Despite the similar name and subject matter, this new title is completely separate from the 1994 book Misfire: The Story of How America’s Small Arms Have Failed Our Military, by William Hallahan.

With that noted and out of the way, let’s look at the 2019 title by authors Bob Orkand and Lyman Duryea. Col. Duryea and Lt. Col. Orkand are both retired U.S. Army Infantry members, and both served in Vietnam during the early years.

Initially, I found this book somewhat difficult to read due to it jumping around in time too much. The first chapter begins by describing a January 1961 snowstorm in Washington, D.C. This leads into the inaugural ceremonies for President John F. Kennedy. In fact, I actually started reading it and then put it aside for later. Once I got past the first chapter, it generally went better.

Duryea and Orkand describe the trial by fire of the M16 rifle in the early days of the Vietnam War. It may be difficult to imagine now, nearly 60 years later and in service with over 80 nations, but the early versions of the rifle had serious issues.

As the book explains, there was a chain of events that led to many lives lost. This perfect storm of failures could have been avoided if the proper choices had been made.

To sum up, the ArmaLite firm had developed their AR-15 rifle using a specific load that used IMR-4475 (Improved Military Rifle) extruded smokeless powder made by DuPont™. This particular load gave an average velocity of roughly 3,150 fps, enough to penetrate a steel helmet at 300 yards. The Army insisted on a muzzle velocity of 3,250 fps in order to pierce a helmet at 500 yards. (The authors note that the NVA soldiers wore a soft pith helmet, while the Viet Cong seldom wore any headgear at all.) In order to achieve the higher velocity without exceeding the allowable maximum chamber pressure (52,000 psi), the IMR-4475 powder was replaced with a spherical “ball” type powder, WC846. However, while the chamber pressure was not exceeded, the port pressure was. As the bullet moves down the barrel, the pressure behind it begins to decrease as the powder is consumed. This pressure curve is different for each powder. Ball powder WC846 retains more pressure closer to the muzzle, so as the soldier’s bullet passed the gas port (a small hole in the barrel), the gas system was exposed to noticeably greater pressure.

This increase in port pressure caused a dramatic increase in the rate of fire, which in turn led to more parts breakage. Much more importantly, the jump in port pressure led to a surge in Failure to Extract (FTE) malfunctions. With the pressure in the barrel still high, the brass cartridge case was still expanded tightly against the chamber wall. This greatly increased the resistance of the empty case to slide out of the chamber as the extractor claw pulled on the case rim. In addition to the propellant issue, the chambers and barrels were not chrome-plated on the early rifles. In the very humid climate of Vietnam, corrosion soon set in, causing the chamber to become pitted. Perhaps the troops could have prevented such corrosion if they had been made aware of the issue and kept their guns well cleaned. This is the next great failure. The rifles often did not come with a cleaning kit. And, to make matters worse, the soldiers were often told the new wonder-gun did not need cleaning!

The result was huge number of FTEs during firefights, caused by a combination of excess port pressure and pitted and corroded chamber walls, brought on by a lack of training and cleaning kits. Once the rim had torn off the brass case, the only way to get the case out was to push it out with a cleaning rod. And, as noted, there were too few issued. The book refers to documented cases of troops under fire searching for a cleaning rod.

Unfortunately, the powers that be did not wise up to this problem nearly fast enough. The natural tendency of the upper military is to blame the troops on the ground. Duryea and Orkand state: “The first military reaction to poorly functioning weapons is to blame it on inadequate maintenance by the troops. A little bit of professional communication would have revealed that the problem wasn’t with the men. Many commanders looked no further.” And also: “This is a perfect example of senior officers out of touch with the men doing the fighting. The greater the distance from the action, the greater the tendency to discount reports from the field.” This is noted in chapter 5, called, appropriately enough, “CYA—The Name of the Game.”

As I mentioned above, chapter 1 is somewhat tedious to read. Chapter 2 gets into the technical aspects, including a brief mention of studies done in 1929 by the Ballistics Research Laboratory that recommended a smaller diameter round like .25 or .276. Naturally, the Army stayed with a .30-caliber round.

Chapter 3 looks at the early years at ArmaLite and of Eugene Stoner’s work there. It also looks at the Ordnance Department’s stubbornness to consider any outside designs (NIH, or Not Invented Here), and the .223/5.56x45mm round. This aversion to anything new also included the general concept of an assault rifle. The Ordnance Department loved their heavy, semiauto M14, not the light, selective-fire AR-15. Also discussed are Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and his team of “whiz kids,” young and bright, but with little military experience who tended not to listen to experienced military advisors.

Chapter 4, titled, “The Small Arms Systems Test,” looks at the SAWS test that took place between July and November 1965. Included in the test were the M14, M14E2, XM16E1 and the belt-fed M60 MG. The guns were put through a series of trials, with all potential issues noted. There was a list of 29 possible malfunctions! (Not every gun faced all issues. Number 29 is a partial misfeed from a linked belt and only applies to the M60.) This is where the problems faced by the XM16E2 should have been noted and corrected, if not already dealt with.

Chapter 6, “The Troops Deploy,” starts out a bit dry with a long detailed summary of which units went where in Vietnam. If you were there, you will probably enjoy seeing your unit listed. After several pages, it changes direction to discuss propellant characteristics, specifically IMR-4475 and WC846. Both powders were used in the M193 cartridge. Also mentioned is that the brass used in the cartridge case was not sufficiently hard. This caused the soft brass to flow into the tiny pits in the chambers, further adding to the resistance noted in the explanation above. I was not aware of this prior to reading this book.

Chapter 7 is written by Col. Duryea and describes the death of PFC Joseph Reid. Private Reid was the first soldier to die under Duryea’s command, and his death was directly due to an FTE. This is followed by a series of quotes from various sources, giving opposing opinions on the XM16E1. Several quotes are from the Ichord Subcommittee Report that examined the M16’s problems. In response to growing complaints about the rifle’s reliability, the House Armed Services Committee formed a subcommittee headed by Congressman Richard Ichord (D-MO). This report can be found on the web, if interested.

Chapter 8, “Someone Had Blundered,” continues with the Ichord Report and its findings. Some highlights include noting that the decision to use WC846 powder may have been influenced by the manufacturer Olin Mathieson’s “close relationship” with three Army commands involved with ammunition purchase. The report also states that it was “at least unethical” for Maj. Gen. Nelson Lynde, Jr., the commanding general of the Army Weapons Command, to jump straight to Colt immediately after retiring from the Army.

The book quotes a Small Arms Review article, “The M16 in Vietnam.

Just The Facts!” in Vol. 9, No. 5, February 2006 where Christopher Bartocci states: “The principal and most serious cause of the malfunctions of the AR-15/M16 rifle in Vietnam was the failure to chrome-plate the chamber.” However, Duryea and Orkand note elsewhere that clean new rifles would often have FTE issues with WC846 ammo and not with IMR-4475 ammo. Most likely, it was a perfect storm of pitted, non-chromed chambers firing soft brass ammo loaded with WC846.

Chapter 9 is written by Lt. Col. Orkand. It begins with the touchy subject of the role of media in the war. Orkand says: “It wasn’t the press that ‘lost the war’ in Vietnam for the U.S. The war’s outcome, to the contrary, was a self-inflicted wound resulting from decisions made by our nation’s totally befuddled military and civilian leadership.” The several pages of media issues also include President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost middle America” comment, after watching CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite’s report in February 1968. The chapter then reverts back to further discussion of the Ichord Report. Orkand notes the tone of the report, with the words “unethical,” “unbelievable” and “borders on criminal negligence” quoted.

