In May of 2010, the annual National Defense Industrial Association’s (NDIA) Small Arms Systems Symposium was rolled into a new format joining forces with NDIA’s Guns & Missiles Division to host the first ever NDIA Joint Armaments Conference. The Dallas, Texas Hyatt Hotel was packed full of Industry and Government personnel all anticipating a full schedule of academic papers and an exhibit hall loaded with new gear. Some of the hot topics this year included the growing debate surrounding 5.56mm ammunition effectiveness and new information concerning the Army’s carbine solicitation. Vendors and presenters were well rounded and included everyone and everything from the usual American suspects as well as participants from the EU, Asian Pacific Region, and even China.

Goings on in Government

A main feature of any NDIA small arms event is the plethora of interaction between government and industry personnel with this year being no different. Embodying this concept were the keynote speakers: Major General Brogan of USMC Systems Command (SYSCOM) and BG Fuller of the US Army, Program Executive Officer, PEO Soldier. The generals were not ill prepared or poorly informed as to what the crowd was there to hear and pointedly addressed some of the hottest and most contentious topics in the industry – carbine and ammunition performance – which MG Brogan referred to as a “significant and emotional event in the U.S. military.”

The USMC

MG Brogan outlined the small arms vision currently held by the USMC that includes continued fielding of the M16A4/M4/M4A1 platform with many officers now being issued M4 carbines in lieu of the traditional M9 9mm pistol as necessitated by current hostilities. He also touched on several key decisions including:

• The USMC selection of the HK416 to fulfill the Infantry Automatic Rifle requirement in Infantry Squads and LAV units as the M27 IAR.
• Selection of the Army’s M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System (SASS) as the Marine Corps’ Long Range Precision Rifle.
• Large scale fielding of the MK 318 Mod 0, 5.56mm SOST ammunition, amongst USMC fighting units deployed in Afghanistan.

More enlightening were MG Brogan’s key questions to industry relating to both small arms and ammunition; questions that attest to the keen awareness and sensitivity such issues are viewed with. “Should we buy (in the future) an individual weapon or a family of weapons?” He further gave a suggestion that such a family could use a common platform allowing for PDW, Carbine, Combat Assault Rifle, Service Rifle, SDM, and IAR configurations. In the ammunition realm his questions were similar, “Is the current caliber effective?” Brogan continued by adding a potent caveat: “I can assure you there are many enemy combatants that can attest to the effectiveness of it.” Brogan then laid out a simple methodology should a new caliber be considered. He said, “If we are going to consider changing caliber the technology must be equal,” referring to the fact that comparisons have been made of alternate calibers (i.e. 6.8 SPC, 6.5 Grendel, etc.) to new technology 5.56mm rounds, including MK318 SOST and the Army’s M855A1. MG Brogan clearly understands that these comparisons do not accurately compare “apples to apples” so to speak and as a result any truly effective data in the raging caliber debate will only occur when all calibers are tested utilizing the same design technology (e.g. M855A1 vs. 6.8mm SPC utilizing the same bullet technology). Brogan’s formula for ammunition considerations: weight versus effect on the enemy versus ammunition expended.

Other notable information relayed during the brief included:

• Any future individual weapon contract will include provisions giving the government full ownership of the Technical Data Package (TDP) or full use rights.
• Any future weapons and ammunition must be compliant with the laws of land warfare.
• Weight savings are a must.

A presentation shortly thereafter by LTC Brinkman of USMC SYSCOM/Infantry Weapons further reinforced the points made by MG Brogan while praising current successful fieldings like the M32 Multi-Shot Grenade Launcher and the light weight infantry mortar system. On the horizon in the USMC’s future as outlined by Brinkman: more foreign weapons training kits, a long range sniper rifle, light weight machine gun, and a close quarter battle pistol (though details are lacking at this time).

The Army

As the largest service and often the traditional purchasing agent for other services, the Army also had a wealth of information in their briefing sessions. This year was no different with BG Fuller, PEO Soldier, detailing the Army’s ever changing small arms acquisition strategy. The Army’s small arms vision has completely transformed in a short period of time from “pure fleeting” M4s just two years ago to a dual path model meant to substantially upgrade the current issue M4 platform while paving the way for a full and open source carbine competition. BG Fuller expounded on details to eager industry personnel and echoed the sentiments of beleaguered Soldiers across the globe when he acknowledged, “The Soldier is not a Christmas tree that we can keep hanging items on,” bucking the trend of the past decade to keep adding kit and equipment to the basic soldier load.

The highlight topic of course was the update on the long awaited carbine solicitation. Since the past 2009 NDIA Small Arms Systems Symposium, the debate surrounding the carbine issue has not faded and events like the intense battle at COP Keating in Afghanistan, mimicking the Wanat engagement less than a year earlier, have further driven forward movement in an effort to get real time improvements into the field. The battles highlighted again the need for higher rates of fire and die hard reliability in individual weapons for U.S. troops engaged in close quarter running firefights with Taliban and other insurgent fighters. These considerations among others were significant influences leading to the dual path strategy where the Army will improve the M4 carbine while soliciting its replacement. The Army is seeking to address the M4 improvements in phases:

Phase I

* Increase the barrel mass for better performance during high rates of fire.

* Ambidextrous Safety/Selector tailoring the ergonomics to an even larger percentage of users.

Phase II

* Add an enhanced M1913 type rail adapter system to the platform. Most likely the new rail will be of the free floating type to negate operator influences on the barrel achieving a consistent point of projectile impact.

Phase III

* Explore improved operating systems to include short stroke gas piston mechanisms and a redesigned bolt carrier and bolt group with the goal of improving overall weapon reliability.

Furthermore, the introduction of the improved 5.56mm M855A1 round into service in June 2010 should mean that the “improved” carbine will be quite a potent platform, especially since M855A1is optimized for the M4 carbine and not the M16 and provides consistent terminal effects through a large variety of barriers. Fuller was cautious to add that the M4 improvement program must be managed carefully and the options well considered warning that, “we can’t spend the same amount on an improvement that we would spend to buy a new one.”

As far as the solicitation for a new replacement carbine, the going has been slow, but is advancing. As of the time of Fuller’s brief the carbine requirement was in the Joint Staff, but the industry RFP will likely be released before this article is in print. The step following is full and open competition for the Army’s new individual carbine. This competition will be historic in nature and unprecedented in recent Army history. When walking the showroom floor at this year’s event it was not at all difficult to see that this is what all of the industry’s major players are gearing up for.

Follow on presentations by LTC Henthorn at the U.S. Army Maneuver Center for Excellence (MCE- formerly the Infantry Center) and COL Douglas Tamilio, PM Soldier Weapons, were consistent with details given by Fuller. Henthorn took the time to expound more on current and soon to be fielding efforts on the Army radar:

Current Fielding Efforts

* The M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System (SASS) is now 85% fielded to units. Some early issues with the guns have been resolved and combat surveys show acceptance and approval of the SASS by end users and commanders.

* The M320 Grenade Launcher (HK GLM) is rapidly replacing M203s among the conventional force and will soon be integrated with a day/night range finding sight.

Coming Soon to Units This Year

* The M2A1 enhanced .50 BMG machine gun with quick change barrel and fixed headspace/timing.

* The upgraded M24 Sniper Rifle chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum.

* The M240L light weight machine gun with titanium receiver, (See SAR’s 2009 NDIA Small Arms Symposium article for information on this system).

* The M855A1 improved 5.56mm round (lead free and eco friendly).

Among items Henthorn sees the Army eyeing in the future are suppressors and a sub-compact rifle.

A last note worth mentioning before closing the Army section of this article is a survey conducted in Afghanistan by PM Soldier Weapons. As briefed by the Army at his event, PM Soldier Weapons personnel spent time on the ground with units in Afghanistan evaluating how the everyday dirty boot war fighter employs his weapon system, what shortfalls could be noted, and of course what is being done well. A most interesting find is there seems to be a trend among troops to incorporate substantial amounts of aftermarket equipment into their individual weapon’s configuration, particularly the M4. It is commonplace to find non-standard stocks, grips, optics, and especially magazines integrated into the basic kit of our warfighters. This sparks an interesting and fiery debate between those who believe that troops should have the freedom to select superior commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment and the official “by the book” stance of Army regulations, which requires the issuance of modified weapons orders (MWOs) and numerous tests and certifications to authorize a piece of weapon related equipment. The tone of this debate could not be clearer than the warning issued to the industry during the brief by COL Tamilio that industry suppliers who provide non-standard equipment could be encouraging Commanders and Troops to violate AR750-10, which could be detrimental to their careers.

Concern is justifiable since some sub-standard equipment was clearly being used by Soldiers who may have not been fully informed about the products they were using. It is clear, however, that troops in the field will continue to integrate innovative aftermarket solutions often contrary to the rules. The goal of the military and industry alike should be to ensure that these fighting men and women can fight with the best top quality gear without fear of reprisal. Aftermarket and non-standard pieces of equipment are often superior and it is commendable that one priority for PM Soldier Weapons is to develop a menu of authorized aftermarket items for carbines. This will be challenging to do fairly; until then, troops will continue to weigh the risks and rewards of the practice.

The Other Services

Some highlights occurring in the other armed services were also briefed as follows. U.S. Navy (CDR Tom Gajewski, USN) elaborated the Navy’s need for a .50 caliber remote weapons station to protect ships from terrorist attacks while in port. This system must possess corrosion resistant properties as expected for maritime use.

U.S. Air Force (Mr. Randy Roth, USAF Combat Arms Program) reported that the Air Force is supporting broader government efforts to include the solicitation of a new individual carbine and selection of a precision sniper rifle (PSR). Numerous equipment transitions are taking place in the service to include: replacement of the M203 40mm grenade launcher with the M320, replacement of the M2 .50 cal. with the M2A1 QCB, and transition of some M14 EBRs and M4 carbines to the MK17 and MK16 SCAR variants.

U.S. Coast Guard (Capt. Michael Price, USCG Office of Specialized Capabilities) noted that the USCG is looking into acquisition of a Precision Service Shotgun (PSS) with a rifled barrel optimized for firing slugs to disable outboard marine motors and the service is still seeking a gyro stabilized marine enhanced weapons platform to take the place of manned guns on the bows of high speed watercraft with the goal of enhancing gunner safety during operations. Due to a lack of training facilities, the Coast Guard is exploring options for effective simulators specific to the P229 DAK handgun.

Awards and Achievements

With previous coverage in SAR, there is no need to go into great detail, but it is only fitting to profile the well deserving men who received recognition at this year’s Joint Armaments Conference for their hard work and dedication in the small arms field.

Chinn Award Recipient

Mr. Frank Puzycki, U.S. Army ARDEC.
* Over 40 years in the small arms community.
* Key mover and shaker within the National Small Arms Center.
* Personally involved with seventeen ammo type classifications and 13 weapon type classifications.
* Quote: “Team work is indefensible. When Industry and Government are working together good things happen. When we’re doing this we can’t be beat.”

Hathcock Award Recipient
Mr. Jeff Hoffman, Black Hills Ammunition, founder/owner
* Began an active law enforcement career in 1979 and continues to this day.
* At 50 years of age and as head of a well established company, Hoffman is still subject to SWAT call outs.
* Black Hills Ammunition is renowned for quality in the precision marksmanship community to include MK262 Mod 0 and Mod 1 types.
* Quote: “People at the plant know to never tell Jeff ‘We can’t do that.'”

