During WWII, the Gewehr 43 (G43) was the German answer to American M1 Garands and Soviet SVT-40s. Along with parts and accessories, the rifle is highly collectible today. SARCO Inc. (Steen Armament Research Company) offers functional reproduction magazines for replacement or to save wear and tear on originals. The company, located in Easton, Pennsylvania, is one of the largest dealers in surplus war materiel in the U.S. The business collaborates with military arms collectors, shooters and military history re-enactors. This article compares a reproduction to an original “gcb” magazine. SARCO’s magazine’s dimensions closely match, and it functions without problems on an AC44 rifle. The markings are close but different enough for collectors to distinguish. However, the magazine catch area has thin metal in one area.

Physical Construction

The magazine body is dimensionally similar to the original. Despite sharper corners, one can still easily insert and eject the magazine. While feed lips are shifted slightly forward, they fed ammunition without pause.

Externally at the front, the two rivets are solid on the original, while hollow on the reproduction. At the bottom and sides, floorplate lips and over-insertion stops are similar to the original. At the rear, magazine catch differs notably. Two sides of the sheet metal body are folded together to form the spline. This is also where the catch is formed. The reproduction has a notch cut into the inside piece of sheet metal, and the outside piece is seemingly stamped to form the “V” shape. Consequently, there is precious little metal at the apex while magazine internals are exposed to the outside. The original does not feature this opening, and the author could not verify metal thickness at its apex. The SARCO representative reassured that the company has never had issues regarding this construction and has no history of returns.

Internally, the follower is of the same stamped metal construction as the original. While the stamped bits used to hold the magazine spring is shallower and smaller on the reproduction, there was no functional issue. At the follower tail, the original is fully welded and smooth whereas one can see the splits on the reproduction. Recoil spring is of similar gauge and length, with the same number of wind-ings. The reproduction floor plate is the two-ribbed type, with cuts in the same place, and is interchangeable with the original.

Markings

The reproduction’s markings are mostly correct but are different enough to allay fears of contaminating genuine pieces. The markings are shallower and lack tell-tale signs of stamping usually observed in originals.

The manufacturer code “gcb” denotes Ad. “Grohmann & Sohn in Würbenthal Sudetenland” is mirrored across both magazines in the same place. However, the original is marked only “K43” while reproduction is marked “G43/K43” in the same place. The original magazine also featured both “WaA892” Waffenamt on the bottom in line with the other markings, while the reproduction magazine placed one just under the front over-insertion stop. Lastly, the original Waffenamt has the alpha-numeric arranged in a slight curve under the Nazi eagle while the reproduction has them straight.

Function and Conclusion

SARCO’s reproduction magazine functions without hic-cups in the test rifle, a Walther 1944 manufacture (AC44). It locks into place with no undue wobble and removes cleanly with the magazine release depressed. Using Yugo-slav surplus 198-grain ammunition, it feeds reliably from the first to the last round. These reproductions represent viable, functional replacements while marked closely enough for passing inspection—the clear differences prevent pollution.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

SARCO Inc. e-sarcoinc.com

Very early and very rare World War I era shoulder patch for the 31st “Dixie” Division consisting of a triangle bisected with red and blue denoting a machine gun battalion with two “D”s back-to-back. This patch was very quickly changed to a white disk on which is a red circle within which are two red “D”s back-to-back. The 31st infantry Division was a unit of the Army National Guard originally established in early 1917 as the 10th Division with Alabama, Florida and Georgia national guardsmen. Later that same year, the 10th became the 31st. Trained at Camp Gordon, Georgia, the Division arrived in France in September 1918 and was designated as a replacement Division. The Division returned to the U.S. in July 1919 where the men were mustered out of service. The 31st Division was mobilized in 1940 with National Guard Divisions from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Russian Medallion

A Russian, large, bronze-clad metal table medallion commemorating Vasily Alekseyevich Degtyarev (1880-1949). The obverse has a raised relief image of Degtyarev with the inscription, in Russian, “In Honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vasily Alekseyevich Degtyarev 1880-1980.” The reverse inscription reads, “Russian Gunsmiths USSR,” with a central image of a DP-28 light machine gun that Degtyarev created and which was the main light machine gun of the Russian army in World War II. The medallion measures 75 mm in diameter and also has the original red plastic box/stand.

WWI Brodie Helmet

U.S. World War I Brodie helmet for a machine gun company of the 27th Infantry Regiment of the American Expeditionary Force Siberia (A.E.F. Siberia). Painted in white winter camouflage with the A.E.F. Siberia insignia painted on the front of an “S” (for Siberia) superimposed upon a standing bear within an artillery shell. On the right side of the helmet is painted “27th” over “MG.” The machine gun companies were issued Browning Model of 1917 water-cooled machine guns and Browning Automatic Rifles (BAR) Model of 1918. Nearly 8,000 men, mostly from the 27th and then the 31st Infantry Regiments, were sent to Russia during World War I after the October Revolution from 1918 to 1920 and suffered severely from the brutal Siberian winter.

They were sent to Russia to help rescue the 40,000 men of the Czechoslovak Legions being held up by Bolshevik forces as they attempted to make their way along the Trans-Siberian Railroad to Vladivostok and, hopefully, to the Western Front. Additionally, they were sent to protect the large quantities of military supplies and railroad rolling stock that the U.S. had sent to Russia in support of the war effort against Germany before the Bolshevik Revolution. They failed in their mission.

Cap and Collar Badge

South Waziristan Scouts officer’s cap and collar badge circa 1920s. The cap badge has the British king’s crown over crossed Vickers with “South Waziristan Scouts” banner below with four lugs to the rear. The collar badge has the king’s crown over a mountain goat head and two lugs to the rear. South Waziristan is the southern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan. The region was an independent tribal territory from 1893, remaining outside of the British-ruled Empire and Afghanistan. Tribal raiding into British-ruled territory was a constant problem for the British, requiring frequent punitive expeditions between 1860 and 1945. The region became part of Pakistan in 1947.

Sweetheart Pin

A sweetheart pin for the 3rd Machine Gun Company, 1st Canadian Division has red, white and blue enamel on a brass badge, with the king’s crown to the top and a Vickers machine gun on tripod to the center. The top banner reads, “3rd M.G. Co.” and below is “1st Canadian Division.” Pin back.

Swedish Machine Gunner Badge

A Swedish 1950s-era army machine gunner’s silver metal shooting breast badge that has three Swedish crowns to the top with two crossed M45 submachine guns to the center. Pin back.

The cap bodies were simply small, thimble-shaped cups with a base rim flange that were die-formed out of thin iron, pewter or copper sheet (today’s center fire primer caps are formed out of aluminum). A small amount of pressure-sensitive chemical explosive, called an initiator, was cast inside the cap base. Typical initiators used during that era were mercury fulminate or potassium chlorate, in combination with oxidizers. As a group, these initiating compounds were called fulminating powders or simply, fulminate. Today it is known as the “primer.”

Using this fulminated-base cap design as a crude cartridge meant the firing pin could strike the cap’s bottom outside face at any location to fire the cartridge. Since the cap’s base rim (flange) diameter was already small (6.9mm), with very thin metal across its center, Flobert designed a firing pin strike point to impact along the cap’s base rim where the metal was folded to create the flange. Striking this thicker rim area all but eliminated the likelihood of puncture that could vent combustion gas rearward towards the shooter. Thus, the rimfire cartridge was born. So now you know—it’s called “rimfire ammunition” because the gun’s firing pin strikes and crushes a small notch into the cartridge base’s rim to ignite the primer (fulminate), and that fires the cartridge.

These first Flobert .22 BB cartridges did not contain any propellant powder. The only propellant was the fulminate cast into the internal base of the BB cap. Although crude by today’s ammunition designs, the Flobert cartridge led to the elimination of muzzle loading and cap and ball firearms by combining a percussion cap (that later included a pre-mea-sured powder charge) and a bullet in a single, self-contained, easily loaded, weather-resis-tant cartridge.

Parlor Guns

Flobert made use of his new metallic cartridge ammunition in what he called “parlor guns.” These heavy barreled rifles and pistols, many with ornately engraved metal work and relief carved furniture (stocks and grips), were designed for in-home target shooting. In the mid-19th century it was fashionable for wealthy Europeans to have a dedicated shooting parlor or shooting gallery inside their homes. Flobert’s new ammunition fired by his parlor guns answered that market.

Prior to the 6mm Flobert cartridge, a typical “cartridge” consisted of a premeasured quantity of black powder wrapped together with a ball in a tightly rolled paper cylinder or small cylindrically shaped cloth bag, which also acted as wadding (gas check). This fragile cartridge was either breech-loaded or muzzle-loaded (depending on the firearm’s design) and ignited by a percussion cap that was separately attached to a cap nipple (touch hole). While far faster than muzzle loading individual components (powder, wad, ball), this delicate paper or cloth cartridge was neither weather-resistant, nor utilitarian.