Chapter 10 takes a look at the TFX/F-111 aircraft project, of all things. The authors compare the TFX program to the M16 mess to point out McNamara’s faults. The Tactical Fighter Experimental eventually grew into the USAF F-111 Aardvark swing-wing jet. But it started out as a joint Navy and USAF fighter-bomber program. Both services were looking for new aircraft in the early ‘60s. McNamara ordered both services to work together on a joint design. He also felt the Marines and even the Army could make use of a jack-of-all-trades aircraft. In spite of the official selection board recommending the proposal by Boeing, McNamara ignored their choice and chose the General Dynamics design. The USAF also favoured the Boeing design. The Navy didn’t like either design but tried to develop a suitable variant. In 1968, after years of trying, the Navy cancelled its version.

Chapter 11 is a history lesson that deals with “Vietnamization,” the training of the South Vietnamese to fight on their own. It also looks at Code of Conduct issues and discusses corrupt Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) leadership and its effect on morale. A relevant point the authors make is: “No amount of training and equipment can offset corruption, lack of motivation and self-interest.”

Chapter 12, “Author’s Commentary,” Duryea comments on Colt continuing to test its guns with IMR-4475 ammo, while being well aware that the ammo used in Vietnam was WC846. Worse, the Army was also aware of this. For this, Duryea writes: “Colt and Army decision-makers were thus directly complicit in an unknown number of Americans killed in close combat, one of whom was my first KIA as a company commander.”

In summary, this book covers a lot of ground, not just the M16 woes. It looks at corruption in the ARVN, the role of media, the poor decisions made by LBJ, McNamara and Gen. Westmoreland. At times, I found it changing direction within chapters and to be rather repetitive on the propellant issue. It does cover an important period in U.S. military history through the eyes of two men who were there.

Early-Version M16s—A Perfect Storm of Failures
MISFIRE: The Tragic Failure of the M16 in Vietnam
Author: Bob Orkand and Lyman Duryea
Publisher: Stackpole Books
ISBN: 978-0-8117-3796-8
Copyright: 2019
Hardcover: 6.24”x0.87”x9.33”, 251 pages, with Color/B&W photos
MSRP: $29.95 (USD)

The Martini-Henry Rifle Collector’s Bible

The legendary Martini-Henry (M-H) rifle served Great Britain and the British Commonwealth in the late 1800s, during some of the bloodiest battles the British Army faced. You may recall it being featured in the classic 1964 movie “Zulu.”

The name refers to the design features it incorporated. It was a combination of the Martini action and a unique rifling pattern invented by Alexander Henry. Introduced in 1871, it was the primary rifle until the Lee-Metford and Lee-Enfield arms were adopted in 1888. Production ended in 1889, yet it continued to serve in reserve units until the end of WWI in 1918.

The Foreword is written by International Military Antiques, Inc. owner Christian Cranmer. (His son Alex often appears on “Pawn Stars” as an expert on old guns.) Christian describes bringing many tons of surplus guns and equipment from Nepal to the UK and United States in 2003. Soon after, a hardcore M-H collector named Neil Aspinshaw came calling. Aspinshaw, the author of this book, is also the creator and owner of www.martinihenry.org.

Following that is the Prologue: Wednesday, 22^nd January 1879: The last moments of a Redcoat. This is an account of the disastrous Battle of Isandlwana, in modern day Republic of South Africa where the British Army lost over 1,300 men in one afternoon. It is told through the eyes of Private 883 John Kempster. Naturally it is a somewhat fictitious account, as 883 perished along with most of his unit, the 1^st Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot. Private Kempster was a real soldier, and author Aspinshaw is proud to be the custodian of his campaign medal. The book is also dedicated to him.

This book features many color photographs of complete rifles, interior close-up photos and old B&W period photos. It also has many old patent and engineering drawings and sketches, as well as several battle scene depiction paintings. This offers a great mix of images. Almost every picture is accompanied with a caption. Going beyond the images, the main body of text covers the M-H’s early development, the rifle trials, weaknesses and improvements and changes throughout its service life.

Besides the technical aspects, the author also describes the M-H in battle. He also tackles the thorny issue of reliability. Due to the bloody defeat at the hands of the Zulu warriors at Isandlwana, the rifle came under close scrutiny. Aspinshaw is of the opinion that the rifle was fine; although early batches of ammunition were problematic.

The author did not simply recycle old war stories in regards to this issue. He spent countless hours studying reports from the era, mainly housed at the British National Archives at Kew Gardens and the Royal Armouries at Leeds. Quoting heavily from these reports, Aspinshaw suggests that the problem lay with the ammo, specifically the “rolled case” 577/450 Mk III Boxer design. The rolled case method of fabricating cases from thin sheets of brass foil created a cartridge with a very unique appearance. Wrinkled best describes it. The brass foil is wrapped around a mandrel, along with other parts for the base. The parts were then soldered together to create a case somewhat like a paper shotgun shell. Incidentally, I did notice one minor error here. The brass foil is 0.003-inch thick, not 0.0003 inch as stated. Three thousandths of an inch thick is flexible but not flimsy. Three ten-thousandths of an inch would be like tissue paper. These rolled cases worked well as long as they were not dented or bent. Unfortunately, this often occurred in combat. Chapter 17, Ammunition for the Martini-Henry: The Boxer Cartridge, and Chapter 18, Boxer Ammunition and the Great Jamming Debate, go into detail regarding this. Aspinshaw feels that six factors affected the jamming issue. These are:

1) Case shape. It was not tapered; instead it was parallel-sided.
2) The case would expand tightly against the chamber wall upon firing.
3) Any sand or dust in the chamber or on the cartridge increased the friction.
4) Denting or damage to the fragile case would make it difficult to load into the chamber.
5) If the paper of the paper-patched bullet became “rucked up” or folded back over itself, it became difficult to load.
6) The internal lacquering of the cases could gum up the chamber.

These issues disappeared with the adoption of modern drawn brass cases.

Other related models of the basic Martini action were tested and used by the British military. These are covered in detail as well. Chapter 12 studies the short-lived Enfield-Martini (E-M). (Notice that in this case the Martini name is second.) This was meant to be an updated model, chambered in a new .402-inch cartridge. However, as cartridge design was progressing at a rapid pace worldwide, Britain did not want to commit to a new caliber only to replace it with a newer smaller diameter round soon after. So, after spending 6 years (from 1881 to 1887) toying with the idea of replacing the M-H with the E-M, the E-M project was cancelled. Amazingly, the E-M rifles already made were converted back to M-H rifles! These are the M-H Mk IV “long-lever” pattern guns, in the original 577/450 round. The .402 barrels were removed from the action, re-bored to .450 inch, then refitted to the action and re-proofed. These will have two sets of proof marks stamped into the underside of the barrel. Chapter 13 covers this nicely.

Chapter 14 looks at the Martini-Metford, while chapter 15 covers the Martini-Enfield. Both of these are chambered in .303 British. The names Metford and Enfield refer to the type of rifling used. Metford rifling worked well with black powder but quickly burned out with early smokeless powder. Enfield-style rifling, so named as it was developed at the Enfield arsenal, lasted much longer with Cordite propellant. Notice the order of the names, the M-E being a .303, and the ill-fated E-M being .402.

