’t all serious. The tellers told these tales better. The following tells two jokes and of a funny conversation. Married lady to girlfriend, ‘I got a machine gun for my husband.’ Girlfriend replied, ‘Good trade!’ The second one goes like this. Married guy to his buddy, ‘My wife said she’d leave me if I bought another machine gun. I’m sure gonna miss her.’ A dealer told me he knew he’d arrived when his first three Christmas cards came from lawyers. I told the dealer of the brilliant novel ‘Primal Fear’ written by fellow Georgian William Diehl. In the opening of the movie made from this book, the fine actor Richard Gere skillfully delivers a couple of lines about law school and the justice system through his character Martin Vail. We won’t print them here. You will have to rent the video (Ladies beware). Before the title page in his fine book, Bill Diehl quotes Charles-Louis de Secondat from 1742 writings relevant to 1986. Among those to whom the Founding Fathers looked to for inspiration, they listed the Baron de Montesquieu. The writer from Georgia and the Baron from Bordeaux provide some very interesting reading.

Though many tables presented interesting wares, I will close this section by telling the reader of one table in particular. This table instructs the reader on what to look for at KCR. It also helps the newcomer to avoid the same mistake that I made on the first trip to the Creek. You will see a dealer with a single table and might pass him up for a dealer with ten. As I maneuvered toward the back of the pole barn, an astute collector waved his hand. He need not have thrown up a flag. I had already spotted the ginny FBI Thompson case crouched on the front corner of his table. He had acquired some rare items from an old time Class 3 dealer who was now retiring. He kindly allowed me to examine them while giving me some valuable lessons.

Among the original Colt Thompson mags, the collector displayed several mint double dates and a shot mag. Next to the mags sat four boxes of rare ammunition. One contained 50 rounds of Thompson shot shells. The second box contained .45 Auto CF cartridges marked ‘Adapted for the Thompson Sub-Machine Gun’. The third unopened box contained Western Super X .45 Auto .230 grain Metal Piercing Lubaloy. The fourth box held .45 Auto tracer from the Frankford Arsenal. This same table had earlier yielded the previously mentioned commercial Monitor belt for another astute collector and Jim Ballou. Needless to say, several knowledgeable collectors with deeper pockets than mine went through this table like a plague of locusts. I deeply appreciated viewing these rare items and learning something from my knowledgeable friend. This man and his table make the following point. If you ignore a single eight foot table, you might just pass up the mother lode.

The Writers Meeting

The Usual Suspects assembled at Mark’s Feed Store on Dixie Highway in Louisville. We rolled in about 8:30 Friday night. The aroma of barbeque filled the parking lot. We each selected from the menu and finished the meal with buttermilk pie. The meeting room at Mark’s gave the tell tale sign of good food. As the servings moved down the table, the conversation died. Before we could escape and find sofas to lie down on, Dan Shea opened the meeting.

First and foremost, Dan gave a glowing report on the acceptance of our magazine. In the months to come, readers will know the full impact of this acceptance. Jeff Zimba reported a steady stream of subscribers flowing past the S.A.R. tables and moving to the Gun Owners of America tables next to ours. Mr. Larry Pratt personally manned the G.O.A. tables and greeted one and all. Holly Gifford reported many favorable comments from readers who viewed the first issue at Knob Creek. A motion was made to commend Dan Shea and the Moose Lake staff for the fine job that they had done. The reader should know that the staff started flat footed. In four months they assembled the magazine. We still have some kinks to iron out. That being said, when the first issue hit the streets we knew that we had something to be proud of.

Jeff Zimba passed out some writing assignments. The book authors then gave their reports. Frank Iannamico stated that his STEN gun book neared completion. Though not yet chipped in stone, a mighty pile of rock dust lies below the granite slabs. Moose Lake will launch Frank’s book as the first of many offerings. Jim Ballou then spoke about the BAR book. He echoed Frank’s comments on the fine cooperation that museums and private collectors gave to their projects. Jim then passed around the cover photo. Though Jim keeps this close to the vest, suffice it to say that the readers will find it simply stunning. Jim had even arranged for the breakfast table decorations in the range house cafeteria on Saturday morning — BAR prototypes. With S.A.R. at KCR, if you snooze you lose.

Dan then turned to the suppressor writers and scheduling the upcoming match. The previous trials generated great interest and keen competition. Many dealers delayed table setups and ran down to the lower range to watch.

Simply put, our suppressor writers put their share of brass on the ground. They are just very quiet about it.

After the meeting Dan and I ran into each other in the motel parking lot. He asked how I thought the meeting had gone. Before answering, I thought of all the bright and enthusiastic men and women who gathered at Mark’s Feed Store. I knew we had a winner. I stated that this meeting didn’t resemble ones that any of us had ever attended. Each person in that room brought honed skills to a new magazine. We all stood together on the starting line. In ten years, we might all look back and be amazed at the race we had run.

We are unlike any other publication. If the reader looks for sky diving from a Piper Cub, he should apply elsewhere. If the reader wants to stand on the cutting edge, look out the back door of a flying boxcar, and hurtle out into the blackened night — he has found his magazine. This is not to say that we don’t make mistakes. We do. We won’t make mistakes on some dusty library shelf. We will make our mistakes standing knee deep in a brass pile.

‘Build It and They Will Come’

Kevin Costner filmed his motion picture ‘The War’ in my home town several years ago. Mr. Costner showed himself to be personable, accessible, and gracious. With all due respect to Mr. Costner (and this writer has a great deal of respect for him), there is one thing that ranks as more American than baseball — Freedom. Legitimate ownership and uses of Title 2 weapons serve as an index of freedom. The camaraderie between free Americans brought about the Knob Creek Show and Shoot. Readers who have journeyed to Westpoint, Kentucky will fully appreciate what they are about to read. Those who have never seen the Creek will still find the following interesting.

In an article for another magazine, this writer told of the changes in the Creek from the time when he first started coming more than ten years ago. Last April while dining on some fine steaks in Louisville, a friend who preceded this writer by more than ten years told his story. I ran into him this fall at Bob Landies’ tables while we looked over some of Ohio Ordnance’s semi auto only BARs. I asked Bob about the new .308 models and he stated they worked fine. Bob then announced the 1918 classic semi autos. Ohio Ordnance will build 300 limited editions of the famed blue steel guns with their finely checkered wood. Could there be a ‘scattergun’ replica in someone’s future? Only time will tell.

We then moved around to the back side of the table and took up a position by a beautiful 08 Maxim gun. We looked over the sled mount as Bob told us about the gun. This gun showed fine attention to detail as did many of the excellent belt feds offered by the dealers at this shoot. As Mike Krotz joined us, I asked my friend to again relate his story. He called off a list of the early shooters. We knew the names of them all. Just as he started telling the story of how he first came to the Creek, Mike and Bob had to excuse themselves to wait on customers. My friend and I talked one on one.

As my friend strolled through a midwest gun show in 1976, he ran into two known machine gunners. One of them stated that they planned to go to Kentucky to put some brass on the ground. They asked if he would like to come with them. They got an affirmative response. The two gunners instructed my friend to awaken early on Saturday. They would pick him up on the way. The adventurous three rolled up in front of the range house about one o’clock on Saturday afternoon. About a dozen guys hammered away on the main line. As the three unpacked their guns, Kenny Sumner came out and shook their hands. They asked if they could shoot with the rest of the shooters. Kenny explained that they would need shooting slots. Kenny pointed toward the line and said ‘Take those three slots over there that are next to each other.’ They still have them.

My friend explained that no vendors set up shop until about 1978. They displayed their wares under hospital tents. With apologies to Ted Nugent, the M.A.S.H. unit vendors presented ‘Intensities In Tent Cities’. The Knob Creek Show and Shoot was up and running. As we reminisced, Mr. Biff Sumner walked by. We waved to Mr. Biff and asked him to join us. Biff Sumner then gave us the story of how it all began.

The Sumner family bought the land from the government some years ago. Biff Sumner owned an automatic weapon and knew several friends who owned them. In 1963, Mr. Sumner invited five of his friends to come put brass on the ground. He explained that an old gun testing range stood on some of his property. The shooters began using the old range. Word spread from friend to friend through the Class 3 community. Each year a few more hearty souls showed up for good shooting and conversation. They camped on the spot where the Waffle Man now sets up his booth. As the vendor ranks began to swell, the campers moved to the other side of the range house. That is where this writer first started camping.

In 1975, Mr. Biff Sumner turned the shoot over to his son Kenny. Kenny, with the help of a lot of dedicated people, built the Knob Creek Show and Shoot into what it is today. Someone not familiar with the Title 2 world would not believe that Knob Creek today came from six people. They do not understand that automatic weapons have protected our freedom. They cannot comprehend that legitimate ownership of them serves as an index of that freedom. Many of us who come to the Creek know the following above all else. Those who harbor shallow views on individual freedom lead poorer and emptier lives than we do.

In 1963, five men looked for a place to put brass on the ground and be free. A sixth man provided it. With due respect to Mr. Costner, the following simply states how the Knob Creek Show and Shoot came to be. Biff Sumner built it. Kenny Sumner expanded it. And, oh, how they came!

The Endless Line

I first came to Knob Creek for the guns and still do. I now come more for the people, some of the best this earth has to offer. That being said, when Saturday afternoon rolls around I am ready for two things, a lit cigar and a loaded machine gun. Those who have viewed a certain picture in ‘Thompson: the American Legend’ know that I come by this in an honest fashion. We now go up on Knob Creek’s main shooting line. We shall discuss some of the wonderful guns being shot there. We will tell of it when the line goes hot. The reader then will join in conversation with some of the knowledgeable people who congregate when the barrels cool.

These serious men and women have graciously allowed me to be among them for the past ten years. I know all by face and most by name. As most of them know that I handled hundreds of names per week before retirement, they forgive me when I stumble. In the following you will meet some of them and learn from them, as do I. In this section they will pass along some words of wisdom. They will also tell some stories that the reader will find interesting.

When I first went through the orange gate, I sought out Mr. Irv Kahn. I have known this man for more than ten years and known of him for more than twenty. I never fail to learn something when speaking with him. I brought him salutations from Donna and Bill Taylor, mutual Class 3 friends from Georgia. I then got some good advice on ammunition for a friend’s BREN gun. We then talked about the thundering A-4 that Mr. Kahn has hammered for as long as I have known him. Early on, Mr. Kahn gave me some of the best advice I have ever received. As more and more people enter the Class 3 world, remiss would it be not to restate some of his sage words.

