The AR-15/M16 platform is one of most prolific black rifles ever developed. In the early years there was, without doubt, a love/hate relationship by those who used it. Most of the problems were related to the powder used in the cartridges, not the rifle itself. The early powder used was not the powder the gun was designed to use and besides being extremely “dirty” causing severe internal fouling, it caused the rifle to cycle differently than it was designed for: resulting in a rifle that had different cleaning issues in the field, and was subject to extraction problems. The damage was done in the minds of many soldiers, who marked the rifle with a bad reputation. In later years, with improved powders and advanced machining techniques, it evolved into one of the most used rifles of all time, second only to the AK series. With the use of a cleaner burning “ball” type powder, chrome lined bores and chambers and a strict cleaning regimen the problems were solved and has become the highly reliable rifle that it is today. But even with the new advanced rifles and ammunition they will still get dirty and, if left long enough, will stop firing because of fouling built up in the bolt and upper receiver area. The design of the rifle is, after all, gas operated. Propellant gases are vented from the barrel, into the gas block, through the gas tube and into the bolt carrier key along with any unburnt powder and carbon deposits.

Today, the piston driven AR seems to be the way design changes are heading. Piston driven AR-15/M16s are not a new idea. In the mid 1980s, Walt Langendorfer introduced what he called the Rhino System. The system was a retro-fit kit that included a front sight unit, gas piston, spring and bolt carrier key. Although the system worked fairly well, there were issues with the spring in the unit. It just could not take the heat and would fail prematurely. Now the piston driven AR is not only accepted, it is sought after.

There are several manufacturers now making complete piston driven rifles or piston driven upper receiver units that will retrofit the existing AR-15/M16 series of rifles. These are high tech marvels and bring with them a high price tag. Not that these rifles are not worth the money, they are. A lot of R&D and expense went into developing the uppers. But what about the average guy that can’t afford to spend between $1,600 and $2,200 dollars for just a complete upper, let alone an entire rifle. Maybe the guy that has spent his entire “gun money” budget on his existing gun setting it up just the way he wants it with all of the best accessories and making it shoot perfectly.

There is now a way to have a piston driven gun at a very competitive price. Adams Arms is now producing a complete kit that will fit your existing rifle. The kit changes a standard gas operated AR-15/M16 rifle or carbine into a piston driven gun. The kit comes with everything you need and anyone can install it. You don’t have to take it to a gunsmith or do any machining. Just remove some of your existing parts and install the new ones. Installation takes only about 10 minutes from start to finish.

Installation

As is always the case when starting work on a gun, remove the magazine, check the chamber and make sure the gun is unloaded. Take the bolt carrier out of the gun and set it aside. Remove the existing flashider and lock or peel washer, remove the handguards, remove the front sight/gas block assembly with gas tube and remove the front handguard cap. If your existing gas block is the standard front sight assembly type you may have to drive out the two taper pins (look at the pins and drive from the small head side). The only other thing left to do is to remove the standard bolt carrier key. Most of these are staked in but can still be removed easily. Just be sure to have an Allen wrench that fit the screws tightly. The correct size is 9/32.

Once all the standard parts are removed it’s time to install the piston drive kit. The kit consists of a 440C stainless steel gas block, sleeve/drive rod, gas plug, sleeve/rod compression spring, bolt carrier key, a modified front handguard cap and a set of modified M-4 handguards. The upper handguard of the set has been notched slightly to accommodate the conversion’s gas plug.