Chapters on gun manufacture (neat old factory photos!), ammo (as mentioned above), bayonets and scabbards and care and repair round out the topics. An Appendices section that covers Service and Armoury Marks, Unit Markings and a section on Identification: Gun by Gun help to sort out all the many variations. Oddly enough, it does not have a detailed Index at the end, only a basic chapter list at the front. Not a big deal, but it is nice to have an index.

This book does a splendid job of describing all the numerous variants of rifles and carbines that derived from the original Martini-Henry design. This author highly recommends this book.

The Martini-Henry: For Queen and Empire
Full title: The Martini-Henry: For Queen and Empire—The British Military Martini-Henry, Martini-Metford and Martini-Enfield Rifles and Carbines; the Definitive History of Their Development and Service, 1869–1904
Author: Neil Aspinshaw
ISBN: 978-0-9960731-2-7
Copyright: 2019
Binding: Hardcover color
Size: 8.75x 11.25in
Pages: 256; Colour/B&W photos: Many color and B&W (sepia tone) photos, plus patent drawings, factory drawings and battle scene artworks, etc.
Publisher: Tharston Press, an imprint of International Military Antiques, Inc. (IMA)

Anyone interested in the history, development, selection and use of modern military rifles will find this book to be a very useful reference source. Assault Rifles covers all aspects of the infantry rifle design, from its first inception, to its current state and to future trends.

This book is the collaboration between authors Maxim Popenker and Anthony Williams. Mr. Popenker, a Russia-based author, is the owner of the excellent website, Modern Firearms. Mr. Williams, from the U.K., also has his own site called Military Guns and Ammunition. This site focuses on current and older military ammo up to 57mm artillery-size rounds. Both authors have previously contributed articles to Small Arms Review.

Although the first gun to take the title “assault rifle,” or Sturmgewehr in German, was the StG 44, the authors make mention of a Russian design from the First World War. The Fedorov Avtomat of 1916 was the first to meet the accepted definition of a true assault rifle. Specifically, it must be capable of full-auto fire (usually selective fire), be magazine-fed and fire an “intermediate” power round. The cartridge used was the Japanese 6.5x50SR (semi-rimmed) Arisaka round. This seemingly odd choice of ammo came about due to capturing guns and ammo during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905 and buying large amounts from Japan at the start of WWI. While very few Fedorovs were produced (~3000), they did see some action in the Russian Civil War (post-1917 Revolutions).

Assault Rifle is divided into two main sections. “Part I, Introduction,” starts with a look at the history of guns in battle, technical aspects of the various guns, as well as a very thorough study of assault rifle cartridges. The second section is a country-by-country study of the various guns in use, as well as experimental prototypes.

From a personal perspective, I found the first section to be the more interesting part, as it deals with the “nuts and bolts” of the design and development process. Part I details the progressive improvements of recent assault rifles, as well as some little-known, and sometimes unusual, experimental models. Procurement process shenanigans are mentioned as well. The portion on cartridge evolution and the ultimate selection by NATO members is most interesting. The authors detail the large volume of research that goes into designing the “perfect” cartridge.

A fine balance must be drawn between various factors when choosing a service round. Sufficient knockdown power, minimum recoil (in order to allow for controllable full-auto fire), high enough velocity to give a flat trajectory, heavy enough bullets to retain momentum at longer ranges and yet still be light enough to carry a sufficient number, etc., are all valid points to consider.

After much research by Britain, along with additional support from Belgium and Canada (“BBC committee”), the 7x43mm cartridge was submitted for NATO trials in 1950. However, good old-fashioned politics reared its ugly head at this point. The U.S. military decided to keep a .30-caliber bore diameter and simply shorten the venerable .30-06 service round slightly to create what would eventually become the 7.62x51mm NATO. The great flaw in this choice was that it was far too powerful to be fired from the shoulder in full-auto mode, meaning that the gun and ammo combo was outdated even before it was adopted.

Very soon after the adoption of the M14 and its 7.62×51 cartridge, the U.S. was once again looking for a true select-fire, intermediate-round assault rifle. The result was the famous M16 and its .223 Remington (5.56x45mm NATO) round. While the M16/5.56 combination fits the description of an assault rifle, there has been criticism of its lack of knockdown power.

Now, far too many years after the original British studies (from 1945 to 1951) which led to the 7×43 proposal, the U.S. military is testing the 6.8×43 Remington SPC (Special Purpose Cartridge). Although not identical, the 6.8×43 is suspiciously similar to the 7×43 round rejected so long ago. Part I, Chapter 4 covers this controversy in detail.

“Part II: The Weapons” deals with the guns. It is very encyclopedia-like, listing the entries on a country-by-country basis, first giving a rundown on the history and make-up of the country, then a more detailed look at the choice of arms. As Maxim Popenker is Russian, the entry for Russia and the former Soviet Union (USSR) is very thorough. Included are several prototypes entered in the trials that eventually led to the adoption of the AK-47. Several more types that competed in the Abakan (code-named after a city in Russia) trials of 1984 are also profiled, as well as a few others developed since then. One of the most unusual guns is the APS underwater assault rifle. The APS (Avtomat Podvodny Spetsialnyy), or special underwater automatic rifle, was developed for Navy Special Forces divers, and it truly can be fired under water! This unique gun uses a special 5.66x39mm MPS round with a 120mm-long, needle-type bullet. Also briefly mentioned is a newer updated version called the ASM-DT that can be used underwater with its special ammo or on land with standard 5.45×39 ammo. Clever!

It must be noted, this book is 15 years old, so it is missing the most recent designs. There is no mention of the Beretta ARX160, CZ 805 Bren, Fabryka Broni MSBS, HK416 or HK433, or the Kalashnikov Concern AK-12. Aside from that, this title covers the subject nicely. While not a large book, it does contain a lot of information.

Note: Since the publication of Assault Rifle, the two authors have joined forces again to publish two more books titled, Machine Gun: The Development of the Machine Gun from the Nineteenth Century to the Present Day and Sub-Machine Gun: The Development of Sub-Machine Guns and Their Ammunition from World War I to the Present Day. Unfortunately, these latter two books are no longer available from the publisher. Assault Rifle still is available, however.

Title: ASSAULT RIFLE: The Development of the Modern Military Rifle and Its Ammunition
Author: Maxim Popenker and Anthony G. Williams
ISBN: 1861267002 (print) / 978-1861267009 (website)
Copyright: 2004
Binding: Hardcover, with a color dust jacket
Size: 7.75 x 10 inches
Pages: 224; Color/B&W photos include 250 B&W photos
Publisher: The Crowood Press Ltd

As we patiently wait for the newest book by highly respected author Dolf Goldsmith to be released, I feel a look back at his previous series of books on the Browning family of belt-fed machine guns is in order. (The Vickers Machine Gun: Pride of the Emma Gees is an update of his classic title, The Grand Old Lady of No Man’s Land. Released in 1994, Grand Old Lady is long sold out and is very expensive on the used market. As I write this, I see asking prices of $690 to $920 on Amazon.)

The Browning Machine Gun series of books was originally planned to be a set of three books covering the .30-caliber guns. Volume I explores the early development phase of John M. Browning’s machine guns, their use in the latter days of WWI, further refinement between the Wars and their huge influence in WWII in U.S. service. Volume II covers the use of rifle-caliber Brownings in foreign use prior to and during WWII. Volume III covers mounts and all the various accessories and tools, etc. Later, a fourth volume covering the mighty .50-caliber M2 family joined the set. In 2016 this was followed by Volume V: Dolf’s Notebook, containing hints and tips for working on Browning machine guns. The first four volumes are published by Collector Grade Publications, while the fifth is published by Chipotle Publishing, LLC.