You should learn before you buy. No truer words were ever spoken about Title 2 weapons. Many first time buyers purchase guns that they have heard of or guns that their friends told them about. They buy without ever having fired an automatic weapon or without knowing much about their care and feeding. At Knob Creek, dealers on the main line and the lower range offer guns to rent. For a reasonable fee you can test drive a number of different guns. Brass put on the ground by your own hand proves to be amazingly instructive. A $100 investment can save a $3000 mistake. Remember, you will buy retail and sell wholesale. A $200 tax awaits you at the door. Mr. Kahn simply suggests that the buyer try to make his purchase intelligently not emotionally. Neither of us claims to have always done it that way. Most dealers want you to be happy with your purchase. It means that you will probably do business with them again.

Secondly, Mr. Kahn advises to always buy good ammunition and clean your weapon thoroughly after shooting. He once asked why anyone would spend $5000 for a gun and try to save $2 on a box of ammunition. When he made that statement we were discussing the bulged barrel on someone else’s Colt Thompson wrecked by some gun show reloads. Bad ammunition can seriously harm a fine gun as well as its owner. For those new to the Title 2 world I would expound a bit on Mr. Kahn’s words. You will not shoot as much ammo as you initially think that you will. You will just shoot concentrated bunches. Over a year, you will probably not run much more ammunition through a Thompson than you do through the 1911 you own. If you seriously shoot your handgun, it will balance out. Always buy good ammunition and clean your gun properly.

I then went to see Mike Free. I congratulated Mike on his latest triumph. Mike and Tracie Hill have won three best in shows with their Thompson exhibit. Their latest victory came at NRA Show in Pittsburgh, PA. Fellow writer Don Thomas and his son Paul came over. They joined in the spirited conversation. Don, the historian for the Military Arms Corporation from inception to the sale, now crafts a book on the MACs with renowned writer Tom Swearengen. As we talked, Chief Range Officer Homer Saylor ran the safety drill though the loud speaker. ‘Safety is the first thing, safety is the second thing, safety is the third thing, safety is the only thing!’ I knew the barrels would heat up soon. I headed back down the line to shoot with Ron and Gary Wilson, the Whittenbergers, and Ken Snyder.

Three shooting sessions later I made some notes for the readers. The unmistakable whir of a mini gun caught my ear off to the left. I went down to investigate. There I found the unmistakable craftsmanship of Rich Pugsley and the craftsman himself. Rich had mounted a mini gun on a beautiful underslung Gatling gun carriage. Rich kindly assisted the Small Arms Review with the article on his unique gun. (see S.A.R. January 1998). Closer still stood Frank Iannamico firing yet another STEN. Frank volunteered an aerial photograph of the Knob Creek Range taken during an Iroquois flying over. Frank stated that the only two people who enjoyed the flight more were Kathy Lomont and a comely young lady named Andrea

On the way back to the shooting slot, I finally met Bill Vallerand. I have known Mr. Vallerand by telephone for many years. I finally got to shake the hand of this most knowledgeable and amiable gentleman. We talked of Maxim guns, BRENs, Land Rovers, and the Vincent Black Shadow. Near us Jim Ballou fired an interesting machine pistol. Jim stated that he just had to break from BAR research to test this interesting gun. Next to us, the Great Lakes Barrett gun thundered away.

Bob Allen and John Rust deftly handled the 82A1 in all three rifle positions and then hip shot it. These men weren’t playing Rambo. They skillfully drove the storied veteran of Desert Storm in a professional and soldierly manner. Other than the marksmanship of Gary Wilson, watching these men safely and skillfully handle the big rifle provided some of the most interesting moments of the Night Shoot on Saturday night. Gary Wilson hit a number of the designated targets during the night shoot. As we say in our part of the country, ‘Gary’s shooting made his father proud!’ As those who come to the Creek know all too well, automatic weapons are a generational thing.

The Range Officers added some thrilling special effects to the designated targets. When hit, the targets threw star busts into the night sky. Between the fourth and last round of night shooting, the flame thrower contingent put on a spectacular show. First, they crossed two flames and then three. They then demonstrated different effects with several types of fuels. For their grand finale they marshaled ten flame throwers and lit up the night sky. The large assembled crowd spontaneously broke out in a thunderous applause. The fifth firing round featured tracers. Need we say more.

One of the people that I would drive to see whether guns fired or not is Mr. Ken Snyder. My valued friend Mr. Snyder stands as one of the elder statesmen of the Class 3 world. He does so not because of his age. He instructs us because of his knowledge that extends in depth to World War II. Several years ago, Mr. Snyder and I sat in the shade of the Navy Arms truck courtesy of Mr. Paul Reed. We discussed John Browning and the reliable guns that he left us. I still find it interesting that so many Class 2 professionals continue to bring at least one Browning gun when they come to the Creek. Mr. Snyder then summed up the genius of Mr. Browning. He captured John Moses Browning in two sentences. ‘Those line guns probably hold side plates from twenty different manufacturers. No two side plates are just alike, but all the guns work!’

During the down times, we gathered in small groups and talked of guns and gunman. Mr. Snyder introduced his friend Jack Riggle who journeyed from New Mexico to join us. I asked Mr. Snyder to convey my regards to Bruce McCurdy, maker of fine Pennsylvania style flintlocks in Maryland. He said that he would and promised to invite Bruce back again to the next shoot. Mr. Snyder then spoke eloquently of his departed friend Daniel Musgrave. Mr. Musgrave left this world several years ago. Daniel Musgrave wrote intelligently and well. The Class 3 community is poorer for his passing. Mr. Snyder called him a gentleman’s gentleman who did fine research and writing for George Chinn among others. He left us with his testament ‘German Machineguns’ still in print. I commented that I had obtained a copy of that book from LMO several years ago but, regrettably, had never got to meet its fine writer.

John Tibbetts of John’s Guns came by with the Black Maria. John’s gun topped the field at the suppressor trials in May. His victory attracted a lot of attention, some of it from the Navy SEALs. John stated that he just concluded an in depth interview with author Lawrence Meyers. I told Mr. Snyder that I had examined this suppressed pistol earlier in the day. I suggested that he check the balance of it. I count it as quite a rare day when I can show something new to Mr. Snyder. As I went with John back toward the exit gate I ran into two escapees from Gun Hell. I stopped to interview them.

Volker and Heiko Stibbe flew in from Cologne, Germany to enjoy the freedom at Knob Creek Range. The two brothers quickly hooked up with two savvy collectors. The brothers Stibbe had the time of their lives. They fired a number of weapons and praised them all. With little instruction, they skillfully disassembled several weapons and assisted in cleaning them. I think they even enjoyed carrying the sandbags for the belt feds. These two knowledgeable young men then explained the gun laws of their country.

No one may possess a full auto unless they possessed it before 1972. They can never fire them or take them outside their houses. Every firearm of any kind must be kept in a safe. Only police and politicians may carry guns. No one can possess replicas or even toys that resemble guns. If a person moves from one house to another, they must obtain a permit and a police escort. Absent the police, the owner must hire expensive private security to transport the weapon. On hearing all of this, one of the other gunners cracked wise, ‘Are you sure you guys aren’t from New York?’ The brothers’ reply sounded like a number between eight and ten.

They thanked us all for the kindness shown them. We invited them to come again. Heiko and Volker commented that they would like to return but the trip was very expensive. From the smiles on their faces and the looks in their eyes, they will find a way to meet the expense. This writer suspects that the brothers Stibbe plan another daring escape from Gun Hell at this very hour. Volker later wrote to this writer and asked that the following be expressed on his behalf and that of his brother Heiko. ‘We would like to use this opportunity to thank all the other people we met at this weekend for their kind assistance and help whenever we had a question.’ From half a world away, these two German brothers had learned the true meaning of the Creek in less than one day. Both I and the fine men who befriended them remain confident about the following. We shall see Volker and Heiko again.

A very respected friend joined our gathering. He told the following amusing after dinner story. This sequence of events comes from Knob Creek’s storied past. Neal Smith brought a quad 50 rig to the Creek. Terry Williams served as assistant gunner. They set it up on the main line. My friend went down to assist them with setting it up and checking the guns. Just as all the guns checked out, a news cameraman walked up. The news man asked if he could film the quad rig firing. Neal and Terry told him yes. The cameraman walked up right by the muzzle and shouldered his camera. My friend walked up behind the cameraman to offer some helpful advice. He stated that the cameraman had taken a safe position regarding the bullets. However, my friend advised him that he shouldn’t stand so close to the muzzles.

The news man became argumentative. He insisted on holding his position. My friend threw up his hands and said ‘Okay!’ My friend backed away to a less exposed position. Homer Saylor then declared the line hot. Neal Smith hit the solenoids. The staccato sound of the quad 50s filled the air. The muzzle blast knocked the cameraman flat on his derriere. The camera fell on top of him. Our friend then fought to control his laughter. He stated that it was the only time during that entire afternoon that all four guns worked together. Dazed, dusty, but unhurt, the news man learned a valuable lesson. When one of the older RKIs offers some advice, one might be wise to heed it.

Adios Amigo

We continued to shoot all day Sunday. We had enjoyed four days of 80 degrees and no rain. My Knob Creek jacket never left the front seat where I threw it Wednesday night. Don and Paul Thomas stayed an extra day and got in some extra shooting. We had all but run out of ammunition when Homer finally closed the range at 5 o’clock. We all shook hands, promising to return in springtime.

We have pulled out of the Knob Creek Range. We have now reached Shepardsville. I must cross the Salt River and you must go your own way. It is about time for you, the reader, to get off my running board. I hope that you enjoyed the ride. You have spent some quality time in our very interesting world. You have seen much and learned some things. You have met some of the people who still teach me. Before you go, I will leave you with a parting story and a valediction.

A man from California first came to Knob Creek Range in the pride of his late forties. I have seen him more than once. He stood behind the main firing line and openly wept. For the first time in his life he had seen completely free Americans. He saw America as it used to be, and in this place still is. As you are reading this magazine, you are an individual who succeeds. You have done for others. Before you leave this earth, we beseech you to do something for yourself.