In 1888, the .22 BB Cap that Flobert introduced in 1845 was improved and became the .22 CB (conical bullet) Cap. The .22 CB Cap was loaded with a lead-cast .22 caliber conical bullet instead of a ball. It also became slightly more powerful than its predecessor when a few grains of black powder were added inside the percussion cap cavity to boost bullet velocity from the BB’s 400ft/sec to CB’s 700ft/sec. Even so, both the BB and CB cartridges (still available today) are called 6mm Flobert and for all practical purposes are considered the same cartridge.

Unique to that point in history, Flobert designed a distinctive bullet shape for his cartridge using what is known as a “heeled” bullet design. This was necessary because the bullet and the cartridge case outside diameter are the same. Therefore, Flobert narrowed the bullet’s base to form a “heel” or “shoe-like” shape so it could be inserted into the cartridge case.

The Short and Long of It

Thus, rimfire ammunition got its start and continued to evolve. In 1857, Smith & Wesson developed the 22 Short for specific chambering in their newest revolver. The 22 Short used a lengthened CB rimfire cartridge case loaded with 4 grains of black powder that propelled a 29-grain, lead cast conical “heeled” bullet. This success in popularity and performance led to the 1871 debut of the 22 Long.

The 22 Long used the same 29-grain bullet as the 22 Short, but it employed a longer cartridge case that provided the needed space for 5 grains of black powder, which increased bullet velocity to near sonic speed. This was followed by the 22 Extra Long in 1880, which was designed primarily for use in bolt-action rifles. With a case longer than the 22 Long and a heavier 40-grain outside lubricated conical lead bullet, the Extra Long was loaded with 6 grains of black powder.

Building upon these many successes, the 22 Rimfire continued to morph. In 1887, U.S. arms manufacturer, J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company introduced today’s favorite 22 Long Rifle cartridge (22LR). Stevens brilliantly combined the casing of the 22 Long with the 40-grain bullet of the 22 Extra Long and loaded it with smokeless powder. This component marriage gave the 22LR a longer overall length, a higher muzzle velocity and superior performance for small game hunting, plinking and competition shooting. These enhancements also improved 22LR performance and popularity to the point its success doomed both the 22 Long and 22 Extra Long cartridges to obscurity.

22WRF Ammunition

In 1890, Winchester introduced its M1890 slide rifle (pump action) that fired Win-chester’s latest .22 rimfire ammunition improvement: the .22 Winchester Rimfire or 22WRF. This ammunition employed a slightly larger diameter cartridge case than the 22LR and a flat-base, flat-nose bullet, making it ideal for use in pump rifles with tubular magazines. The 22 WRF bullet also differed from its .22 rimfire predecessors’ outside-lubricated grooved bullets (used in the 22 Short, Long, LR and Extra Long) by using inside-lubricated bullets which protected the lubrication from dirt contamination. While demonstrably less accurate than the 22LR, it possessed a notable improvement in killing power.

But the 22 WRF met with obsolescence just prior to WWII as smokeless rifle propel-lants improved so significantly they replaced black powder and nitro-cellulose propellants. By loading this new, high-velocity, smokeless propellant in the 22 LR cartridge, its bullet velocity soared into the 1,300 to 1,500ft/sec range, trumping the 22WRF with increased power at a far cheaper cost per round.

From 22WRF to 22WMR

Winchester debuted the next major improvement in .22 rimfire ammunition in 1959 with their 22 Winchester Magnum Rifle ammunition or 22WMR. The WMR cartridge case is essentially a lengthened version of the older WRF cartridge case with a jacketed bullet. The WMR is offered in a range of 30- to 40-grain unlubricated jacketed (or plated) bullets. While comparable in bullet weight to the 22 Long Rifle, the WMR rounds fly faster, flatter and farther and carry far superior kinetic energy at all ranges. For example, WMR bullet velocities using a 30-grain bullet can easily exceed 2,300ft/sec and 1,875ft/sec using a heavier 40-grain bullet when fired from a rifle.

Because of the WMR’s larger case diameter and greater length, a 22WMR round will not chamber in a firearm chambered for any other .22 cartridge. However, the reverse is possible, and if fired, the resulting hot high-pressure gas venting around the smaller .22 cartridge case can be very dangerous to the shooter’s face and eyes.

Remarkably, in terms of ammunition quantity sold over the last 150 years, 22 Long Rifle far exceeds the popularity of any other commonly used ammunition on planet Earth. Some of the reasons are its low recoil, low cost (per round) and the large variety of rifles and handguns chambered to fire it. However, 22 LR ammunition has experienced sporadic availability issues over the past, resulting from the government’s tightening of firearms purchase and ownership regulations.
Those who experienced the threatening on again/off again times of firearms regulation—especially leading up to the 2006 through 2016 House, Senate and Presidential elections—may recall those times when store ammunition shelves were sold out, and ammunition hoarding became the norm. Today, .22 rim-fire ammunition is abundantly available, but that availability will again become threatened depending upon which political party is in power. Therefore, we should anticipate future ammunition shortages, at which time the political power changes hands. During such times, dating back to the early 1900s, reloading centerfire ammunition has always been a fallback to traverse ever-restrictive firearms and ammunition regulations. But today, reloading .22 rimfire brass has mostly been discounted as the impossible dream.

Sharp Shooter Ammunition LLC

Thanks to Brian Nixon, founder of Sharp Shooter Ammunition LLC, the .22 rimfire reloading story continues; and there is light at the end of the .22 rimfire reloading tunnel (and it’s not the approaching train). Not only is reloading .22 rimfire brass possible (including .22 WMR brass), it’s an easy process if you have the right stuff. Even better, the reloading equipment and components necessary are readily available and affordable should you desire to have the capability available when needed.

Everything needed to get started is available in kit form on the web at 22lrreloader.com/store. Sharp Shooter Ammunition LLC offers two .22 reloading kits, one for 22LR and one for 22WMR. Since LR and WMR use different outside diameter and length cartridge cases, you’ll need to buy the appropriate reloading kit depending upon what you intend to reload.

Sharp Shooter’s reloading kit provides the basic tools necessary to cast your own bullets and reload your spent .22 rimfire brass. Above all, Sharp Shooter has included a detailed instruction pamphlet. Written in plain English and laid out with descriptive close-up photos showing detailed cutaway views, this pamphlet contains everything you need to know to reload .22 rimfire ammunition using the Sharp Shooter kit.

A small, wire dual-purpose scraper/tamper tool is provided as part of the kit. This ingenuous tool serves as a scraper to remove the burnt priming compound residue from the case’s internal rim. The tamper end is designed to help work fresh (moistened) priming compound (fulminate) back into the cleaned cartridge case rim. The priming compound is moistened to make it insensitive to pressure and friction (more on that in a moment).

Manufacturers of .22 rimfire ammunition stuff a small quantity of priming compound into this petite space inside the cartridge case rim. It is this primer material that explodes and ignites the powder charge when the gun’s firing pin strikes the very edge of the case rim. The shot consumes all of the priming compound, and the firing pin strike leaves a characteristic compression dent in the base of the cartridge case rim.

Sharp Shooter additionally offers prim-ing compound ingredients consisting of four small bags of powders identified as, “L,” “L2” and two bags marked “S.” These powders are proportionally mixed per the guidance provided in the instruction manual using the kit’s measuring scoop. Once mixed, the light-gray-colored priming compound becomes pressure sensitive and must be respected in its handling. As a matter of safety, the primer compound should be desensitized by moistening before attempting to work it into the case’s internal rim. Desensitizing can be easily accomplished by using the kit-provided eyedropper to add a drop of acetone, denatured alcohol (even vodka will work) to the primer once it’s loaded into the case. Working moistened primer into the empty rim area is far safer and easier than using dry pressure sensitive primer. The down side of moistening the primer is that it must be completely dried out (at least overnight) before continuing the loading process. That said, the added margin of safety is worth the wait.

Using Sharp Shooter’s priming compound is both easy and reliable, but other priming compound, like Prime-All, is available from commercial sources. There are some priming compound homemade alternatives that can be realized by harvesting the powder contained in commonly available things, like strike anywhere match heads or the contents of party poppers you throw on the floor and pop when stepped on. Even powder contained in toy gun cup-type roll caps can be gently scraped off and collected for use as a primer. In all cases the primer should be moistened for loading safety.

As a side note, the question always seems to arise as to whether a reloaded rimfire round will reliably fire if the firing pin hits the same indent left from a previous firing. The answer is somewhat dubious. First, the firing pin dent can be knocked back out by using a small pin punch or flat blade screwdriver, but the casing can also be damaged in the process. Second, the odds that the firing pin will strike exactly the same location again are very long. Third, assuming one uses the same gun he used to fire the ammunition the first time with identical firing pin geometry, and should the firing pin precisely strike the exact same indent it left from the first firing, the odds are the round will still fire. That’s an acceptable gamble in most all scenarios except self-defense.