Start installation of the new kit by setting the new carrier key onto the bolt carrier. The new carrier has a locating pin on the bottom that fits into the gas hole in the top of the carrier. Use red Locktite on the screws and torque them to 40 in/lbs. This is an important step. If you do not Locktite and torque them they may come loose. Next, install the bottom half of the new handguard into the delta ring then slide the handguard cap onto the barrel. Slide the new gas block onto the barrel with the gas plug groove facing toward the muzzle. As it becomes tight you may have to turn the gas block from side to side as you push it back. A rubber dead-blow hammer might be needed to nudge it into place. Be sure you line up the handguard to go into the handguard cap. This sounds like it takes three hands to do but it actually goes together very easily. Push the gas block as far as you can towards the receiver making sure that it is up against the handguard cap, straight up and down and aligned with the gas port hole in the barrel. As long as it is straight and the top of it is level, it will be aligned properly. The host rifle this kit was fitted to had an A3 flat-top upper and a level was laid across the upper and the gas block and eyeballed. You then tighten two hex bolts in the gas block to lock it on the barrel. Install the spring on the back end of the sleeve rod and thread it through the gas block, through the barrel nut, delta ring and spring and into gas tube hole in the front of the receiver. Insert the gas plug into the gas block by lining it up with the machined cuts in the front of the gas block. Push the gas plug back until the detent button on it hits the face of the gas block. Make sure it enters the sleeve on the front of the drive rod. Push the detent button in while you push the gas plug further back and rotate it 90 degrees. Install the top half of the M4 handguard and the installation is complete. The gas block on the unit tested had a Picatinny rail machined into the top. This works great if you want to install a front BUIS as it is the same height as the flat-top rail on an A3 upper. Adam Arms will also be offering a “low profile” gas block without the rail.

The upper that the kit was installed in was a mix of several manufacturers’ parts. It consisted of Model 1 A3 upper receiver, a Stag Arms .556, 1 in 9 twist, 16 inch M4 barrel with DPMS bolt, carrier and charging handle. Two different lowers were used, a semi-auto DPMS and a Colt full-auto lower.

Testing

The initial testing of the kit consisted of firing over 500 rounds of various types of .223 ammunition that included Black Hills 77-grain Match Hollow Point, Black Hills 69-grain MatchKing Hollow Point, Remington 50-grain Jacketed Hollow Point, XM855 green tip and some reloads with 55-grain FMJ bullets. This provided a wide variety of ammo types and bullets weights. Black Hills ammunition was mostly used as it has been found to be the most consistent and reliable thus eliminating any function problems related to ammunition. As it turned out, ammunition brand and type was not an issue. The new piston driven upper digested anything we ran through it. At the start of the test the fourth and sixth round fired and ejected but the gun failed to pick up the next round either time. It is suspected that it might have been because the drive rod spring was not seated completely against the delta ring/barrel nut. It happened while using the XM855 ammunition, which might also have been the culprit. Whatever the reason, we never had a single malfunction after that.

The testing was conducted in both semi and full auto with probably about half the testing done on full-auto. Cyclic rate was checked with a PACT timer with Rate-of-Fire option. Rate of fire was checked on the rifle before and after installation of the kit and ran right at 635 rounds per minute with a full stock on the rifle. Installing a collapsible stock on the gun raised the rate of fire to 675, which was to be expected.

Magazines used during the test included a US GI 30-round, Beta C-mag 100-round drum and the excellent new MagPul P-Mag 30-rounders. The P-Mag is a highly reliable polymer magazine that features a light weight magazine body with textured gripping surface, stainless steel corrosion resistant spring and anti-tilt follower. They are also available with a clear window in the sides to verify remaining round count.

Since this kit has no effect on accuracy it was not really a factor in the testing. Although the accuracy was normal for this type of rifle, there was no noticeable difference after the kit was installed.

During the test, one of Advanced Armament Corporation’s M4-2000 .556 suppressors was installed. It is small, light, installs fast and is capable of handling fully automatic fire. This was tried as an added test because suppressors are known for generating higher back pressures and increased cyclic rates. Over 100 rounds with the suppressor attached, in addition to the initial 500+ unsuppressed rounds, were fired. The kit ran perfectly with zero malfunctions while using the suppressor.

Conclusion

At no time during the testing was any lubricant of any kind used on the rifle. It was run completely dry. The rifle was broken open several times and parts were inspected. There was no premature wear on anything. The inside of the upper receiver around the carrier, bolt and locking lugs remained very clean with no unburnt powder or carbon present in either the upper or around the fire control parts in the lower. This is the most noticeable feature of a piston driven gun. They remain very clean and can run without lubrication. Probably the other most valuable and noticeable feature was that very little heat was transferred back into the bolt carrier and upper receiver compared to a regular gas system. During the test, 100 rounds were run through the gun with a Beta C-Mag. The gun was opened and the bolt pulled out. The bolt was cool enough to hold in your bare hand. A gun that runs cooler will have a longer service life with the advantage of fewer heat related parts failures.