Professional Service Award Recipient
Mr. Hays Parks, DoD General Counsel
* A Vietnam veteran, having entered service with the USMC in 1963.
* Has fought numerous battles as a lawyer to prevent radical restrictions of lawful military ammunition types used by U.S. Forces.
* Has been a champion for the warfighter on the international scene facilitating the approval of new ammunition types for military use.
* Renowned debunker of misinterpretations and deliberate misrepresentations of small arms ammunition related treaties, agreements, and revisionist history.
* Quote: “The most important client I have is the Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine.”

Papers and Exhibits

The NDIA Joint Armaments Conference sported a very high rate of participation from outside of the United States and a large number of vendors due to the combined nature of the Conference. With over a 100 vendors on the floor presenting products ranging from tasers to tank guns, it was largely impossible to cover every aspect in the time allotted, but for a small arms guy there were definitely some products that caught the eye including some new systems largely unseen beforehand.

Domestic

Among domestic U.S. vendors in the exhibit hall, Remington Defense was attracting a lot of attention, not only with the Gen 7 variant of the Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR), but also with the new Remington Gas Piston Rifle (RGP). While the ACR is becoming a regular feature of these events (beginning life as Magpul’s Masada), the rifle has seen many evolutions since the base design was introduced. In the Gen 7 configuration, which eyes the military and defense markets, the polymer receiver had been replaced by an improved magnesium receiver (which I have been assured does not burn, at least not easily) and a Remington octagonal rail system. “ACR is not our original design,” Remington’s Trevor Shaw noted, “but we’ve made improvements.” On the other hand, the RGP is truly a floor up design and much more than a simple conversion of the standard AR-15 type platform. Though the ins and outs of the rifle were not fully accessible to this writer due to the system’s newness, the quality of the build was readily apparent upon inspection. The RGP features a completely monolithic upper receiver with the recognizable Remington octagonal rail design containing modular attachment points. The rifle does not have any advanced coatings as of yet, but even without it Shaw assuredly states the initial tests are very promising both in terms of accuracy and reliability. Even better to both the government and commercial consumer is the strategy behind the gun as described by Shaw, “We are looking for high reliability and quality at a good price point. We want to make the gun as affordable as possible.” Other notable features of the gun include a regulating gas system for suppressor use, ambidextrous controls, a beefed up barrel extension designed for multi-caliber applications, and upper receiver compatibility with the standard AR-15/M16/M4 lower. The RGP will certainly evolve as time passes, but the base system viewed at this event is exciting and this writer is very enthusiastic to follow the RGP’s progress. Undoubtedly Remington Defense is well postured for the Army’s upcoming carbine solicitation and M4 improvement program with strong designs in both the AR-15 and non-AR-15 configuration.

Smith and Wesson has also been hard at work under the law of supply and demand developing rifle designs geared towards the Army’s requirement. At their booth, Joe Bergeron took the time to highlight some of the company’s recent work to the AR-15/M4 system (S&W’s M&P rifle line) including the addition of fully ambidextrous controls (including the bolt release) and the integration of new “in-house” barrel technology that yields greatly extended barrel life, though due to the proprietary nature of the technology and the ongoing status of testing, no exact numbers were readily given for this article. Smith and Wesson’s rifle line includes both short stroke gas piston and direct gas impingement rifles, and of course, all uppers are compatible with the current issue M16/M4 lower receiver. Furthermore, the gas piston version of the S&W rifle allows for multiple settings for suppressor use that also includes a complete gas shut-off option. Other notable S&W developments are the introduction of Coyote Tan slides and Titanium rust resistant sights for the M&P pistol line as well as ongoing suppressor work and testing in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP.

Heckler & Koch’s Dale Bohner was enthused to show off the company’s products. HK has seen lots of good news in the past couple of years with the selection and delivery of the M320 40mm grenade launcher to replace the Army’s aging M203s and now the recent choice by the USMC to field the HK416 as the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle. So far, HK has delivered over 20,000 M320 grenade launchers to the Army and deliveries are continuing. The USMC’s IAR has yet to enter full rate production; according to Bohner, “We’ll deliver a quantity by November this year.” Attesting to the design quality of the original HK416, who’s legacy has become well known both due to outstanding performance and its place among the never ending carbine controversy, the M27 IAR in its final form is nothing more than an HK416 with a bayonet lug and bipod. The HK hammer forged barrel, proven in quality and longevity, coupled with the 416’s short stroke gas piston operating system is believed by many to be the combination that gave the HK system the edge needed to meet the USMC’s IAR requirement. It should be noted that the IAR will augment, not replace the USMC’s M249 SAW fleet, with the SAW being retained in most units and for vehicle use. In the meantime Bohner is optimistic, “As soon as a decision is made regarding to full rate production we can proceed.”

From the Foreign Fields

The NDIA Joint Armaments Conference was clearly global in scale this year as international issues and non-U.S. participants took the spotlight position in many of the presented academic papers and featured exhibits. Notable presenters focused on the NATO role in weapons and ammo solicitation and standardization, with some pretty contentious moments. Also worthy of comment was the presentation and exhibit of the Republic of South Korea’s new K11 Advanced Individual Weapon System (albeit with some U.S. Customs mishaps) and participation from the Chinese engineering team who provided a briefing on the 40 years of successful employment of the Type QLZ87 35mm grenade launcher and the system’s evolution in the Chinese infantry formation.

The NATO related paper topics this year focused, as with earlier papers, on the shortcomings of the 5.56mm SS109 type round being currently deployed in hostilities in Afghanistan. During his sessions, Mr. Anthony Williams of the U.K. championed the idea of evaluating a medium or optimal caliber solution that meets the needs of 5.56mm and 7.62mm users, citing difficulties with 5.56mm effectiveness at longer ranges and through intermediate barriers as experienced by British Troops serving with ISAF. Another presentation by Mr. Jim Schatz had a similar approach and made credible arguments in these budget strained times for a collaborative effort developing the next generation of individual weapons by NATO partners.

Daewoo’s K11 would have been quite a star at this show providing it had made it. Ju Hwan-Song of S&T Daewoo explained in broken English just enough to figure out that U.S. Customs had become a road block to having the actual K11 system present on the showroom floor and as a result a life sized cardboard cutout served as a space filler for the real thing. Despite this mishap, the K11 booth was intriguing and the merits of the platform and its ground breaking novelty was not diminished. The K11 is a “dual barreled weapon system” and vaguely resembles the U.S. OICW prototypes from the late 90s and turn of the century. The K11 features a 5.56mm carbine, 20mm bolt action rifle that fires 20mm airbursting smart munitions, and a sophisticated fire control system (FCS) all integrated into a single man portable individual weapon. The system is very similar in concept to the XM25 Airbursting weapon system being tested in limited field trials by the U.S. Army; the difference that Ju Hwan-Song proudly pointed out is that K11 has been fielded in mass ahead of U.S. system. The K11 replaces the ROK Army organic K201 rifle and under barrel 40mm grenade launcher; two of which are found in the typical infantry squad. The K11’s FCS allows for optical aiming of the carbine using a dual day/night IR based system that projects a digital image to the operator. The FCS also integrates a laser range finder and advanced ballistic computer that accounts for environmental effects when programming airburst ranges for the 20mm projectiles, making the K11 an effective counter-defilade weapon that is simplistic to use. As far as mechanics goes, the K11 uses modern alloys in the upper portion of the weapon with a polymer lower making it possible for the system to weigh in at a portable 6.1 kg (13.45 pounds). Ergonomically, the weapon utilizes one trigger pack and selector with the operator rotating the selector between safe, semi-auto, burst, and 20mm options with a single fluid motion. Magazine capacity for the system is five 20mm airbursting projectiles and the standard NATO type 30-round 5.56mm magazine.

At the Range

One legacy event of the NDIA Small Arms System Symposiums is the annual Firepower Demonstration where vendors get the golden opportunity to put their products into the hands of attendees and let rounds fly downrange. The Joint Armaments Conference continued the tradition with an excellent demonstration out at the Spartan Tactical range facility managed by owner Jim Smith and his staff of professional cadre. The predictions of thunderstorms and flash flooding that were rumored throughout the first two conference days, and seemed even more imminent on the day of, gave way to clear blue skies and the Texas sun. Over twenty vendors were on site showcasing everything from pistols, sniper rifles, and even truck mounted .50 cal. machine guns on three different ranges optimized for the systems being fired thereon.

At the pistol range, vendors included HK with a full suite of handguns and submachine guns, Glock, Inc. with the Gen 4 enhanced .40 caliber pistol and Ruag Ammotec with their frangible ammo line. The line was especially long for EMA Tactical where Eldad Oz (EMA’s president) and Mr. Michael Grundy could not keep the magazines loaded fast enough to satisfy the crowd waiting to fire the Roni pistol conversion kit for the Glock 17 handgun. The Roni (Hebrew for rejoice/rejoicing, but also the name of the designer, Moshe Oz’s daughter), which has seen multiple product improvements just since the SHOT Show in January, allows for the standard Glock 17 to be converted without modification into a semiautomatic shoulder fired weapon system; and when cradling a Glock 18 the Roni takes the form of a true submachine gun. The Roni delivers impressive accuracy in a small package with an integrated M1913 rail allowing for the mounting of any compatible optical devices and a sturdy sliding shoulder stock. As Grundy explained, the Roni conversion allows agencies the flexibility of fielding only a standard service pistol yet gives users the ability to achieve pistol caliber carbine/submachine gun performance. There has already been interest from across the global and domestic spectrum, with one undisclosed school system viewing the conversion as a means for better equipping school security officers to quickly respond to a Columbine type of scenario. The Roni is envisioned as a tool negating the need to secure a separate weapon on the campus premises or in a patrol cruiser, which delays response time when an incident occurs. Better yet for those who read this as a civilian, the Roni conversion kit is BATFE approved and can be mailed to your doorstep. (Introducing a pistol into the conversion, or the mere possession of the two together, can still be viewed as possessing an SBR. All NFA rules apply).

A trek past the main range and up the hill leads to Spartan’s long distance range where light machine guns, carbines, DMR rifles, and sniper systems stood ready to receive shooters. At this range vendors included La Rue Tactical, SIG, Colt Defense, HK (with the HK416 IAR variant and HK416 in 6.8mm), and Remington Defense with their new RGP rifle and Generation 7 ACR. The lines at this range gave testimony to the enthusiasm of the crowd which endured equatorial type heat to get hands on the new weapon systems. For HK, company President Wayne Webber joined Dale Bohner in assisting attendees to firing positions to fire the IAR while Remington’s Trevor Shaw stayed busy with the RGP carbine at the far right. Despite its geographical disadvantage of being located separately from the main range area by a required uphill walk through rough terrain, the long distance range was the busiest per capita at the Firepower Demonstration, likely due to the relevance of the products highlighted there.