A small base funnel and a powder dipper are also provided in the kit. The small base funnel is used to charge the cases with primer and powder. The powder dipper has a small cup on either end that provides a precise powder measure with each dip. Weighing the powder charge is unnecessary if you use the powder dipper and follow the instruction book.

A pliers-like tool serves double duty as a two-cavity bullet mold and crimping tool. Two bullets can be made per cast; one is a 25-grain solid point, and the other is a 38-grain round nose. Sharp Shooter’s plier mold has a steel spur cutter engineered into the mold that flat cuts the bullet’s base. The bullets, themselves, have a lube groove cast into them for proper down-bore bullet lubrication. Bullet lubrication compound is commercially available, but alternatives like beeswax will work. Unlubed bullets are safe to use, but they will result in lead accumulation in the bore, necessitating frequent cleaning.

Resizing expended brass casing before reloading is a good idea but not necessary if the reloads are fired in the same gun. If the intention is to use the reloaded ammunition in several different guns, resizing is necessary. Sold separately, Sharp Shooter offers an inexpensive resizing die that fits any sin-gle-stage reloading press.

Casting your own bullets does not require using a casting furnace or buying lead. Almost any old iron pan or pot will work, and it can be heated using a propane blowtorch or other gas-type burner. Lead is available from numerous sources. Wheel weights, recovered lead shot or bullets can all be melted for bullet casting. Slag can be skimmed off using an old spoon. Preheating the mold prior to lead casting is important to flawless bullet casting. Be sure to extend the bullet mold’s handle length with a vice-grip or suitable locking pliers and wear gloves and eye protection. It’s also wise to do all lead melting and casting outdoors. Wearing a breathing mask is also a good idea.

Follow Directions

Make no mistake, reloading rimfire cartridges is a time-consuming process. Follow the provided instructions carefully. The most important step (before priming) is meticulously scraping the burned primer residue out of the inside rim of each cartridge case. That narrow little rim space must be clean so new primer can be worked into the rim.

Once the cartridge cases are primed and dried and bullets are cast, the next step is charging them with powder. Sharp Shooter’s instruction book provides suggested charge guidelines for several commonly available smokeless gunpowder brands, e.g., IMR, Hodgdon, Alliant Unique and Pyrodex P. Additionally, black powder can be effectively used.

The small powder funnel provided in the kit is used to charge each casing. The .22 bullets are inserted manually but need to be crimped using the bullet mold crimp-ing tool. The crimping notch is located forward of the two bullet cavities. At the conclusion of the described preceding process, the reloads are now complete and ready to shoot.

Is reloading .22 rimfire worth it? You be the judge. If history repeats itself, there will be future ammunition shortages. Having this inexpensive reloading capability in your hip pocket is insurance from tyranny. Sharp Shooter’s products work as advertised.

AR Field Armorer’s Toolkit has AR platform specific tools and components such as a .223 Bolt Scraper, .308 Bolt Scraper, Castle Nut Wrench, A2 Sight Adjuster, AR-15 Extractor Tool, AR10 Extractor Tool, Pivot Pin Punches, Bolt Catch Pin Punch, and an AR Bench Block. Other premium components include the most commonly needed hex bits and punches, a brass hammerhead, cleaning brush, and a magnetic tray to prevent losing small parts and a take-down brass cleaning rod.

A Fix It Sticks Ratchet T-Handle w/Locking Hex Drive and an All-In-One Torque limiter are also included. The Ratchet T-Handle w/Locking Hex Drive works with any quarter inch hex bit, but also allows the use of tools that require a pulling motion such as the cleaning rods. The All-In-One Torque Driver is perfect for properly mounting optics, lasers, lights, etc. The AR Field Armorer’s Toolkit includes the following comprehensive tool selection:

• Ratchet T-Handle w/Locking Hex Drive
• All-in-One Torque Driver (15-65 in-lbs)
• Extension/punch holder
• 8-32 adapter
• 1/2” socket and 1/4” bit adapter set
• Set of Two Brass Cleaning Rods (accepts 8-32 threaded attachments)
• Cleaning Brush
• Steel Pick
• Bronze Scraper
• Castle Nut Wrench
• .223 Bolt Group Scraper
• .308 Bolt Group Scraper
• A2 Sight Adjuster
• Non-marring Plastic Pin Punch
• Brass Hammer Head
• AR10 Extractor Tool
• AR15 Extractor Tool
• Roll Pin Starter Punches
• (1/16”, 5/64” 3/32”, 1/8”)
• Roll Pin Punches
• (1/16”, 5/64” 3/32”, 1/8”)
• Pivot Pin Punches
• (AR10, AR15)
• Bolt Catch Pin Punch
• (With Nylon Surface Protector)
• Twenty Two 1/4” Bits (1” in length):
• Torx: T8, T10, T15, T20, T25, T27,
• Hex: 2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, .050”, 1/16”, 5/64”, 3/32”, 7/64”, 1/8”, 5/32”, 3/16”, 1/4”
• Screwdriver: P1, P2, SL3/32”
• Magnetic Tray
• Bench Block
• Soft Carrying Case

The soft carrying case features molded-in bit holders designed to hold any bit / accessory with a standard 1/4″ Base (including Fix It Sticks Torque Limiters), and any 8-32 threaded component. Elastic mesh pockets hold other tools and accessories as needed.
The AR Field Armorer’s Toolkit is now available with an MSRP of $368.00.

The Keiler 25.1 is also easy and intuitive to operate. The central scroll wheel controls the menu, zoom and other functions. The menu has a standard, custom, and basic mode and a quick-access menu that can be customized for frequently used functions. The design makes it easy to locate all important buttons intuitively, even in complete darkness. The Keiler 25.1 also has an internal memory capacity of 32 GB, making it simple to capture photos and videos from your hunt.

“Liemke thermal optics have been a hit with hunters here in the U.S. and those who want to observe their surroundings and nature at night,” said Jason Evans, CEO, Blaser Group. “The new Keiler 25.1 is the smallest, most compact of our Keiler line. It’s easy to carry in a pocket and delivers powerful performance.”

Features:

• 25mm objective lens
• Start-up time of only five seconds
• Ceramic VOx detector with 384×288 pixel resolution
• OLED display with 1024×768 pixel resolution
• 50 Hz refresh rate
• 2.4x basic magnification (digital zoom up to 10x)
• Five color modes
• Waterproof rating of IP67  (dustproof / waterproof for brief immersion)
• Battery run time: up to 10 hours
• Weight: 15.69 ounces

MSRP: $2,777.00

In 2019, Global Ordnance introduced its CanMunition™ line of 9mm Luger and 5.56mm Remington ammo packed in what looks like a soft drink can. Holding approximately 90 pistol cartridges or 40 rifle rounds, these nitrogen-filled cans have a wide pull-tab covering the entire top of the container. A snap-on, black plastic lid guards against accidental opening. The 5.56mm selected is 55-grain Fiocchi boat tail ball, a very consistent and reliable load. The 9mm is also by Fiocchi, a 115-grain ball cartridge. 

Ammunition in sealed “spam” cans has been around at least since before WWII. American shooters are mostly familiar with the thick Soviet cans holding 440 or 880 rifle rounds, but other sizes have been popular as well. Bulgaria packed them in lots of 250; Serbia in lots of 800 or 1,000, but all of these long storage containers were meant for regimental use. The tins were bulky and usually required a tool to open, but they did fill the purpose of keeping the contents dry and clean. The countries that failed to figure out how to store ammunition properly, like Turkey and India, got the reputation for very questionable surplus. More recently, lighter plastic packaging has been developed to the same purpose, proving adequate for keeping humidity out but not for mechanical protection of the contents. CanMunition aimed to provide long-term storage without sacrificing the expediency of access, and in lots small enough to be portable. 

The most recent run on ammunition culminated in distributors being out of the most common calibers less than a week after it began. Compared to the early 2000s, the availability of military surplus ammunition declined sharply because of the EU directive to destroy surplus instead of selling it. Anticipating this kind of problem, many prudent people stocked up on gun-food well in advance. Some have discovered that humidity, temperature fluctuations and other eventualities of storage resulted in the deterioration of the cache much sooner than expected. Cardboard packaging absorbing atmospheric humidity is one noted offender. Do CanMunition containers work better?

In most ways, yes. Nitrogen keeps rust and verdigris at bay quite effectively. The 40-round rifle ammo can weighs 18 ounces; the 90-round 9mm can is much heftier at 38 ounces. Either can be handled with ease. The tightly packed contents keep the thin aluminum of the container from deforming easily. The cans themselves have little thermal mass, and they provide minimal insulation from temperature fluctuations. One way to keep them at a relatively constant temperature in a hot car is to place them in a plastic cooler, arranged in a checkerboard pattern with water bottles acting both as a thermal sink and as an emergency liquid supply. If freezing temperatures can be reasonably expected, non-liquid heat sinks are preferred. The cartridges can be cold without ill effect, but avoiding sharp temperature rise is key. When shipped, the cans arrive wrapped in thick paper and enclosed in sealed cardboard boxes, providing some measure of thermal insulation.