The unit tested was a pre-production unit in bare stainless steel. Production units will be finished in a flat black Melonite to match the finish on most AR’s. Melonite is a thermochemical treatment for improving surface properties of metal parts. It offers improved heat and wear resistance. The drive rod return spring will have “caps” on each end to give it a more finished look and keep it from binding on the front of the delta ring. The spring will also be “detented” to the drive rod so that there is less chance to lose it when the unit is disassembled. Other improvements on the production units will be the knurling of the front of the gas plug to aid in removing it and a slot added to the front face for turning it with the rim of a shell if need be. The unit comes with M4 handguards but can also be used with several of the Picatinny rail forearms that are available. As of this writing forearm rails that will work with the system are the Predator, Midwest Industries and Daniel Defense. Others might possibly fit but have not yet been tried. Contact Adams Arms for a full list of compatible rail forearms. The kits will be available in different models for barrel lengths from 7 to 24 inches and for barrel diameters up to 1 inch. Retail price of the kit is between $550 and $600 depending on the model.

The unit is covered with lifetime money back manufacturers warranty. In other words, if it breaks they will replace it: period. Jason Adams has come up with a product that works as advertised, is well built and an economical way to have a piston driven AR-15/M16.

Adams Arms Retro-Fit Kit Update

Since this original article was written on the Adams Arms Retro-Fit kit there have been several very helpful changes that have been incorporated into the final production unit. Most noteworthy is that now the return spring is held captive on the sleeve/drive rod so that is doesn’t fall off or fail to stay in place as you’re disassembling the unit or putting it back together. This is a must, especially when using the kit on a weapon that has a rail system handguard. On the pre-production unit, the spring could easily slide off the drive rod and fall into the depths of the handguard or rail system handguard not to be seen again until you disassembled the handguard. The spring is still able to be removed from the drive rod by pulling it off forcefully but it now stays in place as it should as it is detented on to the drive rod.

There is also the addition of a stainless steel bushing on the end of the spring that rests against the Delta ring. Previously, the spring itself rested against the Delta ring and could catch on the spring when removing the unit from the gun. This resulted in the situation described above and also required removing the forearm to retrieve the spring.

Another addition is a stainless steel bushing that fits into the gas tube hole of the upper receiver. This bushing eliminates any wear that could occur to the upper receiver by the drive rod moving back and forth through the hole. Without the bushing the wear would only occur after several thousand rounds but is now prevented from happening. The bushing is easily pushed in place from the rear of the receiver with a wooden dowel or metal rod.

The last improvement involves the gas block and gas block plug. The plug itself now features knurling on the front outside edge. This allows for a much better grip on the plug making it easier to remove for cleaning or turning for adjusting as the production unit now features three adjusting positions. The first one is the standard full flow gas position. The second one cuts the gas flow down when using the unit on some short barreled guns or guns that have excessively large gas holes in the barrel. Some manufacturers seem to do this to their guns so that they can make their shorter barrels work. The third position completely shuts off the gas. This works great for that single suppressed shot. It is quite impressive by how much noise is eliminated when the bolt does not cycle.

Adams Arms has strived to make one of the best piston-driven AR kits that there is. The Adams Arms Piston Driven Retro-Fit kit has now evolved into one of the most well-made, reliable and easy to install units that is available today.