Down at the main range facility, fifteen vendors lined the firing points, with plenty of steel and La Rue targets on the horizon. The firing line contained everything from FNH’s SCAR rifles on the far left (SOCOM has announced a decision not to field the Mk16 SCAR Light since the NDIA event), to the GUA-21 .50 cal. machine gun on towable trailer on the far right. Sandwiched in between were a plethora of vendors with a very diverse product range to include: Dr. John Kokinis of U.S. Machine Gun Armory with his semiautomatic variant of the Mk46 light machine gun, Aloysius Donovan with the Adams Arms short stroke gas piston carbine, Milkor with the M32 multi-shot 40mm grenade launcher, and LTC (Ret) Mark Westrom with ArmaLite’s AR-15 rifles. To discuss each participating company and their wares would be far too intensive for this article. To say the least, the NDIA Firepower Demo does stand as unique for small arms trade shows inside the United States with its interactive vendor demonstrations and personal one-on-one range interactions. It is commendable to NDIA that they have continuously hosted this event without incident for many years.

(A debt of gratitude is due to Mr. Sal Fanelli and Jim Schatz who, for many years running, have volunteered their time, resources, and sweat to making the Firepower Demonstration both safe and successful. Also a special thanks to LaRue Tactical, whose mobile BBQ trailer provided the large crowd with traditional Texas cuisine at the best price in town… free.)

Conclusion
With so much going on in the world, the changing winds of politics, and the inevitable cutting of defense budgets, the fact still remains that troops in the war zone need the best small arms and ammunition available. With all of these obstacles it is organizations like NDIA and events like the Joint Armaments Conference that can make the difference by consolidating the cutting edge products and the great minds that develop and employ them under one roof for three days that impact the rest of the year. From military units and government agencies that send their subject matter experts to top engineers and scientists from home and abroad, the Joint Armaments Conference is an event where business cards and email addresses are exchanged, where new ideas are birthed, and focus is honed on the path ahead for the sake of the warfighters that put their lives on the line daily in the service of their country, wherever that may be.

The “Black Rifle” has gone through several incremental changes over the last decade. The industry is vast and there is no shortage of accessories and product enhancements. Although most of them are “gadgets,” some have truly been enhancements that lead the weapon platform into clearly new territory and may define the future configurations of this combat proven family of weapons.

In January, 2009, Colt Defense introduced and began shipping their first new model for the law enforcement community in nearly a decade. The LE6940 is truly the “next level” for Colt’s legendary AR-15/M16/M4 family of weapons. What sets this model apart from the rest is that it is built on Colt’s monolithic upper receiver. This receiver provides multiple enhancements to the weapon.

The 1-Piece Upper Receiver

The upper receiver is a truly monolithic design. Many of the so called-monolithic upper receivers in the industry are actually two pieces welded together. The top rail of the rifle offers a continuous rail from the rear of the receiver to the front sight base. This satisfies zero retention and zero repeatability requirements. Optics may be removed and installed with no effect on zero. The 3 and 9 o’clock rails are also rigid and provide the same zero retention. The barrel itself is fully free floated. This offers several enhancements in accuracy, heat control and durability to the weapon. By having a free floated barrel, accuracy is enhanced as there is no heavy piston or handguard to interfere with the harmonics of the barrel. This feature is used on competition rifles and is essential for precision shooting. The receiver also enhances cooling of the weapon and thus durability is also increased. It is unlike many current rail systems which are made of aluminum or steel and attach at the barrel nut as well as the handguard cap that transfers heat from the front sight base (hottest point of the barrel) back into the aluminum receiver. An additional feature of the Colt design is its barrel extension and nut. There is an increase in the contact area between the barrel and receiver to increase accuracy. The barrel nut also does not have to be aligned with the gas tube.

By utilizing the 1-piece upper there is a significant savings of cost and weight compared to purchasing a traditional M4-type carbine. The savings in cost comes from not having to purchase and install an aftermarket rail system as well as a back up iron sight, which are already standard on the LE6940. Experience shows that many military or law enforcement operators will immediately upon receiving an M4-type weapon, remove the handguards and install a rail system and purchase a back up sight.

The LE6940

Colt Defense has taken their new monolithic upper receiver and offered it to Law Enforcement. The LE6940 offers the enhanced monolithic upper receiver with a 16.1 inch M4-profile barrel with the step cut. The barrel is the standard GI 1/7 inch twist chrome lined barrel offering the user the ability to fire the full range of projectile weights. The 16.1 inch barrel is perhaps the optimal carbine length barrel for both accuracy and terminal performance of the 5.56mm cartridge in a carbine configuration. Just like the military weapons, every barrel is subjected to a 70,000 psi proof cartridge and then magnetic particle inspected to insure the barrel is free of stress fractures. The rifle comes equipped with the standard A2 compensator. The upper receiver also has a forward assist and a fired cartridge case deflector.

Another outstanding feature is the introduction of the new folding front sight. Unlike most of the folding front sights on the market, the Colt folding front sight base is pinned in place as opposed to screwed on. Pinning the front sight base is significantly more durable and permanent. Due to the pinning process, the front sight base will not loosen and adversely affect accuracy or reliability. The benefit of the folding front sight is enormous when using optics. The standard front sight base often obstructs the view of optics when mounted on the rail of a flat top upper receiver and the shooter has a significantly better field of view with the front sight folded. Most optics as well will allow co-witnessing between the back up sights and the optic in case the battery was to fail or the optic was to become damaged. The front sight base is equipped with a bayonet lug. The Colt folding front sight is robust and positive locking. Another benefit of having the front sight attached to the barrel is when the barrel moves due to thermal expansion the sight moves with it maintaining zero. The production LE6940 uses a quick detach sling swivel, which can be mounted on either mounting point on both sides of the front of the receiver. The lower handguard, which is removable, requires only the push inward of a detent on the rear of the bottom of the handguard. Once the detent is pushed in, the handguard is slid forward and then pulled down. The rail is more robust, easier to remove.

‘ The LE6940 comes standard with the U.S. Government Issue MaTech back up iron sight that is adjustable for both windage and elevation. The elevation is adjustable up to 600 meters and zeroes the same as the standard M4/M16A2 fully adjustable rear sights. The elevation is calibrated for the drop of the M855 ammunition. Windage is easily adjusted with the standard size windage knob.

The LE6940 comes with a standard M16 bolt carrier and bolt. The bolt is also test fired with a 70,000 psi proof cartridge and then magnetic particle inspected to insure it is free of stress fractures. The extractor incorporates a Mil-Std extractor spring, which increases extraction reliability.

The lower receiver incorporates a change as well. Since the introduction of the Colt Sporter series semiautomatic only rifles in the early 1990s, Colt has used a larger .170 hammer and trigger pin. This was an effort to prevent conversion to automatic fire. Thus with the larger pins, one could not install selective fire components. This proved to be problematic with Colt customers. By not using industry standard .154-inch diameter hammer and trigger pins, many of the enhanced triggers would not be offered to Colt Sporter and Match Target owners. The LE line of Colt semiautomatic only rifles would also use the .170 diameter hammer and trigger pins. The LE6940 is introduced with a lower receiver which goes back to the standard .154 hammer and trigger pins. This is a result of both customer request as well as parts standardization.

The lower receiver is equipped with the standard GI telescopic stock with four positions allowing for individual adjustment. Another new feature incorporated into the LE6940 is the reversible selector lever. If the shooter is left handed, they only have to unscrew the pistol grip screw, remove the pistol grip and, with the hammer cocked slightly, push down on the hammer and remove the selector lever from the left side and reinstall it in the right side.

The Magpul 20-round PMags were used for all function and firing testing. The test and evaluation rifle was fired off of a bench at 100 yards. The ammunition selected for accuracy testing was Black Hills Mk262 Mod1. This is the special operations 77-grain open tip match Sierra projectile and, in this author’s opinion, is the most accurate out-of-the-box 5.56mm available. Groups maintained 1-1/2 inches at 100 yards using a Trijicon ACOG scope. The trigger on this rifle broke at 6 pounds with little creep. For functioning testing, the 1-piece upper receiver was placed on a selective fire M4 lower receiver. More than 1,000 rounds were fired on automatic with no malfunctions encountered. The sample rifle was equipped with a VLTOR Modstock, PMags, Insight Tech Gear M3X tactical light and KAC vertical pistol grip.

Further Development of the 1-Piece Upper Receiver

The Colt monolithic upper receiver has become a standard in most of Colt’s new weapon designs. Given its versatility of design, it may be used on both direct gas operated rifles as well as piston designed weapons. Colt’s prototypes unveiled at November 2008’s Industry Day held by the Secretary of the Army utilized this 1-piece receiver including the ACC-M (direct Gas), APC-M (piston), SCW (direct gas and piston), Hybrid and the Infantry Automatic Rifle.

Colt’s new weapon began shipping out of the Hartford, CT factory in January of 2009. New models are on the horizon in 11.5, 14.5 and possibly even 20-inch barrel lengths. The monolithic rail platform is a for-sure hit due to all the features offered. Police departments will be able to buy a rifle already equipped with a rail and back-up sights instead of purchasing them as accessories. The money saved can be put toward optics and other needed gear.

The Colt CGL (Colt Foregrip Laser)

Along with the T&E LE6940, another new Colt product was found: the new Colt Foregrip Laser. The CGL was a joint venture between Colt Defense and LaserMax, Inc. LaserMax is known to be an industry leader in micro diode technology. A previous government request was for a vertical pistol grip that would combine the laser sight.

The CGL incorporates a vertical pistol grip, laser sight as well as a traveling light in one package. By a selector switch on the rear of the CGL, the unit may be set for the traveling light, off, constant beam laser as well as the pulsating laser. The CGL uses an American Defense QD Auto Lock mount. The CGL is activated by an activation switch on the front of the grip. By squeezing the switch slightly the unit will turn on momentarily. By squeezing all the way in, the unit will be continuously turned on until the switch is depressed and released. The unit is powered by two commercially available AA batteries.

The current offering is a 635nm laser that has an orange color. Constant as well as pulsating modes are available at discretion. Pulsating offers the benefit of battery life extension and is easier for the eye to pick up as it “irritates” the eye so it is more visible. There are several tactical applications for this option to include distinguishing ones laser apart from another. Given there is no play in the lower handguard, the CGL holds an alignment of 1/2 inch at 25 yards. Laser sights are designed for close quarter battle scenarios and not as precision long range targeting devices.

The traveling light is not to be confused with a tactical light. The LED traveling light is designed for low level brightness, which is used to view objects up close such as the floor in front of the operator or objects immediately in front of you. The T&E unit showed this very well. When entering a dark room and activating, the traveling light showed the ground and walls well; when switched to a tactical light, the whole room lit up.

The benefits of laser sights are many. First and foremost it is intimidation. Due to the use of the media, everyone knows if you see a red dot on you something bad is about to happen. The media has conditioned society to react that way to a laser. Laser sights offer law enforcement an option that may prevent them from firing their weapon when without it the outcome may have been quite different. The use of the laser also speeds up reaction and engagement time. It is more efficient to use a laser for quick fire situations than sights. Many times when under these circumstances the operator may not have time to shoulder his weapon and obtain a sight picture. The laser offers the shooter full use of peripheral vision to better know the situation and what is going on around him.

The laser is adjusted by two Allen key screws. An adjustment tool was provided with the CGL. The CGL was mounted to the front of the bottom rail of the LE6940. An Insight Tech Gear Laser Borelight System was placed in the muzzle projecting a laser of the centerline of the bore. The CGL was placed on pulsating laser mode and switched on. The CGL was zeroed with the Laser Borelight System at 15 yards. This distance was chosen because the tactical situations which the CGL truly shines are for engaging targets at close range. The CGL is shipped with one daylight zero target. This is a reflective target that allows the laser to be seen in broad daylight. Nifty idea since most indoor ranges will not allow a high power rifle.