Besides the obvious storage utility, these cans make great gifts. Everything, from the humorously ominous graphics on the can to the suitability for long-term retention, makes the cans not just a cute idea but also a very good one. The shelf life can be several decades, though it’s best if the oldest ammunition in the stash is rotated into use as newer stores are acquired. Needless to say, I’ve had zero problems with the contents when several hundred rounds of each caliber were put to use. 

Most prepared citizens carry a handheld flashlight in addition to their firearm. This piece examines some of the current high-output (around 1,000 lumens) tactical lights while focusing on beam patterns, switch ergonomics and carry comfort. The tactical lights examined are: Streamlight ProTac HL-X, SureFire Tactician, SureFire Defender Tactical (E2DLU-T) and the SureFire EDCL2-T.

Beam Pattern and Vision

To draw an analogy between flashlights and cars, lumen is like crank horsepower whereas vision downrange is like wheel horsepower; the former is a figure on paper while the latter has practical impact. Crank to wheel horsepower is influenced by driveline loss, while lumen to downrange vision is influenced by beam pattern. 

Flood beam light trades throw distance for a wider field-of-view up close; Spot beam light allows one to see a small patch very far. The lights discussed in this article rank from flood beams to spot beams in this order: SureFire Tactician, SureFire EDCL2-T/Defender Tactical and Streamlight ProTac HL-X. 

The author compiled the following table from his own measurements 6m from a blank wall. Note that hot-spot measurement for the SureFire Tactician is approximate at best, since it has a very gradual falloff. In addition, patterns from the EDCL2-T and Defender are indistinguishable. 

To put those numbers into practical terms, one must consider self-defense use cases. One may walk under street lights (e.g., downtown after dinner), observe suspicious behaviour and employ light to identify if there are no opportunities to avoid the behaviour. Ambient light forms the “noise floor” from which the target “signal” must be raised, so that the signal-to-noise ratio is sufficient for proper identification. Given similar lumens, spot pattern focuses more light on a target (higher candela) to help “punch through” ambient light. This increased identification range better maintains separation from the threat. 

Conversely, citizens may face multiple attackers as criminals hunt in packs. At 10m, SureFire Tactician’s flood pattern allows positive identification of another attacker 5m laterally from the main threat. Role-playing the off-axis threat in that scenario, the author found his vision severely impaired by the Tactician’s flood pattern such that the citizen’s silhouette is hidden. With SureFire Defender’s spot pattern, the threat could still engage a citizen’s silhouette. 

Indoors, the spot pattern allows one to more comfortably clear deep corners and long corridors while the flood pattern feels less claustrophobic. In rooms with white walls or mirrors, both patterns must be bounced off a ceiling or floor to avoid blinding oneself. 

A strong spill can simplify shooting with handheld lights. Employing the FBI technique with spot patterns, the author instinctively steered the hot-spot onto the target while drawing and aiming; although another tester did not experience this. A flood pattern light allowed the author to solely focus on marksmanship. With the SureFire technique, the author found he must angle the light low to avoid dragging his trigger finger against the support hand; alternate placements drastically compromised support. Strong spill from a flood pattern sufficiently illuminated the target even with such a pointing error. 

All the lights except the Defender Tactical (E2DLU-T) have low output modes as task lights. The Defender Ultra (E2DLU-A), identical to the Tactical in other aspects, offers a low mode when the tail switch is clicked twice in rapid succession. The Streamlight ProTac HL-X’s 65 lumens prove great for walking around but are too bright for administrative tasks at close distance. The converse is true for the 5 lumens of SureFire’s.

Switch Ergonomics

The Streamlight ProTac HL-X features a click-type tail switch where light pressure provides momentary-only light, and press-until-click provides constant-on light. Placing one’s thumb across the switch with a low edge of crenellation against the distal and proximal phalange joint reliably activates momentary-only light without the possibility of constant-on for the straight-thumbed author, even with an uncomfortable amount of force. A curved thumb tester could activate constant-on light despite crenellation (see accompanying pictures for thumb shape differences).

There are three TEN-TAP modes: high/strobe/low, high-only and low/medium/high. Rapid momentary activation (taps) switches between submodes (e.g., cycle from high to strobe), while 10 such taps with the last one being a constant-on activation cycle between modes (“Streamlight TEN-TAP Programming,” YouTube, uploaded by Streamlight, Mar. 5 2019, youtube.com/watch?v=0czy-S10ca8). 

SureFire Defender features heavy crenellation, and the same aforementioned technique applies to activating momentary-only light. Like the ProTac HL-X, switch rubber is slightly tacky even with damp hands while the switch itself provides good audio and tactile feedback when it is in constant-on mode. While doing night shoot exercises, the author did not accidentally activate the constant-on mode after familiarization, and there was no doubt of constant-on when he did make errors. The aforementioned concern about constant-on and a curved thumb also applies to the SureFire Defender light. 

Pushing the tail switches of both the EDC2L-T and Tactician will activate momentary-only light, regardless of pressure; screwing in the cap activates constant-on light. The EDC2L-T features a “gas pedal” whereby a light push activates low output and a heavy push activates high output; minimal twisting activates low constant-on light while more twisting eventually activates high constant-on light. The Tactician switches output by screwing the head in fully for high and backed out slightly for low. Both lights exhibited a quirk where, if the tail switch was backed off constant-on less than 1/8 of a turn, one could press the tail cap (not switch) to activate the light. The author surmises this to be an unavoidable side effect of manufacturing tolerance. Both lights have exposed tail switches which facilitates employing the SureFire technique with rifles and pistols. The author’s bony hands preclude the SureFire pistol technique with the heavily crenellated Defender and make it difficult on the lightly crenellated Streamlight ProTac HL-X. 

Carry Comfort

All of these lights can be carried bezel-up or -down except the Tactician. Instead, it trades bezel-up-only for a stouter clip. The author found both bezel-up or -down to deploy easily. For bezel-up, he points his thumb along the light, grasps the body with other fingers, withdraws and rotates to face bezel downrange; this became second nature with some practice. 

Carrying in cargo pockets can be comfortable even with larger diameter or longer lights although drawing requires one to slightly stoop. This method also swings slightly when walking which reduces consistency when drawing. 

The author prefers carrying in the lower corner of his slash pocket, as it provides an easy index for locating the light. In this position, larger diameter or aggressively crenellated bezels have dug into his thigh when sitting and the light was carried bezel-down. He has carried all four lights bezel-up, with no accidental activation or lens damage. Comfort is a very personal quality, and these tactical lights provide options to fit various body shapes and dress styles. 

Conclusion 

All the examined tactical lights here are high-output, easy-to-use and reliable. Someone frequenting urban centers might prefer a spot pattern light (e.g., Streamlight’s ProTac HL-X) to better “punch through” artificial lighting, while another area with little light pollution might benefit from a flood pattern light (e.g., SureFire’s Tactician) for wider vision. Even with 1,000 lumens, these lights still cannot comfortably address adverse lighting scenarios such as a loiterer shadowed by a tree and overhead parking lot lights. These tools are no replacement for good situational awareness. 

Daily attire should also be considered; smaller lights better fit an office worker’s slacks, while larger ones can comfortably fit a tradesman’s belt. Given the plethora of options, the reader is sure to find a tactical light that fits his use case. 

Let there be light! 

Dominican Republic, April–June 1965 

On June 6, 1965, Col. Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó’s rebel forces suspended negotiations and moved to break free from the noose around their strongholds within Ciudad Nueva. Nine days later, at 0750 hours, they launched the most violent attack against U.S. and the Inter-American Force’s positions. “By 0915hrs they were directing continuous fire at American positions, and at noon they assaulted Brazilian positions with a coordinated use of mortars, bazookas, and tanks.”1 Spearheading the offensive was a handful of captured armored vehicles, which faced Brazilian and U.S. jeep-mounted 106mm recoilless rifles (RRs). U.S. paratroopers used a 106mm RR to knock out an L60 light tank, stalling the attack. It was the bloodiest battle of the intervention, with the rebels suffering a sound defeat and the lost 56 square blocks of territory. By the time it was over, there were between 500 regulars and 325 police officers killed on the Loyalists’ side, and 600 regulars, hundreds of armed civilians and five light tanks destroyed on the Constitutionalists’ side. For its part, the U.S. was to suffer 10 Marines and 13 paratroopers killed and 283 wounded, most of them casualties of sniper fire. 