The first two volumes will be reviewed this issue. I hope to review the others in due time.

Collector Grade Publications has earned a well-deserved reputation for producing quality, in-depth reference books about military firearms, and these two books certainly meet the standard. These two books follow the established Collector Grade format of dividing the subject into parts, then into chapters, with each chapter further divided into many short segments. Often these segments are only a paragraph long.

Volume I

Volume I, “Part I: Gas Operation,” looks back at John Browning’s first experiments with full-auto guns. He first converted a Winchester Model 1873 lever action to fire full-auto by harnessing the muzzle blast to cycle the lever back and forth via a linkage rod and cup arrangement. He referred to this device as an “Automatic Magazine Gun.” He then designed a belt-fed gun he called the “Apparatus.” Although extremely crude looking, this worked well enough to prove the concept. In 1892, he (along with his brother Matt) obtained patents for both devices.

Soon, Browning was able to interest Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company in his design. It matured into the gas-operated Model 1895 “Potato Digger” gun and became the first true automatic gun in U.S. service, used first by the Navy. Volume I also covers foreign sales of the M1895 and the improved Model 1914 in the period leading up to and including WWI. The book features numerous, fascinating, old photos from the mid-1890s to the WWI era.

Part I, Chapter Two deals with the M1914 guns built under license by the Marlin Firearms Company. Several variants such as the Tank Gun, the Model 1917 and Model 1918 Aeroplane Gun are profiled.

“Part II: The Switch to Recoil Operation” details John Browning’s move to design a recoil-operated machine gun. In fact, Browning had already designed and patented a recoil-powered shotgun for the civilian market. This was the FN-produced Browning A-5. Having acquainted himself with the recoil principle, he then applied this to a machine gun, the Model 1901. This led to the Model 1917, as covered in “Part III: The Browning in World War I.”

“Part IV: The Interwar Brownings, Chapter Seven, The M1917 Becomes the M1917A1” is a long, detailed look at the water-cooled gun. “Chapter Eight, Early Aircraft Machine Guns” follows the Model 1918 air-cooled gun. There are many intriguing variants and mounts featured here. Part V studies the M2 Aircraft gun (not to be confused with the .50-caliber M2HB).

“Part VI: Manufacturing Brownings for WWII” is where we are introduced to the iconic M1919A4 and M1919A6 of WWII fame. The massive War effort is dealt with here, including sections on production by Rock Island Arsenal and Saginaw Steering Gear (SSG, once a division of General Motors Corp.). I found the SSG segment very interesting. At first, there was some concern that as SSG had never built any type of firearms before, they would not be able to build a complex machine gun. SSG eventually built nearly 368,000 M1919A4 guns by June 1945. More amazing, the cost per gun dropped from $657.75 per gun for the first small batch, to an astonishing $54.72 per gun! Also, the total man-hours per gun dropped from 76 to 12 man-hours per gun.

“Part VII: Brownings in WWII” uses many personal recollections of the M1919A4 and A6 in combat. Likewise, “Part VIII: The Latter Days” looks at post-WWII use, including personal recollections from Korea. The book closes with a rather uncomplimentary look at the gun that replaced the Browning series of guns, the M60.

Volume II

While Volume I covers the development of the early prototypes in great detail and the adoption by U.S. services, Volume II deals with Browning machine guns in foreign service. As the guns were highly refined at this point (Pre-WWII era), Volume II does not cover the earliest days all over again. Rather, it briefly touches on guns from the interwar years (1920s and 1930s), then goes right into WWII service. Initially, this meant aircraft guns mostly, but later included ground guns as well.

Again, as is the Collector Grade way, Volume II is divided into parts and chapters. Part I is “The Browning in Britain.” This deals with the air-cooled, aircraft guns primarily. Interestingly, these aircraft guns were chambered for the .303 British cartridge. The Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire each were armed with eight Brownings, four in each wing. Many historians believe this decision, made several years before the start of the War, helped to win the Battle of Britain.

“Part II: British Commonwealth Brownings” looks at the gun’s use in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. The chapter covering Canada is the longest and deals with WWII production by two Canadian firms, later Browning use in Korea and conversion to 7.62×51 NATO. The two Canadian producers were the John Inglis and Co. Ltd. and Border Cities Industries Ltd., a division of GM, Canada.

“Part III: European Brownings” starts with Belgian FN licensing and royalties agreements with Colt, and then division of territories. Other European countries covered in Part III are the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden. The last three each produced their own versions of aircraft, vehicle and ground guns.

Part IV deals with South American use, specifically Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. These were supplied by Colt. The Bolivian and Paraguayan guns faced off against each other in the Chaco War of 1932–1935. A brief history of this war is given.

“Part V: Other Users” looks at pre-WWII Chinese manufacture and use. Also, Israeli and Japanese uses are very briefly dealt with.

These books are a fantastic resource for all aspects of Browning MG knowledge. From early photos from the Rock Island Arsenal Museum, John M. Browning Firearms Museum, the National Museum of the Marine Corps, the U.S. Naval Historical Center, MoD Pattern Room, Springfield Armory National Historic Site, U.S. National Archives, etc., to getting access to many public and private collections worldwide, this series is a monumental effort. Many of these photos feature unique views of seldom-seen tank, vehicle and aircraft mounts.

Often, long blocks of conversation from the development and early use phases are quoted. This text is presented in italics to differentiate it from the author’s text. Mr. Goldsmith used his connections in the collecting community to connect with other notable authors such as noted gun writer Peter Kokalis and former Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) Armourer Peter Laidler to offer additional insights. Several guest authors also provide information on specific countries.

This series is clearly a labor of love. I expect no less from Volumes III and IV as well.

Details

The Browning Machine Gun: Volume I
Rifle Caliber Brownings in U.S. Service
Author: Dolf L. Goldsmith
ISBN: 0-88935-370-0
Copyright: 2005
Binding: Hardcover and dust jacket
Size: 8.75×11.25 inches
Pages: 552 pages; 568 illustrations
Publisher: Collector Grade Publications
Available through: collectorgrade.com and SAR Bookstore

The Browning Machine Gun: Volume II
Rifle Caliber Brownings Abroad
Author: Dolf L. Goldsmith
ISBN: 0-88935-380-8
Copyright: 2006
Binding: Hardcover and dust jacket for both volumes
Size: 8.75×11.25 inches
Pages: 392 pages; 486 illustrations
Publisher: Collector Grade Publications
Available through: collectorgrade.com and SAR Bookstore

Into the Archives of Germany’s Intermediate-Caliber Assault Rifle

Full title: Sturmgewehr! From Firepower to Striking Power  (Revised Expanded Edition)

Author: Hans Dieter Handrich

Publisher: Collector Grade Publications, Inc.

ISBN: 0-88935-593-2

Copyright: 2017

Hardcover, with dust jacket: 9” x 11¼”, 720 pages, 514 B&W photos, illustrations, drawings

Website: collectorgrade.com

Available from publisher or SAR store (Item B343)

The Sturmgewehr (German for “storm” or “assault” rifle) StG 44 was the culmination of a program to create a new class of weapons that we know as assault rifles. The generally accepted definition is a select-fire, carbine-sized gun, firing a mid-sized “intermediate” round and fed from a detachable box magazine.

In other words, the rifle and ammo have more power than an SMG that fires pistol rounds but less power and recoil than a full-size infantry rifle.