At 15 yards, the laser was shooting within an inch off hand. Accuracy was acceptable and the speed of engagement of targets was enhanced. There were no problems with the CGL. More than 300 rounds were fired with no noticeable change in alignment.

Colt Defense has released a new Black Rifle as well as a new accessory this year. The industry has waited to see more new products from Colt and they will not be disappointed. Although U.S. government contracts must be the priority at Colt Defense, as of this writing, Colt Defense has been producing significant numbers of Law Enforcement and commercial rifles. Recently at AUSA, Colt Defense unveiled several of their new products including alternative operating systems as well as their monolithic upper receiver. Small Arms Review will certainly be on top of these developments as information is released.

(Small Arms Review contributing editor Christopher Bartocci works as a Technical Specialist for Colt Defense LLC. The articles written by this author are of his own research and evaluation and in no way represent those of Colt Defense LLC.)

The Association of the United States Army held its annual meeting on October 6-8 in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington DC. As one of the premier showcases demonstrating developments in the defense industry, more than 500 exhibitors from more than a dozen countries displayed their products and services. Displays included cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, small and medium caliber small arms, and armored vehicles. Small Arms Review was present to report on new products and advances within the defense community.

ATK

ATK showcased a new medium caliber system utilizing a redesigned 20mm, 25mm, and 30mm weapons system. Designed in two parts, the weapon mount has been designated the PAWS – the Palletized Autonomous Weapons System. As a self contained and fully autonomous weapons system, the PAWS system provides the user the capability to aim and fire virtually any small and medium caliber weapon.

As a roll on/roll off system, the PAWS can be fully palletized for air delivery. Set up time from crate to running system testing is reportedly less than 10 minutes. Designed from off-the-shelf components, the platform can be easily installed in a variety of platforms. Representatives of ATK indicate that due to the light weight, the PAWS system can be utilized within a light truck, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), light boat, or rotary aircraft.

Use of the system was extremely easy. A joy stick controls elevation, traverse, and fire controls, while a LCD display provides an aiming point and view of the target. The system is electrically powered, and capable of using batteries or a variety of external power sources.

In conjunction with the PAWS weapon mount, ATK has redesigned the 25mm Bushmaster chain gun. Designated the LW25 Bushmaster, the system is a compact and lightweight system based upon the successful Bushmaster family of chain guns. Weighing 68 pounds (unloaded) or 94 pounds with available soft mount and fire control unit, the LW25 has a reported cyclic rate of 250 rounds per minute. In addition, ATK representatives report that the system has a Mean Rounds Between Stoppages (MRBS) in excess of 35,000 rounds, providing an extremely reliable system.

The LW25 Bushmaster utilizes five newly designed 25mm cartridges: HEI (High Explosive Incendiary), HEDP (High Explosive Dual Purpose), PABM (Programmable Air Burst Munition), Shotshell, and TP (Training Practice). The new cartridges measure 25x59mm. ATK reports that the LW25 Bushmaster is ideal for applications that are currently limited to gas-operated guns. ATK representatives pointed out that the system is lighter than the M2HB, M240, and Mk19 machine guns, while providing increased lethality.

The Programmable Air Burst Munition is reportedly a remnant of the OICW program, complete with point detonating fuze and programmable airburst capability. As evidence that old projects never die, the OICW project is alive and well at ATK, and has now been designated the Individual Airburst Weapon System (IAWS). Designed to engage targets at 300 meters, the system has a maximum effective range of 500 meters. Similar to the OICW, the IAWS utilizes five types of ammunition: thermobaric, flechette, training, high-explosive airburst, and non-lethal.

Heckler and Koch

Heckler and Koch revealed a new blank firing adaptor intended for the M16 family of weapons. Intended to be used as a complete system comprised of a magazine and muzzle device, the blank firing adaptor is intended to prevent the use of live ammunition. The length of the magazine is reduced to prevent users from loading ball ammunition. Instead, only blank ammunition (which is typically shorter in length than live ammunition) may be loaded within the special magazine.

In the event that ball ammunition is forced into the magazine, a maximum of three live rounds will fit within the magazine. Attempts to load more than three live rounds will result in the rounds binding and jamming within the magazine. If live rounds are loaded within the magazine and fired through the weapon, the blank firing adaptor attached at the muzzle is capable of stopping a maximum of three live rounds.

The system is reportedly under test and evaluation by the U.S. Marine Corps. An HK representative indicated that the system is not currently in production, and would not be produced unless a significant order was placed by a branch of the military.

SAAB Bofors

Long known for the Carl Gustav recoilless AT rocket system, Saab Bofors displayed a variant of the venerable AT-4 anti-tank rocket system. The AT-4 system has been in the U.S. Army inventory since the mid-1980s. In an effort to revitalize and update the system, Saab Bofors improved the system in two significant ways.

The system was first outfitted with a liquid counter-mass to eliminate the back blast created when firing the weapon. As a recoilless system, the weapon’s back blast prevents use of the AT-4 system within confined spaces. With the new Saab Bofors improvements, the liquid counter mass reduces the back blast and eliminates the deadly effects of firing the system within a confined space.

The AT-4 system has always been intended as a disposable system. Unlike the Carl Gustav system, the AT-4 system cannot be reloaded once the rocket is fired. As originally designed, the plastic weapon sights are crude, simplistic, hard to use and cannot be zeroed or adjusted for range. As originally designed, the original AT-4 weapon sight cannot be zeroed, or adjusted for range. As a result, Saab Bofors worked together with Aimpoint to incorporate a red dot sight to the system. Adjustable for range, the soldier estimates the range to the target, adjusts the sight, places the aiming point directly on the target, and fires the weapon. As the AT-4 system is disposable, the new Aimpoint sights are reportedly disposable, and not intended to be reused. Finally, a Picatinny rail has been incorporated on the AT-4 tube, to allow the user to mount and use a laser designator or range finder as part of the system.

Barrett Firearms

Barrett Firearms revealed their new .338 Lapua bolt action rifle. Designated the Model 98B, the new .338 Lapua rifle sports a 27 inch barrel, and has an overall length of 49.75 inches. The barrel utilizes a ten-round polymer magazine, with an ambidextrous magazine release lever.

Built primarily of 7075 aluminum and polymer plastics, the complete system weighs in at 13.5 pounds. Considering that the Barrett 82A1 weighs nearly 31 pounds, the Barrett 98B provides significant weigh savings while providing a platform capable of heavy hitting long range shooting. The barrel is fluted for additional weight savings, while utilizing a 1-in-10 twist rate for long range accuracy.

Projected to be vailable in January 2009, the current suggested retail price will be $4,500.

Colt Defense

In response to recent U.S. Army solicitations and weapons tests, Colt Defense presented a large number of new and innovative weapon platforms. SAR spent a significant amount of time discussing weapons development with MG Battaglini, (USMC, Retired) Colt’s Chief Operating Officer and Kevin Brown, Vice President, Military Programs. Built in response to a request from the U.S. Army, MG Battaglini explained that the new models were not intended to replace the venerable M4 carbine. Rather, the new systems were designed to demonstrate the available technology, should the U.S. military decide to upgrade or change existing specifications to the M4 carbine system.

Colt Defense presented several major developments to the M4 weapon platform, including the use of a monolithic upper receiver, the use of a piston system, the creation of a hybrid short stroke gas/piston system, and an articulated gas piston.

Colt Defense also presented a newly designed 40mm low velocity grenade launcher. Designated the Eagle, the grenade launcher is a side opening, fully ambidextrous system capable of being used as either a stand-alone unit, or mounted to a battle rifle. With a built in pistol grip, the system appeared to be a direct competitor to the Heckler and Koch AG-C system, and was reportedly submitted for review by the U.S. Military when considering a replacement to the M203 weapons system.

Weighing 4.7 pounds, the Eagle weighs nearly two pounds heavier than the M203 legacy system, but provides additional capability to fire non-traditional rounds that would not otherwise fit within the M203 breach. Outfitted with Picatinny rails, the weapon is capable of accepting traditional iron sights intended for a 40mm system, or an EOTech 40mm grenade launcher sight. The Eagle is capable of firing nearly any conventional or commonly acquired 40mm lethal and less-lethal ammunition.

The AUSA annual meeting was an unqualified success and allowed many in the small arms industry to display recent developments and innovations. Although not all of the products displayed were in production, the AUSA show is a great opportunity to witness developments in the small arms industry, talk to the engineers involved in the research and development process, and discuss innovations with others within the small arms community.

It’s said that Abraham Lincoln may have freed all men, but Sam Colt made them equal. Founded in 1836, the Colt name has long been associated with innovative and advance firearm designs. Colt Manufacturing (and later Colt Defense) first started producing the Stoner and Sullivan designed AR-15 in 1960. The basic foundation continues today as the M4 Carbine. Recently, individuals within the industry and in the press have been critical of the M4 Carbine as a legacy weapon, in need of modernization and improvement. Several representatives of Small Arms Review recently had an opportunity to discuss innovations and improvements to the AR-15 and M4 design with MG Jim Battaglini, (USMC, Retired), Chief Operating Officer; Mr. Jeff MacLeod, General Manager, and Mr. Kevin Brown, Vice President of Military Programs.

At the outset, MG Battaglini explained that despite recent tests conduced at the request of Congress, the U.S. military remains satisfied with the M4 carbine, and has not requested any major changes to the basic design. The M4 carbine performs as requested and meets current military needs. Nevertheless, Colt decided to take a proactive position and recently displayed nine new variants of the M4 carbine, demonstrating a mix of new designs and prior technology. Not all variants that were displayed will be produced. Rather, the variants are intended to demonstrate what features are available, should the U.S. military seek to upgrade the M4 carbine at a future date. Although the following upgrades have been built into specific models, MG Battaglini pointed out that all of the developments can be built into a complete system in response to the needs of the military.

The APC: Advanced Piston Carbine

Recently, it seems as though nearly every AR-15 manufacturer has introduced a piston-based recoil system to their catalog. While the benefits of a piston upper are numerous, not all manufacturers have executed a successful design. Is the APC just another piston carbine? Not at all. Outfitted with a 14.5 inch barrel, the APC weighs 6.2 pounds (empty), measures 33.5 inches in length with the stock collapsed, and features a piston recoil operating system.

Built with a monolithic upper receiver, the barrel is free floating for increased accuracy, despite the short barrel length. With nothing restraining the barrel, the barrel is free to flex during the firing sequence. Viewed under high speed photography, the barrel can be observed flexing in a wave pattern. When constrained by a gas tube or piston operating rod, the natural harmonics of the barrel are interrupted, resulting in decreased accuracy.

How did Colt respond to the issue? The APC features an articulating operating rod that flexes with the barrel during firing, rather than impeding the barrel or disturbing the rifle’s accuracy. The result: increased accuracy from a shortened weapon platform, with a stable rate of fire. Kevin Brown, Colt’s vice-president of Military Programs, pointed out that even after firing 18,000 rounds through the weapon, there was no significant increase in the rate of fire. With a traditional gas recoil system, barrel wear would result in an increased rate of fire, rapidly exceeding the original rate of fire specifications. As a testament to the effectiveness of the piston system, the rate of fire for the Advanced Piston Carbine was within 50 rounds per minute of the original specification after firing 18,000 rounds.