Sources

Adams Arms
Dept. SAR
32018 US Hwy 19 North
Clearwater, FL 33761
(727) 424-8240
www.adamsarms.net

Black Hills Ammunition
Dept. SAR
P.O. Box 3090
Rapid City, SD 57709
(605) 348-5150
www.black-hills.com

Advanced Armament Corporation
Dept. SAR
1434 Hillcrest Road
Norcross, GA 30093
(770) 925-9988
www.advanced-armament.com

L-3 Communications-Eotech
Dept. SAR
3600 Green Court, Suite 400
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
(734) 741-8868
www.eotechinc.com

MagPul Industries Corporation
Dept. SAR
P. O. Box 17697
Boulder, CO 80308
(303) 652-8301
www.magpul.com

The Beta Company
Dept. SAR
2137 B Flintstone Drive
Tucker, GA 30084
(770) 270-0773
www.betaco.com

Our AR-10A4 has always delivered approximately minute of angle accuracy, so our focus will be on the conversion into scout rifle configuration. The notion of AR-10A4 as scout rifle did not originate with this author. Indeed, Tom Newhall of GG&G proposed the idea some time ago and it was manifested in his AR-10 F.I.R.E System modification of the rail mounting system already in use by some units of the U.S. Marine Corps on their M-4 carbines. The F.I.R.E. acronym stands for “Fully Integrated Rifle Enhancement System” and consists of several components that enhance the utility of the AR-10A4 as a scout rifle. These include a scout length rail that projects approximately three inches forward of the receiver to allow mounting a long-relief optical sight, GG&G’s MAD (Multiple Aperture Device) backup rear sight, and flip up front sight. These components enable the owner to convert his AR-10A4 into a true scout rifle configuration.

The GG&G F.I.R.E. rail mount is a MIL-STD-1913 design made of aircraft grade aluminum. The rail that we installed is the standard mount for shooting out to 500 meters, or for the long-range shooter, a rail with 15 minutes of angle built in is available. The GG&G rail is hard anodized in gray that exactly matched the finish of our AR-10A4. Attaching the rail to the receiver of the AR-10A4 was as simple as placing it properly so as to mount the backup M.A.D. iron sight and obtain the proper relationship of the cantilevered scout mount with the rifle’s receiver. The rail is retained with hex-head screws that are threaded into stainless steel inserts so as to avoid stripping threads in the aluminum. The necessary wrench for installation is included with the rail kit. To ensure that the rail stays in place, we used “Gun Tite” on the threads. This is a low strength Lock Tight that ensures that screws do not loosen, but can be easily broken loose with a screwdriver or wrench without damage.

The MAD backup rear sight fits flush with the rail mount at the rear of the receiver and the sight itself folds flush with the rail’s top surface so that it does not interfere with the scout optics. This unit’s mounting block is of aircraft grade aluminum with stainless thread inserts, while the sight and aperture disc are of steel. The sight is also hard anodized with steel components phosphated. The steel components are a slightly lighter gray than the AR-10’s receiver. The MAD’s apertures are dimensionally identical to those of the M16A2, but unlike the M16’s, which flip back and forth between two apertures, the MAD has four alternating large and small apertures in a rotating disc that we found more convenient than the usual system. The edges of the disc are knurled for positive grip. The MAD sight is adjustable for windage, but not for elevation, which must be accomplished using the front sight. This was the original AR system and is acceptable in a backup sight, and although elevation adjustments can be accomplished using a bullet tip, the task is easier using a specialized tool.

The folding front sight simply clamps onto the gas block. Unlike the rear sight and rail, the front sight is of all steel construction. The front sight guard is serrated on its outer surface to provide a gripping surface. Having the front sight folded out of the way is a decided advantage when using optical sights because it does not interfere with the shooter’s line of vision, yet is instantly available when required. The optical sight is probably the most critical element of a scout rifle system. Typically, scout rifles use optics ranging from 1x to 2.5x. This is to ensure the speed of target acquisition and accuracy inherent in the scout concept. While any number of sights would have sufficed for our purposes, we installed one of EO Tech’s 1x second generation HoloSights on our AR-10A4. The HoloSight is one of the premier electronic optics available today. It is actually a hologram projected by a laser onto a piece of hardened glass. The HoloSight incorporates a 1 MOA center red dot surrounded by a 65 MOA circle. When used properly, i.e. with both eyes open and looking at the target, the 65 MOA circle automatically brings the center red dot onto the target as the rifle is brought up to a firing position. Unlike other red dots, that of the HoloSight does not obscure the target, nor does it seem to grow larger as intensity is increased to compensate for bright sunlight. The latest military and law enforcement versions of the HoloSight have ten levels of night vision built in, as compared to only two levels in competitive units. The current HoloSight is waterproof to only ten feet, but since we do not plan on using our rifle for deep-water swimmer deliveries, that is more than adequate. We understand that new versions of the HoloSight, to be introduced in the near future will be waterproof to 33 feet.

