The National Defense Industrial Association’s (NDIA) President and CEO, LTG (Ret) Lawrence P. Farrell Jr., offered these intriguing thoughts when he rightly noted, “The small-arms sector is a critical component of the defense industrial base… The industry is small and somewhat fragile. To maintain its robustness, it sells products both to government and to commercial customers such as sportsmen and gun enthusiasts. To survive, the industry needs to make commercial sales, which provide a cushion between military orders.” These comments were published in 2002 in the article “Assault on the Small Arms Industrial Base. (President’s Perspective)” featured in the February issue of NATIONAL DEFENSE magazine. Now, seven years later and in a stormy political climate, those insightful words are as valid as the day they came off the press. But at the time there was little concern of any major legislation that would stifle the industry with only two years remaining on the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban (AWB 94). After the ban expired it ushered in an abundant and progressive time for small-arms manufacturers that continues to this day, but the looming threats of new legislation are moving ever closer to reality and calls attention back to the integral relationship between the commercial and defense small-arms communities that Farrell touched on those years ago.

After the inauguration on January 20, one change we could believe in was espoused on the new White House website, online in minutes, and making clear the new President is not bashful regarding his intent concerning civilian firearms and the Second Amendment. In an effort to save the nation from gun violence in cities the administration has adopted a rather blunt stance:

“Obama and Biden would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts the ability of local law enforcement to access important gun trace information, and give police officers across the nation the tools they need to solve gun crimes and fight the illegal arms trade. Obama and Biden also favor commonsense measures that respect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, while keeping guns away from children and from criminals. They support closing the gun show loophole and making guns in this country childproof. They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent.”

The idea of renewing the Federal Assault Weapons Ban in order to reduce violent crime is not a new or proven concept, but is certainly gaining ground in liberal circles. Besides a new government that is more inclined to such an agenda, events in places like Mexico are beginning to have a bearing on popular thought as Mexican authorities have asserted that U.S. commercial gun laws, not internal corruption, are the cause for their failure to wrestle control of the country back from the drug cartels. Even more so, lessons from Hurricane Katrina as well as grim prospects featured in congressional reports on the economy, electromagnetic pulse attacks, and bio-terror have all prompted further exploration into commercial firearms regulations and what role they may play in a future crisis.

The Missing X Factor

The controversy surrounding the renewal of an Assault Weapons Ban and other gun control legislation is not one that has been kept out of the public eye. It has been the focus of passionate articles, both pro and con, by the NRA and the Brady Campaign, newspaper editorials, independent studies, congressional reports, debates on The Hill, and as pointed out, the White House website. Questions regarding a future AWB and its relationship to the Heller decision were even raised by Sen. Tom Coburn during the confirmation hearing of Attorney General Eric Holder and placed before the world on C-SPAN. (AG Holder’s responses were not a surprise and consistent with his past record on the subject matter). With all of this attention it seems LTG Farrell’s observation that “The industry’s ability to make sales to commercial customers is critical to its survival” is an overlooked factor in the equation that has been either negligently, or in some cases dutifully, left out among most of the participants in the AWB issue. Arguably however, the most important question that can be asked in the debate is what effect will a new AWB have on the ability of the small arms industry to support the defense establishment and ultimately the warfighter and law enforcement officer (LEO)? A look into the controversy, with this question in mind, raises the alarm for both end users and those who supply them and suggests that the effort to promote awareness of this issue must be greatly increased before we are reeling with the blowback that inevitably comes with gun control legislation in the commercial market.

A Difficult Issue

An analysis of the effects civil legislation can have can only begin appropriately with a historical assessment of the past AWB implemented in 1994 and other commercial firearms legislation from the past. Ironically, the two major reports to stem from the ten hard years of the 1994 AWB, William Krouse’s CSR report, “Gun Control Legislation”, (Congressional Research Service, Updated 5 Sep 08, Order Code RL32842) and Christopher Koper’s “An Updated Assessment of the Federal Assault Weapon’s Ban; Impacts on Gun Markets and Gun Violence, 1994-2003” (with Daniel Woods and Jeffrey A. Roth, June 2004, Jerry Lee Center of Criminology) are virtually devoid of any useful information relating to an impact on national defense in spite of the important authoritative audience of the first report and the promising title of the latter. In fact, the further one investigates the interrelationship between the small arms defense industry and the commercial market it looks less like an unofficially neglected subject and more like an unofficially forbidden subject.

Why the apprehension to address this issue? There are several aspects that have affected open communication in this arena. It is unquestionable that the political and apolitical realms come to an unavoidable collision point any time gun control legislation and the controversy surrounding it is given a forum. As a result of this amalgamation, the reputable organizations that seemingly would tackle this subject become somewhat distant. The National Rifle Association for instance, though busy protecting the Second Amendment rights of Americans, would be outside of its normal function of representing the individual right to keep and bear arms by crossing into the arena of Defense lobbying. On the apolitical side, non-partisan defense associations can be skittish when toeing the line on a topic that has political ramifications that will impact their influence. Ironically, commercial legislation, whether it is federal or through international treaty through bodies like the U.N., may have more potential to rapidly destroy the small arms industry and have irreversible effects on the weapons that make it to the field than any other issue we are facing today.