The AHC: Alternative Hybrid Carbine

Similar to the APC, the AHC is outfitted with a 14.5 inch barrel, weighs 6.2 pounds (empty), measures 33.5 inches in length (with the stock collapsed,) and features a piston recoil operating system. Unlike the APC, the AHC utilizes a mid-length, direct impingement, gas operated piston. Why did Colt develop two outwardly similar rifles with differing types of recoil systems? Recall that the purpose of the recent developments was to showcase and highlight the available technologies available. There are multiple methods of making an AR-15 or M4 operate effectively in semi and fully automatic mode. Rather than focusing on a single type of piston recoil system, Colt presented an alternative that allows drop in retro fitting to existing M4 carbines.

Designed as a short-stroke system, the mid-length piston is designed to eliminate accuracy issues inherent in the traditional full length piston design discussed above. As a short-stroke system, the piston is still reliant upon a short gas tube. Unlike the traditional gas recoil system, the mid-length piston system does not release combustion gas into the upper receiver of the weapon. Rather, the gas is released under the hand guard, and directed forward and away from the shooter.

The SCW and SCW-P: Subcompact Weapon (Piston)

By outward appearances, the SCW harks back to the M231 Firing Port Weapon designed for use within the M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Designed to be used from within the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the M231 had a high rate of fire, was only capable of fully-automatic fire, was difficult to control, and was only intended for use from within the vehicle. Understandably, the M231 was not the most effective weapon, and added one more piece of equipment in the already confined space of an armored personnel carrier.

By all accounts, the SCW is a response to similar requirements. Designed as a personal defense weapon available as either a gas or piston operated system, the SCW can be used by soldiers to engage targets from within an armored vehicle. This is where the similarities between the SCW and M231 end. Outfitted with a 10.3-inch barrel and designed with a dual collapsible/folding stock, the weapon can be made extremely compact – just 23 inches in overall length with the stock fully collapsed.

In the event that the soldier is required to exit the vehicle to engage the enemy, the SCW stock can be extended to provide a stable firing platform that exceeds the capabilities of the M231 wire stock. Combined with a Lasermax front grip, the SCW is capable of engaging targets to 200 meters and beyond. Unlike the M231, the SCW is designed to be the soldier’s primary weapon – not a weapon to augment the M4 carbine. While the shortened maximum effective range may seem limiting when compared to the capabilities of an M4 carbine, bear in mind that the majority of military engagements take place within the 200 meter effective range of the SCW. Due to its small size, increased accuracy, and upgraded operating system, the SCW has potential to become a highly effective weapon for cavalry and mechanized infantry troops.

The ERC: Extended Range Carbines

Recent infantry doctrine has called for the inclusion of a designated marksman, allowing a designated infantry soldier the ability to engage targets beyond the limitations of the M4 carbine. Currently, the U.S. military trains soldiers and sailors to use the M4 at 300 meters. The M16 has a maximum effective range of 600 meters, while the M4 carbine is effective to 550 meters. Clearly, the platform is not being utilized to the fullest potential. Enter the ERC-16 and ERC-20. As an enhanced rifle system, the rifle uses either a 16-inch or 20-inch barrel that allows the designated marksman to engage targets to 600 meters. While outwardly similar to the legacy M4 systems, the EHC is a highly accurate platform that provides the user with the familiarity of the M-4 system.

Use of a .30 caliber rifle by the designated marksman presents several issues. Parts commonality and different ammunition can be problematic on the battle field. Engagement of targets is often within the 600 meters. More importantly, use of a different weapon immediately identifies the designated marksman as a valuable target. By using the same ammunition, using the same major parts, and using a similar weapon profile with the M4 system, the ERC is effectively integrated into an infantry platoon, while also providing the designated marksman a highly accurate weapon.

Relocation of the Charging Handle within the M4 System

The original AR-15 is an excellent design, as demonstrated by its longevity and ability to be modernized and updated as needed. One may recall that the original charging handle was located at the top of the upper receiver, and within the carrying handle of the weapon. In terms of marksmanship training, the original location of the charging handle allowed the shooter to maintain a good sight picture while reloading the weapon. The current AR-15 requires the shooter to break the sight picture and lift his head from the butt stock when operating the weapon’s charging handle. Recent developments and innovations may change the manner of operation for future iterations of the AR-15 design.

By utilizing a piston recoil system, the charging handle is no longer constrained to the traditional location on the upper receiver. By engaging the piston, the newly relocated charging handle is tasked with double duty. First, the handle is used to operate the bolt when charging and clearing the weapon. Designed with ambidextrous use in mind, the newly designed charging handle can be extended to the opposite side of the receiver, allowing for ambidextrous use of the charging handle. Second, the charging handle can now be used to engage the piston to push the bolt home into the chamber, augmenting or replacing the forward assist when trying to close the bolt.

By relocating the charging handle to the hand guard, the new design allows the ability to shoot with better technique, allows ambidextrous operation of the charging handle, and allows replacement (or elimination) of the traditional forward assist. In return, the shooter potentially loses the ability to use a small portion of the Picatinny rail. Is the exchange worthwhile? The exchange may be worthwhile, if the new design allows the shooter to more accurately engage the target. The U.S. military will ultimately decide whether the new system is worthwhile to implement. In the meantime, the new design is an excellent example of thinking outside of standard parameters to improve an otherwise proven product.

Other design innovations included the introduction of a built in suppressor, the elimination of the traditional dust cover, and self-lubricating internals. Only time will tell whether these innovations will prove effective, and whether they will be implemented into future designs of the M4 family.

As indicated earlier, the designs displayed by Colt were intended to demonstrate the combination of new designs and prior technology. Most of the variants will never be made as production models. MG Battaglini pointed out that the models were not designed for commercial, international, or law enforcement sales, nor are the models intended as a replacement for the M4. Rather, the models were built solely to demonstrate what technologies are available should the U.S. military decide to upgrade the existing specifications at a future date. Based upon the designs presented, it appears as though Colt is well equipped to modernize and update the M4 well into the 21st century.

World War II brought the submachine gun into prominence with many armies. First being used successfully on a large scale by Germany during the war, Russia, England and eventfully the United States developed their own. It was just as quickly seen the ineffectiveness of the pistol cartridge on the battle field, especially compared to the new intermediate cartridges. Soon after the war, the SMG would be decommissioned throughout the world in favor of intermediate caliber assault rifles.

The SMG did not entirely disappear; they filled a role in law enforcement and in military special operations units. As a military weapon, it was effective under controlled conditions such as close quarter battle as well as when suppressed fire was needed. However, the biggest customer for the SMG was to become law enforcement. The SMG fit their area of operations perfectly. First, it dealt with the issues of over-penetration in the nation’s cities and kept compatibility with the ammunition police officers used in their sidearms. Police were not restricted as the military was in what type of ammunition they could use. By using modern high performance jacketed hollow point ammunition the 9mm NATO cartridge was quite effective and did not suffer from the over penetration and lack of stopping power as the military ball round. The SMG offered SWAT teams a significant amount of firepower in a small package. The first truly successful SMG to be used world-wide came out of Israel: the Uzi SMG – an open bolt selective fire SMG. The next, and the most successful SMG of all time, was the Heckler & Koch MP5. The MP5 would be the standard SMG in use by both military and law enforcement throughout the world. The MP5 was basically a scaled down version of the 7.62x51mm G3 assault rifle. Although the MP5 was a great success, the 7.62x51mm and 5.56x45mm H&K rifles never achieved popularity with U.S. law enforcement. The rifle and carbines of choice were the Colt M16/AR-15 series.

Colt decided that they were losing out on an entire market in the early 1980s. They realized they controlled the rifle and carbine markets in the U.S. but they offered nothing to fill the need for police who needed the lower powered pistol cartridges that were best used in urban environments. Consequently, they set out to design their own SMG and the project for the Colt SMG was given to their Senior Engineer, Henry “Hank” Tatro. With the knowledge that the M16/AR-15 is considered by many to be the finest human engineered small arm in the world (i.e. most ergonomic: controls all within reach of the shooter’s hand without the hand ever leaving the pistol grip and speed of reloading), it only made sense to base it off of the M16. Another viable reason for this is that law enforcement personnel are often made up of armed forces veterans who had already trained, and were familiar with, the weapon system. Additionally, since most of the departments used M16/AR-15 rifles and carbines, there would be little, if any, transitional training. The controls and procedures for loading, unloading, firing, disassembly and cleaning would be identical for the rifles, carbines and well as the SMG.

Since the SMG was to be chambered for the 9mm NATO caliber pistol cartridge, it was initially thought there was no need for a locking system and the weapon would utilize a blow back operation. Initial prototype SMGs would be open bolt. During testing by Tatro, it was discovered that the open bolt mechanism was not as desirable as a closed bolt for two main reasons. First was the concern for safety. If the SMG was to be dropped or jarred sharply on its butt, there was a better than average chance the bolt would travel rearward just far enough to pick up a cartridge from the magazine and chamber and fire it, resulting in an accidental discharge. According to designer Henry Tatro, clearing malfunctions could be dangerous as well. Additionally, ammunition/primer sensitivity could cause safety issues. Lastly, accuracy was decreased. Early prototype Colt SMGs utilized an M1911-style grip safety on the back of the pistol grip. Once the open bolt system was dropped, the grip safety went along with it.

The finalized SMG would be released in 1985 and would be based off the Colt “Commando” carbine utilizing a standard M16 upper receiver without the forward assist. The cam pin slot as well as the gas tube hole in the face of the receiver was omitted. Standard field sights were used with a special designed rear sight aperture. One aperture was for 0-50meters and the other was for 50 meters and farther out. Standard carbine handguards were used with a single heat shield in each.

The barrels were 10.5 inches long and utilized the standard birdcage flash suppressor. The barrels were chrome plated and designed specifically for the 9mm NATO cartridge (FMJ RN, high power). Each barrel was proof tested with a high pressure cartridge and then magnetic particle inspected like their 5.56mm counterparts. The barrel would employ the standard front sight assembly of the carbine.

Since the new SMG was not gas operated, the bolt had to be completely redesigned. The bolt/carrier would be manufactured from a single piece of steel with the breech face machined into the face of the carrier. Original prototypes used a standard 5.56mm extractor but when they went into production a specific 9mm extractor was made. Due to these firing from the blow back method of operation, weight had to be added to the bolt to give higher mass to delay the bolt from opening before the bullet left the barrel. This weight was pinned into the rear of the bolt. Another significant change was the firing pin. The firing pin only had one head and utilized a firing pin spring decreasing weight and mass of the firing pin. Due to the much softer primers used in pistol ammunition, the lighter weight and firing spring were used to prevent accidental discharges from the inertia of the firing pin striking the primer when the bolt closed on a loaded chamber.