The final element of our FIRE’d AR-10A4 was one of Buffer Technologies’ Mag-Cinch dual magazine mounting systems. The Mag-Cinch is the only such system that locks a rifle’s magazines together in a virtually inseparable bond that gives, in the case of the AR-10, 40 rounds of instantly accessible ammunition “on the gun.” In everyday use, the added weight of a second magazine of 20 rounds of 7.62mm cartridges ready for instant insertion into the rifle’s magazine well is almost certainly overkill and probably unnecessary. On the other hand, having such “overkill” available just as certainly drives the likes of “Barbara Fineslime,” the “Violence Propaganda Center” and their ilk to distraction. For that reason alone, it is worth doing!

While the AR-10A4 is a fine rifle in its standard configuration, the enhanced scout configuration that GG&G’s F.I.R.E. system affords makes a good rifle even better. The components are manufactured to a high quality standard and fit the rifle perfectly. The added eye relief that GG&G’s F.I.R.E. system adds to the AR-10’s rail is ideal for a low power, long eye relief telescopic sight, or for a 1x optic such as the HoloSight. It is an accessory that we find particularly useful and we recommend it to those who wish to enhance the versatility of their AR-10A4 or AR-10(T) rifles.

Armalite
PO Box 299
Geneseo, IL 61254
Tel: 309-944-6939
Fax: 309-944-6949
www.armalite.com
email: info@armalite.com

Buffer Technologies
(Mag-Cinch)
PO Box 104903
Jefferson City, MO 65110
Tel: 573-634-8529
Fax: 573-634-8522
www.buffertech.com

EOTech, Inc.
3600 Green Court, Suite 400
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Tel: 734-741-8868
Fax: 734-741-8221
www.eotech-inc.com

GG&G
3602 E. 42 Stravenue
Tucson, AZ 85763
Tel: 520-748-7167
Fax: 520—748-7583
www.GGGAZ.com
email: GGGAZ@aol.com

More than 200 companies were on hand with everything from body armor to books, from ammo and armored vehicles to guns and gear. In addition to the best known companies like Heckler & Koch and Safariland, TREXPO gives newer firms an equal chance to showcase their wares in the exhibit hall and in personal interaction with attendees. Whether you are a patrol officer looking for a backup weapon or a department chief concerned about efficiently processing field reports, there is lots of comparison shopping to be done among rows and rows of colorful booths.

E-Tech

This year’s four day event was further expanded by addition of E-Tech (Enforcement Technology), showcasing state-of-the-art electronic tools and techniques for the ever expanding missions of modern law enforcement. E-Tech features such things as “ComputerCop” software as well as digitized fingerprint identification and other cyber-gadgets that can help the street officer and his support or command structure.

Professional Development Conference

During the first three days of the event more than thirty mini classes were available to all who had paid their basic $295 registration fee. As an alternative, individuals can pick and choose exactly which of these they need to learn about at a mere $50 each. Either way this public security smorgasbord represents an amazing bargain given the expertise of the presenters and the timeliness of their subjects.

Beginning on the 15th with Response to Workplace Violence, the seminars ranged widely to include Advanced Raid Tactics, Weapons of Mass Destruction Delivery Systems, and Wireless Video Surveillance. Want to sharpen your survival skills in knife fighting? Join Jim Wagner of HSS International for a theory and practice session on Combative Subjects and Edged Weapon Defense. Want to get an inside track on how some big boys handled some big problems? Sit in with Captain Elliott Grollman of Federal Protective Service for his class- IMF World Bank Demonstrations —Washington DC Responds.

Range Day

Saving what many consider the most stimulating element for last, TREXPO Range Day provides attendees, exhibitors, and seminar presenters with an exciting opportunity to bring hardware and ideas into action. Best of all, it also affords the opportunity to grab a fistful of firepower and pump some lead with free ammo and somebody else cleaning the weapons afterward. Are we having fun yet?