The Present State

So is everything in the present healthy and conducive for happy coexistence of the military/LE and commercial markets? Undeniably no! Manufacturers have dealt with hundreds of pages of fine print that has run rampant since 1934 and reinforced in 1968 when the National Firearms Act (NFA 34) and Gun Control Act (GCA 68) came on the scene. It would take quite a large report, considerable time, and some good models to project just how severe the effect gun control legislation has been on our nation’s ability to produce more Hiram Maxims, John Brownings, Eugene Stoners, and “Carbine” Williams’ to put the best weapons in the hands of our warfighters. One could assume that these regulations would have a similar affect on the evolution of the classes of weapons they influence that new AWB would have.

The overly burdensome regulatory system itself is especially hard for the new designer, engineer, or manufacturer looking to build a reputation as the required (and increasing) licensing fees create severe monetary obstacles for those seeking to research and produce new weapons and accessories. Outside of BATFE requirements there is the constant plague of the ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations), which requires all manufacturers of weapon related items to be registered with the State Department (DoS) by paying an annual fee of $2,250. Though all would agree with the need to keep secure our nation’s privileged defense information, the stipulations found in the ITAR often make common sense business principles that would not compromise national security impossible. The effect of the exuberant fee on small manufacturers for simple registration with DoS causes concern as well. “They’re taxing us right out of existence” noted one industry insider when citing the recent three fold increase in the filing fee. The industry still flourishes not because of, but in spite of, the myriad of laws and regulations in place; a credit to the American ability to adapt and overcome, not the efforts of the government to support a healthy small arms industry.

Laws meant for commercial gun control affect not only the development and manufacturing process, but also the availability of weapons and accessories in the Defense market and ultimately the end user. Since 1986, small arms providers adhering to 27 CFR 479.105(d) and ATF Rul 2002~5 have been forced to get end user sample letters from eligible organizations to get newly manufactured machine guns for demonstration purposes despite already being licensed and registered with BATFE and DoS for this business. Agencies, especially smaller law enforcement organizations, are often hesitant to provide the letters due to the discomfort of having the agency and authorizing officer’s name on a highly specific document related to a weapon they may not even commit to purchase. The letters require intensive detail and can be long in processing, while an agency wanting to have more than one weapon available for demonstration must submit excessive amounts of information to include the number of persons participating in the event, location, number of rounds to be fired, and any other reason they can find to justify why multiple demo weapons are necessary. For large organizations that want multiple weapons for demonstration, the weapon selection process may require several models or even multiple variants of the same weapon to be present which further complicates the acquisition. Providers on the other hand are unable to follow normal business practices applicable in most other businesses like purchasing samples for training, R&D, and marketing in order to gain customer interest in a particular product. Even worse, the sample weapons used for demonstration purposes currently cannot be transferred except under very limited circumstances and free market competition often grinds to a halt with frustrated organizations seeking providers who already have the samples they are looking for or settling for a weapon based on availability rather than optimal capability based on their specific needs. After the time, effort, and expenditure necessary in the current regulatory system, all in the name of commercial gun control, it is rather remarkable that the present state of affairs could be just the tip of the iceberg.

Even the wording of legislation can have unintended consequences on the user in harms way. 18 U.S.C. 925(d)(3) addresses importation of non-sporting firearms and reads, “In any case where the Attorney General has not authorized the importation of the firearm pursuant to this paragraph, it shall be unlawful to import any frame, receiver, or barrel of such firearms which would be prohibited if assembled.” With no clause for military and law enforcement included, the provision produced a mountain of frustration for select U.S. units using commercially available foreign alternatives to U.S. legacy systems. Despite the ongoing Global War on Terrorism, warfighters found they were unable to replace barrels on weapons currently in battlefield service, import barreled upper receivers for use with current issue lowers, or even import spare barrels for use with machine guns as per common practice. This lead to unwarranted logistical challenges placing some units in the awkward predicament of arranging critical parts shipments overseas to avoid importation. Ironically, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, to include the BATFE, found themselves in the same situation when attempting to import barrels for foreign weapons in common domestic use like the MP5 submachine gun. To the credit of the Federal Government, after three years of frustration and quagmire, the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the BATFE have made the changes needed and will now approve import applications for barrels and barreled upper receivers from military and law enforcement agencies. Despite the recent change, this is just a sampling of legal roadblocks that manage to hinder even the top tiers of our military and law enforcement agencies due to enforcement of short-sighted civil regulation.

The Rise and Potential Fall of Innovation

In November of 2008, the U.S. Army, after a year long controversy surrounding the M4 carbine, hosted an Industry Day based on a Request for Information concerning current small arms technology. In an unprecedented and historic turnout nineteen vendors responded with an overwhelming collection of products mostly developed since the sunset of the 1994 AWB in 2004. There were the usual large contractors that are part of the small-arms industrial base, but they accounted for a mere fraction of the vendors and technologies represented. Innovation from young companies, and some older ones with new focus, dominated the floor thanks largely to a healthy commercial firearms market. Since the expiration of the AWB, the number of companies manufacturing AR-15s and similar rifles has avalanched to a conservative estimate of thirty four, with even more producing accessories. Of these, a large number have active R&D programs offering unique products to the defense and LE markets.