Come plant your feet on the free soil of Kentucky. Come drink your fill of the river of freedom that flows beneath the cordite clouds. If you cannot come and bathe in the water, we will understand. For those of you who cannot be with us, this magazine makes a commitment to you. The stalwart staff of the Small Arms Review will kneel by the waters for you. Each and every month, our dedicated writers will fill and pass you a canteen. Upon that you may rely.

An old hand once remarked that gun knowledge is knowledge gained over time. Always remember that knowledge of automatic weapons take longer than that. Before you go, I will leave with a parting phrase known wherever the Emma Gees gather. When someone says it to you, you will know that you have become part of the good company of gunmen. In Atlanta, Bangor, Seattle, and Malibu we add this same valediction when bidding farewell to a respected friend. As we part company, you must step off my running board. You will stand by the entrance ramp to I-65 where all of this began.. I’m going to drop it in low gear and leave you now. Maybe we’ll see you in springtime. Adios amigo, and God speed you on your journey. Not to worry, I have not forgotten the valediction. We say it like this: ‘See you at the Creek!’

Getting Hands-On

As in the years past, getting hands-on experience with guns seen only in pictures was an eye-opener. Some very plain designs proved impressive performers, and some one-off prototypes were on the firing line, too. There’s no amount of reading and looking at other people’s videos that can give this level of understanding. A prime example is shooting sound suppressed rifles: some, like Spike’s Tactical ST-15, proved very comfortable; some others exhibited gas blowback typical of the platform. Another “bigger than life” experience was with the AR-10-based Spike’s short-barreled quiet rifle chambered for .308Win cases cut down to straight wall. With only a barrel change, this Spike’s .416 cartridge offered impressive performance—much further than you would expect, thanks to the high bullet coefficient (BC). With a BC of 0.530 being excellent for 175-grain .308 match bullets, the .416 projectile has a BC of 0.886! That translates into much slower velocity decay, along with good accuracy thanks to no supersonic to subsonic transition at any point of the flight.

High BC monolithic Leheigh Defense brass 408-grain .416 slugs loaded over fast pistol powder came out of the 11.5-inch barrel at 1090fps with minimal flash, which was further reduced by the Bowers Group sound suppressor. The result is a very accurate system with next to no launch signature, negligible recoil and very high penetration. No gas blowback and almost no receiver fouling were observed; although, as long as a standard AR-10 with the voluminous suppressor is attached, this weapon was far better balanced and better suited for handheld use. Lighter-weight supersonic bullets, like Cut-ting Edge Bullets’ 180-grain fragmenting RAPTOR, reach 2350fps from the 16-inch carbine variant.

The proof was in the shooting: I was consistently able to hit even the smallest of the steel targets at 100 yards, the head-sized “hostage takers,” at a quick rate. From the bench, the prototypes wrung out sub-MOA results. Had it not been for the cost of the hand-made ammunition with high-performance bullets, I would not have moved from that lane for the rest of the show.

Side-by-Side Comparisons

Another perk is the ability to do side-by-side comparisons between similar guns. Recently released Grand Power Stribog A1, now imported by Global Ordnance with a non-re-ciprocating charging handle, and Palmetto State Armory’s AK-V 9mm compete for the same market niche. Walther MPK-like Stribog and Vityaz-like AK-V 9mm are both blowback braced pistols, both with vestigial iron sights and an optic rail. Both proved well-balanced and accurate, 4MOA or better; neither had much recoil. Both had sensible user interfaces. AK-V 9mm open sights were better lined up with the shooter’s eye, while the Stribog aperture sight offered a longer radius. Being non-adjustable, Stribog sights are meant as backups to optics. With optics, the ergonomics favored the Stribog slightly. Both pistols were absolutely reliable in high-volume use. Stri-bog showed slightly greater refinement: the EVO3-compatible magazine used in the AK-V 9mm was difficult to insert due to a projection in the magwell; although, in theory, that projection would disappear in the production version of the gun. Overall, both guns checked out as fun and functional.

And, speaking of fun, Blackout Custom exhibited guns as art—highly customized, extensively decorated firearms with engraving and multi-tone cerakoting that reference movies and comic books, showing off unusual camouflage patterns and loud, can’t-miss-me colors. The creations remain completely functional, with the added enjoyment of having a unique gun in hand. They brought everything from pistols to shotguns to long-range rifles, many of which had to be handled directly to appreciate the materials and the textures. Think of it as getting an industrial art museum tour with the opportunity to use the exhibit pieces.

Sometimes, the featured product isn’t the main draw of an exhibitor. FIME Group had their new Slovenian REX Delta on display; it is a functional striker-fired, 15-shot 9mm polymer design. But the REX Alpha, what looked like a SIG SAUER 226 clone at first glance, turned out to be an original design performing extremely well in both tactical and competition variants. Although I usually favor longer, heavier pistols for the reduced recoil and increased sight radius, the alloy-framed Alpha tactical model proved so comfortable and accurate in use, anything bigger just felt unnecessary. It’s these kinds of discoveries that draw me to Big 3 East; ergonomics and fit are personal, so buying firearms without test firing is like mail ordering shoes—it can turn into a lame experience. Trying firearms can be equally enlightening. Until this range trip, I had no idea that REX Alpha was a perfect fit for my hand. Similarly, the relatively modest muzzle blast of the extra compact Maxim Defense PDX gave me a much greater appreciation for it than I expected. The Kral XB 12-gauge bullpup was a good ergonomic fit, but hopes of low recoil were dashed by compatibility only with full-power ammunition. When it comes to triggers, be they the superb Geissele Automatics or the crunchy, heavy pre-production examples from some others, there’s nothing like hands-on experience!

Stand-Out Accessories

Some of the stars of the show were not the guns but the accessories. The update of Hi-Point Firearms’ 9mm and 45ACP car-bines with threaded muzzles is a relatively minor change, while the availability of reliable 20-round REDBALL Sports magazines’ instant-doubling capacity may be critical to current owners or buyers considering the purchase. Similarly, CanMunitions™ long-term storage containers in the form factor of soft drink cans isn’t an earth-shattering development, but a well-implemented convenience. It’s also nice to see the gun culture lighten up and take itself slightly less seriously. A My-Little-Pony-themed Kydex holster would have been unthinkable at a trade show even a decade ago but is taken in with good humor today. A truly manly man can wear what he likes, without regard for naysayers!

What May Come

It helps that the media is represented by people who know this field well. Frank Mel-loni, the founder of Renaissance Firearms Instruction and a writer for NRA publications, is a good example. Frank understands the details of both technology and its uses, so his inquiry into something like a precision rifle in a new caliber can be detailed and critical. The same holds true for the rest of the invited journalists. They are either former military, gunsmiths, hunters or competitors, each with a different approach to the guns and ammunition features at B3E. CJ, Ancel and the rest of Big 3 East training center crew put a good show together, with a far-reaching echo of images, videos and articles propagating from it.

During the pre-internet days, the selling and purchasing of machine guns was a completely different process than today. Both buyers and sellers looked to the printed classified and display ads in periodicals like Gun List, Shotgun News (now Firearm News) and the back pages of the defunct Machine Gun News magazine.

Printed ads required a couple weeks lead time to appear and could be expensive. Usually, there were no means of adding photographs. Communication between the seller and potential buyers was done by speaking on a telephone, the kind that was attached to a building with wires and could not take photographs.

When the internet became mainstream, buying and selling Class III items changed dramatically. Often transactions occur without the parties ever speaking to one another; communication is primarily by email or texting. One other phenomenon took place—as more and more people discovered the Class III world they became aware they could have a full-auto M16 instead of a semi-auto AR-15. Soon values skyrocketed, bringing prices that would be unimaginable in the early 1980s. This was due to a growing interest in machine guns and an ever-shrinking supply, due to the May 19, 1986 ban, which stopped any new registration of transferable guns. Many of the transferable guns disappeared into collections and would not surface again until their owners passed away.

However, it wasn’t long until the scammers of the world discovered the websites advertising Class III, and soon buying online became a somewhat risky proposition. The scammers are often operating from outside the U.S. and have become proficient at copying existing and older internet ads and reposting them. Often, they will lower the asking price to a level that would entice a potential “buyer” to jump on the purchase without any investigation into the seller. Due to the relatively long processing time for the “transfer” to take place, the buyer would be unaware he had been duped out of a large sum of money for months. All communication ceases once scammers receive the funds, and they vanish.

Before long, the only secure way to make a Class III purchase was from a well-known individual seller, a dealer with a good reputation or at an auction.

Auction Benefits

An alternate way to purchase a big-ticket Class III item is at an auction. An auction has become a good option that benefits both the buyer and seller. Many large collections of firearms are relegated to the auction houses by heirs of owners who have passed away. Usually, the heirs are not familiar with the protocols of Class III transfers and do not want to part out large collections piecemeal and waste their time dealing with buyer’s remorse, tire kickers or picture collectors. Buying at an auction assures the potential buyer that the merchandise does exist, and the item will be submitted for legal transfer and shipped in a timely manner.

The Rock Island Auction Company

Since 2003, one of the largest auction houses specializing in firearms is the Rock Island Auction Company (RIAC), located in Rock Island, Illinois, along the Mississippi River. The company has an 86,000-square-foot facility, with a schedule to host 11 firearms auctions in 2019; five are open to the public, and the remaining are Online Auctions with no bidders present on site.

Premiere Gun Auction

The Rock Island Auction House Premiere Auctions take place three times a year, each over a three-day period. A Preview Day is held on the preceding Thursday, and the items are put up for bid on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A Premiere Auction consists of approximately 2,700 antique and collectible lots. Each of these auctions is made up of rare, unusual, mint and highly collectible pieces. RIAC produces a full-color, 3-volume catalog set featuring each lot with in-depth descriptions, a high and low estimate and multiple high-resolution color photos. Each volume of the catalog corresponds to a day of the auction. The Premiere Auctions are typically held in April, September and December. Each auction routinely covers the main genres of collecting from antique to modern Winchesters, Colts, U.S. and European Military and Sporting. Premiere Auctions also offer swords, bayonets, military artifacts and other related material.