As it happened, in early 1965 the Dominican Republic sank in a civil war between Loyalists and Constitutionalists, so the U.S. intervened to prevent another Cuba. The U.S. stability operation, later code-named “Powerpack,” took place in three phases between April 30 and May 3, 1965. The plan consisted of landing at San Isidro Airfield (about 10 miles east of Santo Domingo) then advancing 8 miles west to the Ozama River and finally establishing a line of communications to link the airfield with the International Security Zone (INSZ) around the U.S. Embassy thereby separating the two factions. The U.S. acted unilaterally and was nominally neutral, but it backed the Loyalists; however, the intervention took an international turn when the Organization of American States (OAS) authorized the formation of the Fuerza Interamericana de Paz (FIP / IAPF) on May 23, 1965. The FIP was under the command of Brazilian General Hugo Penasco Alvim, heading an 1,130-strong Brazilian Battalion and a Fraternity Battalion with a Brazilian Marine Company, and three other infantry companies from Honduras (250), Paraguay (178) and Nicaragua (164), plus a 25-strong police squad from Costa Rica. However, the U.S. continued to provide the bulk of the FIP, with elements from the 1st Brigade/82nd Airborne Division, 16th Support Group, 7th Special Forces Group and assorted U.S. Air Force personnel.2

The FIP started deployment on May 24, but before that, the Marines had come ashore in late April with all their tools of the trade, including the M50 Ontos, an ugly light tank-destroyer equipped with six M40 RRs. In addition, each Marine company had a section of 106mm RRs to bolster their firepower. Facing them were the Constitutionalists, led by Caamaño Deñó, with 1,500 soldiers with five light tanks and one gunboat, plus another 5,000 armed civilians. The Loyalists, on the other hand, had the CEFA, the Armed Forces Training Center, under general Elías Wessin y Wessin, at San Isidro barracks, collocated with the 19th of November air base. This meant some 4,000 soldiers and the General de Brigada Felipe Ciprian Armored Battalion, consisting of four armored companies, one with AMX-13 light tanks, another with the Scania L60 truck, one with Lynx armored cars and one more with mechanized infantry with halftracks. Soon after the U.S. Marines landed, the Constitutionalists’ armored forces clashed with an armored column, resulting in a Marine M50 quickly destroying an L60 light tank but also losing an M50 in the fire exchange. Another M50 is credited with blowing the turret off a rebel AMX-13, while another light tank was destroyed by an M48 Patton tank. It is not clear if the AMX-13 with the turret blown off was later recovered, but Captain Manuel Antonio Cuervo Gómez and mechanical engineer Lazaro Rosado developed the MAC-LR, which matched one AMX-13 chassis with an HS630 triple 20mm gun. The MAC-LR was also reported destroyed in those early clashes of April 1965.

After these skirmishes, fighting was largely restricted to dealing with the occasional sniper fire, to which U.S. troops discovered that their 106-RRs were excellent anti-sniper weapons. They also used a single 106mm round to sink a boat that shelled their position with mortar fire. The U.S. retired its M40A1 recoilless rifles in favor of guided missiles starting in 1970, but 54 years after the skirmishes in the Dominican Republic, the 106mm-RR continues to be the main anti-tank and fire support weapon used by the Mexican and many Central and South American militaries. Those manufactured in Spain received the denomination “CSR-106” or “CSR CETME” 105mm while those built in Israel were called “M70s.”

Latin America’s M40A1 RR

Mexico has about 102 CSR-106s still in use, distributed among Recoilless Rifle Groups, comprising the First at San Juan Teotihuacan, the Second at Queretaro, the Third at Puebla, the Fourth at Sarabia, the Fifth and Sixth at 1-A Military Camp, Mexico D.F., the Seventh at San Miguel de los Jagüeyes and the Eighth at Chicoasen. The first M40A1 examples arrived in the early 1970s from Watervliet Arsenal (NY), followed by Spain’s Santa Barbara models in the 1980s, and then again from the U.S. in excess in the 1990s. The Mexican Army mounted its M40 RRs on Willys M38A1C, or its local equivalent the VAM J-3M, while the Navy mounted some of them on Jeep CJ-7s. Mexico received hundreds of M151s and M825s (together with numbers of M40A1s) in the early 1990s from excess stocks and U.S. pre-positioned warehouses. By 1994 Mexico had also incorporated thousands of Humvees, and eventually the M825 MUTTs (Military Utility Tactical Trucks) were replaced with M1038A1 troop carrier models. These RRs’ carriers were slightly modified with short pedestals to raise the M79 tripod high enough for the M40A1 tube to clear over the soft-top cabin, so the windshield could remain raised for travel and shooting. In 2014, Mexico purchased another 3,335 Humvee M1100 series vehicles, to include M1152 variants. This is an improved cargo/troop transport version with an integrated armor protection;3 modified as TTP (troop transport protected), and with modifications similar to the M1038A1 RR, an M1152A1 TTP-RR would have made for an expedient and more efficient armored support vehicle.

In Central America, Guatemala received a few U.S. examples, but ended up acquiring more than 56 M40A1 CSR-106s from Spain along with ECia 120mm mortars. In 1998, El Salvador organized the “AT Battalion” within the Cavalry Regiment, equipped with 18 AIL M-240 Recce Storm Jeeps and 18 M-240 Anti-Tank models. By 2019, only 12 operational CSR-106s were available, all mounted on repowered M-240 AIL jeeps. In 1977, Honduras obtained 16 160mm M66 mortars together with the first nine 106mm M70 RRs4 from Israel, and eventually amassed some 80 M40A1s to include U.S. and Spanish models. There were eight M70s on RBY-MK1 light armored vehicles, while others were mounted on M606A2 Jeeps, and Israeli Matmar Industries’ Jeep CJ-5 or CJ-6 Tolar versions.5 Honduras also adopted the Israeli practice of providing an anti-tank squad to each infantry battalion, and each brigade received an anti-tank company. Some 50 remain, mainly mounted on M825 or M998 vehicles.

In 1994, the Colombian Army restored 40 M3A1 Scout Cars, replacing the gas engines for diesels and mounting the M40A1 in the open bed. Within a decade, the Scout Cars RRs had been retired and replaced with M462 Abir Portee light trucks. The Portee was a dedicated weapon platform developed by AIL and fitted with ammunition racks, an additional fire extinguisher, equipment for the recoilless rifle and a rack at the rear for additional jerry cans, while the Colombians added some armor. Although local sources indicate that there are 75 M40A1s still operational, officially there are 63 of them.6 As a side note, Colombia has been the recipient of hundreds of Humvees, mostly M998s and M1097s, and the maintenance battalion (BAMAN) has reconstructed at least three of them to Buffalo VLBB standards. These are upgraded HMMWVs with an armored capsule that brings MRAP Level 1 protection for the crew. One of the capsule’s designs fits the two-cabin M1097 cargo variant, which, with further modifications as an RR carrier, would be an ideal fire support platform and an ideal replacement for the Abir Portee. 

The ground version of the M40 is mounted on an M79 “wheelbarrow” tripod, with a single front wheel and two solid legs while the M40A4 uses a conventional 3-leg M27 tripod. Either way, the weapon is not easily emplaced by hand. As result, Norway mounted its M40 on a two-wheel carriage and called it the Rekylfri Kanon 106mm M40. Austria built its own trailer and named it 10.6 cm rPAK (also rPak-66), and in its original form, the M40 was mounted on a simple two-wheel carriage towed 106mm RR M79 trailer. In August 2019, the Venezuelan automobile industry (ENSOVEN) developed a rolling platform for the weapon. It is similar in shape to the U.S. Marine M274, but unlike the Mule, the platform has two wheels and is not self-propelled. A number of Venezuelan RRs have been mounted on the Tiuna 106, a shortened version of the UR-53AR50 light truck, similar in design to the South Korean KM424 106mm recoilless rifle carrier, and developed by CENARECA (military auto industry). The Venezuelan Naval Weapons and Electronics Directorate (DAE) recovered four M40A1s in June 2016 for the 22nd Mariscal Antonio Jose de Sucre Marine Battalion, and by September 2019, the Military Industry complex (CAVIM) had refurbished the remaining 171 M40A1s. The weapons then were tested by the 12th Caribes Brigade before redistribution. 

Brazil has been a large user of the M40A1, retaining some 160 pieces that are operational today. The M40A1 is used by Bolivia, and there are some 24 with Ecuador. Uruguay has 69 M40A1s in use, some of them mounted on OT-64C/OT-93 APCs, and has deployed them with their forces serving with MONUC. In 2013, it was reported that Peru had deployed 36 M40A1s along the southern border with Chile.7 At one-point, Chile deployed some 500 M40A1/ CSR-106s. In 1978, when Chile’s Beagle Conflict with Argentina became acute, the No. 14 “Caupolicán” Infantry Regiment was the southernmost military unit of the Chilean Army facing Argentinean forces. It was the sole unit permanently based in Tierra del Fuego, so reinforcements came from the No. 10 “Pudeto” Infantry Regiment and from the “Cochrane” Marine Corps detachment. The M40A1 was the most important Chilean anti-tank weapon against the Argentineans, so these were supplied in quantities. The No. 145 regiment became the Reinforced Regiment No. 11 “Caupolican” on January 13, 2003, having as its headquarters El Porvenir. Currently, these regiments have become known as motorized detachments (DM), and the No. 11 DM still comprises one RR anti-tank company, together with the No. 11 “Caupolicán” Infantry Battalion, and the No. 13 “Tierra del Fuego” Artillery Group. Today, Chile has some 213 M40A1 RCLs in inventory, but only a handful are in service with the mentioned anti-tank company and the 106mm “Karut” Anti-tank Company, a unit subordinated to the No. 14 “Aysén” Reinforced Regiment based in the city of Coyhaique, under the IV Army Division. Some of the Chilean models have been upgraded with Simrad LP101 locators, computerized laser sights (CLASS) and MVS-800 night-vision systems, which allow accurate shots between 1200m and more than 2000m. The M40A1s are mounted on Jeep M-240 Storms, a multi-mission vehicle based on the Jeep Wrangler YJ and the CJ-6/CJ-8 wheelbase, built by the Israeli AIL. The M40 is used by conscribed soldiers, and familiarization is provided at “Las Bandurrias” training camp. The troops practice tactical use and combat doctrine. 