The reason for such a historical pouring out of innovation can arguably be traced back to a decision based on the premise that the firearms industry could respond to any military requirements, to move away from the federal arsenal system and place more of the burden of designing and manufacturing military weaponry on firearms manufacturers “Historically, almost all of the major improvements in firearms since the closure of Springfield Armory have come from the Commercial/Military weapon manufacturers” points out John DeSantis, President of Bushmaster Firearms International. Bushmaster started life in the commercial firearms market and now offers a wide range of defense and LE related small arms from top quality production facilities. In the few short years since 2004, Bushmaster has expanded their product line well beyond the standard AR-15 type rifle to include calibers ranging from 5.56mm NATO to .50 BMG while maintaining an R&D and production capability that has made the company quite a competitor for major contracts. Even so, the flexibility when dealing with defense and LE products possessed by companies like Bushmaster is the benefit of a healthy commercial base which is currently thriving and allows for mutual gains to each market. According to DeSantis, “Many of the improvements and innovative designs were developed through their (Commercial/Military Small Arms Manufacturers) R&D efforts, which for the most part are fueled by the commercial market.” One of the more anticipated small arms present at the aforementioned Army Industry Day was the Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR), which is moving towards commercial production with Bushmaster. Though offered by a large and prosperous company, the ACR began life at a smaller company, MAGPUL Industries, which has made a rapid rise otherwise unfeasible under AWB conditions.

MAGPUL is an impressive, but not uncommon, example of the importance of the interrelationship between the commercial and defense markets as it influences young expanding manufacturers. Though not officially at the Industry Day, the ACR presented by Bushmaster/Remington is clearly an evolution of the original MAGPUL Masada. Masada is the name referring to the location of a mass suicide of Jewish fighters defiantly facing the Romans and meant to convey the potential risk the small company was taking when embarking on the Masada project. In retrospect, the Masada has come to fruition and a little company that began by making plastic pull tabs for magazines has now pushed forward one of the most anticipated small arms designs on the market today.

But what makes this possible? What allows a young company like MAGPUL to rise from obscurity to be a real contender in the defense/LE industry offering new and innovative products without tapping tax payer money to do it? Interestingly, MAGPUL sources confirm that it is their highly successful commercial market based on collapsible butt stocks and hi-capacity magazines that provides them the flexibility to undertake projects like Masada and its 7.62mm counterpart Masood. Drake Clark of MAGPUL was quick to make the connection between innovation in the defense market and the expansion of the commercial market. “Everyone I’ve talked to on high levels agree with the assessment that innovation skyrocketed overnight” he said referring to the sunset of the 1994 AWB. “The refueling of the black rifle market has dumped money into those products and answers a thirst that allows companies like us to develop and innovate. The PMag (a hi-capacity magazine for the AR-15/M16 type rifle) is our flagship product and certainly contributes to funding the military side. It allows revenue for new products to include rifles.” When asked about the affects on their defense product development and production if faced with the resurrection of a ban on manufacturing weapons with collapsible stocks and hi-capacity magazines for commercial consumption, the answer was clear: “Impact on funding as it goes toward defense products would be immense.”

VLTOR Weapons Systems, which offers a similar line of enhanced accessories for commercial “black” rifles, expressed similar concerns regarding the affect a ban may have on the company’s ability to develop products for military and law enforcement agencies. According to General Manager Eric Kincel, “Collapsible stocks are our flagship product line… A surprisingly large amount of R&D comes from commercial sales, nearly all to be honest.” VLTOR emerged during the years of the last ban and though successful, the company understands the difficulties such an environment brings to the table and Kincel gave some insight on other challenges faced under ban-type conditions. “Our collapsible stock system is one of our cash cows. We adapted to the ban by offering fixed stock alternatives. By having no ban we are able to focus more on product that would better suit the military market, which can be sold to the civilian market as well. By focusing on pre-ban weapons only, our R&D budget is concentrated on one market, which is easier to plan for future weapons development.”

Other factors influence the defense market for smaller companies besides the influx of commercial cash. For instance the MAGPUL PMag has had significant law enforcement and military success, with some 500,000 in circulation in those roles, due in large part to their availability on the commercial market. Private purchases by warfighters and LEOs serve as a great T&E tool and often a product’s successful exposure commercially is what ushers it in to consideration for use by the military services or an agency. Further complicating matters is the trickle down effect on production seen when suppliers dry up due to banning of their products. MAGPUL and VLTOR both have seen significant use of their enhancements on factory weapons coming from other manufacturers, a condition that would surely suffer in the face of new legislation. Keep in mind that these companies are but a sampling of a larger body of similar interrelated companies that offer a world of enhanced weapons and accessories facing the same circumstances.