The lower receiver would actually be a standard M16/AR-15 lower receiver with a telescopic stock. The main changes would be to the buffer and magazine well. The buffer had to be changed to slow down the cyclic rate of fire. If a standard carbine buffer was used, the cyclic rate would be well over 1,250 rounds per minute. This rate of fire is excessive to control as well as being destructive to the weapon. By developing a heavier buffer (2-piece steel), the cyclic rate was decreased to under 1,000 rounds per minute. Ammunition is a significant factor in cyclic rate as well. Additionally, if a lower cyclic rate was desired, Colt offered a hydraulic buffer which would decrease the rate even further to around 650 to 850 rounds per minute. These models were denoted by a HB suffix on the end of the model number. Another modification to the lower receiver was the redesign of the hammer/trigger pins; making them out of stainless steel to increase their strength due to the pounding of the heavy cyclic rate of the SMG. The hammer pin in particular would break with heavy full-auto fire. This change (hammer/trigger pin is nickel plated for identification purposes) significantly enhanced the durability of this pin for use in the 9mm SMG.

The magazine well had to be modified to accept the significantly shorter 9mm magazine. To keep with parts commonality the standard magazine well was used. Early prototype SMGs utilized a one-piece magazine well adapter. This early design had problems with tolerancing and was not consistent in fit. Production weapons utilized a magazine well with two inserts with the rear insert containing the ejector. An extended bolt catch was used so the rear of the magazine follower would trip the catch to hold the bolt open on the last shot. This insert was pinned in place using a roll pin. The forward insert contained the feed ramp that would guide the cartridge from the magazine into the chamber. This was also pinned in place. This was a good way to do this because it allowed the lower receiver to easily be converted back to 5.56mm by simply removing the three roll pins and replacing the bolt catch. In 2001, Colt changed back to a one-piece insert designed and patented by Colt Model Product Development Engineer Art Daigle (U. S. Patent No. 6,072,352). Mr. Daigle designed this adapter for his own rifle prior to his employment at Colt. He had a receiver that he modified with the two-piece magazine well conversion. He would use this receiver to fire both 9mm and 5.56mm, so the two inserts were removed when he wanted to fire 5.56mm. As he kept re-installing the inserts, the holes in the receiver would “woller” and become oversized. He felt there had to be a better way so that his receiver would not be further damaged. He designed the one-piece adapter and Colt adopted his design in 2001. The first generation was held in place by a lock inside the adapter. A hex screw was tightened and two pins would move outward on the front of the adapter locking the adapter into place. This worked very well for occasional use but there was one problem with the design: when the end user would get hold of it, they would tighten the screw down so tight that the inside of the magazine well would bend or crack. The current production model is pinned in place. The present design is identical to the first one designed by Mr. Daigle, but the lock mechanism was removed and the adapter would be held in by roll pins. This adapter could as well be removed and the carbine turned back into the 5.56mm caliber. This design also eliminated Colt from needing an additional bolt catch specific for the 9mm SMG and carbines. The one-piece adapter has a lever installed that is lifted upward by the standard bolt catch.

The magazine is based on the Uzi magazine. In fact, Uzi magazines may be converted for use in the Colt SMG by cutting out the mag catch notch in the left side. Colt designed their own magazine for the production guns. This included a 20 and a 32-round magazine with witness holes in the side. This double column/double feed magazine was always considered the weapon’s weak link as it was for the Uzi. Due to the design, if the mag was to be dropped on its base, some or all of the cartridges could pop out of the magazine. This fault was cured in other SMGs by changing the way the magazine feeds. Instead of the bolt picking one round off each side of the magazine (double feed), it would pick it up from a central single location (single feed) similar to that of semi-auto pistol magazines (Beretta M9 and SIG Sauer P226, for example). Colt is currently looking at updating their magazine to incorporate this double column and single feed design.

The final design would be the R0635. This was the standard LE version that would fire semiautomatic and in full automatic mode. The R0639 was the same weapon but with a 3-round burst instead of automatic. Additionally, Colt manufactured a 7-inch barrel version of the SMG (R0633) known as the “Briefcase” SMG. This model has been discontinued. As the guns went into circulation one more improvement was made. A gas block was added to the ejection port cover. This was not a cartridge case deflector. Rather, this block prevented gas and unburnt powder from striking the shooter in the face. It was made of a polymer deflector that slid on the ejection port dust cover rod. A modified/cut down ejection port cover was placed next to that. This could be installed on any 9mm gun.

The Commercial 9mm Carbines

As with all the previous rifles and carbines, the 9mm was offered for commercial sale. The first was the R6540; the AR-15 9mm carbine. This was a standard AR-15 carbine with a 16-inch barrel. The carbine used the larger diameter semiautomatic only upper and lower receiver with a standard semiautomatic only trigger group with a newly designed semiautomatic only hammer. This new hammer was designed by Henry Tatro and on April 21, 1987, his “Safety Device Preventing Conversion To Full Automatic Firing” was patented (U. S. Patent No. 4,658,702). This hammer was to prevent slam fire if the disconnector was to fail whether by malfunction or intentional attempt to convert the weapon to automatic fire. The forward ramp on the hammer would catch on the underside of the bolt carrier, catching the carrier and preventing it from chambering a cartridge.

The next evolution of the 9mm carbine was the Colt Sporter Lightweight model R6430 incorporating several changes. Colt omitted the telescopic stock in favor of a fixed stock, the bayonet lug was removed, the fire control group was changed to the larger .170 inch diameter hammer/trigger pins to prevent fully-automatic fire control parts from being installed, and the addition of the pinned-in automatic sear block.

With the passage of the 1994 Assault Weapon Ban, Colt, by law, had to make an additional change to stay in production of commercial rifles; they had to omit the flash suppressor. The Colt Match Lightweight Model MT6430 was introduced.

Current production is the AR6450 of Colt’s Law Enforcement Only line of weapons. This version uses standard mil-spec small pin upper and lower receivers. There is no automatic sear block but additional aluminum has been left inside the receiver. That, along with the use of the large diameter (.170 inch) hammer and trigger pins, prevent conversion to full automatic. The carbine has a 16-inch barrel with flash suppressor and bayonet lug. Marked on the right side of the magazine well is “Restricted Law Enforcement/Government Use Only.”

Conclusions

The Colt 9mm SMG has served many law enforcement agencies well including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Energy as well as the U.S. Marine Corps. The SMG never achieved great success nor its potential. Those who use it like it, especially departments that also utilize M16 rifles or M4 carbines. They can switch to the 9mm SMG with no transitional training and not have to learn a new weapon such as agencies utilizing the M4 carbine and MP5 SMG. These have completely different operational differences and the muscle memory from training is compromised with the use of different weapon systems.

By Jim Schatz

Each year, as the air turns cool in the Washington, DC metro area and the trees that line the banks of the Potomac River begin to turn to color, the Army rallies for the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition held in 2007 from October 8-10 at the Washington Convention Center. This year’s event was larger than any before it and is, as always, an excellent opportunity to see the latest military equipment on display from around the world; not to mention the small arms – the real focus of this report

Protestors

As one arrived at the site of the show, the AUSA banners flew high and proudly from the tall buildings in downtown DC. The day was clear and sunny, a perfect day for such an event and folks were in high spirits as they made their way to the convention center by taxi, the Metro and on foot. However, this feeling of slight elation was dampened by the chanting and insulting signs of anti-war/anti-America protestors roaming outside of the center and harassing the visitors and denigrating the soldiers and contractors entering the facility. Waving their “blood” stained hands in the faces of the attendees and harassing our brave men and women warriors making their way inside, one could not help but wonder if they realize that their very right to protest, to spout their anti-freedom rantings, has and was paid for with the blood of so many courageous military men and women who have sacrificed so unselfishly and so dearly for our freedoms. To their great credit, the proud and disciplined soldiers in uniform were seemingly not enraged by the actions and mindless rantings of the protestors.

Quietly and Professionally

The mood inside the building was positive, electric in a way and yet reserved. The “surge” in Iraq is clearly working. Civilian and U.S. military deaths are down and insurgent deaths are up. The Army has once again, as it has always done quietly and professionally, performed at its very best for America and for the Iraqi citizens who maybe do not yet realize fully what freedom, independence and a true self governing country is.

The Army gathers each year at the annual AUSA Meeting to celebrate its successes, recognize its heroes and in many quiet ways morn its irreplaceable loses. In 2007, there was much work to be done in all these areas.

The big news on the show floor, besides the hum about troop withdrawals and the success of the surge and the meeting and greeting of old friends and comrades in arms, was the then very recent announcement of the sizable contract awards for new armored vehicles called MRAP. The MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protection) translates to highly mobile but equally protected wheeled vehicles to provide improved protection against IEDs and RPGs. More than 6,400 RG31 MK5 MRAPs have been ordered thus far for the Army alone from just one of numerous vendor teams, BAE Systems through its partnership with General Dynamics Land Systems, while another 600 MK5Es, an extended version of the RG31, have been ordered on a separate $135 million dollar contract for the U.S. Marine Corps. These are huge contracts with the biggest defense contractors in the world. The show floor was awash with armored vehicles of all shapes, sizes and even colors (yes, there was one in British SAS desert “pink” as well). The MRAPs have proven highly effective in countering modern ballistics threats with U.S. and coalition forces. They have and will continue to save lives on the battlefields wherever they are deployed. Most countries involved in OEF/OIF are buying into them at the moment.

AAI
(www.aaicorp.com)

The U.S. Army’s LSAT (Lightweight Small Arms Technology) demonstrator program continues with further success with both its Cased Telescoped (CT) and Caseless Telescoped (CL) ammunition types. AAI reps reported that to date 6,000 rounds of CT ammunition have been fired in the LSAT LMG prototype 001 with prototype 002 testing to begin shortly. Various successful live-fire demonstrations had been conducted for U.S. Army officials at Fort Benning and elsewhere. The caseless ammunition firing weapon is further behind and is challenging the designers to solve the tough-nut chamber sealing issue that haunts all auto-loading caseless ammunition firing small arms. Reportedly, the firing mechanism is in final development with a two-part expanding chamber design similar to that of the ill-fated H&K G11 Rifle.

Thus far, 100 rounds of the rectangular DNAG G11-style ammunition, the basis for the LSAT caseless ammunition, have been fired on test fixtures only. The first cylindrical LSAT caseless ammunition was expected to be completed by end of CY07.

While still clearly in the early R&D stages of development, the LSAT program offers scalable technology that can be applied to other types of small arms such as 7.62mm rifles and machine guns. LSAT offers 35-50% system (weapon, links, ammo) weight savings, but only if system durability and soldier ruggedness can be assured. Watch this program carefully. Put your money on the CT ammo.

Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc.
(www.barrettrifles.com)

The big news at the Barrett booth this year was their 240LW, an in-house development to reduce the overall weight of the U.S. M240 GPMG. The Barrett 240LW (LW for Light Weight) employs a fluted barrel and one-piece CNC machined steel receiver. Offering a weight reduction of 5.5 pounds, this brings the outstanding reliability of the otherwise heavy M240 machine gun into a more portable, maneuverable weight range of 21.5 pounds, and along the lines of lighter GPMGs like the M60 and HK21E, without the need to employ more exotic materials with questionable durability. While there is no official program for this Barrett-funded creation, one can only wonder, “Why not?” Barrett also announced at AUSA that the “BORS” (Barrett Optical Ranging System) is now available for commercial sale at $1,500 each with mount; $2,700 with the L&S MKIV telescopic sight.