Paradise Was Hell,8 1980-1993

The offensive started with some 3,000 FMLN (Frente Farabundo Marti de Liberación Nacional) guerrillas descending from the mountains to San Salvador, occupying the neighborhoods of Mejicanos, Ciudad Delgado, Soyapango and San Jacinto, and then taking positions in the upper-class neighborhoods of San Benito, Maquilishuat, Lomas Verdes and Escalón. They also attacked the eastern cities of Zacatecoluca, San Miguel and Usulután. In their wake they overran the 1st Infantry Brigade’s positions, pushing the troops inside the Capital.9 Soon after the initial firefights, there were skirmishes in the north, east, and to a lesser extent, west of the Capital, and within 48 hours, San Salvador was a battlefield. Meanwhile, at El Paraíso Camp, in Chalatenango,10 everything was quiet—too quiet … .

El Paraiso Army Camp was one of the most besieged military garrisons in the country. The camp came into intensive fire in January 1981, when elements of the “Modesto Ramírez” guerrilla front, part of the FMLN, assaulted it and besieged the zone. In the early hours of December 30, 1983, 25 elements of the Selected Special Forces (FES), led by Dimas Rodríguez, had cleared a path through the trenches and mine fields of El Paraiso Camp with Bangalore torpedoes. Another 150 fighters of the X-21 battalion of the Popular Liberation Forces (FPL), who were hidden along the outer fence, charged through the openings, occupying and destroying the base. The attack had been executed perfectly, with the FPL’s K-93 battalion deployed west, occupying positions in the area of the Troncal del Norte highway, and attacked units at nearby El Refugio, El Barrancon in La Reina and the Colima bridge to block relief forces. The FPL’s SA-7 battalion besieged an infantry company stationed at the town of El Paraiso, setting up containments along the road to Santa Rita while the SS-20 battalion set siege to Military Detachment 1 in the city of Chalatenango. The guerrillas occupied the base for 2 days, ironically surrounded by companies from the Atlacatl and the Paratrooper battalions. As they threatened to kill the survivors, a compromise allowed them to leave on a convoy of 17 trucks and buses.

On March 31, 1987, guerrillas penetrated the perimeter once again,11 killing 64 Salvadoran soldiers and wounding 79. Their attack also killed SFC Gregory A. Fronius, an element of the 3rd Battalion, 7th SFG (A). El Paraiso was subjected to another attack in March 1988, and on September 13, 1988, another attack to the base was repelled by Army troops and U.S. advisors, Major James Parker, SSG Michael Roth, Captain Gilberto Aguiar, SFC Mario Orozco Torres and 1st Lt. Byron Castleman.12 In one of those assaults, the rebels decimated the crew of an M40A1 recoilless rifle (RR), seizing it but then failing to find the trigger to fire it against Army positions, allowing the soldiers to retake the piece. Another attack had taken place in September 1989, so upon the news of the offensive in San Salvador in November of that year, the garrison commander, Colonel Ciro López Roque cancelled all leave, while Colonel Gilbert Cáceres, S3 Officer, ordered a defensive posture. 

El Salvador, November 12, 198913

In the darkness of the early morning of November 12, 1989, on one of the defensive hills, Lieutenant Geovanni Hidalgo, Battalion Azmitía/2nd Company commander, kept watch along with a renewed crew of that same 106mm recoilless rifle momentarily lost to the enemy in a previous fight. Lt. Hidalgo watched the top of the mountain in front of him; he was aware that there was a bunker manned by local Special Forces at the crest and that previous attacks originated from that mountain just outside the base perimeter. Expecting any movement to come from the same place, Hidalgo decided to test fields of fire and calculated a point midway up the hill. After calling and checking with the nearby patrols, and lacking 12.7mm ammunition to use in the recoilless rifle’s aiming device, he, along with the gunner, simply measured the distance by sight. Hidalgo then ordered the crew to open fire. With orders to be silent, the gunner hesitated, but Hidalgo repeated, “I am telling you to shoot.” The gunner responded immediately and fired. The quick gunner’s reaction and the backblast cached the lieutenant by surprise, blinding him. While he wiped his eyes trying to recover, the radio came alive. Initially, it was feared that the round hit a nearby patrol but then they realized that the officer on the other side was asking for additional fire since the patrol had detected movement at the site of impact. Hidalgo then ordered another shot as he was recovering from his blindness; the gun crew was ahead of the order and fired, catching Hidalgo off-guard again and blinding him one more time.14 The crew and officer had forgotten that the 105mm projectile follows a curved trajectory, and instead of the side, the rounds were smashing at the foot of the mountain. The first round landed on top of the guerrilla concentration. To everyone’s surprise, as the second round landed, the base of the hill lit up. The round had smashed right on top of the guerrillas’ ammo and explosives, causing a catastrophic reaction at the point of impact. The survivors attempted suppressive fire against the recoilless gun position, but that ended quickly. At day light, the troops found the disabled mortars, traces of blood and signs of casualties.15 

From that point-on, all continued to be really quiet at the 4th Brigade while hell rained on San Salvador, where the fight was house to house. As elements of the 1st and 4th Paratrooper Squadrons broke the siege around Ilopango Air Base, they were joined by elements of the Arce Reaction Battalion pushing against a Soyapango suburb, where they engaged some 1,500 rebels of the PRTC and RN factions. As the troops advanced on rebel strongholds, the fight centered around the neighborhoods of Santos-I, Las Brisas and Reparto Guadalupe. The guerrillas finally relinquished their dug-in positions on the 16th, and were in full retreat on the 17th, with the paratroopers on their heels. The troops dragged an M40A1 RR with them to the edge of Venecia and Prusia areas, where some rebels were trapped, shelling their positions and decimating their strongholds until the fight finally ended. The battle continued elsewhere in the Capital for another 2 weeks. The CSR-106 had proven its worth, disrupting the fight in El Paraíso and helping to subdue enemy positions in Soyapango. 

A Place Called “Paradise”

It is important to dispel claims that El Paraiso base in El Salvador was devised by American advisers. “Paradise” Camp, located 64km from San Salvador and 24km from the departmental capital, Chalatenango, actually took shape in 1968-1969 as an advanced Salvadoran Army depot and as a blocking strongpoint against any Honduran incursion. It gained importance after the July 1969 war between the two countries. In the mid-1970s, the Salvadoran Army reorganized and consolidated its maneuvering units, with the 1st Infantry Brigade at San Carlos Camp (cuartel/barracks) in San Salvador, comprising the 1st Regiment, the Engineer Battalion (detachment) from Zacatecoluca, and the 4th Infantry Regiment from Chalatenango. It deployed troops along the border detachments housed at El Paraíso, Chalatenango, El Refugio, Arcatao and El Guayabo Dam. 

El Paraíso Camp was located on an esplanade not very strategically located in the municipality of El Paraíso, Chalatenango. The base covered a square kilometer of flat land while its installations occupied a hollow between Loma (“hill”) El Espinal to the north and Loma Lisa to the south in Columbia. The small town of El Paraíso is approximately 1.5km (by road) to the northeast while the Guayabo is less than 2km northwest. A main entrance to the Cerrón Grande Dam is approximately 1km southeast. The development of the Camp continued until November 4, 1980, when it was established as headquarters for the 4th Infantry Brigade, and with U.S. assistance, the defensive perimeter was established with barbed wire, fortifications and night lighting, in addition to the usual mobile patrols, fixed posts and a prevention guard. The base was neither impressive nor impregnable. 

Documents captured in 1990 indicated that the guerrillas’ attacks in November 1989 pretended to overrun the Ilopango Air Base, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th Infantry Brigade bases, the Engineer Detachment and the Arce and Atonal Battalion camps. Therefore, the failed attack on the 4th Brigade was diversionary in nature and was prepared by “only” about 100 rebels. Two well-placed—and lucky—105mm shots from the M40A1 were sufficient to thwart their intentions in 1989.