Facing the Challenge

Certainly the landscape that faces the small arms industry in today’s political climate is much rockier than that of the past eight years. The gun control agenda of some is so fervent that it has lead to some creative methods of attacking the small arms industry to include proposed bans on common types of ammunition to heavy taxation that would reduce demand through expense and cripple production. As a whole, the 1994 AWB had one saving grace about it; the provisions allowed compliant versions of weapons like the AR-15 to continue in commercial production. Even before the sunset of the AWB in 2004, groups like the Violence Policy Center began the process of collecting data and informing politicians just how to avoid “post ban” weapons in the future. As a result of these efforts, bills like H.R. 2038 (May 03), H.R. 1022 (Feb 07), and H.R. 6257 were introduced to incorporate increased restrictions aimed at eliminating the post ban concept all together. Some of the worst provisions have gone as far as to present language that would in effect eliminate any firearm or copy of a firearm, regardless of configuration, in use by the military or law enforcement for commercial consumption while others have sought to eliminate manufacture of commercial frames/receivers for banned weapons. Either stipulation if incorporated into law would virtually shut down U.S. production for any supplier who did not have contracts in place. Today, legislative bills that have stalled in the past face new prospects for passage and support from powerful and zealous anti-gun supporters. Those small arms manufacturers and suppliers that survived the last ban by American ingenuity may find it much more difficult to keep afloat if new legislation is implemented. One insider from a major manufacturer summed up the potential result for the defense community rather candidly when he noted referring to small-arms, “If these things go forward we might as well look to the Europeans for our needs.” John Desantis on the other hand brought a comment to the table that cuts to the very heart of the issue and revisits the main point, “I am not sure the American public or the people in the House and the Senate really understands the full implications of a total assault weapons ban.”

So what can be done about the issues we face concerning our civil firearms legislation and its relationship to our country’s defense? Identifying the problem, that there is a wall erected between the two markets in the eyes of those outside of the industry, is the first step. Breaching that wall without fear of reprisal is certainly a more difficult but highly important follow-on task. The gap has to be bridged so that when new legislation is introduced it is done with the full picture of our national interest, not simple and narrow social agendas. Perhaps associations will emerge that are unafraid of a little backlash for delivering the truth no matter how harsh it shakes political ambitions. Perhaps more people will speak out as LTG (Ret) Farrell did when he stated NDIA’s intentions in his article, “Our goal is just to make sure that the industry remains viable so it can supply our military forces with the needed weapons.” Certainly, at a minimum, manufacturers of defense firearms, whether they have major contracts or not, with a unified and authoritative voice should make known the major decline in industry capability and innovation our country will face if we commit national suicide with our own small-arms industry. If there is a failure to react to the very legitimate concerns of regulatory excess, we may be faced with a firearms industry that can not produce the MAGPUL/Bushmaster/Remington partnerships to bring an innovative new rifle into the market. We may even find a decline in R&D and production that may stagnate and defeat U.S. small arms producers in the face of foreign competitors as seen in the auto industry. Even today, as this article prepares for press, the interviews and research this writer has performed make one hopeful that these ideas are starting to take root. Awareness is spreading, and those who have the ability to make these concerns known have committed to the effort of disseminating this information not for the good of our own pockets and gun safes, but for our brave men and women who utilize small arms as a primary tool to defend our nation and uphold the rule of law across the free world.

This year’s Small Arms System Symposium and Firing Demonstration, hosted by the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), was heated by more than just the Texas sun. The event, an international and joint services forum, saw a variety of topics related to small arms, often with opposing viewpoints. Participants ranged from the regular Defense Industry and Military Procurement personnel, a Senatorial aid, and even an Israeli Defense Forces officer fresh from an obscure Jerusalem base. What brought these small arms professionals to the Fairmont Hotel and Convention Center in Dallas is that the NDIA symposium is the one place to see relevant equipment, evaluate new products, and hear a multitude of professional presentations about the current status of the nation’s small arms industry. Many came to look to the horizon and gain a sense of future requirements, others came to stay informed on what their industry partners and the military services are doing, while others came simply to step back and observe what would come from the amalgamation of so many ideas.

The symposium objective was simple: bring together all aspects of the small arms community in order to bring the best small arms enhancements to the warfighter, whether it be “incremental enhancements to fielded legacy small arms systems to enabling technologies, such as fire control improvements, use of robotics, and digitization of small arms systems on the battlefield.” The major contention point, however, became the focus on defining the meaning and importance of the symposium objective and trying to sort out the relationship between incremental changes and leap ahead technology. This lead to some very interesting insight from every point of view imaginable as a simple guiding theme turned the 2008 NDIA event into a hotbed of debate that had some walking on eggshells from the event’s opening remarks.

The Beginning

The NDIA Small Arms Symposium historically has drawn many of the finest and most respected personalities in the defense community as speakers and this year was no different. The Honorable James R. Ambrose, former Under Secretary of the Army (October 1981-February 1988) was the keynote speaker following the initial opening announcements. Seasoned with experience and flavored with modest humor, Ambrose commented on his personal experiences as Under Secretary during the turbulent Cold War years of President Reagan’s administration. While touching on the relevancy of the past and the importance of communication between the military and industry, Under Secretary Ambrose preempted the week’s forum with a tremendous thought: the Soldiers on the ground are a wealth of operational knowledge to keep in consideration when planning, a point that would surface again and again. Under Secretary Ambrose himself specifically mentioned the professionalism and skill of the Army’s NCO Corps and made it clear that despite some of the thinking he encountered in some during his time in office, the Soldier is more than a “pack animal.” As he left the stage he was saluted with a standing ovation.