As we have come to expect from Collector Grade Publications, this book covers the topic in great detail. This fine book certainly does that and touches on other aspects of Nazi Germany weapons development as well.

The author, Hans Dieter Handrich, has revised and enlarged his original book by a substantial amount. The new 2017 edition contains 120 more pages and 122 new illustrations than the original 2004 edition. This brings the current edition to 720 pages and 514 B&W photos, illustrations and technical drawings, etc.

As with other Collector Grade books, this title is divided first into parts and then into chapters. Each chapter is then further broken down into numerous headings and subheadings. This makes the Table of Contents a full 17 pages! This can be viewed as either a good thing or a distraction, depending on your personal point of view.

Part I, Chapter One takes the expected look back at equipment and tactics in the decades prior to WWII. This begins with a brief look at warfare of the late 1700s and early 1800s. Following this, is a look back at WWI and the rise of the machine gun, most notably the Maxim. This leads into the topic of self-loading (semiautomatic, in other words) rifles. A photo of five different designs (three from Mauser and one each from Mannlicher and Borchardt) is shown. All appear similar to the typical bolt action of the era. A Mexican-designed, Swiss-built Mondragón rifle with a drum magazine and a Mauser Model 1916 are also pictured. While several self-loading rifles were tested, none where considered mature enough to be adopted on any serious scale. (A very small number of the Mondragón and Mauser 1916 rifles were issued to the Zeppelin balloon crew for anti-aircraft use.) These all fired full-power rounds and were semiauto only.

After the end of WWI, Germany was stripped of most of her military equipment and prohibited from designing and building more, as decreed by the Treaty of Versailles. However, this was not to be. As author Handrich explains in some detail, Germany disregarded the rules almost from the beginning. At first, these violations were executed very low key, but eventually they became quite blatant. Handrich covers a lot of background history in this book, not just the technical aspects of the StG 44.

Chapter Four, Early Intermediate Cartridge and Rifle Developments, takes a look at several mid-sized cartridges and rifles from several private firms in Germany. These experimental cartridges ranged in bore diameters from 7mm to 8mm and had case lengths from 27mm to 49mm long. Although this new direction caught the attention of the Ordnance Department, none of these early attempts went anywhere.

Part II, Chapter Five is where the gun that eventually became the StG 44 gets its start. In 1938, a year prior to the start of WWII, the Ordnance Department commissioned the C.G. Haenel company of Suhl to develop a select-fire “machine carbine.” Haenel’s chief designer was none other than Hugo Schmeisser, who designed the first operational submachine gun, the MP18/I, during WWI.

Handrich covers the long, sometimes frustrating path that the StG 44 took during its development. This gun has the dubious honor of being renamed the most times during its short career. Just a few of the better known names are: MP 42, MKb 42 (H), MP 43, MP 44 and finally the StG 44.

As the year designations suggest, the process took from 1942 to 1944 to get up to anything close to full production. A good deal of this was due to Adolf Hitler not believing in the idea of an intermediate round. He was stuck on the full-power round, so rifles such as the FG 42 and the G43 (later called the K43) proceeded while the StG 44 had much less official support. In fact, Hitler refused to approve it for full production three separate times. Handrich includes translated text of messages between Hitler’s inner staff and the military to confirm this. Handrich’s own opinion on Hitler’s delay in approving the program is: “There can be no doubt that Hitler’s bans had an extremely adverse effect on the schedule of development, testing and troop trials of the MKb …”

The author includes several images of original teletype messages discussing troop trials during the Eastern (Russian) Front. The text of several more messages, translated into English, document the ongoing troop trial evaluations. The frontline troops thought highly of this new weapon. Reports from the General of Infanterie (GendInf) are also shown, as well as details on monthly quantities delivered to the front. These various reports make for an interesting book, as you can see the progress of the program. A couple of messages are signed by Hitler himself.

Something I enjoyed studying is a set of small sketches (they are not dimensioned, so they cannot be called production drawings) that show the steps involved in turning a raw piece of sheet steel into a receiver. These thumbnail sketches show how the stamping, punching, forming (folding or bending) and drilling operations create a receiver. Most interesting!

English translations of original German military manuals are included. Specific manuals are from the MKb 42(H) and MKb 42(W) (Machine Karabiner 1942 prototypes from Haenel and Walther), the MP 43/1 and the final version, the StG 44. There is also a complete, 48-page, post-War East German manual shown, again with all text translated to English.

A chapter on special accessories looks at items such as a flash hider attachment, grenade launchers, the Vampir infrared riflescope and a long section on the unique Krummlauf curved barrel attachment for firing around corners.

A study of the development of the 7.92x33mm Kurz (short) cartridge is covered in similarly thorough detail. Until reading this book, I was unaware that several different firms were each designing its own idea of the perfect intermediate round or that the Polte company had tried several variants prior to settling on the 7.92x33mm version. These prototypes, along with dummy, tracer, blank, grenade launch blank and other special or experimental rounds are examined in detail. This includes 12 section-view engineering drawings from Polte.

The book wraps up with Part VI: A Post-War Retrospective. Chapter 22 looks at Hugo Schmeisser’s contributions to the AK-47. Following WWII, the Soviets gathered up many German specialists to work in the USSR. Schmeisser was taken to Factory 74 in Izhevsk in October 1946. He remained there until June 1952. During his time in Izhevsk, he worked alongside Mikhail Kalashnikov on what would become the AK-47. Handrich believes that Schmeisser helped a lot in the design, in spite of Kalashnikov saying that Schmiesser’s input was minimal. Schmeisser himself did not talk about it much. He passed away in September 1953.

I did find that the book tends to veer off in different directions as it covers various issues only vaguely related to the Sturmgewehr rifle. For instance, in 1924, the Rifle 98 for bicyclists was renamed the Rifle 98 for (mounted horse) riders. This single paragraph gets its own entry in the Table of Contents. At first, I found this a bit distracting. Later, I began to appreciate these little bits of history. This book has a tremendous amount of technical and historical information related to the Sturmgewehr program and resulting rifle. As well, it has a great deal of info on other aspects of the Nazi Germany weapons program. Although it may be among the most expensive books in your library, it certainly is worth considering. If you have an interest in the early development stages of assault rifles, this work is highly recommended.

Why is Small Arms Review featuring cartoons? Well, while doing military weapons photo research in the National Archives, Robert Bruce stumbled across a series of decidedly comical posters with very serious messages for American GIs in WWII.

They were the work of Will Eisner, a talented young soldier/artist in the Army Ordnance Corps, whose goofy, buck-toothed main character Joe Dope showed how stupidity in too many common situations could prove fatal for himself and his fellow fighters. Will and Joe were so effective in this critical mission that the duo continued amusing and educating soldiers for nearly 30 years. A sobering reminder that Joe’s inexperienced descendants continued to find their way into the Army.

Eisner’s audience was the “Soldiers who have busted knuckles, greasy oily grimy hands, worn coveralls and scuffed boots … the Soldiers who keep the Army’s equipment ready. Rarely has art and the written word been so well blended. Will Eisner showed that content and sequential art complement one another.”

—Jonathan Pierce, the current editor (2019) of PS Magazine.

Soon after the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, William Erwin Eisner, a 24-year-old artist in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, got his draft notice from Uncle Sam’s U.S. Army. In an initially perplexing but ultimately perfect example of its rare propensity for properly fitting a man’s civilian skills to his military assignment, the Army sent him to the Ordnance Corps, responsible for guns, vehicles and other machinery of war.