Regional Gun Auction

Regional Auctions are made up of affordable antiques, beginning collectors’ items, usable sporting arms, modern firearms and many non-firearms lots. A majority of the lots have multiple firearms. A Regional Auction has routinely consisted of approximately 3,000 lots with as many as 10,000 firearms in those lots. There are two Regional Auctions per year—one in the summer and one in the winter. The Regional Auction also has a Preview Day which is held all day on the Thursday prior to the auction, and the items are sold Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; same as the Premiere Auctions. Recently, Regional Auctions have become 4-day events, with the Preview Day on the preceding Wednesday, and the items offered Thursday through Sunday. The concept of the Regional Sale was initiated by the demand that customers developed for the “everyday collector” type guns.

Online-Only Gun Auction

Rock Island Auction Company features an additional platform for selling: online auctions. Guns listed in online auctions are sold in the same manner as the other auctions, except there is no live bidding audience in the facility. Bids are accepted absentee, telephone and live on the internet during the day of the auction. The online auctions are held three to four times a year and are comprised of a myriad of firearms and related materials. Typically, items in the Online-Only auctions are placed there as they do not meet the minimum lot value to earn a spot in a Premiere or Regional Auction. The RIAC website features the entire Online-Only Auction catalog of items and is searchable by model, serial number, manufacturer, lot number, keyword and more. All items are viewable in color online, and all guns have both sides displayed.

Auction Protocol

Firearms consigned for the auction are shipped to the Rock Island Auction House; upon receipt weapons are checked to ensure they are not loaded. To remain in compliance with ATF, Class III guns are required to be transferred to the auction house. The guns and any accessories are then inventoried. A contingent of “describers” is assigned to research details and any historical significance and then write up a description for the catalog and website. The item then goes to a team of photographers who use high-end equipment to take sharp, detailed photographs. The item is then cataloged and prepared to be put up for bid.

The period from consignment to auction depends on the auction type. Premiere auctions are planned 3 months ahead of time; typically it is a 6-month process for consignors. It can be longer for regional sales since they only occur twice a year. The Online-Only Auction venue wait time can be as short as 2 to 3 months.

Buyer’s Premium

A buyer’s premium is a percentage added to a winning bid. It is how auction houses pay their bills. At Rock Island Auction Company, the buyer’s premium is 15% if you pay by cash, check or wire transfer. If paying by credit card, the premium is 18.5%.

An Inside Look at the September 2018 Auction

Small Arms Review was invited to attend the September 2018 Premier Auction as a guest of the Rock Island Auction Company to observe how the auction process worked. Featured in the 3-day event were nearly 70 Class III machine guns.

In addition to Class III, there were over 500 significant and historical U.S. military weapons dating from the Civil War, World War I, World War II and Korea. Items offered included one-of-a-kind prototype rifles, sniper rifles, bayonets, sidearms and uniforms. Some of the significant military weapons up for bid included: a presentation-grade M1 Garand rifle, serial number 1000000, which had been presented to the inventor John Garand by the Springfield Armory in 1953; and two rare Singer-manufactured 1911A1 pistols.

Along with many small arms, several military vehicles were up for bid, which included an M41 Walker Bulldog tank, an M15A1 Stuart light tank, a U.S. M3A1 Scout Car and a GMC DUKW Amphibious 6×6 truck. Non-armored offerings included several Jeeps, a BSA motorcycle and a Bofors 40mm Automatic Gun mounted on an M2A1 Anti-aircraft carriage.

Other firearms being offered at the September auction included over 400 collector-grade Winchester rifles, 750 Colt firearms and over 1,000 antique and sporting arms.

The September 2018 Auction Highlights

• Bids came in from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and 27 foreign countries.
• RIAC’s online catalog had been viewed more than 2.8 million times.
• The online live bidding platform, RIAC Live, accounted for $1 million of the weekend’s sales.

Thursday’s Preview Day was well attended. Crews from NRA-TV and Guns.com were present to document and record the highlights of the auction.

Day One

Friday the auction began. Lot 7 contained one of the finest known Winchester 1886 rifles; a stunning John Ulrich masterpiece in excellent condition representing the highest embellishments offered by Winchester at that time. Bidding opened at $300,000 and quickly escalated. Within five minutes, a hammer price of $1.18 MILLION was reached. Not quite a record, because Winchester 1886 serial 1 with ties to Geronimo was sold by RIAC for $1.265 million in May 2016.

Day Two

On Saturday, John Garand’s M1 presentation rifle sold for $287,500. The M41A1 Walker Bulldog tank went for $230,000, the M5A1 Stuart light tank for $287,500 and the M3A1 Scout Car for $65,000. Other items sold included: a rare Springfield Armory U.S. 1924 Garand Autoloading rifle sold for $150,000; a Springfield Armory Gas Trap M1-Garand for $50,000; a Smith & Wesson Mark II semi-automatic 9mm light rifle for $8,500; Johnson Automatics 1941 semiautomatic rifle $5,500; and a Colt–Auto Ordnance 1923 prototype semi-automatic rifle for $55,000. One of the Singer M1911A1 pistols sold would have been a world record at $253,000, but Rock Island sold the current world record holder last December for $414,000.

Notable Class III Items Sold

• British Lanchester Mk* submachine gun with 3-50 round magazines C&R, $16,000
• British MG40 Mk II Browning Machine Gun/Ohio Ordnance Works $14,000
• Canadian Inglis—MKI Bren light machine gun C&R, $37,500
• Rare Colt Experimental/Prototype BAR, fully automatic 1917-1918 manufacture, C&R $30,000
• Colt 1921 Thompson s/n 1852 Columbus, GA PD 97% C&R, $55,000
• Colt Thompson 1927 AC s/n 4706 85% finish C&R, $30,000
• Colt 1928 over-stamp Navy Thompson submachine gun s/n 11204 85% C&R, $30,000
• DWM—Maxim water-cooled MG 08 heavy machine gun WWI C&R, $15,000
• German MP40, bnz 43 well-documented personal weapon used by a U.S. Army 776th Tank Destroyer Battalion company commander. C&R, $37,500
• H&R Model 50 Reising submachine gun PA State Police C&R, $9,000
• Johnson 1941 light machine gun, Cranston Arms C&R, $50,000
• M1917A1 Browning water-cooled MG, Erb side-plate gun $17,000
• NESA World War II 1918A2 BAR C&R, $35,000
• Original Finnish Suomi KP31 submachine gun, transferrable C&R, $17,000
• Savage Arms British Contract 1914 Lewis Gun C&R, $17,000
• Savage NAC/Numrich Thompson U.S. 1928A1 s/n S-527235 NAC C&R, $22,500
• Steyr bnz code, German MP40 serial number 80j,C&R, $17,000
• U.S. Army M9A1 “Bazooka,” Destructive Device $6,500
• United Defense-Marlin UD-42 submachine gun C&R, $20,000
• U.S. Winchester M2 carbine, $18,000
• World War II STG 44, made by the German firm of C.G. Haenel Waffen- u. Fahrradfabrik Suhl during 1945 C&R, $27,500.

Day Three

Sunday bidding started with a deluxe Winchester Model 1873 from the Mac McCroskie Collection, in immaculate condition, selling for $184,000. A Winchester 1866 with the Henry patent barrel would bring $97,750. Antiques of an earlier era experienced some equally aggressive bidding. A 1743-dated Brown Bess musket doubled its high estimate selling for $54,625. A Revolutionary War-era “Charleville” Model 1763 flintlock quadrupled its high estimate going for $34,500 and a Solingen French sword in lot 3212 presented to the Marquis de Lafayette also doubled its estimate selling for $43,125. An exhibition version of a rare Colt-Burgess carbine, by L.D. Nimschke, reached a high bid of $109,250.

The aggressive bidding at the 3-day RIAC September 2018 auction resulted in total sales of $20 million dollars. At the end of the day, there were a lot of historic and collector firearms passed on to their (smiling) new caretakers.

For More Info

Rock Island Auction
7819 42nd Street West
Rock Island, IL 61201
1-800-238-8022
email: guns@rockislandauction.com
rockislandauction.com

By Miles Vining

Can Your Rifle Go the Distance?

There are a number of shooters and instructors who say that many of the current 5.56x45mm carbines on the market aren’t being used to their full capacity. Of course, being proficient with an AR-15 that has a 16-inch barrel at distances of 25 meters is extremely important. It lends itself well to realistic home defense situations, and this is where the majority of law enforcement encounters take place. But why stop there, especially for law enforcement? If an active threat can be stopped from a distance, then why not train for that situation given that the weapon systems being employed can absolutely reach out to ranges of 100-300 meters with quality optics, ammunition and most importantly the training?

The SIG SAUER Academy’s answer to this is the Mid-Range Carbine Course offered by the Epping, New Hampshire-based training school. The skill building course is an onsite offering through the Academy where it is run on part of a complex situated over 10 acres of live-fire and simulation training ranges for the armed citizen or a member of law enforcement or the military. In addition to Mid-Range Carbine, there are a vast amount of courses offered, ranging from CQB tactics with handguns and rifles to long-range precision marksmanship. Most are 1-day courses, but there are a few that run several days due to the length and topics covered.

The Mid-Range Carbine Course initially began due to a rising interest across the industry from both a civilian marksmanship and a law enforcement perspective to push the capabilities of personally owned and department rifles when it comes to shooting from 100-300 meters. The course also requires a more refined understanding of the fundamentals of marksmanship when that range increases. As one instructor put it, everyone is a sniper at 25 meters and in.

The course started with our instructors (full-time SIG SAUER Academy staff), Dillon Kenneson (Lead) and Colin Murphy (Assistant), discussing the difference between some of the trajectories we were going to see in the course and most importantly which range to zero our rifles at and why. The old adage of zeroing at 36 yards for a 300-yard battle sight zero works well for an infantry application, but outside of the military, it has proved to be far less useful when it comes to bullet drop at these further ranges. Instead, many instructors have been working with 50- and even 100-meter zeros for battle rifles simply because the tradeoff at those further ranges with bullet drop is much more worthwhile. This is especially true when we factor in using a center mass point aim and allowing for a vertical spread that will still allow us to maintain the same point of aim on a humanoid target (steel, paper) out to 300 and even 400 meters.