Following the Under Secretary’s words was a brief but potent address by Mr. Bryan O’Leary, Legislative Assistant for Military Affairs representing the office of Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK). Senator Coburn has become a common name in the small arms community after becoming an aggressive advocate for open competition among carbine manufacturers. Sen. Coburn’s office has often expressed concerns that United States service men and women may not be armed with the best available individual weapon. Though there are varied interpretations of test data and questions of relevancy, especially from the Army, Mr. O’Leary assured the industry and military attendees that in a competition, “We don’t care who wins.” referring to Senator Coburn and his staff. “In the end the taxpayers are going to win and the Soldiers are going to win and they are going to be carrying the best weapon you can produce.” Mr. O’ Leary further elaborated that the issue of small arms is largely neglected by Congress because of a variety of factors including constituency concerns and small unit price. O’Leary’s opening remarks brought the spotlight on an issue that would linger peripherally around the symposium hall for the duration of the event.

The Vision of the Services

At the beginning of the first session, the Joint Services Small Arms Synchronization Team (JSSAST) took the podium consisting of a chief representative from the four branches of service as well as the Coast Guard. Each member of the panel took an opportunity to address industry and military personnel on the current status of small arms programs and the future of vision of their organization. Col. Robert Radcliffe, representing the U.S. Army Infantry Center (USAIC) kicked things off with the longest portion of the session.

Col. Radcliffe quickly enforced the Army’s position on the current M4 carbine calling it, in his view, “a world class weapon” and suggested the Army may be contemplating “pure fleeting” the carbine to replace M16 variants currently in circulation. Citing post combat surveys that show soldier satisfaction with the M4, Col. Radcliffe focused most of his time explaining how the Infantry Center develops combat requirements for small arms using a five point method of assessment known as “Soldier as a System” (SAS) that addresses the soldier, training, weapon, optic, and ammunition as an entire package. As presented, the USAIC has, and continues to be, heavily focused on training, optics, and ammunition as substantial combat multipliers and Col. Radcliffe stated that of the five factors applied in SAS, their findings suggest the weapon is the least important at this time.

The USAIC presentation emphasized the combatant demand for heavy and general purpose machine guns identifying the renowned M2 .50 cal. and M240B as the two weapons topping the charts with Soldiers in post combat surveys. The demand for such weapon systems has lead to further developments including the M2 Enhanced Gun and the XM312 Lightweight .50. Both weapons were developed to address long identified issues with the M2 such as the need to set headspace and timing after barrel changes and hefty weight when dismounted. While the M2 Enhanced offers the M2 package with a quick change barrel and fixed headspace and timing, the XM312 is of particular interest, especially to light infantry and small team units. With a system weight of 53 pounds including the full ground mount system, half of the comparable configuration weight for the M2, the XM312 has the potential to add a whole new level of lethal capability to the dismounted warfighter.

Col. Radcliffe put substantial emphasis on precision fire capability and capability gaps. One focal point is a Squad Designated Marksman (SDM) rifle that is a “carbine look-a-like.” The premise is that an SDM rifle that mimics that standard carbine will not draw attention to the DM who, despite his roll as a marksman capable of precision well aimed fire, is still primarily an Infantry Rifleman. Currently the Army fields a hodge-podge of different solutions for the SDM that vary from unit to unit and are mostly based on the M14 and a few Army Marksmanship Unit built 5.56mm weapons. The M14 EBR, selected for accuracy and modified with a sage stock, is currently being fielded to fulfill the SDM capability and may bring some standardization across the service. When coupled with a good optic and proper training, the EBR is quite accurate at range but ergonomically challenging in close quarters.

The brief further addressed the M110 SASS (Semi Automatic Sniper System); a 7.62mm self-loading sniper rifle based on the Knight’s Armament SR-25, and identified it as an example of successful Army small arms fielding. The M110 is currently being fielded to augment and possibly fully replace the venerable M24 bolt action sniper systems currently filling most sniper roles in the Army. According to LTC (USMC ret) David Lutz of Knight’s Armament, the M110 recently performed well in a random lot sample test in which over 5,000 rounds were fired without a failure. A sniper capability gap was also identified demanding the requirement for a longer range anti-personnel sniper weapon out to 1,500 meters. Radcliffe also refined the requirement for a “sub compact” weapon system emphasizing an effective range of 150m-200m from a 5.56mm NATO platform.

Following the Army was the USMC’s LTC Tracy Tafolla who gave a focused no nonsense look at what Marine Corps Systems Command has in sight for the future. Among the more interesting goals, the Marines will be gathering a consensus of opinion on a possible replacement rifle caliber, a talking point that had many heads turning during the brief. The USMC has also been working towards completion of a sniper rifle document for a weapon system that has a 1,500-1,800 meter anti-personnel capability. LTC Tafolla also gave a detailed brief on the highly successful Marine Corps 60mm and 81mm mortar upgrades that have utilized state of the art materials and technology to cut system weights by nearly one third while maintaining previous capabilities at a lower cost. In the realm of heavy weapons in the light infantry, ounces make pounds, and mortar men across the Marine Corps are benefiting greatly from what would seem a trivial engineering improvement to those outside of the infantry community, but prized within.