Conducted just a few miles away from the Expo hall at the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Department range, this was a four ring circus of live fire, classroom and practical demonstrations, plus numerous static displays.

Alas, “Murphy’s Law” was clearly dominant this year when a week of sunny days crashed into an overcast and intermittently rainy Friday. Undaunted, intrepid vendors and cops alike bravely carried on because the real world is not always sunshine and cool breezes. However, photographers — at least this one — are not typically resigned to rain and low light. Not only does this make the job of getting good pictures a pain in the butt, it also leads to rain-spotted lenses and sometimes drenched and ruined cameras. Bitch, bitch, bitch.

“Static” Displays

Of course the DRASH guys had to be delighted with the bad weather, dry and snug in their “Deployable Rapid Assembly Shelter” super tent that is intended for just this sort of circumstance in field operations. Meanwhile, demonstrators from Foldable Products and SWATEC scrambled up and down their cleverly designed tactical climbing devices as the Tasertron guys zapped high voltage into a mylar target (nobody volunteered to stand in) and Time Domain peered through walls with their portable radar.

Pyros and Potential Lawsuits

The Upper range was set aside for several lively demonstrations of unusual ammo for some of the old favorite tools in the law enforcement arsenal. Six firms showed their stuff including Polyshok’s 12 ga. “smart ammo” and MK Ballistics’ “less lethal” loads and launchers from sidearms to 40mm chunkers. Armor Holdings’ Dave Young kept spectators ducking and hopping as rebounding 40mm and 12 ga. batons and balls bounced around. Fortunately, nobody got hit — at least during the session I observed — so the company’s lawyer will just have to wait for some other time to upgrade his Mercedes. Young’s energetic and fast moving demo also included an extensive line of smoke, chemical and other pyrotechnic rounds.

Serious Shooting

But the meat and potatoes of law enforcement armament was laid out on the lower range on several tables stacked with a variety of pistols, submachine guns and assault rifles. This is the place for free ammo, exotic weapons and the chance to load and shoot stuff that most guys just read about.

Not surprisingly, H&K’s presence was exceptionally strong given the fact that their US headquarters is only a few miles away in Sterling and the range we were on is its official Tactical Training site. Big boxes of ammo were laid out in a magazine loading station right behind a pair of tables covered end to end with their German and Italian wares.

A swarm of cops gathered to grab a mag or two (gimme one pistol and one smg mag to go, please) then bellied up to the bar for some shooting time. Under the watchful eyes of experienced trainers like Chris Shepard, even those who had never held an MP5 before were quickly checked out on loading and handling procedures then methodically air-conditioned the paper targets.

A small but significant annoyance needs to be mentioned here. Because the range’s target berm is directly opposite the Dulles International Airport complex just a few miles away, all shooting had to be done from close in at the 15 yard line! While this isn’t too bad for pistol popping, it is a real bummer when demonstrating or trying out an assault rifle — particularly when equipped with telescopic sights. There, I got it off my chest.

Ashley Outdoors was next on the line, demonstrating their Express and Pro Express pistol sights and white dot/ghost ring models for rifles and shotguns. H&K’s Matt Nassar tried out the Ashley sight for the USC Carbine and seemed favorably impressed.

The relatively new teaming of Mullins Ammunition and SIOPTS demonstrated some highly interesting tools for the special operations arena. Combining titanium suppressors with innovative ammunition from .22 to .50 caliber, their line includes the ultra-quiet rimfire SPECTRE pistol and OMEGA rifle, as well as cleverly engineered “Earth Safe Munitions” like the blunt nosed 46 grain tungsten composite 5.56mm ESM-2 reduced ricochet round. No earplugs needed when these southwest Virginia boys are shootin’.

Many time national champion tactical shooting competitor Todd Jarrett put on a fast moving and amazing demonstration of lightning speed mag changes and close-quarters accuracy for Aetco’s line of Para Ordnance auto pistols. Highlighting the award-winning new LDA 14-45, Jarrett makes an airtight case for the venerable old Army M1911, now updated in double action.