Range Time

After the initial instruction, we got out to the range and started zeroing our rifles. The class size was under 10 which worked well for the two instructors who were able to go between students to make adjustments and corrections. When initial zeroing was complete we started working on the distance drills; the hands-on, practical application portion of the course. This consisted of working between the 100-, 200- and 300-meter firing lines, going into different shooting positions that challenged us to try and make good shots despite shooting offhand. Targets used were paper silhouettes and bullseye concentric circles in addition to steel silhouettes. The paper was used to gauge our accuracy in different positions, how tight we could get those groups, while the steel was used to quickly see if what we were doing was actually working on target without having to walk downrange to register results.

During the course of shooting the topics discussed in the classroom quickly became apparent. Zeroing at 25, 50 and even 100 started to become very evident as students began shooting groups they either were extremely surprised at or genuinely displeased with. Corrections had to made, and some had to re-zero or change their distances as they realized their errors. The other piece that became readily apparent was the actual equipment that was being used. Many of the students hadn’t been able to reach out to the distances we were shooting at with the rifles they owned. For the majority this was simply because they lived in urban centers that don’t allow for longer ranges to exist in a relatively close distance to their homes. But even for those who did shoot long-range, not having the exposure to the various positions and conditions in the course allowed them to test out their gear.

Unfortunately, students found out that some of their latest tactical ware either wasn’t all it was caked out to be or was lacking in some area. Whether it was a magazine, a scope, bipods or even a bolt hold open device, putting the items through their paces was an excellent test that they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to go through. Less than a detractor, this is certainly one of the more important parts of any shooting course; learning about your own equipment and how it works or actually doesn’t work while under stress.

At the end of the day with spent brass covering the range, the class was concluded and certificates issued. For many of the students, it was their first in-depth introduction to long-range shooting skills with a carbine.

For more information on classes offered see sigsaueracademy.com.

“Modern Day Warfighter: Ready, Lethal, Adaptable”

“We’re going to go shopping; we’re going to put gear in the hands of Marines in order to figure out if we need it. That’s turning the world upside down … we need to get Marines—junior Marines—together with industry in a conversation way earlier than we have been comfortable with in the past.” 

—Lt. Gen. David Berger, Commanding General of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command (MCCDC)

Speaking at the opening ceremony for the 38th MDM Expo, three-star General Berger threw the door wide open for both close-range and leap-ahead technologies and ideas, recently enabled by significant budget increases after years of what many saw as intentional starvation under the previous presidential administration. And the Corps, with a deserved reputation as the most nimble and warfighting-focused of the U.S. Armed Forces, would shake up traditionally cumbersome acquisition processes by inviting and more seriously considering ideas from Marines of all ranks as well as businesses big and small.

Berger’s forceful commitment was energetically supported in all aspects of this annual Expeditionary Warfare extravaganza, where defense industry reps and Navy/Marine Corps program offices showed their wares and interacted with high value attendees—not just generals, Pentagon potentates and allied military shoppers, but multitudes of muddy boots Marines with plenty of combat experience.

Show, Tell, Listen

This year saw an expanded set of formal presentations, information panels, product demonstrations and “Booth Briefs” both scheduled and off-the-cuff for up-close interaction.

Perhaps most useful to potential vendors came on opening day in the form of info-packed Briefs to Industry by Marine Corps Systems Command and its components. In addition to stage-setting overviews, specific needs were identified in ground combat, logistics, support and training.

Ground Combat is our focus so we zeroed in on the presentation by Colonel Mike Manning, GCE Portfolio Manager, that led off with the very welcome news that funding has increased dramatically and is projected to move steadily upward by more than $133 million by fiscal year 2020.

On the weapons track, he’s looking for help from industry with a prioritized list including variable power day optics, binocular night vision goggles, multi-spectral imagers and rangefinders, medium machine gun modernization and a “next generation squad weapons/rifle,” a noble but seemingly endless quest.

Oh, and now that the Corps is buying 15,000 more of HK’s superlative M27 Infantry Automatic Rifles, the ongoing search for a rugged, reliable, higher capacity feed device intensifies. Maybe like MAGPUL’s compact, unstoppable 40-round PMAG M3 drum?

Now, having the new hardware is one thing, but making sure it’s used most effectively by grunts and others in the fight is daunting—particularly as everything on the battlefield gets more and more high-tech.

Colonel Lois Lara, Training Systems’ Program Manager, called for emerging technologies to enhance and improve head-mounted displays and moving past serious limitations in current laser systems being used for small arms in force-on-force training.

The follow-on Brief to Small Business was a lifeline to those offering worthy products to meet identified needs but a bit short in the “how do we let the Marine Corps know what we’ve got?”

[Author’s Note: The website for MDM Expos is among the most comprehensive and user-friendly we’ve encountered. There’s a wealth of info for exhibitors and attendees, as well as an invaluable portal for those unable to attend in person. Links are available to the actual content of the Briefs to Industry from MCSC’s Commander and Portfolio Managers. Links are also available at marcorsyscom.marines.mil. For specific solicitations and contract awards see FedBizOpps.gov or fbo.gov. Also, Defense Innovation Marketplace is a comprehensive resource: defenseinnovationmarketplace.mil.]

Some additional presentations over the expo’s three days featured the “Close Combat Lethality Task Force,” “Synthetic Training Environment” and informed speculation on the “Future Operating Environment.”

New this year were concurrent presentations in the Marine Corps University’s on-site Expeditionary Seminar Facility. Attendees sampled sessions on “Expeditionary Energy,” “Cybersecurity” and a hush-hush (closed session) explaining once and for all, “Why the North Won the Civil War ….”

Regularly scheduled “Booth Briefs” were offered by a number of exhibitors, and we hastened to observe Warfighting Laboratories’ show ‘n’ tell on the tough and versatile Marathon Robotics system. These somewhat eerie, man-sized, mobile targets move around realistically and flop over “dead” when hit. MCWFL also provided on-the-spot briefings from Center for Lessons Learned, the Technology Initiative Screening Branch and RCO’s rapid development and delivery of operational prototypes to forces in the fight.

More than 360 Exhibitors

For all three days of the expo while deadly serious information was being dispensed in the Briefing Center tent, the other giant tents and the outside displays were buzzing with activity as visitors ranging from youthful enlisted Marines to high-level military, DoD and industry potentates patrolled the aisles.

Discipline is needed to avoid being overwhelmed by the variety of offerings on display and the sheer size of many including hulking AFVs, artillery pieces, real aircraft and the like.

All are certainly compelling to others, but man-portable weaponry is our stock in trade. 2018’s lineup included weapons from prominent names like American Rheinmetall, FN, General Dynamics, Glock, HK and SIG SAUER. Some of their rivals in the firearms arena included Arbor Arms, Geissele and LaRue.

Short Bursts

Space limitations dictate just brief notes on some of the things we encountered, so follow-up info is encouraged by visiting vendor websites as noted.

SIG SAUER MHS and more. Flushed with victory, of course, in winning the multi-service Modular Handgun competition, they showcased the M17 and M18 versions, along with a full selection of other pistols and long arms. Most all, by the way, were going to be made available for handling and shooting at the concurrent Marksmanship Tech Demo. sigsauer.com

FN 509 Tactical. Heavily advertised these days in most gun- and defense-related magazines, the versatile 509 Tactical drew a lot of admiring attention at their sprawling display that was dramatically dominated by the fuselage of a “Little Bird” helo. fnamerica.com

Barrett MRAD. Touting “Modularity Without Compromise,” this bolt-action tack driver offers six distinct cartridge options. barrett.net

AimLock R-M1. Augmenting battle-proven stabilized, remotely operated weapons stations with innovative automatic targeting technology, it features ruggedized computing and display modules with a gamer-style controller. aim-lock.com

LaRue Tactical BET. When a glitch kept away the weapons they planned for display, these tough Texans rallied to release a herd of 500 distinctive armadillo-configured “Beverage Entry Tools” branded with MDM 18 and the classic USMC logo. larue.com

SAAB Carl Gustaf. One of the bigger weapons we were drawn to was the latest M3E1/M4, tapped by the Marines to eventually arm every infantry squad with one of these devastating tank and bunker-busters. saab.com

Taking Aim

Aimpoint FCS13RE. The Carl Gustaf and similar launch platforms get superior hit probability on static and moving targets with this Dynamic Universal Reflex Sighting super system from Sweden. aimpoint.com

Photonis Vyper 14. The AN/PVS-14, a SPECOPS favorite, now gets 40% greater range with the new 4G image intensifier tube. photonis.com

Leupold. Well-proven in combat and competition, Leupold’s Delta Point Pro is a tough, economical, high-performance red dot for pistols, shotguns and carbines. leupold.com

Excelitas Talon. Rugged and compact, this new clip-on image intensifier/uncooled thermal imaging weapon sight gives all-weather performance. excelitas.com

Optics 1 I-CUGR. The Integrated Compact Ultralight Gun-Mounted Rangefinder gives the operator the ability to range man-sized targets out to 1500 meters. optics1.com

Trijicon VCOG. This tank-tough 1-6×24 power Variable Combat Optical Gunsight boasts an LED illuminated, first focal plane BDC reticle. trijicon.com

Nice to Have

MAGPUL Bipod. Their ever-expanding line now includes a clever bipod with distinctively configured, quick-adjusting legs. magpul.com

KF Armory Defense MIB2S. Designed for easy assembly, disassembly and extreme durability, the Modular Interlocking Ballistic Barrier System’s giant super blocks defeat .50 BMG APIT projos. kfarmory.com

Meggitt Linkless Magazines. Metallic-linked 30mm ammo is too heavy and prone to feed problems, so their linkless magazines are winners for machine-cannon systems. meggitdefense.com

Quantico Tactical LRAD. Adding to their offerings by leaps and bounds, this mega gun seller has now partnered with LRAD Corp. to offer the Long Range Acoustic Devices, including the new 450XL. quanticotactical.com

American Rheinmetall. Among its many superior quality munitions, the company’s 40mm MK281 training grenade uses unique target marking technologies, giving USMC MK19 gunners realistic day and night training. americanrheinmetall.com

Arnold Defense. Long recognized for superior launch systems for area suppression with 2.75-in. rockets, the new FLETCHER uses advanced rocket guidance technology for land-based, vehicle-mounted applications. arnolddefense.com

Laser Shot. Who can resist the chance to fire machine guns and pistols right in the middle of the show floor? Countless Marines and others tried their skills on the MMTS and SimRange simulators. lasershot.com