Surprising many was the vigor seen in the US Air Force (USAF) as the current search for a new Modular Handgun System was detailed. Colonel Charles Beck explained that despite the Army being the overall executive agent, the Air Force is providing the requirement characteristics that will capitalize on emerging technologies in order to provide a weapon that will “ensure the combat needs of all USAF users.” Some of the more interesting features in the Air Force requirement are mandates that include a larger wound channel than produced using M882 (9mm NATO) from an FMJ non-expanding ball round, interchangeable modular hand grips, incorporated M1913 rails, external safety controls on the receiver, and a minimum service life of 25,000 rounds. One more unique note on the USAF weapon was that it must be a commercially available off the shelf item and not a start-from-scratch internal development program leaving the possibilities broad. One thing is for sure, the current service pistol does not make the cut lacking several key features listed in the requirement document. At 100,600 weapons, it is no small order and certainly has the eye of numerous manufacturers. The full solicitation can be found at www.fbo.gov.

Other JSSAST presenters included Capt. Pat Sullivan of the Navy, Capt Scott Genovese of the Coast Guard, and Mr. Kevin Swenson of the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate (JNLWD). Mostly, these briefs followed ground work previously laid in the past and did not shine light on any major new developments. Of interest however was an update on the Coast Guard Transition from the M9 Beretta 9mm to SIGARMS P229R-DAK in .40 caliber. The Coast Guard projects full transition to the SIG by 2010. The Coast Guard is making other incremental changes as well to include adoption of the Barrett M107 semiautomatic .50 cal. rifle with a shortened barrel to replace the Robar RC50 Bolt Action; transition from the aged M60 machine Gun to the M240, and introducing the M14T to the inventory in support of the airborne use of force role. Despite the significant change in the Coast Guard line up, the USCG has no plans to replace the current issue service rifle/carbine.

The JSSAST session set the tone for the rest of the symposium. It was not difficult when exploring the exhibition floor to see the results of industry’s response to the services needs. Many of the items briefed by the JSSAST were present in various forms in the vendor booths, even recently identified requirements. Many other indicators of industry’s ability to respond to the needs of the warfighter could be seen by the many fine examples of currently fielded incrementally improved equipment. The theme of the conference transitioned well into the exhibition hall and demonstration range as if it had been meticulously scripted.

A Break for Awards

Every year’s symposium has a special time when men and women of the international defense community are recognized for substantial contributions above and beyond the call of duty. This year’s awards, the Hathcock and Chinn, were presented by NDIA to well deserving recipients FBI Special Agent Buford Boone and Mr. Troy Smith of the Navy’s Crane Special Warfare Center. They joined a long list of notable recipients over the years including C. Reed Knight (Chinn 96), L. James Sullivan (Chinn 01), Larry Vickers (Hathcock 03), and USA MSG Steve Holland (Hathcock 04). The pool of professionals in the small arms community that exemplify selfless service and achievement is not a small one and the recipients are selected only after a nomination and voting process by the NDIA Small Arms Division Executive Board. The board assesses the character and contributions of all nominees before arriving at what is some times a difficult decision.

The Hathcock award is named after USMC Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock, the famed sniper and respected trainer. The award that bears his name recognizes an individual who “has made significant contributions in operational employment and tactics of small arms weapons systems which have impacted the readiness and capabilities of the U.S. Military or Law Enforcement.” Special Agent Boone undoubtedly meets the criteria with countless man-hours dedicated to ballistic analysis at the FBI Ballistics Lab at Quantico, VA. Fruit of SA Boone’s work go well beyond Federal Law Enforcement and has impacted both the Armed Forces and local law enforcement communities by influencing improvements in body armor and ammunition performance.

The Chinn award, named after LTC (USMC) George Chinn, noted for his passion for machine guns, is presented to an individual that “has made significant contributions to the field of small arms and/or infantry weapons systems.” This year’s award was received by Mr. Troy Smith, SOF Weapons Program Manager for US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Mr. Smith has played a major role in fielding notable weapons to the Special Warfare community in a timely manner and often in response to unique needs. Weapons and accessories like the MK46 and MK48 machine guns, the SCAR series, and the well used SOPMOD system for the M4 carbine have all been directly associated with his efforts. It is certain that much of what the special operations and conventional operators rely upon today have been influenced by Mr. Smith whether it is the newest SF carbine or some real estate for the line grunt to hang his sure-fire on.

Also presented was the Ambrose Award, which recognized St. Marks Powder in the small arms community for their industrial excellence, and is annually given to an industrial firm that stands out in contributions to the defense community. The Ambrose Award recipient is selected in a similar manner as the individual awards and considers areas such as technology development, delivery of superior material, enhancement of production capabilities, and innovative weapons integration and concepts. St. Marks in particular has been a major contributor when meeting the demand for various propellants demanded in the Global War on Terror.

Face to Face on the Vendor Floor

The convention center ball room at the Fairmont was filled with display boards and hardware as the site of the vendor exhibition booths. After only a few minutes any new spectator would find that this is a far cry from the hustle and bustle of SHOT Show. The vendors at NDIA are faced with a well informed and experienced group from all over the international small arms community. The relatively small size when compared to larger events makes NDIA the ideal place to engage in prolonged networking and fact finding about products, and many of the vendor representatives coming from a military background themselves, communicate fluidly – professionalism at its best.