1. history.army.mil/html/reference/army_flag/dominican.html.
2. dsca.mil/major-arms-sales/mexico-m1152-high-mobility-multi-purpose-wheeled-vehicles-hmmwvs.
3. United States Congress, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 1979.
4. pmulcahy.com/light_uv/israeli_luv.htm.
5. Colombia: A Country Study. Edited by Rex A. Hudson, Library of Congress (U.S.), Federal Research Division.
6. elmostrador.cl/noticias/pais/2013/07/15/los-desconocidos-preparativos-militares-en-chile-y-peru-previos-al-fallo-de-la-haya.
7. soc.mil/ARSOF_History/articles/v3n1_paraiso_page_1.html.
8. cambridge.org/core/books/the-salvador-option/guerrilla-second-final-offensive-november-1989/6562240F43C7C91E92901ABA8788AF36.
9. contrapunto.com.sv/archivo2016/cultura/literatura/romper-un-candado-asalto-al-cuartel-el-paraiso-1983. cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP90- 00965R000200730001-2.pdf.
10. cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP90-00965R000200730001-2.pdf.
11. fas.org/irp/agency/dod/socom/2007history.pdf.
12. From LA F.A.E.S. a Fierro y Machete: Recopilación de Detalles Históricos de las Fuerzas de Tierra de El Salvador, draft presented to the Salvadoran Ministry of Culture, July 2019.
13. Testimony provided by Geovanni Hidalgo.
14. From LAF.A.E.S.aFierroyMachete:RecopilacióndeDetallesHistóricosdelasFuerzasdeTierradeElSalvador, draft presented to the Salvadoran Ministry of Culture, July 2019.

The Need

I’ve had students ask what firearm I recommend for home protection. There are three that come to mind, the pistol, rifle and shotgun. Many will argue that the rifle and shotgun are more efficient than a pistol with larger calibers and ease of firing. Hollywood leads you to believe that the sound of the shotgun “rack” or rifle “bolt-slam” will stop a situation “in its tracks.” A draw back to both is their size, maneuverability in close quarters and over penetration or scattering of the projectile(s). I argue that the pistol is relatively easy to conceal or hide, can be stashed in various locations throughout the home and can be equipped with night sights, lasers and flashlights. It may not have the sound “that strikes fear,” but it’s easier to maneuver in crowded conditions, and therefore is my recommendation.

If you want to have all three available for home protection, then consider making each comfortable to handle and control, particularly if you’re grip and strength challenged. According to a recent article in the NRA’s American Rifleman, Kelly Young, Managing Editor, wrote an excellent article on “The Aging Defender.” In the article, reference is made that “Age-related physical decline is inevitable, but there are ways for armed citizens to both slow and circumvent it through behavioral and equipment changes.” Behavioral changes are as simple as changing your diet or increasing your physical activity. Equipment changes may require you to downsize (i.e., having to give up your COLT 1911 .45 for a Smith & Wesson M&P.380 Shield), or if you are fond of your current firearm, you can modify it without having to give up what you love. For any of the three methods, a “more aggressive surface on the grip area” may be all you need for better control of the firearm, during firing and recoil. That’s where TALON Grips and Tips come into play.

The Application

“Users of TALON Grips benefit from improved control, comfort and precision which increases safety, confidence and enjoyment while shooting.” A certain level of confidence with a firearm, leads to competence in its usage. Therefore, applying a more aggressive surface to the grip area of all three firearms will give comfort and precision without having to downsize to something else. If you’re grip challenged and love a certain firearm(s) there is no reason to downsize or sell what you enjoy. 

The Solution

My Remington 870 has a unique forearm. This was a popular design and has the high gloss finish of the 1960’s. Its slippery finish includes the area where the fingers grip the inset groove during its racking. The grasp of the forearm could be slick due to weather or “age-related physical decline.” TALON Grips sent two DIY 5×7-inch material sheets of granulate and rubber texture (one each), so the material could be cut to fit the design of the forearm groove. After designing what is needed for the groove on a plain piece of paper, it is transferred to the granulate texture sheet and applied to the grooved area. The bottom of the forearm is already sharply checkered, needing no enhancement. The handgrip of the shotgun, also of the same 1960’s finish, could use some of the rubber texture to assist the gripping quality without being harsh on the hand. It’s something I chose not to do at this time but have the material in the event I change my mind. In the event the granulated texture is too harsh, a TALON Tip recommends the use of 120-grit sandpaper to make the grip less abrasive.

I am more proficient with my pistol for home protection and competition. Even though the current hand grip on the Smith & Wesson M&P.380 Shield has a roughened exterior, I’ve found movement of my grip still occurs during shooting. It’s ever so slight, but noticeable. TALON Grips sent a specifically designed grip for the M&P which I applied to better eliminate that movement. I chose the rubber texture over the granulate one. The rubber would be better for the softer palm area of the hand. I use this pistol during my classes, and the ladies who use it haven’t toughened their hands when shooting. One of the most common comments is the comfort or lack of it in a tight grip.

When applying the rubber grip to the pistol, I had to consciously keep from stretching the rubberized material. In removing the backing, the rubber kept sticking to my fingers, and I feared the rubber would stick to itself. It took me a while to finally attach the material; I did have to reposition it several times. I was mindful of the TALON Tip, “Never allow any portion of the grip to cover the magazine release button.” The repositioning was not a problem, but keeping air bubbles from forming under the material and material folds when laying the material flat became a challenge. Eventually, it was properly positioned. A TALON Tip recommended cleaning the grip with rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth to enhance the rubber texture. I also used a rubber trigger index point for the positioning of my finger alongside the frame and a reminder of where to rest my finger when not engaging the trigger.

I misidentified the grip on the AR-15. The design that TALON Grips sent was for the MOE. However, I was able to adapt the material with slight changes. Because my AR-15 grip had finger grooves, I cut horizontal lines into the right side of the granulate texture design so I could wrap it into the grooves. I could have 

Applying the TALON Grip

Ten simple steps in applying the aggressive surface (granulate or rubber texture) will easily transform what you currently love to shoot into several choices for home protection and even competition:

1. Unload and FIELD STRIP the firearm for safety.
2. With the backing still on the TALON Grip, do a TEST FIT to ensure you have the correct grip and to understand how the grip fits the firearm.
3. Use ONLY RUBBING ALCOHOL to CLEAN the
   pistol grip area removing any dirt or oil. The firearm must be completely dry before continuing. For improved cleaning, use extra rubbing alcohol and a small brush in addition to the supplied alcohol swabs.
4. Remove the backing.
5. Starting with the left side, ALIGN the TALON Grip with the front and bottom of the factory pistol grip (A and B), maintaining a consistent reveal around the magwell (some grips have graphic cutouts which may help with proper alignment).
6. DO NOT STRETCH; gently WRAP the grip onto pre-vent trapping air. Make sure the grip is properly cen- tered on the backstrap (C).
7. Very lightly wrap the finger strip(s) (D) evenly around the front of the pistol. TUCK any excess material UNDER the left side panel (A). If the TALON Grip is misaligned, gently peel back the grip, reposition and reapply as many times as needed.
8. When the TALON Grip is properly aligned, HEAT it with a hair dryer or heat gun to the temperature of a warm cup of coffee and PRESS FIRMLY into place. DO NOT HEAT OVER 130 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
9. REPEAT this step several times, confirming the TALON Grip to the gun’s factory grip.
10. Pay attention to pressing down firmly all outside edges including the backstrap.”

also created a grip from scratch from the additional DIY 5×7-inch material sheets. 

I did not follow the TALON Tip which recommended that I contact customer support if the grip was not properly fitting. They would have sent me the proper grip design, and I would not have violated the TALON Tip, “Trimming the grip is not necessary.” A lesson learned!

The Result

With grip material applied to all three firearms, under good weather conditions I had better retention while shooting. Even with wet or sweaty hands when under stress my response would benefit from the added grip. The Trigger Index Points in both rubber and granular are a subtle reminder of the second rule of firearms safety: “Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.” With over 300 different grips in both granulate and rubber textures you can customize any firearm. The stick-on grips and points are offered at a very affordable price and are available in rubber-black, rubber-moss and granulate-black materials for different applications and user preferences. TALON Grips was founded in 2009 by a law enforcement officer, who is also a competitive shooter, firearm’s instructor and armorer. TALON Grips is 100% made in the USA and here to “enhance shooter comfort, consistency and weapon retention for law enforcement, military, competitive shooters and the general public.”

Home defense can happen in any weather. With TALON Grips you’ll be ready. Let TALON Grips and Tips be your three-gun solution. 

Just what exactly separates mankind from the apes? Geneticists tell us there isn’t much more than a couple percentage points’ difference in DNA between your typical human politician and a chimpanzee. Admittedly, that’s perhaps not the best example of the human archetype. However, aside from a relative dearth of body hair and an insensate attachment to vacuous daytime television, Homo sapiens’ primary functional difference from our simian brethren is our remarkable proclivity for contriving tools.