Beretta Law Enforcement and Defense Group
(www.BerettaLE.com)

Beretta Firearms Company may be the longest running small arms exhibitor at the AUSA event, continuously supporting the U.S. Army Annual Meeting for more than 23 years. The newest product on display at the Beretta booth this year was the new Px4 Storm Subcompact Pistol. Available in calibers 9x19mm Luger and .40 S&W, the Px4 Subcompact, with 3-inch barrel, weighs only 26 ounces and holds an impressive number of cartridges (thirteen 9mm rounds or ten .40 S&W rounds) for such adiminutive pistol.

Colt Defense, LLC
(www.colt.com)

This year Colt came to the AUSA Show to impress the attendees with new and long awaited developments in the M4 family of weapons. This includes the open public display (and even disassembly) of thehighly secretive M5 Advanced Military Carbine with piston operated gas system, Colt’s new patented aluminum rail system offering 100% return to zero capability and redesigned front sight assembly. Other unique features include barrel heat sink and airflow grooves to help cool a hot barrel and reduce the occurrence of cook off. Colt claims the new op rod M4 has fired over 12,000 rounds without cleaning or stoppages. It is even fitted with proprietary drain system to allow for over-thebeach use wherein the operator can safely fire the weapon without the need to first fully drain water from the interior of the weapon.

In addition to the Colt LE1020 Law Enforcement Carbine with piston operated gas system, Colt representatives were also showing SLA models of various prototype folding stocks for use with the M4 and M5 Carbines to reduce the overall length of the weapon to compact PDW size. The Colt 5.56mm PDW, as it was being referred to, sports a 10.3-inch barrel, new buffer and spring built into the back of the bolt carrier, 3-position QD sling attachment points and LaserMax vertical foregrip with green aiming laser. Firing at 700-900 rounds per minute, the Colt 5.56mm PDW stands ready for the release of the long rumored requirement from the U.S. Army for a rifle-caliber Personal Defense Weapon. At the time of writing, little additional information was available on any such release by the U.S. Army for such a weapon. However, according to sources within PEO Soldier, this requirement is still being written by the user proponent.

FNH U.S.A, LLC
(www.fnhusa.com)

The big news at the FN booth was, of course, SCAR. If reports from both company representatives and from U.S. officials are correct, the SCAR Light and Heavy models and the 40mm EGLM grenade launcher could enter series production as early as March 2008. Reportedly production, fielding and logistical funds have been programmed for full SCAR (12-16 thousand units) and EGLM fielding within USSOCOM once the full production Milestone C decision is made. This is expected to come after the final Operational Test (OT) report is completed and reviewed. At the time of writing, the USSOCOM was finishing up the last of the OT phases with U.S. Army Rangers and Special Forces, U.S. Navy SEALs and U.S. Marine Corps MARSOC personnel. One interesting note was that the BOI (Basis of Issue), which was originally heavy on the SCAR-L (5.56x45mm NATO) side, has now been revamped and it shifted to the SCAR-H (7.62x51mm NATO) variants at the request of the user community. Maybe someone in the SOF world knows something we don’t? An 85% commonality of parts between the SCAR-L and SCAR-H certainly will help to reduce the logistical burden on the organization, especially when one considers just how many different weapons the SCAR family will eventually replace.

The SCAR-L was also involved in the congressionally mandated Extreme Sand/Dust Tests at Aberdeen in 2007 wherein it competed against its potential rivals in the U.S. DoD rifle market. This included the XM8, HK416 and Colt M4. Reportedly, the SCAR-L completed the test with good results but not before a change in the lubrication cycle was required to insure reliable function and test completion. The op rod SCAR-L did reportedly finish ahead of the direct gas operated M4 along with the other two operating rod carbines tested.

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products
(www.gdatp.com)

(GD) announced that the .50 caliber XM312 is now a separate effort split from the Army’s Future Combat System program and has received some close attention from the U.S. Army and USSOCOM recently for potential replacement of the venerable M2HB heavy machine gun. The XM312 has been modified to accept the standard U.S. M9 disintegrating metal link belt common to the U.S. M2HB. Due to the light weight and reduced recoil of the XM312, it can be mounted and employed anywhere a 7.62x51mm M240 GPMG can be used. Under the current schedule, Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) of the XM312 is anticipated to begin in 2010 with full production to begin in 2011.

GD representatives also stated that M2HB and MK19 production is “maxed out” at the moment with series production ramped up to meet U.S. and foreign friendly requirements. Approximately 1,800 to over 2,000 of each will have been procured during CY07.

NAMMO
(www.nammo.com)

If you want to witness ammunition and ordnance perfection and innovation, the NAMMO booth at AUSA is the one to visit. Makers of some of the finest high performance small arms ammunition in the world, to include the armor piercing M995 (5.56x45mm NATO) and M993 (7.62x51mm NATO) rounds, they also have an IR Tracer round now in final U.S. Navy qualification testing for use with passive night vision devices. Most notably the progress of the preprogrammed air bursting 40x53mm HV ammunition for the U.S. MK47 Striker ALGL (Advanced Lightweight Grenade Launder) is now in final type classification in the U.S. 90,000 rounds will have been delivered to the USSOCOM by December 2007 for combat evaluations by USSOCOM and other U.S. Army units.

Night Vision Systems
(www.nightvisionsystems.com)

NVS had on display the clip-on Knight’s Armament Company Universal Night Scope Thermal (UNST), or model M890. The maker claims this small 23-ounce device, mounted forward of a variety of optical and reflex sights, can provide human target detection up to 1,000 meters. The UNST can be quickly detached via the throw lever mount, fits on most any rifle or scope and can even be used in a hand held mode when detached.

ST Kinetics
(www.stengg.com)

Singapore based ST Kinetics had on display in their booth a series production sample of their new Air Bursting Modular System (ABMS) for any 40x53mm grenade machine guns. This bolt-on system can be added to the weapon in minutes by the operator and allows for the use of preprogrammed air bursting ammunition to attack targets hidden behind cover, in the defilade, using their quick attach Fire Control System. Using time-of-flight technology, the ABMS ammunition contains 300 tungsten balls within its warhead and costs approximately $350-400 each. Each round has a self-destruct feature and when programmed for air burst will detonate 2 meters above the target and at any location before or after a barrier as determined by the gunner. The ammunition programming “coil” attaches to the muzzle of the grenade launcher and therefore requires no permanent modification to the host weapon. The entire system costs $50,000 at this time. ST Kinetics is also currently working on a 40x46mm LV air burst system as well.

Part 2 of the 2007 AU.S.A Show Report appears in the next issue of SAR and covers current U.S. Army small arms programs and the results of the recent U.S. Army Extreme Carbine Sand/Dust Tests.

Please join Small Arms Review as Contributing Editor Christopher R. Bartocci brings you a rare insideinterview with General William Keys, CEO of Colt Defense, LLC. Many rumors have circulated about how Colt is doing in the industry. SAR gets the opportunity to speak with General Keys about his background, how he came to work for and eventually run Colt, Colt’s corporate status, military production, new product development and much more.

SAR: General Keys, what is your professional background?

Gen. Keys: I had a great Marine Corps career. I commanded everything from a Platoon through a Force. It was a great experience and I loved every minute of it. Given a choice, I’d still be there. I was an Infantry Officer; I served my whole timeas an Infantry Officer. I had three combat tours, two in Vietnam and then I commanded a division in the first Gulf War. My first combat tour was as a rifle company commander with the First Battalion, Ninth Marines and I was a company commander almost my entire first tour in Vietnam 1966 and 1967. For my second tour, I went back in 1972 for about a year as an advisor with the Vietnamese Marine Corps. I was there at the end of the war. Then of course, my third combat tour was as the Commanding General of the 2nd Marine Division during Desert Storm, the First Gulf War.

SAR: What was your first experience with the M16 rifle?

Gen. Keys: That was in Vietnam. The first time was not a great experience. The weapons were just being introduced to the field and we had almost no initial training with them. They may have been fielded too fast but, mostly, we got hardly any indoctrination with the weapon when it was issued. We were told to be at a certain place at a certain time near Dong Ha and the M16s were issued and the M14s were taken back.

The M14 was a solid combat weapon. As I indicated, the M16 had some problems initially, but I think a lot of those could have been solved if we had more training with the rifle early on. I think those initial problems were sorted out in a few months or so and the gun performed well during the rest of the war. It turned out to be a very effective combat weapon that took out a lot of the enemy ground forces. You have to realize that there were a tremendous number of the enemy killed with this weapon. So to say that it didn’t do the job, is not true at all. In short, it turned out to be a very effective combat weapon, and its follow on design, the M4, has battle tested superbly.

SAR: Do you feel that you having been an end-user of military small arms affects the way Colt is run?

Gen. Keys: Absolutely. I feel that it influences my every day here at Colt; not only everything that I learned in the military, but leadership principles, etc., and the fact that I’m making a weapon for Soldiers and Marines in the field and know that they are going to have to use it in combat. So clearly that’s at the top of my priority list all of the time to make this weapon almost flawless, and I will accept nothing less.

SAR: Have you always had an interest in small arms?

Gen. Keys: Yes, I’ve always been kind of a gun guy since I was a kid. I still have my Dad’s guns, rifles and shotguns. I didn’t have a lot to do with handguns early on but as I got into the Marine Corps, I picked up on that experience. Now, I wouldn’t say that I was a “gun nut” but I certainly like guns and feel they serve a necessary purpose.

SAR: How did you become the CEO of Colt?

Gen. Keys: When I retired 1994/1995, I was looking for something to do. I wrote the owner of Colt, Donald Zilkha, at the time and told him that I would like to work for him and run his company because I heard they needed a CEO up here.

He said he didn’t need a CEO but he would put me on the Board. So I went on the Board of Colt in 1996 and remained a member until early 1999 when the company was having problems. They had numerous issues with several CEOs before me and so the Board asked me if I would come up here and take the job of President and CEO. I accepted on the condition I was really allowed to run the show, which they did and I have been here since 1999.

SAR: What is Colt’s current status in the industry? Rumors have been floating around about Colt not doing well and in danger of going under.

Gen. Keys: Well, that’s completely false. In 1999, we had some financial issues. We were very close to facing a serious dilemma but today Colt has never been in a more viable position. Our performance since we separated into two companies, Colt Defense and Colt Commercial, has been superb. The last three years our profit on the defense side is vastly improved and we are coming around on the commercial side as well. Today we are – well last year Colt and I made over 100,000 rifles, primarily M4s for the US Military. So Colt’s never been in a better position all round in probably the last 25 years.

SAR: How would you describe the focus of Colt Defense? Would you consider it mainly military?

Gen. Keys: Yes, it’s mainly military, clearly. The Army is our number one customer and by the Army I mean all services. So without question the U.S. Army as the contracting agency is our number one customer. We service them on a priority basis but we clearly want to make commercial guns, law enforcement and even some Match Target rifles as well. If we don’t make them, it’s because our priority goes to the US military. And we are obligated, especially in a time of war, to make nothing but U. S. Government guns if we have those orders.

However, as I said, we don’t want to get out of the commercial business. We would like to make more guns. One of the reasons that we bought Colt Canada was to allow us to expand production. They are making some law enforcement guns for us now, hopefully more in the future. So we clearly want to make all models of guns but without question, the U. S. Government definitely takes priority. We do service the law enforcement market as our second highest priority. And then finally we will make some civilian rifles.