As with any show, the new products get the most attention, and certainly getting its share of it was the new prototype Masood 7.62mm rifle developed by Magpul, Industries. Similar in appearance to the company’s Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR), the Masood was built with functionality first and foremost in mind. “We were trying to make a rifle to fit the purpose,” explained Magpul’s Drake Clark, “and not be linked to interchangeable parts.” This development concept means that the interchangeability between the Masood and its 5.56mm little brother may not be as prevalent as with similar weapon families, but allows for the weapon to be designed from the ground up for optimum performance. Currently, the Masood is in preliminary development and only time will tell where Magpul will take their 7.62 rifle. The first range reports from Magpul representatives suggest the Masood is a performer, and a very early stage concept for a M1913 tri-rail has been discussed as an addition to the design. As for the ACR, current projections for commercial availability are not until first quarter of 2009. Mr. Clark enthusiastically commented on the wait: “We want it to be right the first time, even if it means delaying production a couple of months.”

Another 7.62 NATO system on the floor fit very well into the USAIC vision for a carbine look-a-like designated marksman rifle. Based on the SR-25 design and built with ninety percent interchangeability with the Army’s new M110 SASS sniper rifle was the Knight’s Armament M-110 Squad Designated Marksman (SDM) Rifle. The weapon features an M4 type collapsible stock and an 18 inch barrel making it ergonomically fit for general use, yet with its free float quad M1913 rail, 7.62mm projectile, and ability to mate with the M110 suppressor suite, the SDM rifle is fully capable of filling the gap as a precision fire weapon. David Lutz of Knight’s Armament was enthusiastic about the project, especially in light of an aforementioned requirement.

With precision fire and bigger bullets featuring so prominently on the showroom floor it was easy to find a company with their eyes set on the capability for a long range anti-personnel system. Ashbury International Group, Inc. is poised to contend with their impressive precision rifle suite. The Asymmetric Warrior, the SXL-A2 being the latest of their unique rifle and component line, incorporates state of the art materials and operator input into a rigid and usable platform. Ashbury representative Richard Hall discussed the features of Asymmetric Warrior line citing an average weight of 18.5 pounds per system and consistent 1/2 MOA accuracy with top quality match ammunition. The Ashbury weapons utilize a proprietary chamber designed for the .338 LAPUA cartridge giving the Asymmetric Warrior a potent long distance capability in a small package similar in size to most 7.62 systems. Ashbury also produces a chassis system to upgrade weapons built on the Remington 700 Long Action.

On the modern battlefield, no weapon system seems complete without optical and laser devices that enhance the user’s lethality. Looking past the realm of their famous Comp series military sights and the small compact package of their new micro, Aimpoint unveiled a new and unusual optic that focuses on the often neglected realm of 40mm launcher fired grenades and other area weapons. Known as the BR-8 Self Contained Laser Range Finder System, Aimpoint President Mr. Lennart Ljungfelt exhibited the prototype during a personal demonstration. The optic is designed to be mounted on the standard M1913 rail, and as the name describes, features an internal laser rangefinder. The BR-8 projects the common Aimpoint red dot for rifle and can range targets at the push of a button. The sight then projects a second flashing dot as the aiming aide for the secondary weapon, in this case the M203. The more unusual feature of this system in the side viewed display as opposed to the typical top view, which was necessary to achieve a field of view that exploits the system’s enhanced aiming capabilities when mounted on a standard carbine platform. Other characteristics of the BR-8 include a rechargeable battery as well as the ability to program the system with other ballistic data like that of the 84mm Carl Gustaf. As the BR-8 is still a prototype there was still much left unsaid, but when asked when to expect the system to come to complete fruition Mr. Ljungfelt wasted no time replying, “I believe in doing things fast. It’s crucial that a product make you more dangerous to the enemy.”

Also notable from Aimpoint, though not so new, is the System-of-Systems, or SoS. This modular system incorporates mounting attachments for the PVS-14 Night Vision Monocular, Aimpoint 3x magnifier, and the Concealed Engagement Unit (CEU), into one quickly interchangeable package incorporated with the standard Aimpoint reflex sight. Using a simple male and female portioned twist-to-lock bracket an operator has the ability to switch between night vision, precision fire, and shooting around corners while concealed in a matter of seconds. Taking a more primitive and lighter approach to the hi-tech bulk of Land Warrior, and requiring no extra batteries, the System-of-Systems is a not so difficult solution to quickly optimizing one’s platform for the conditions at hand; an example of incremental improvement to an existing capability.

Many other eye catchers that represented incremental change were on display, including the XM307 and M2 Enhanced .50 from General Dynamics as well as FN’s light weight M240E6 and the now well known SCAR series. The Army’s developmental LSAT machine gun from AAI, Smith & Wesson’s new mid size .45 caliber M&P pistol, and the newly released 7.62mm C-MAG designed for use with M14/M1A or AR-10 platforms also merit mention. One thing is clear to the attendee: the commercial side of the Defense Small Arms community is ready and capable of producing high quality products to meet the demand of ever changing missions.

At the Range

The NDIA Firepower demonstration gives vendors and attendees alike a chance to put lead on steel and this year the firing line was full. Nearly a two hour drive from Dallas, the Tac Pro Shooting Center proved to be an excellent facility and its proprietor Mr. Bill Davison an animated and appropriate host. Mr. Sal Fanelli of the USMC was the mastermind for the 2008 demonstration and graciously imparted his time as OIC for the duration. Also praise worthy was the donation of nearly 35,000 rounds of small arms ammunition by ATK systems, which insured more than enough for vendors to keep hungry weapons from running dry. Already aware of the products available, attendees selected vendors and the shooting began. Safety was paramount: marking tape and vigilant RSOs, as well as keen participants kept the demonstration running smooth.