There, Private Eisner’s civilian reputation as the creator of The Spirit, a highly successful comic book supplement in major newspapers in 1940, landed him a position as an illustrator for what was at the time a rather bland and technical maintenance newsletter named Army Motors. Equally remarkable, Will was able to persuade the senior officer who was in charge—not to mention enough of the other old-school brass—that his well-proven comic book style would be a much better way to grab and hold the attention of the Army’s tidal wave of brand new draftees and enlistees.

The Dopiest Draftee

It wasn’t long before Eisner headed up the publication’s art department, showcasing his unique drawing style and storytelling. Soon, catching the attention of higher ups, he spent the rest of the war years plying his cartoonish training trade while on the staff of the Chief of Ordnance at the Pentagon. Interestingly, he leaped from Private to Warrant Officer by way of indispensable talent and skirting the arduous Warrant Officer Candidate School ordeal with “a written test.”

Along the way and in the company of stern, square-jawed Master Sgt Half-Mast McCanick and the pneumatically pulchritudinous Connie Rodd, Eisner’s doofus, dogface Joe Dope became the main character in posters and in Army Motors, illustrating what NOT to do in a wide variety of situations on land and in the air.

Mangling Ma Deuce

It was in the particularly unforgiving arena of aerial combat that Joe did most of his damage while assigned to bomber squadrons. Apparently incapable of following maintenance requirements as an armorer, or putting his intense training in air-to-air gunnery to good use, Joe repeatedly imperiled the lives of his fellow airmen.

Interrupting a 5-Year Leave

With unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan in 1945, Eisner was mustered out and resumed his artistic and entrepreneurial work in New York City at the top tier of the comics world. He launched American Visuals Company (AVC) in 1948 with a roster of talented artists and prestigious clients like General Motors and U.S. Steel. Then, as fate would have it, AVC was perfectly positioned when war in Korea broke out in 1950.

American soldiers were back in the thick of battle, this time fighting hordes of Communist invaders in a strange land far from home. The pressures of war and another flood of young, inexperienced Joe-Dope-type draftees now manning old and poorly maintained vehicles, weapons and equipment left over from WWII spurred the Ordnance Corps to revive Eisner’s unique cartoon method for quick, effective, basic maintenance instruction.

The “Postscript” Pamphlets

It was perhaps a combination of patriotism and persuasion backed by enough money that brought civilian Eisner back into government service to the job he clearly loved of educating GIs. PS Magazine, The Preventive Maintenance Monthly, his pamphlet-sized, semi-comic magazine, sprang to life from the drawing boards of AVC’s bullpen of artists in June 1951.

PS is short for postscript, indicating that it was intended to be a useful addition and supplement to sagging shelves full of necessarily fat, fact-filled Field and Technical Manuals. In addition to short instructional features on specific subjects, it answered questions and handily included brief maintenance tips and clever “field expedients” from the “busted knuckles … scuffed boots” crowd out there in the real world.

PS Goes PC

PS Magazine came out sporadically over the first 2 years until after most shooting stopped with the Armistice Agreement in July 1953. Then, with the pressures of war somewhat relieved, Eisner began to be put upon by Pentagon  Social Justice Warriors to give Joe Dope a cosmetic and conduct makeover. The evolution began gradually but then it sped up.

The brass hats ridiculously ruled that Joe the jerk reflected badly on an idealized “American Fighting Man.” Eisner saved face—literally—in PS Magazine, No. 47, 1956, recounting how Joe blew himself up after bungling headspace adjustment on an M2. Army doctors rebuilt his ugly mug, dentists fixed his buck teeth and from then on he was always properly groomed and uniformed.

Over time, Eisner’s mean old Half-Mast mellowed and most sadly, poor Connie’s appearance, wardrobe and her soldier-stimulating situations gradually became less and less sexy. The emphasis in PS Magazine shifted to more and more detailed info with fewer examples of the wonderfully outlandish cartoon characters drawn by the master himself and his talented minions who specialized in the technical-type illustrations.

Vietnam and After

Eisner had an undeniable sense of duty, as demonstrated in some weeks-long, info-gathering visits to soldiers in the fields including battle zones in Korea as well as Cold War Germany and Japan. Around the time of the Tet Offensive (January 1968) he again made the rounds in Vietnam, gaining insights evident in contemporary issues of PS Magazine and—most notably—the iconic M16A1 Rifle: Operation and Preventive Maintenance comic book.

Eisner eventually tired of fighting the Pentagon’s PC being pushed on PS Magazine, so he gave up the publication contract in 1971, closing out his 227th consecutive issue. But the 54-year-old didn’t goldbrick, and he went on with renewed enthusiasm to write, illustrate and publish a slew of what are now known as “graphic novels.” Among these notables is the very personal A Contract with God and his bittersweet Last Day in Vietnam, with a timeline of real-life vignettes from the three wars he experienced first-hand.

The “New and Improved” PS Magazine

Today’s PS Magazine—steadily moving past issue 800 and now in digital form only—is a far cry from the rollicking, risqué days of Eisner and his team. As more and more women have poured in to the Army, the last traces of testosterone petered out. Perhaps this is understandable on some levels, but we old GIs know what Eisner-style fun the new generation is missing.

See for yourselves now that PS Magazine has gone online and accessible to anyone—friend and foe alike—logsa.army.mil/#/psmag.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

WHNT News 19 video: whnt.com/2016/04/01/defending-america-for-65-years-with-ps-magazine/

PS Magazine issues 1–229 at Virginia Commonwealth University: digital.library.vcu.edu/digital/collection/psm

PS Magazine issues 1951 to 2014 at Radionerds.com: psmag.radionerds.com/index.php/Main_Page

PS Magazine from 1999 to Present: logsa.army.mil/#/psmag

Downloadable M16A1 Rifle: Operation and Preventive Maintenance comic book: oberlandarms.com/pdf/m16a1_rifle_operation_and_preventive_maintenance_1969.pdf PS Magazine: The Best of the Preventive Maintenance Monthly, by Eddie Campbell, 2011

Sterling silver U.S. doughboy dog tag holder and locket. The outside of the holder is engraved “2nd Lieut. H.W. Billman 109 M.G. BN. 28th Division USA Lebanon, PA.” Upon opening, the bottom contains the actual aluminum dog tag reading “Henry W. Billman 2nd Lt. 109 M.G.B.N. U.S. N.G.” with remnants of the hanging cord that would pass through a hole in the top of the locket so it could be worn around the neck. The other side shows a period photograph of Lt. Billman and two women—possibly sisters.

British World War I skill-at-arms sleeve badge for the Hotchkiss Gunner. Two pieces with wreath and “HG” with backing plate and original uniform fabric.

World War I British Motor Machine Gun Service officers bronze cap and collar insignia and cloth shoulder titles. Worn 1914–1915 only. The Motor Machine Guns Service used Clyno motorcycles with a sidecar mounted Vickers machine gun.