SAR: Another rumor floating throughout the industry is that Colt is riding on the M4 and that no new products are coming out. Is that a true statement?

Gen. Keys: No, absolutely not. That is not a true statement. We have several guns that have already been developed and we have numerous guns that have been in R&D for a while. We have several piston guns. We competed very well for the SCAR program and were number two in the selection process. There have been a lot of very good enhancements to the basic M4/M16 over the years and they are without question much better weapons than went to war in early Vietnam. They may look similar but they are not the same guns.

We have two different versions of the piston gun, the LE1020 and the M5, which would be another version of the M4 down the road.

SAR: Accusations have come from military as well as industry professionals that Colt has done no improvements to the M4 since 1995. Is this true?

Gen. Keys: No, again, that is absolutely not true. Throughout the years we have worked closely with the Army and among the improvements include the buffer, heavy barrel, extractor spring assembly, compensator washer, bolt life, buttstock, barrel chamber, side swivel adapter, back up iron sights, burst cam, receiver extension and nut. We have also developed modifications for improved “over the beach” usage and more.

SAR: How difficult is it to make improvements and get them adopted into the Army?

Gen. Keys: The Army does not readily accept improvements to the weapon without a lot of detailed engineering work. For example, there is no reason why you couldn’t use a hammer forged barrel, as well as a drilled barrel. In fact, the Army has recently shown an interest in reviewing the hammer forged barrel and we are working on that now. They were going to allow it in a new XM8 program and it is used on the 240, etc. It’s proven over and over again that one is not really that much better than the other one. So to answer your basic question, it’s not easy to get a change into a government gun but on the other side that is not all that bad because the weapons are put through many series of tests prior to them being adopted as the service weapon.

We have a great group of engineers that look at every proposed modification. Wemake guns for a living here and we are not going to recommend anything that’s clearly not what I perceive as being in the best interests of the troops in the field.

SAR: Another rumor is that the company is being sold. Can you confirm or deny this rumor?

Gen. Keys: I think the company’s been up for sale since the day I got here, 10 years ago. You know, the people that own the company are investment bankers, they buy businesses and sell businesses, but we are very secure now and are not up for sale at this time.

Clearly the company is worth a lot of money now and much more than when they bought it. So maybe – if the right buyer came along, and it would have to be the right buyer. Someone who is going take care of the brand, take care of the quality, take care of the government contracts, then yes, of course, they probably would consider an offer.

For the most part I don’t see a change in ownership of the company changing the company. Basically they would probably run it the same; most of the people would be here. I’m not sure about me as the CEO; they may want to bring somebody else in. But clearly, I don’t see the company changing except to improve if it’s sold.

SAR: Okay. You sort of touched on this question already but we will get it out there. Due to the absence of many Colt rifles in the commercial market, the general consensus is that Colt does not care about civilian sales. Can you clarify Colt’s policy on commercial sales?

Gen. Keys: Again, Colt clearly wants to service the commercial market. I mean we feel that we make a very good product. We would like to make more of them. I know, I read the blogs all the time and they say that Colt doesn’t care about the civilians. That’s just not true at all.

But we are a company and we prioritize our capacity and clearly the priority has to go to the military. And that’s really the only reason we don’t make more commercial rifles. Our next priority is the law enforcement market. The LE6920 (Colt’s Law Enforcement Carbine) is the premiere law enforcement gun in the country. It’s very well thought of and is very competitive with the other companies that make a black rifle. We are always looking for ways to grow in this market and I just put on a very high quality and experienced person in that sales area.

SAR: The company’s motto is “Quality makes it a Colt.” Can you explain what sets Colt apart from the other manufactures of the M16-type rifles?

Gen. Keys: Well, that’s our motto, “Quality makes it a Colt.” To make quality products is everything to me. We really adhere to strict Colt quality measures here both on the military side and the commercial side with the handguns.

Our rifles are made to government specifications and by that I mean there are certain manufacturing processes that go into Colt weapons that I don’t think the other people use. I mean they are more costly and they require tighter tolerances and they just – you come out of it with a much betterrifle. We have to have interchangeability of rifle parts on every lot we build. I don’t think any other manufacturers do that type of production. So the guns are truly quality guns and I’m not trying to knock another’s product here but I think our quality is above the other products in the field of similar nature.

SAR: Are you referring to things such as proof testing bolts and barrels?

Gen. Keys: All that. All that plus the specific manufacturing processes and everything is gauged. The rifles – all of our guns are put through tremendous endurance testing and if one gun in the endurance lot fails then the whole lot fails and the whole lot has to be retested or brought back.

SAR: Does Colt plan on gearing up commercial sales for the rifles in the future or near the future?

Gen. Keys: We want to go into the commercial rifle business a little more. We would like to get our new piston guns out to law enforcement people if they want them, both the LE1020 and the civilian version of what I would call our new M5. We are working hard to make that happen.

SAR: Colt not too long ago acquired Diemaco, or now Colt Canada. Can you tell our readers how this will affect Colt?

Gen. Keys: Colt Canada was our licensee for about 15 years and they were kind of spun off from the parent company and we, number one, wanted to enlarge our footprint in the world. As I said, Colt is now doing well financially. We are growing and we felt this was a good acquisition for the company.

It gave us the ability to go into the Northern European areas, some of the Balkan countries and then with the change in the Soviet bloc, over there. We felt like we could move more of our products into Europe. The company itself is a good company, well run. It’s even more modern of a facility than here and their capacity is about 1,500 rifles or so a month.

SAR: Do you use Colt Canada more as an R&D firm or for manufacturing?

Gen. Keys: We use them for both. One of the reasons we bought them is that they had good R&D capability. And so, we were high on that when we bought them and we use the factory for parts and as I also indicated they make law enforcement guns for us.

SAR: Recently it was on the news that Colt is entering into a license agreement with Turkey to produce M4 carbines. Will this just be to produce for their army or do they intend to sell to other countries?

Gen. Keys: Colt sells weapons to numerous foreign countries: all of course with U.S. State Department approval. We tried to and have had past arrangements with other countries where they make the products, a version of the military weapon. It’s only for that country itself. We could later on expand the license so that they could sell to other places in proximity but at this time only in Turkey – that’s only for Turkey itself. They would have to buy a number of weapons before we actually go over there and set up the factory. Maybe they would buy the parts and put them together over there, etc.

SAR: Where do you see Colt in ten years?

Gen. Keys: I see Colt in ten years as a very viable larger defense company. I mean we are growing every day here. Sales are good. Our production capability, our financial portfolio looks very good for the future. The Army has indicated that clearly they are more than satisfied with the M4 and they are going to look towards putting more of these M4s into the combat unit. The term “pure fleet” has been thrown around: we look very good to the future.

I would see Colt, like I said, as a defense company. They could be a platform company to acquire other smaller defense products, companies, or whatever in the industry type environment that fall under this umbrella. And Colt as kind of the bottom platform company that shores all this up and pulls this together. So I would see Colt in the next ten years could easily be a several hundred million-dollar company.

SAR: Do you have concerns with 2009 coming up with a sole source ending?

Gen. Keys: No, I don’t see it as a major, major concern. Because really and truly that is not something the Army has to do by law. They don’t have to compete the weapon. All they did was give it to Colt for that period of time and so, if they’re satisfied with production, and they appear to be. And we are working with them on price. I don’t really see it is a major issue. We have orders far in the future. I just see it as something that will come and go if we work together.

SAR: The M16/M4-type rifles have been the longest serving family of weapons in U.S. military history. Many attempts have been made to replace it throughout the years and failed. What do you think keeps this weapon system in the hands of our troops?

Gen. Keys: Number one, it’s been highly effective. It’s been a good weapon. It and the AK-47 are the only really combat tested rifles in the past 50 years. I am talking about day-to-day combat. Like I said, after the kinks got worked out of it after Vietnam, the M16A2 and A4 were the basis for our military into the Cold War up until the Gulf War and it served the country well. Then along came the M4, which is even a better weapon because under today’s combat environment, everyone is mounted in a helicopter or some type of a vehicle. You get the same quality and the same range out of the M4 as you do out of the M16 and it’s a lot easier to handle.

And the weapon caliber overall has done exceptionally well and clearly this round will kill the enemy. You can carry more rounds and that’s primarily why it’s been around a long time. There is always going to be the heavy or light argument but when you put them all together, this rifle does the job and it enables you to complete the mission. And it enhances other capabilities as well. You know, you can put all the equipment on this – the rail system, the flashlights, the laser sights, etc. It’s just a perfect combat weapon for today’s environment.

SAR: Does Colt intend to keep revolutionizing this weapon system?

Gen. Keys: Yes, we do. As I indicated, we have several piston models available for both these weapons (LE1020 and M5) but there is really no solid proof piston firing systems are better, just different. We have a lot of changes on the drawing board. I have a great engineering staff here now. Along with Colt Canada, I think I have some of the key engineers in the industry and we are working everyday to enhance the weapon. They keep coming up with new ideas so we could be ready for any competition down the road; but until that comes, we will just improve the weapon. If the Army will take the changes: fine. If they don’t, we will continue to make quality weapons, as they want them. And then we will put these weapons in the civilian market.

SAR: Do you see the M16A2/A4 and the M4 serving this country for the next 20 years?

Gen. Keys: I would say it would be. It’s hard to put a time on it – I don’t know. But it would definitely be ten or so years. I don’t see a need to change. Improve, yes. We always need to improve to make it lighter – make the rounds more capable but the gun itself – the basic gun is a good weapon. Enhance optics, work on weight, etc.

To bring a weapon into the military system, it’s not an overnight process. It would take you 4 to 5 years to do it and do it correctly. All the proper testing, get it accepted by all the services and finally, get it accepted by the troops who use it in the field everyday. I feel it’s going to take 6 to 8 years probably to complete this process.

SAR: Does Colt have a stance on the reliability of the direct gas versus piston systems?

Gen. Keys: Again, both work well, you know, the argument sometimes is that thepiston system doesn’t foul as easily. But there is not really a lot of solid data that proves that. Both these weapons can work well but why change if there is nothing gained. If the individual Solider or Marine takes care of his weapon it’s going to work for him on a consistent basis and we know that the M16 works with the gas system. The piston system is certainly not new. It’s been around for a long time and a lot of weapons had it but there’s just no clear vote on which one is better and I know which one works well, the M4.

SAR: What is the difference between the M4 and the M5?

Gen. Keys: The M4 is just the basic gas system. The M5 would be a piston gun and we are just looking in all aspects at what we just talked about. Whether or not we want to – you know, we would change it to a piston gun; we would offer it down the road, if they want it. But clearly right now they don’t have an idea of whether they want this weapon. They are very satisfied with the M4 as it’s built with the gas operating system.

SAR: My final question is, do you have any message to convey to our readers that we haven’t discussed?

Gen. Keys: I would just say that Colt – Colt’s is America. Colt’s is quality. Colt is going to be around for a long time. I trusted Colt my whole life and I would recommend that you look at Colt weapons as something that you can count on in the future, both for quality and for getting the right weapon out to the people who need it, both on the military and commercial sides.

We’ve got a lot of new developments on the handgun side but we haven’t put them out yet. We will compete for the military pistol when it gets posted. So I think to sum it up, I think Colt has a great future. It’s a great company with great people who work here and I think our record speaks for itself.

SAR: Thank you very much.