Revision’s additions. Perhaps best known for excellent ballistic eye protection, the company’s offerings now include the Viper Helmet System, tactical power packs and communication components. revisionmilitary.com

Spyderco. This highly respected blademaker’s pro line features the new compact Para 3 folders that offer full-service cutting performance for professional end users who want versions optimized for tactical use. Available in a variety of handle colors and blade edges in stainless and matte black. spyderco.com

Small Business, Big Ideas

We always make it a point to visit the Small Business Pavilion and again found much to recommend. We needn’t say too much about Cheata Tactical’s quick entry tee shirt for nursing military moms (cheatatactical.com), but the RHTT (Robotic Human Type Target) under development by SimIS shows promise as a potential rival to Marathon’s near lock on the smart, tough, roll-around sniper target market. simisinc.com

The Corps’ Small Biz office was strategically located right there in the tent, busily dispensing advice to eager applicants. marcorsyscom.marines.mil

Honorable Mention

Battle Challenge. Gyrene gladiators flocked to the expo’s newest and most spectacular event, to strain, sweat and shoot in an exciting and fast moving “Fire and Maneuver” contest that incorporates highly relevant military skills and fitness challenges that include precision laser M4 carbine shooting, cargo net climb, rope descent, man-down rescue and more. Participants compete against each other and the clock to earn “Best of the Best!” battlechallenge.org

National Museum of the Marine Corps. It would be close to criminal negligence to come all the way to the expo yet fail to visit the Corps’ spectacular, state-of-the-art museum, just outside the main gate. usmcmuseum.com or marineheritage.org

The Navy claims ownership of the Marines, so cutting edge research and development at Office of Naval Research (ONR) deserves respect and attention in exhibits. While this super high tech command has lots of spooky projects in the works, we gun guys are most interested in things that facilitate hole-punching one way or another. Some examples are the continuing work on lightweight and caseless ammunition, leap-ahead improvements in integrated day–night optics and lots of directed energy initiatives.

Something for Everyone

Other firms and military entities offering innovative weapon sights, ammo, accessories, edged weapons, hydration, chow, extreme weather clothing, rugged gear, VR worlds, tactical tea and more, enjoy not only our attention but that of salty Marines of all ranks swarming the aisles. Word of particularly notable items and other things of interest gets around quickly, and reps are always kept busy with show-and-tell duties.

Oh, and thousands of free copies of Small Arms Review and Small Arms Defense Journal were handed out by the friendly and energetic Chipotle Publishing team. Best deal at the show.

A full listing of exhibitors, their websites and other information may be found at marinemilitaryexpos.com.

Marine Military Expos 2019

Next year’s Modern Day Marine Expo is scheduled for September 17-19, once again aboard MCB Quantico, Virginia. This is the largest of three related shows where exhibitors meet the Marines on their own turf.

Marine West Expo 2019 is slated for February 7-8 at Camp Pendleton, CA, and Marine South Expo 2019 for April 11-12 at Camp Lejeune, NC. Both are held at home installations for two of the Marine Corps’ expeditionary forces, which are continually training and dispatching fighting elements to a broad spectrum of missions around the world “in the air, on land and at sea.”

Exhibitors at the Marine Military Expos meet and exchange information, face-to-face, with not only the users of their equipment but also the men and women responsible for equipping the Corps, tasked with a broad range of existing and emerging demands.

In addition to displaying products before thousands of users, Marine Military Expo exhibitors also exchange information with their target audience, listen to their needs and gain valuable insight into what works best in a wide array of combat, combat support and combat service support situations. Marines who have recently returned from wartime missions not only provide feedback but also convey suggestions and ideas that are often considered and adopted in designing or improving equipment and systems.

The decision-makers and procurement experts who exhibitors want and need to meet attend the expos for up-close and personal exposure to the leading-edge equipment, systems and services—solutions their Marines need for the years ahead. At the Marine Military Expos, networking opportunities among the buyers, the users and defense industry professionals are unlimited. Take advantage of those opportunities for your company by exhibiting at the Marine Military Expos: marinemilitaryexpos.com

Honors and Awards 

With so many high-level Marine leaders and other VIPs converging on the expo, important ceremonial events are conveniently scheduled to coincide. Bad weather on Wednesday moved the customary Enlisted Awards parade inside the main Briefing Center tent. There, eight outstanding Marines and one Navy Hospital Corpsman were standing tall to be personally congratulated by Commandant Neller, along with the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps and the Commandant of the Marine Corps League.

For us, the Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock II Award for outstanding contribution to marksmanship training is most prominent among these. 2018’s honoree was Sergeant Kailub S. Young for his exemplary performance while serving as the Line Staff NCO, Charlie Range, Range Company, Weapons and Field Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California. His award citation notes some 4,589 recruits under his supervision and with his numerous innovations, achieved a record 98.71 percent Combat Marksmanship Initial Qualification, with 2,264 scoring “Expert.” This “undoubtedly enhanced the capabilities of the Marines obtained by Operational Forces.

2017 Chinn Award goes to E. Daniel Shea

On December 7th, 2016, just outside of Washington DC, members of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Armaments Division Small Arms Steering Committee voted unanimously to convey the prestigious honor of the 2017 LtCol George M. Chinn Award to SADJ’s very own Dan Shea for nearly four decades of professional accomplishments in the field of small arms. Most SADJ and SAR readers know Dan as the Technical Editor and Editor-in-Chief of those well respected periodicals. However, few know the full extent and variety of the contributions Dan Shea has made to the military and law enforcement community and the end user; advancing the state of small arms technology, initiating foreign ordnance technology discovery, providing unmatched threat weapons training to uniformed service members, technical analysts, combat developers and trainers and for many readers, the cataloging and preservation of valuable small arms historical and technical materials and collections from countless notable small arms experts and organizations.

The annual NDIA Chinn Award is named after US Marine Corps LtCol George M. Chinn and is awarded to those who have made significant contributions to the academic study and research or publishing related to military or infantry small arms. Since the award was first created in 1988, NDIA Chinn Award recipients include small arms industry stalwarts like Dr. Edward C. Ezell, L. James Sullivan, Ronnie Barrett, George E. Kontis, C. Reed Knight, Jr., Phil “Doc” Dater and Richard “Dick” Swan, to name a few.

Dan fits in very well indeed as one of 28 recipients for all that he has accomplished since he started his first machine gun business in the mid-1970s after ETS from the US Army. Dan is also unique in the history of the Chinn Award in that he personally knew most of the previous award recipients, as well as Colonel Chinn. Dan has in fact conducted and published interviews on many of these personalities for SAR/SADJ, or in the case of Dr. Ezell helped rescue his entire reference collection with the UK Defense Academy in Shrivenham England, digitized it and made it available to all on www.smallarmsreview.com.

As a Chinn nominee, Dan Shea is unique. Known not only for his unmatched depth of knowledge of small arms and related ordnance, Dan is also one of the most connected subject matter experts in the small arms community. Dan travels to 20 or more foreign countries each year attending trade shows and visiting factories, hotspots and armories in search of new technologies, rare collectibles and relics, forgotten reference works and training aids and materials. Dan is well connected to senior government officials and industry leaders worldwide and through those relationships has access few others enjoy. As a result, Dan Shea can provide invaluable assistance to his customers be they military or civilian. Well known for his “RKI” (Reasonably Knowledgeable Individual) definition that applies to most “experts” in the small arms world, Dan is a true subject matter expert with few peers in any regard. While some “know guns” Dan knows far more and is able and always willing to convey that hard-earned expertise to those engaged in the fight against the adversaries of freedom. Dan and his companies have and still provide invaluable threat weapons training to our uniformed service members who face those weapons down range and has been since 1984 when he conducted the first foreign weapons class to the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Devens

Massachusetts. Knowing the real capabilities versus the reported myths and understanding methods to identify and/or counter those threats saves lives on the battlefield. Dan and his wife and long-time successful business partner Debbie, have shipped free of charge some 160,000 copies of SAR and SADJ to troops stationed overseas to help them pass the time on long deployments.

Like the namesake for the award, Dan Shea is one who enjoys sharing his expertise and the vast array of knowledge he has collected over the decades. Where some might hoard and protect what they know, Dan shares it unselfishly and in many ways. He has penned more than 1100 articles since the 1980s and has served as Technical Editor for various magazines, technical books and briefings and the invaluable “NFA Handbook.” He created the “Machine Gun Dealers Bible” and today is working on the 5th edition. He is well known as one of the top authorities on NFA, State Department and Customs import/export and ITAR rules and regulations and provides that advice and expertise to those in need. Dan has consulted with countless government agencies, foreign governments and many industry companies on everything from small caliber ammunition to tracked radar-guided anti-aircraft systems. The elite agencies that provided endorsement letters in support of Dan’s Chinn Award nomination referenced Dan’s important technical and logistical support as being key in their mission success.

The author has witnessed the level of Dan’s expertise and willingness to share it freely in the US and abroad on many occasions, each one memorable. At the UK Defense Academy in 2010, I marveled when Dan schooled numerous retired British Army veterans on the use of a Lee-Enfield rifle as the third leg of a BREN gun anti-aircraft mount. They had never seen that before. He then went on to inform the curator there that his prized 12.7mm Russian Yak-B’s were incomplete without the blank firing cassettes employed to clear misfires. There are cassettes, and they didn’t have them. While collecting information for an article on the ATF Reference Collection for SAR, Dan named each and every loose magazine in an endless box of pistol, sub gun and rifle magazines that had been separated from the firearms to which they belonged. Dan named every one, to include the one-of-a-kind prototypes and rare examples, much to the amazement of those in attendance. Accounts such as these are endless and a credit to Dan’s passion for the topic and willingness to share his experience and endless “brain box catalog” with most anyone.

For those lucky enough to have visited Dan’s collection of weapons and rarities, the very fact that he opens his doors to most anyone illustrates his willingness to educate others on the fruits of his passion. Dan has been and remains today an inventor, author, researcher and historian, demonstrator, collector, privateer and arms dealer, international traveler and teacher. He is revered today in the community and will be remembered for a very long time, like those who have come before him on the Chinn Award trophy. E. Daniel Shea will be honored for his lifelong contributions to the field of small arms at the 2017 NDIA Armament’s Forum in Fredericksburg Virginia during the first week in May. Join the industry in this celebration by registering at http://www.ndia.org/events/2017/5/1/2017-armament-systems-forum.