World War I helmet belonging to Private Abian A. “Wally” Wallgren (1891-1948) of the U.S. Marine Corps, 2nd Division, 5th Marine Machine Gun Company. Insignia of that unit is a purple square denoting the 5th Marine Machine Gun Company with the 2nd Division Indian head in white star hand-painted to the front of the helmet with an applied period USMC EGA (Eagle, Globe, Anchor) collar device affixed above. Also hand-painted all around the helmet is a belt of machine gun bullets and the name of the artist and owner: “Wally.” Behind the helmet is a booklet of hundreds of humorous cartoon drawings featuring events during World War I by famous U.S. Marine Corps private Abian A. Wallgren, known as Wally. He was the staff cartoonist for Stars and Stripes, the official newspaper of the A.E.F. (American Expeditionary Forces). This collection of his favorites was published after the war by Stars and Stripes in 1919 and sold for 5 francs. The profits from the original sale of this book went to aid the Stars and Stripes French War Orphans Fund. Enlisting in the Marines in 1917, Wallgren was among the first to see service in France as a buck private and regimental sign painter, a post which army logic assigned him on his “professional” record. For nine months he painted “Latrine” and “Officers Only” signs up and down France. His great opportunity came when the Stars and Stripes was started as the official newspaper of the A.E.F. in 1918 and Wally was placed on the staff as cartoonist; he drew cartoons for this doughboy newspaper throughout the war until the final issue in June 1919.

Russian late 1920s or early 1930s marksmanship competition trophy banner between Soviet regiments. All hand-stitched and embroidered, it is made with cotton applications on a velvet background. The center exhibits a large Russian M1910 Maxim on a wheeled Sokolov field mount. This banner itself is the “trophy” awarded to the winning regiment at the Second Regimental Machine Gun Competition—to be hung with pride at their regimental headquarters for all to see. The verbiage in Cyrillic below roughly translates to “Top Prize.” With fringe it measures approximately 37 inches high by 30 inches wide.

U.S. World War I era sterling silver, machine-gun-themed finger ring. Blue enamel “liberty” to the top and red, white and blue enameled federal shield to the bottom. The center has a Colt Model of 1914 Automatic Gun (Potato Digger) machine gun on tripod in high relief. One side of shank has eagle, U.S.A. sword and Latin motto banner. The other side of shank has image of a soldier at attention with rifle and bayonet at “present arms.” Inside marked “Sterling” and “Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.”

Finnish elite shooter badge for machine gun. This Finnish badge was issued to “Vailo-Ampuja” or “Elite Shooter” machine gunners. The first of these badges was issued in 1933 (March 6) and continued being issued until the end of World War II. A very scarce two-piece badge because it has a gilt Maxim machine gun inside a white metal wreath meaning it was issued to someone on the permanent staff. Outside edges have civil guards influence with branches of the evergreen tree. Screw-post back.

African Gold Coast Territorial Force machine gun officer’s silver plate collar badge (circa 1920s-1930s). White metal trumpeting elephant atop gold colored banner with “G.C.T.F” to center atop silver-plated crossed Vickers machine guns. Rear maker marked “Firmin London” with two lugs to the rear. The Gold Coast was a British colony in the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa.

Glass souvenir of the 2/ 1st Australian Machine Gun Battalion on the occasion of the Fifth Australia Wide Reunion in Adelaide in 1982. Clear glass with gold rim. Approximately 5 inches high. Rear of glass has famous poem In Memory of Fallen Comrades: “They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old, age shall not weary them nor the years condemn, at the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.” “LEST WE FORGET.” The 1st Machine Gun Battalion was a World War I raised unit in 1918 and part of the Australian Imperial Force consisting of four machine gun companies fighting in the final days of the war. The unit was disbanded in mid-1919 during the demobilization of the AIF after the war. The second 1st Machine Gun Battalion was raised for service during World War II as part of the 6th Division seeing service in the Middle East, Egypt, Greece, Crete, Syria and Palestine. It later fought a defensive role in the New Guinea campaign and the Borneo campaign. The battalion was disbanded in early 1946.

Indian Army Sikhs Machine Gun Corps other ranks brass cap badge. The five-pointed star affixed to the top denotes instructor. Two lugs to the rear.

Malta-assigned other ranks machine gun section brass cap badge. Machine Gun Corps insignia with Malta banner below. Slider to rear.

Pair of Italian officer’s silver cufflinks for the 42nd Infantry Regiment. Crown to top with “42” in center with crossed rifles and water-cooled FIAT Revelli M1914 machine gun below. Each cufflink and connecting bar marked “800” indicating silver content of 80%.

Canadian veteran’s blazer patch for the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Machine Gun Regiment. Green thistle and wreath with purple embroidery and bullion-stitched lettering on black felt. Though this unit existed in Canada for a long time, it was under this “M.G.” designation for only a little less than 10 months in World War II. This unit was placed on active service on Sept. 1, 1939, as the North Nova Scotia Highlanders (M.G.). It then mobilized on May 24, 1940, as the North Nova Scotia Highlanders (having been switched from machine gun to regular infantry, the M.G. designation was dropped from its insignia). Battle record included the Normandy Landing, Authie, Chambois, Boulogne, Breskens Pocket, the Rhine and Northwest Europe.

German Reichswehr period (end of World War I in 1918 and the rise of the Third Reich in 1933) 0/5 liter pottery beer stein marked, “19. Bayer. Inf. Rgt. 1. Batl. 4. (M.G.) Komp” and “Weihnachten 1930” (19th Bavarian Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, 4th Machine Gun Company and Christmas 1930). The central image is of a German soldier training with the MG08 (Maschinengewehr 08) mounted on the sled mount. Pewter hinged lid with relief helmet and acorn leaves. Maker marked on bottom Villeroy & Boch, Mettlach.

THE ITALIAN VETTERLI RIFLE: Development, Variants and History in Service

AUTHOR: ROBERT WILSEY
PUBLISHER: MOWBRAY PUBLISHING, WOONSOCKET, RI 02895 gunandswordcollector.com
ISBN: 1-931464-72-3
COPYRIGHT: 2016
PAGES: 168, HARDCOVER, COLOR DUST JACKET, 350+ PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATIONS (MOSTLY IN COLOR), 8.5” x 11”
USD: $49.99

The Swiss-made infantry rifle adopted by the Italian Army

This book does a great job of explaining the history of an intriguing rifle. The Italian Vetterli rifle was issued in a surprising number of variants over its 40-year service life. Invented by Swiss citizen Johann-Friedrich Vetterli, it was first adopted by the Swiss military in 1869. Italy adopted a modified version the following year with the M1870.

The original Swiss version was a rimfire rifle, an odd choice when centerfire was already in use by that point. The Italian version was a centerfire design right from the beginning. Interestingly, the Swiss rimfire was a true repeater, with a tubular magazine built in, while the newer Italian centerfire was originally built as a single shot. Some years later, the Vetterli-Vitali 1870/87 magazine conversion appeared. Years later, during WWI, many rifles were rebarreled from the original 10.35x47R round to the newer 6.5x52mm Carcano cartridge. This was the 1870/87/15 series.

This book describes the various versions and sub-variants. Besides the standard issue versions, many rare experimental and limited issue variants are profiled in detail. Featuring crisp and clear color photographs, as well as beautiful artwork, this book really does a fine job of distinguishing one model from another. The artwork is provided by Guy and Leonard Alston-Roberts-West. The A-R-West brothers are well known among antique firearms collectors.

A detailed study of Nock’s form (rear end of the barrel, in the chamber area) markings and stock markings provides valuable information regarding factory codes and so on.

Bayonets, ammo pouches and other accessories and accoutrements are also examined at the end of Part One.

Part Two profiles the main arms factories in Italy that had a hand in Vetterli production or later conversions. There is a wonderful photo of an original display board showing the various steel parts that go into the mod. 1870/87 rifle. What makes this display so interesting is that the raw forgings are shown in stages as they go through the sequence of being forged and machined.