Before we have to field reams of irate missives from angry monkey apologists, I acknowledge that apes can and do indeed use tools. However, there is a broad gulf between running a stick into an anthill to fetch insects for one’s dinner and designing the latest iPhone. This deep into the Information Age, mankind’s capacity to engineer contraptions with which he might manipulate his environment truly defies categorization. Additionally, it strikes me that “angry monkey apologists” would be a great name for either an intramural football team or a rock band.

Gerber Cred

Amidst a limitless sea of cool, man-portable hardware, Gerber’s lineup reigns supreme for its functionality, portability and field-proven ruggedness. Back when I was an Army Aviator, a Gerber Multi-Plier was my constant companion. The pliers deployed with a flick of the wrist in the manner of a Fallschirmjäger gravity knife. 

That marvelous thing and I travelled the world together, removing inspection covers on Army helicopters, building survival shelters, cleaning underneath my fingernails, squeezing things and reverently opening care packages from home. Alas, as near as I might ascertain, I snagged my beloved Multi-Plier on some brush and unwittingly donated that magnificent tool to the vast Alaskan wilderness someplace. That extraordinary Multi-Plier will forever occupy a warm spot in my heart. May it rest in peace.

No kidding, the totality of cool Gerber tools is legitimately overwhelming. Amongst sundry knives, scissors, skinners, wrenches, files, pliers, tomahawks, glass breakers and seatbelt cutters, the Short Stack is optimized to support Gene Stoner’s classic black rifle. Offering phenomenal capabilities in a package small enough to hide inside a Magpul MOE or MIAD pistol grip, the Short Stack will help keep your favorite modern sporting rifle shooting straight and running reliably without a significant weight or space penalty. You can tuck a snippet of cleaning rag into the grip with the tool to keep it from rattling. The number of features the good folks at the Gerber skunk works crammed into this thing is frankly surreal (gerbergear.com). 

Multifunction Madness 

The Short Stack AR tool comes with a comic-book-style instruction sheet that demonstrates all its sundry features. As a card-carrying American male, it pains me to admit this, but you might want to take a glance at the instructions before you just dive in. I wasn’t smart enough to figure out how to open the thing up unassisted, and I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering. (EDITOR’S NOTE: All male readers need to commend Dr. Dabbs on his public candor in admitting the masculine shortcoming of not reading directions. He should have started with “Hi, I’m Will, and … I’m a guy …” and Will, we do have female readers, so you’ve kind of let that cat out of the bag now.) 

Once you get the technique down there is literally nothing to it, however. The three major components are cut from blackened 410 stainless steel and held in place with those preternaturally strong rare earth magnets. A little rubber doodad holds a pair of tool bits. The whole shebang just drips with pure, unfiltered awesome. 

In addition to the expected Gerber level of quality throughout, the Short Stack has the function of each aspect of the tool helpfully printed on the outside. Some of these features you will use more than others, but it is just super cool to have such versatility in such a compact portable package. The Gerber Short Stack is proudly made in the USA and is supported by a superb limited lifetime warranty.

Mechanical Details

The Short Stack is purpose-designed to support the AR-15 family of weapons. Some of its features might obliquely translate to your AK or GLOCK, but it is Gene Stoner’s Space Age wonder that most benefits from the device. From the size of the wrenches to the peculiar mechanical esoterica, the Short Stack makes maintaining your black rifle easier, cleaner, faster and safer.

There is a handy front sight adjustment tool. Back in my day, we had to undertake this chore with the point of a bullet. Considering we didn’t typically have scads of live rounds just sitting around in a training environment this made front sight adjustments a chore of the highest order. With the Short Stack just push down and twist to zero your front sight for elevation.

The direct gas impingement system of the AR-15 is a mature, reliable and accurate mechanism. However, it is also undeniably filthy. Run a couple hundred rounds through your home defense AR, and its entrails start to look like the bottom of your barbecue grill. The Short Stack includes purpose-designed tools to help you efficiently de-gunk your black gun. 

A firing pin cleaning tool is designed such that you can run the firing pin into a three-lobed slot and use it to help access those hard-to-reach places where carbon fouling tends to hide. The bolt carrier scraper fits perfectly down the front of the bolt carrier and helps you remove carbon buildup deep in its recesses. A sharp-edged scraper helps you get rid of that pesky stuff that clings so tenaciously to the tail of the bolt itself as well. 

There is a slot that will accept a cleaning cable pull-through so you can keep your bore squeaky clean. One threaded component of the rig will accept a standard GI chamber or bore brush and provide the leverage you need to do some proper scrubbing. The rare earth magnets that hold everything together do double duty as a small parts holder. I look back without fondness to the several times I have been in the midst of some mechanical travail with some deadlined weapon and mislaid that one tiny little widget I needed to get it back up and running. These magnetized bits help keep little pins and springs from wandering. 

Down here in the Deep South, it can be considered child abuse if you let your high school graduate leave the house for college without having built at least one AR rifle together. The Short Stack includes a buffer tube lock nut wrench that lets you snug the castle nut down or slip it off without lugging an institutional toolbox to the range. There is also a ¾-inch wrench designed to help manipulate standard black rifle flash suppressors. Hook two of the three components together to enhance leverage and subsequent mechanical advantage for those particularly beefy tasks. 

I have seen some factory flash suppressors that took a heavy automotive wrench and an ample breaker bar to get loose. The Short Stack likely won’t help you much there. However, sound suppressors are expensive, and that onerous $200 transfer tax is hardly front pocket change. It therefore behooves us to use one can across as many platforms as possible. With the Short Stack, removing flash suppressors to thread on a can may be undertaken comfortably at the bench.

A 7mm wrench stabilizes the nut on a standard M-LOK fastener. An interchangeable driver accepts the hex bit needed to manage the other end of the M-LOK bolt. With the Short Stack tucked into your Magpul pistol grip, you can swap out forearm accessories on the go.

There is a 4mm wrench as well as a small Phillips screwdriver included among the interchangeable bits; ½-inch and 3/8-inch wrenches round out the mechanical ensemble. Other unlisted applications are limited solely by your imagination.

Practicalities

Back when I wore the uniform, we spent untold hours scrubbing away at our old M16A1 rifles until they met the armorer’s exacting standards of cleanliness. That sadist wasn’t satisfied until we had those weapons cleaner than when they first left the factory. Even back then we improvised tools to help us with this onerous chore.

Somebody would typically bring a can or two of brake cleaner until one young stud got squirted in the eye with it and had to go to the hospital. We could manage automatic grenade launchers and multimillion dollar helicopters, but we apparently lacked the dexterity and maturity to wield a spray can. The guy’s eye was red and angry for a while, but it turned out fine.

My favorite tool back in the day was improvised out of a piece of coat hanger wire. I banged the end into a little steel fan and gave the wire a jaunty bend to craft a monkey-made version of what Gerber did so much better. My homebuilt scraper helped dig carbon out of the nose of the bolt carrier but still missed quite a bit. By contrast, the Gerber Short Stack is perfectly dimensioned for this purpose.

Practical Tactical

These days I don’t have some perennially agitated arms room custodian running white cloth through the entrails of my weapons to ensure that they are flawlessly maintained. As a result, many of the guns in my collection that don’t sit next to the door for the inevitable day the zombies come are not kept as tidy as perhaps should be the case. To put the Short Stack through a proper test I picked something truly gross and nasty, stripped it down to pins and springs and proceeded to channel my inner Basic trainee.

Suffice to say I would love to have had one of these little jewels back in the day. The Short Stack helps get into those hard-to reach places where the First Sergeant always knew to look for that last scrap of carbon that would sentence you to another hour of scrubbing through your already fairly clean weapon. While cleaning weapons is still messy, tedious, and gross, the Short Stack does indeed make it markedly less thus.

Ruminations

Operate within the limitations of the device. The Short Stack is not the optimal tool to try to torque off that flash suppressor that someone at the SIG SAUER factory installed with a hydraulic press. However, once the muzzle device is ever so slightly dislodged, the Short Stack will keep things plenty tight for any imaginable tactical scenario.

The beauty of Gerber’s multifunction tools is that they let you do more with less. The sheer volume of full-sized conventional tools that would be required to do what this tiny little device can manage would be adequate to fill a proper tacklebox. By dropping the Short Stack into your pocket, tactical vest or pistol grip, however, you can do most of the stuff you need to do to keep your service rifle running smoothly and well without adding undue strain to that grueling 15-mile ruck march. If your day job does not involve humping the Hindu Kush, the Short Stack minimizes mechanical frustrations during a pleasant Saturday afternoon at the range.

Rugged, inspired and brilliantly executed, the Gerber Short Stack is the Swiss Army Knife of gun maintenance tools. Small enough to tuck into some of the most unremarkable places yet sufficiently capable to warrant inclusion in the most discriminating loadout or range bag, the Short Stack is a lot of tool for the money. It also keeps us reliably ahead of the monkeys.