2017 Hathcock Award goes to Todd Hodnett

I met Todd Hodnett in 2007 after hearing that I needed to meet “this Guy” that was revolutionizing the Sniper community with new training and techniques. Todd was teaching Long Range Sniper Training at locations in Texas and Utah and impressed the sniper community. As a Former Marine Corps Scout Sniper and completing both the Scout Sniper Basic and Advanced Courses, I felt confident that what Todd was teaching would augment what I already knew about this craft and would ultimately be another opportunity to hone critical skills. What I quickly learned though was that Todd Hodnett had thrown out a lot of what I was instructed in and had developed new techniques and equipment to enable the snipers of today with capabilities that my generation could only dream about.

Raised in the Heart of Texas, Todd spent a lifetime preparing for his current role. He first started shooting scoped rifles when he was 6 years old. The need to hunt effectively within West Texas requires keen ability and some luck. Todd’s skills with firearms were not limited rifles, he worked aggressively to compete and become the National Champion in Cowboy Action Shooting. While competing, Todd was asked to train some military personnel on Advanced Pistol skills which lead to training in precision long-range shooting. Collaborations with Industry lead to advancement of many aspects of a sniper’s capability. Case in point was one of Todd’s promotions of a gridded “holding” reticle. While this type of reticle was reserved for match shooters, Todd was able to modernize these reticles, and today they are the standard. Before long, Todd was training instructors from the Marine Corps Scout Sniper School and US Army Sniper School. In addition, he was quite an influence teaching instructors from all elements of Special Operations Command and Joint Special Operations Command. This quickly led to Federal Law Enforcement with FBI Hostage Rescue Team, Secret Service Counter Sniper and entities within the Intelligence Community signing up for this coveted opportunity. Today, Todd teaches every sniper instructor group in the US Military. His teachings have established new doctrine within many of these organizations and sniper schools. Todd has developed formulas, such as his Wind Formula, that provide quick reference and enable fast sniper engagement.

While working for an Electro Optics Company that produced high-end laser range finders, I worked with Todd to better utilize range finders and incorporate them within his training school. Todd crafted requirements for a smaller, lighter, less expensive range finder that ultimately became the Vectronix PLRF-05, (Terrapin). I tried to get it called the TH-05 (Todd Hodnett), but that did not fit into the marketing mystery bag of tricks. This is just one of a long line of technologies that Todd has designed or developed for the precision shooter. Todd has designed a scope level to maintain rifle position, a slew of reticles to aid in rapid engagement to include the Tremor 3 which is currently in every USSOCOM ECOS-O scope. Todd has produced training videos for those shooters not able to attend his classes, and he has developed tools such as the Wiz Wheel that will allow a sniper in the field to rapidly determine a shooting solution without the use of a computer.

What impresses me is that regardless of which military or federal law enforcement sniper you talk to, they typically have attended one, if not several, Todd Hodnett Classes and use his techniques when shooting a precision rifle. This, as some say, is the highest form of flattery, but it is also a demonstration to me that his techniques are relevant and enhance the shooter with critical technique that allows him to be successful. I cannot find a Military Sniper who does not know who Todd Hodnett is, just like that of Carlos Hathcock. In addition to his teaching, Todd continues to invest time and energy with military personnel that have suffered traumatic injury on the battlefield. Todd regularly takes these wounded warriors on unique, one-on-one, big game hunts and assumes all of the expense.

Todd could not accomplish this alone; he has a beautiful family led by his wife Shannon, two adult sons, Colby and Will, and longtime friends Mark Larue and Eddie Abraham. Todd has classes booked out for years typically and to be able to get out to West Texas and experience this is a blessing.

I consider myself fortunate to know Todd and consider him a close friend. I rest well at night knowing there are men out in harm’s way who are armed with skills honed by Todd Hodnett. There is no one in my opinion more deserving of this most prestigious award.

“Martial Blade Concepts (MBC) is an edged-weapon system specifically designed to meet the needs of today’s concerned citizen and armed professional. Based on Michael Janich’s extensive analysis of the Filipino martial arts and many other systems, MBC takes combat-proven tactics and adapts them to modern tools, threats, and legal concerns. The result is a practical, easy-to-learn system that is ideally suited to modern self-defense.” (www.martialbladeconcepts.com/)

SAR was given the unique opportunity to not only attend a course, but to interview Michael Janich. He broke down the logic of MBC and emphasized the main difference between it and traditional martial arts knife systems – its focus on self-defense.

He explained that the roots of MBC can be found in the Filipino martial arts – a culture that was forced to establish defensive techniques due to several periods of occupation by invaders from Spain and Japan. The arts of Kali, Eskrima, and Arnis he explained, “are based on some of the most extensive research and practical application of edged weapons in history.” Unlike other cultures that used swords – such as Europe and Japan – the Filipino arts focused heavily on utilizing easily concealable knives. This technique was the best foundation for the use of today’s modern defensive knives, such as tactical folders.

Understanding the Logic

“MBC’s logic not only forms the core of the ‘why’ of what we do; it also forms the foundation of the system’s strength as a moral, ethical, and legally defensible approach to using a knife for personal defense.”

Understand the destructive power of your actual carry knife

First, understand that you’ll fight with the knife you carry. Knife laws vary from state to state, but for most, a legal, practical carry knife will be a lock-blade folder with a blade 3-4 inches in length. Historical tactics using a KA-BAR or a tanto with a 6-inch blade thrust into a torso could easily penetrate deep enough to inflict stopping power, however, the same thrust with a 3-inch blade – especially against an adrenalized attacker – may not have the same stopping effect.

Understand that “Stopping Power” is the goal of all self-defense

Like firearm tactics, stopping power is the main goal. However, a knife causes damage differently and not nearly as immediate as a bullet. Unlike battle, in self-defense we don’t shoot to kill; we shoot to stop. Conceptually, the defensive application of the knife is the same. The goal is to stop the attacker from delivering violence to you.

This is where the tactic of “defanging the snake” (common in the Filipino martial arts) against contact-distance weapons emerges. By cutting the flexor tendons of the attacker’s weapon-wielding arm, you disable it and ideally disarm him — instantly. “We don’t have to stop the life-supporting functions to stop the attack; we just have to stop the mechanical function of the limbs that enable the attack.”

Have an understanding of human anatomy

“Once you understand the type of damage you can do with your carry knife and relate that to an attacker’s body, the next step is to figure out which parts of your attacker’s body you can realistically target to achieve reliable, predictable stopping power.”

If “defanging the snake” (as referenced earlier) isn’t successful, the next target is the bicep and triceps muscles of the upper arm – if the attacker can’t articulate his elbow, he can’t swing again.

The ultimate stopping target is the quadriceps muscle, just above the knee. About the same size as a sirloin steak — ¾-inch thick and approximately 4-inches wide – it is easily cut to the bone with a 3-inch blade. Severing this muscle destroys function instantly and the attacker will collapse to one knee – allowing you to create distance and escape.

When most people think of knife fights, they tend to imagine scenes from Hollywood – glorified martial art fights that have not only been choreographed, but with unrealistic end results. They also tend to think of military-style knife fighting – especially the tactics from WWII combat manuals. Unfortunately, many of the common misconceptions about knife tactics appeared during this period; a time in U.S. history where young men from various backgrounds (i.e. accountants, translators, teachers) were thrown into a war and told, “You will need to kill.” To build confidence in these neophyte soldiers, instructors often exaggerated the effects of the tactics they taught.

Michael explained that many of the misconceptions about blood loss in knife fighting can be traced back to the classic “Timetable of Death” published by British close-combat legend, W.E. Fairbairn. Michael, along with the late Christopher Grosz, a former law enforcement officer and defensive tactics instructor from Littleton, Colorado, challenged the veracity of this timetable, worked with medical examiners, and concluded that it was, in fact, inaccurate. Through joint research with the assistance of recognized experts in both the medical and tactical fields, a modern and medically accurate version of Fairbairn’s timetable was constructed. Unfortunately, Christopher passed away and Michael wrapped up the research in a published book, “Contemporary Knife Targeting: Modern Science vs. W.E. Fairbairn’s Timetable of Death”. (All royalties go towards Christopher Grosz’s family)

Establish training techniques with clear purpose and structure, utilizing a system of movements consistent with instinctive reactions to stress

Most martial arts consist of several thousand techniques which take a lifetime to learn, let alone learn well enough to use reflexively. In a life-threatening fight, your body will naturally react with power survival instincts. “Unless you are incredibly trained, instinct will take precedence and you will do ‘it’ before you do anything else.” That is why MBC uses instinct and instinctive reactions like the “startle response” as the foundation of their skills.

Additionally, the best way to do something well is that of repetition. Once you can perform a drill fluidly, you and your partner increase the speed, intensity, and energy of the drill. This challenges your reflexes progressively and accurately replicates the type of stress you’d experience in a real encounter.

Emphasize practical knife deployment tactics

As Michael candidly explained: the first rule of fighting with a knife is to have a knife. Many knife-training systems focus exclusively on training with knife-in-hand or base their deployment tactics on classical means of carry.

“If you are attacked at close range, your first reaction should not be to draw your knife but to minimize injury to you through any means possible. Typically this means defending yourself with empty-hand combative skills to buy the time and the opportunity to draw your blade.” Also, because producing your knife in stressful conditions can prove to be extremely difficult, MBC emphasizes deployment methods utilizing gross motor skills to eliminate complex movements. It also helps to “practice your draw regularly until it literally becomes second nature”.

MBC – Edged-Weapon Training for Today’s World

In addition to providing a system of easily learned, highly effective tactics that work with legal-to-carry knives, MBC also emphasizes the legal aspects of personal defense. Its tactics are medically sound and emphasize stopping, not killing, and are therefore more morally and legally defensible that traditional knife systems.

Personal Note from Author:

“Like many of the other students in the class, I realized that although I’ve carried a knife religiously during most of my adult life, I really had no clue how to fight ‘effectively’ with it. This course changed all that. It not only taught us usable skills to defend ourselves in close quarters, but also addressed the legal and moral aspects of using a knife as a weapon. Michael Janich truly has a gift for teaching and his passion for the logic and skills of MBC is contagious. I am extremely grateful to Michael for introducing me to MBC and to the seminar host, MBC Affiliate Instructor Uli Gebhard, for allowing me to attend. I can’t wait to do more training!”