Bullpup Showdown

More than two decades old now, the highly praised Austrian “Armee Universal Gewehr” (AUG) has been around long enough to establish itself as the leader in compact assault rifle technology. Pioneering the use of a polymer housing with modular components for maximum tactical flexibility, the AUG concept has now inspired gun designers in the Middle East and the Orient to build a better bullpup. Two very exciting new assault rifles were introduced at TREXPO, externally similar in configuration but with significant differences inside.

Israel Military Industries was a last-minute entry this year at the Expo and on the range with their brand-new TAVOR-21. Billed as the “world’s lightest and shortest assault rifle,” the 5.56mm bullpup can be fitted with long or short barrels and a variety of sights on a US military standard Picatinny rail.

Israeli special operations veteran Segal Naom put two versions of the TAVOR through a multiple magazine demonstration of efficient semi and full auto fire in a variety of positions. Speed of mag change is particularly impressive, with the gunner merely bumping the prominent release lever with a quick rearward jab of the gripping hand then jamming in a fresh one guided home by the gun’s flared magazine well.

On the other side of the world, Felix Tsai and others at Singapore Technologies Engineering (perhaps better known to old-timers as Charter Industries of Singapore) have been hard at work on an Asian AUG. The resulting SAR-21 assault rifle with integrated 1.5x optical sight and built-in laser also got its North American debut at TREXPO. Several variants were on display including one with Picatinny rail, and another with the CIS 40GL, a 40mm single shot grenade launcher.

Cleveland SWAT veteran Ron Dodus conducted the SAR-21’s range demonstration on Friday, punctuating a matter-of-fact rundown of mechanical details and performance characteristics with short and long bursts of 5.56mm fire. STE employee Gek Soo How also fired alternative versions of the gun, including the 40mm grenade launcher (with non-explosive dye-marker ammo, of course).

I am delighted to report that both the TAVOR and the SAR have eliminated one of my pet peeves — the damned multi-lug Stoner bolt that is impossible to ever get really clean! Both guns use a variant of Gene Stoner’s AR-18 combined op-rod and carrier but now its bolt is thoughtfully fitted with a pair of big and beefy locking lugs. Good riddance to the strange porcupine chamber brushes and endless work with emery cloth….

Now, I did get to do a little shooting with both rifles and had a fair amount of time to strip and examine them in detail. As space limitations here won’t allow a more comprehensive report, I am preparing an in-depth look at both weapons for a future issue. Stay tuned….

Get More Information

Qualified law enforcement, military, corrections, security and those in related professions are encouraged to contact TREXPO and E-TECH for information on upcoming events including TREXPO-WEST: Varro Group, 4507 West 90th St., Shawnee Mission, KS 66207. Telephone 913-385-2034 or internet site www.varro.com

Also, here’s contact info for some of the products featured in this report:

Advanced Taser,
Taser Int., www.etaser.com

AO Sights,
Ashley Outdoors, www.ashleyoutdoors.com

ComputerCop,
ComputerCop Corp., www.computercopinfo.com

Cougar Armored Car,
Technical Solutions, www.forceprotection.net

CQD Knives,
Masters of Defense, www.mastersofdefense.com

Firearms,
H&K, www.hecklerkoch-usa.com

Gear,
Tactical & Survival Specialties, www.tacsurv.com

Ghillie Suits,
Custom Concealment, www.ghillie.com

Holographic Sight,
EOTech, www.eotechinc.com

K-9 Vest,
First Choice, www.firstchoicearmor.com

LDA 14-45,
Para-Ordnance, www.paraord.com

Mag-Cinch,
Buffer Technologies, www.buffertech.com

Radar,
Time Domain, www.time-domain.com

Remote Cameras,
NS Microwave, www.nsmicrowave.com

SAR-21 Assault Rifles,
ST Kinetics, www.stengg.com

SARK Knife,
Emerson Knives, www.emersonknives.com

Shooting Van,
Advanced Interactive Systems, www.ais-sim.com

TAVOR-21 Assault Rifles,
IMI Services USA, www.imi-israel.com

Mullins/SIOPTS,
Mullins Ammo, www.mullinsammunition.com