Part Three details Operational Service. This begins with the Italian campaigns in eastern Africa, mainly around modern-day Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia. Following this, the book details the strange paths that surplus military arms often took. For example, during World War I, the British wanted the Russian Empire to take a more active role in fighting Germany. The Russians were critically short of arms, so Britain proposed sending shiploads of obsolete and captured rifles including many Vetterlis. Before WWI was over, the Russian Revolution occurred, leading to the creation of the USSR. Years later, in 1936, the USSR sent many of these same arms to Spain during the Spanish Civil War. Vetterlis that made their way to Northern Ireland to arm the Ulster Volunteer Force are also covered.

A study of serial number ranges is covered in one of the appendices. This is based on the author’s notes from examining 456 individual rifles from all eras. The author freely admits that this is a tiny percentage of the 1.6 million produced, so some error should be expected.

The author, Robert Wilsey, served in the British Royal Marines for 31 years. His interest in the Vetterli stems from the time he spent stationed in Italy.

The entire catalogue of fine firearms and war history titles by Mowbray Publishing can be seen at www.gunandswordcollector.com.

AK-47 The Grim Reaper (Second Edition)

By Frank Iannamico
Chipotle Publishing
www.smallarmsreview.com
1,085 pages
ISBN 978-0-9823918-5-3
$69.95 USD

This is a very large and thorough book on the history of the AK-47 and all its facets. It is the best resource currently available. There are 1,086 pages of information and a large number of high quality detailed photographs of various weapons and military photographs. This is the second edition of the AK-47 The Grim Reaper.

The first edition was published in 2008 and takes the reader through the development of the assault rifle, manufacturers in Russia, detailed looks at the 1st-3rd generation AK-47 rifles, AKM update, AK-74 family of weapons, AK-100 series, other Kalashnikov designs, Warsaw Pact countries manufacturing AK-type rifles, AK-derivatives, AK comes to America, made in USA AK-47 rifles, magazine and ammunition variations. The second edition greatly enhances the reader’s knowledge by the addition of many detailed photographs of various models, additional information and updated information of the current status of this family of weapons.

The book begins with Chapter 1 on the development of the modern day assault rifle with discussion of the U.S. Army Weapons Command Research & Engineering Directorate Small Arms System Laboratory testing on the AK-47 rifle from experience in Vietnam. It also parallels the development of the AK-47 with parallel to U.S. small arms development and ammunition development. Included are detailed historical descriptions of the German Sturmgewehr and its 7.92x33mm intermediate round and its influence on Kalashnikov’s design as well as the introduction to Kalashnikov’s story of his development of the rifle and its trail to the hands of the Soviet soldier.

Chapter 2 gives an introduction to the numerous Russian weapons factories spread out over the vast lands of the former Soviet Union. The arsenal marks are shown and how to identify the weapon with the factory that produced it. The second edition adds photographs of current manufacturing of the rifle.

Chapter 3 begins the analysis of the developmental history of the AK47. There are thorough descriptions and photographs of the first, second and third generation rifles. The second edition offers more detailed photographs of the first and second generation rifles to help the reader understand how they were built and what the exact differences are. Attention is given to every detail and every change. This includes both fixed and underfolding stock variations of all three generations of the rifle.

Chapter 4 introduces the AKM and its derivatives. All changes are documented on the 3rd generation machined receivers’ transformation into the lower weight (2.5 pounds less) stamped AKM rifle. Many detailed photographs and drawings clearly define the changes that make up the AKM.

Chapter 5 documents the development and history of the small caliber 5.45x39mm cartridge and the new AK-74 which would eventually replace the AK-47/AKM family of weapons in the Soviet Army. The AK-74 has gone through many incremental changes and continues to this very day. Through this chapter the reader will see the advancements in Soviet/Russian manufacturing capabilities.

Chapter 6 takes the reader through the latest developments in the AK-series of rifles, the AK-100 Series. Designed for export use, the rifle goes through an update in furniture as well as the introduction of rifles that will fire the NATO 5.56x45mm cartridge. Additional gas systems, stocks and barrels are introduced. The end of this chapter also introduces and describes in detail the AN-94 rifle, the rifle that was supposed to replace the AK-74.

Chapter 7 shows other Kalashnikov developed weapons including the Bizon submachine gun, RPK, RPKS, RPK-74, RPKS-74, PK, PKM and SVD.

Chapter 8 documents the Warsaw Pact countries that the Soviet Union set up manufacturing facilities in their country to produce the array of Kalashnikov weapons. Russia states now that many of the rifles produced are illegal clones that were not licensed by Russia for the use of their technical data. The proliferation of sales throughout all these former Warsaw Pact countries have hurt Russian companies from selling the rifle that originated with them. This chapter details description of all of the countries the Soviet Union licensed manufacturing rights to the AK-47 family of weapons and their variations. There are significant numbers of new photographs added to this chapter from the first edition.

Chapter 9 discusses production of AK-type rifles outside of the former Warsaw Pact countries – one of the largest being China. China has many different variations of the AK-type rifle and sold them abroad in large numbers. Egypt is another large producer. Greatly expanded information about AK-production in Iraq including many new photographs not found in the first edition. Also included are North Korea, Pakistan-Khyber Pass-Afghanistan, Yugoslavia/Serbia and Croatia.

Chapter 10 goes into Kalashnikov design derivatives which are rifles that closely copy or borrow a significant number of features from the design. These countries include Czechoslovakia, Finland Valmet rifles, Israeli Galil and South African R-4 series.

Chapter 11 takes the reader through the AK introduction to the American market with the history of the imported sporting rifles into the U.S. starting with the Finish Valmet and Egyptian Maadi versions. Additionally, for all the “Wolverines!” fans out there, the second edition gives the historical details of the rifles that were used in the movie Red Dawn. The introduction of Chinese rifles to the U.S. market was vast and in different variations, which are all documented and photographed in the book. Descriptions and photographs follow with Hungarian and Yugoslavian sporting versions of the AK rifle.

Chapter 12 marks the dark days of the Assault Weapon Ban. This marked the 1989 importation ban and all the legalities of assembling post ban rifles with pre-ban configuration parts. Also included is the discussion of all the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, The 1994 Assault Weapon Ban and its sunset in 2004. Descriptions and photographs of the numerous imported AK-type rifles are contained in this chapter.

Chapter 13 chronicles AK’s that are made in the USA. Many are American made receivers built up with foreign parts kits. Many American companies are listed who either manufacture or modify different variations of the rifles mixing in American made parts.

Chapter 14 delves into the magazine variations of all generations and all caliber AK-type rifles with detailed photos and descriptions of the magazines made in numerous countries.

Chapter 15 gives detailed descriptions of ammunition. This will include identification of ammunition types as well as the arsenals in which they were manufactured. This covers both 7.62x39mm and 5.45x39mm.

Chapter 16 gives a collectors description of accouterments including bayonets, grenade launchers, rifle grenades, sound suppressors, night vision, scopes, carrying cases, cleaning kits, blank firing adapters, magazine pouches and slings.

This book is a must have for any student of the AK-family of weapons. This book also would be well put to use by law enforcement and crime laboratory reference libraries where identification of these rifles and accessories are needed. There has never been a more thorough study of the AK-series ever put in print. For those who already have the first edition, it is well worth upgrading to the second. There is significantly enough material added to make it worthwhile. The photographs are of the highest quality and no stone is left unturned.

This book may be purchased directly from Chipotle Publishing for $69.95 plus shipping at www.smallarmsreview.com or on Amazon.com, or at your local bookseller.