MBC has a network of instructors and study group leaders nationwide and in several foreign countries. Michael Janich and his certified instructors also teach MBC seminars all over the world. The “Instructor Locator” on the www.martialbladeconcepts.com web site can help you find an instructor near you. If there isn’t one, MBC also has an on-line Distance Learning Program and a complete library of training DVDs on MBC and Janich’s related self-defense systems.

24 September 2012, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. During the 2012 Annual Special Agent Training exercise, law enforcement personnel react to gunfire and escort a VIP during a scenario at Gryphon Group’s Combat Training Center. Delays and restrictions on certain civilian police and contract security entities in acquiring military-grade M4 series carbines for special tactical missions drove development of the Joint Project Rifle series at Freedom Forge Armory. Credit: US Army Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Carlos J. Lazo

By Robert Bruce

(Editor’s note: There are a lot of start-ups making rifles, and quite a few of them are led by veterans of the recent Afghan and Iraq wars. We don’t have the space to cover every product, but we chose the Joint Rifle Project because it was a real requirement from a real end user, and a veteran owned company took a chance on building their concept and are beyond prototype and are marketing the end result now. We hope you enjoy this glimpse into the changes in the abilities in the firearms community today- Dan)

“The original customer was local law enforcement, looking for an M4 type carbine for tactical and high risk work. But standard military and commercial versions just didn’t fit their application, would have required extensive modification and were nearly impossible to get at the time in the post-Newtown industry meltdown.” Brandon Pritchard, owner of Freedom Forge Armory

Also known as Sergeant Pritchard in his career as a full time administrator with an aviation battalion of the Virginia Army National Guard, he has double duties as a UH-72 Lakota helo crew chief. He carried an issue M4 Carbine in a decidedly hazardous tour of duty deployment to Iraq crewing a UH-60 Black Hawk, noting firsthand the weapon’s strengths and weaknesses.

A skilled gunsmith and competitive shooter, Pritchard was approached in 2013 by a respected LE entity (anonymity required by contract) with an interesting request.

“They wanted a version of a well-recognized manufacturer’s special purpose rifle, modified with ambidextrous controls, different barrel lengths for specialized tasks, quick-disconnect suppressor attachment, and nickel boron bolt and carrier,” Pritchard told SAR.

“I suggested that — instead of waiting months for the basic SPR and then having me modify it — I could build rifles to their specs, right out of the box.”

Armed with the customer’s specifications and following in-depth conversations on how the various versions including Designated Marksman Rifle and compact Carbine would be employed, Pritchard set to work designing, building and testing.

“The AR15 is the ‘Mister Potato Head’ of the firearms world,” he is not alone in noting. “You can change it any way you want it. Kits with the proper tools to change everything from barrels to buttstocks are affordable, and aftermarket parts of all kinds are plentiful.”

The process moved forward through several design changes and the third version – the E1 Carbine seen in this feature – was the one that was accepted.

The practical adaptability of Pritchard’s improvements on the AR’s basic mechanism to Freedom Forge’s efficient versions from long to short gave rise to what has become known as the Joint Rifle Project.

Anatomy of the Joint Rifle AR-15 E1

We visited Freedom Forge in rural Quinton, Virginia, amicably and efficiently sharing a colorful old west themed storefront with Sodan Armament. Together, their customers enjoy one-stop shopping for new and used firearms including Class 3 weaponry, ammunition, accessories, militaria, and full service gunsmithing.

As Pritchard field stripped one of the original E1 SBRs we recorded his observations on its inner secrets, presented here in necessarily
abbreviated form:

This early prototype uses a Spike’s Tactical lower receiver. The lowers on the production model are made by Aero Precision with Freedom Forge Armory markings.

Inside the JR is very different from inside the standard semi auto AR15 or even M16. We use a Geissele SDE Enhanced Trigger group for crisp and consistent touchoff. In this version it’s their flat faced trigger for best semiauto performance.

The ambidextrous Battery Assist Device for locking the bolt open or letting it run forward is accessible with either hand’s trigger finger without having to break your firing grip. Ambi fire selector and ambi sling attachment at the rear of the lower.

Standard carbine spring and buffer. If the customer wants to run the gun suppressed I recommend upgrading those components to a heavy buffer and spring combo along with a gas buster charging handle.

The upper receiver is a Cerro Forge Red X A3 AR15 or M4. It has the M4 style feed ramps for reliable feeding and function. And standard forward assist just like most any other AR15.

The bolt and carrier assembly in this E1 is from Spike’s Tactical. It‘s nickel boron coated which is incredibly hard yet very slick so it doesn’t need to be lubed or cleaned as frequently and much less temperamental to sand and dust. It’s also been lightened with these machined cuts to make lockup times faster. Even in semi auto it’s a pretty quick firing rifle. The later production versions don’t have these cuts but they do have a Ni-Bor surface on the carrier and bolt.

The barrel is one of the best, most accurate mid length types on the market; a Spike’s Tactical 14 ½ inch with a 1-in-7 inch twist for heavier bullets. They’re hammer forged for Spike’s by FN Manufacturing and are chrome lined and finished to M-249 specs for durability. They’re MPI (magnetic particle inspected) and high pressure tested.

It’s important to note that this one is not technically an SBR (Short Barrel Rifle with need for BATFE approval) because its flash hider is permanently pinned and welded, giving it the required 16 inch minimum length. While not an issue for the LE client, most civilian customers appreciate being able to avoid the government paperwork and approval time.

It has a hybrid contour that offers the best weight savings and accuracy. It has a mid-length gas system as opposed to carbine length, tapping the gas closer to the muzzle. This was driven by reliability and balance. Mid lengths tend to be the most reliable. Carbine length (closer to chamber) cycles strongly but very violently. In rifle lengths the gas has longer to travel so it cycles more smoothly but not quite as strong for positive function in adverse conditions. The mid-length kind of gives you the best of both worlds.

Our standard version rifles and carbines are equipped with AAC’s T51 flash hider for compatibility with the AAC M4-2000 and Mini4 suppressors. They can be set up by special order for the Gemtech HALO or others.

The barrel is free-floated for accuracy so we have a Yankee Hill Machine, twelve inch, free-floated hand guard with M1913 Picatinny rails all the way up for multiple accessory mounting.

There’s a big free-float barrel nut back here at the barrel junction with the receiver. It has threads on the inside that lock the barrel to the upper receiver and threads on the outside to attach the tubular steel hand guard. So the only thing touching the barrel is the barrel nut. The fore end is held in place on the barrel nut by two capture screws and a lock ring, so you have friction and tension for exceptional rigidity.

This is a lot of what allows the gun to achieve the accuracy it does, even with a shortened 14 inch barrel.

The ‘perforated doughnut’ at the muzzle end of hand guard is Yankee Hill Machine’s ‘End Cap Protector,’ a request from the prototype customer to protect the gas system. It’s optional on production carbines.

Our Joint Rifles have Troy Industries or Magpul back up iron sights that fold down out of the way. We can supply customers with an Aimpoint red dot, Trijicon ACOG, or EOTECH Holo sight at competitive prices.

Production versions have a black oxide finish with DuraCoat as an option. It’s applied with an HPV gun to the individual parts prior to assembly of the rifle. As tough as any finish I’ve found.

It comes in many different colors so the rifle could be any one of, or a combination of colors, and camo patterns. The primary DuraCoat finish options will be MAGPUL Flat Dark Earth — the version you fired and photographed — OD Green, and Tactical Grey.

On the range

We spent a pleasant afternoon at a private range for a hands-on evaluation of one of Freedom Forge’s original Joint Rifle AR-15 E1s.

While showing plenty of evidence of a hard life with lots of range time (both the carbine and the shooters), the test subject proved flawlessly efficient in the able hands of its proud creator and the somewhat less distinguished evaluator.

Ammo consisted of several hundred rounds of mixed type 5.56 x 45 mm, including US military 55 and 62 grain ball, with Russian steel case stuff and some soft point hunting loads tossed in for good measure. All fed and fired without fail from a selection of ordinary standard aluminum GI magazines as well as Magpul’s superlative P Mags that Freedom Forge recommends.

Function firing was done from a verity of positions from prone supported to moving CQC. The first style underscoring remarkable accuracy from the crisp Geissele trigger and the free floated, hammer forged 14 inch barrel. The other end validating a ruthless tactical tool for urban SWAT operatives and high stakes security situations.

Of course it’s this kind of “move close and shoot fast” scenario where this SBR takes a starring role. With a quick handling profile and excellent balance. It is uncannily right for quick reaction shooting from any stance and while on the move.

With these characteristics and a decidedly competitive price, it’s a great choice for Three Gun matches, enhanced police patrol carbine, SWAT, and no-compromise home defense.

And, we’re told, the latest E1s and Designated Marksman version have attracted attention for certain serious contract security duties in arenas way beyond their initial LE fielding….

Economical S1

Derived from the E1 for LE and security, Freedom Forge’s Joint Rifle AR-15 S1 with Mil-Spec trigger, bolt group and furniture, delivers comparable accuracy and durability for more budget conscious shooters. Notably, its tough and accurate 16 inch hammer forged barrel and detachable A2 flash hider requires no special paperwork. List price for the basic model is $1115. Add-ons and upgrades are available for custom tailoring to client preferences.

Joint Rifle AR-15 S1

Manufacturer: Freedom Forge Armory, Quinton, VA
Caliber: 5.56mm NATO
Operation: Stoner system direct gas,
semiauto only
Barrel: Spikes Tactical 16 inch, rifling twist 1 in 7, tipped by M16A2 flash hider (QD for Gemtech HALO suppressor)

Note: Available as SBR to qualifying agencies and individuals

Future Developments

As Freedom Forge Armory enjoys steady growth in its Joint Rifle Program, Pritchard is hard at work on the design testing phase of the Joint Rifle PD5 and PD9, a short barreled version (10”) of the JR in 9mm and 5.56 for use as a PDW (personal defense weapon) or security detail weapon.

Contact

Freedom Forge Armory, 3300A New Kent Highway, Quinton, Virginia 23141.
Telephone 804-869-8960
Email freedomforgearmory@comcast.net
Web www.freedomforgearmory.com