Of the nearly thirty vendors some were familiar favorites like Colt with their M4 carbine, while others like Command Action Arms (CAA) with their line of AR type weapons and accessories are fairly new to the spotlight. Attention getters this year included a hefty interest in Fabrique Nationale with the MK16 (SCAR-L) and MK17 (SCAR-H), Milkor USA’s rotary 40mm grenade launcher (firing training ammunition at the demonstration), and Talley Defense Systems’ upgraded M72 training launcher that accurately portrays the concussion, noise, and back-blast of the real thing while sending a training round down range.

Drake Clark and Nick Booras of Magpul Industries took the opportunity to run an unofficial test on the P-MAG incorporated with the M249 SAW. Over 5,000 rounds were fired with zero failures to feed and only one misfire (literally a primer failed to detonate when struck). The Polymer magazine held up well and showed no signs of succumbing to hard use and heat, which is quite impressive on a belt fed weapon not renowned for its reliability feeding from magazines. Certainly this kind of unofficial test is not empirical data, but it is an interesting gauge of the product’s performance.

In the optics arena, NVS Systems with their Medium Thermal Weapons Sight (MTWS), modeled on the Army’s AN/PAS-13D MWTS, saw heavy use. The sights replicate the systems currently replacing the bulky and cumbersome PAS-13B in Army BCTs and provide a marked ergonomic advantage due to their compact size. The medium weight model was utilized mounted on a 7.62mm MK48 machine gun throughout the demonstration and never missed a beat. The simple push pad on top of the sight simplifies operations that were difficult with the previous PAS-13Bs and allows a soldier to switch from white to black hot, adjust contrast, and change aiming reticles all from a centralized location on the device. Battery size is also nearly half of the original PAS-13B system with an improved life span. With an all-weather day and night aiming ability, the MTWS is a valuable battlefield asset whether used for engagement or observation and a shining example of incremental improvement when compared to its predecessors of only a few short years ago.

After the demonstration was well underway, some observers would have noted a mysterious white van and the large metal container it delivered surrounded by franticly busy representatives from Israel Weapons Industry. As soon as a break in firing occurred, the containers imprisoned contents found its way to the firing line despite a delay at U.S. customs. The Negev and Tavor had arrived at the range. The low recoil and innovative Negev was a show stealer attracting attendees from across the range that were drawn to the first few sustained one hundred round burst fired by an ambitious Israeli operator. Easily maintained on target even from the shoulder the open bolt, select-fire Negev produces a distinctive report reminiscent of an MG42. Complimented by IWI’s TA21 Tavor and MicroTavor Bullpup assault rifles which were both handy and accurate, the Israeli contingent featured an impressive suite.

The Professional Paper Presentations

Possibly the biggest draw to the NDIA Small Arms Symposium is the variety of professional papers delivered during the forum sessions. Besides the aforementioned JSSAST update, this year’s event saw industry professionals from the military and commercial side of the house deliver a salvo of topical briefs highlighting emerging technology in arms and ammunition, critical analysis of the testing and acquisition process, and statuses of current programs. Topics ranged from one end of the spectrum to the other and had relevant information for developer and user alike. The push for both leap ahead and incremental technology gains was clearly demonstrated with presentations like “ JSSAP’s Future Technology Plan: The Fusion of Science and Science Fiction,” which touched the outer fringes of sci-fi writers in order to glean information for weapons programs contrasted others like “Time for a Change: U.S. Incremental Small Arms Fielding-Failures and Solutions.” The latter supports rapid fielding of currently available superior small arms technology while the question of where military small arms acquisition is and should head lingered as an underlying issue throughout the sessions. Comments and PowerPoint bullets drew both eerie silence and fiery criticism depending on how they addressed any relevance to the ad hoc main issue, most often put into context by the now infamous carbine controversy.

The debate stirred high emotions for some during a brief by Col. Walter Mattes, USAF, of the Comparative Testing Office, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, after commentary during his brief suggested merit in the idea of a comparative small arms testing. With references to the SCAR program, Col. Mattes’ comments proved the high water mark drawing a passionate response from MG (ret) James Battaglini of Colt Defense LLC, maker of the M4 carbine. Battaglini’s comments addressed several parties in the current debate and stated that results from a recent Aberdeen Proving Ground Extreme Sand and Dust Test had been spun by what he called, “those that have an agenda.” MG (ret) Battaglini also offered criticism towards The Army Times newspaper, which has covered the debate extensively in the past 18 months and preemptively addressed the “Time for a Change” brief by Mr. Jim Schatz and Dr. Gary Roberts scheduled for later in the day. Battaglini has been vocal in his concerns that the current issue carbine be accurately represented and previously detailed his opinions in an editorial featured in The Army Times. Despite the sharp words, Col Mattes held to his previous convictions before the crowd.

Another sticking point related to the big debate was Mr. Schatz’s previously mentioned “Time for a Change” paper. Extensive in its composition, and touted by the author as his personal educated opinion, the paper meticulously documented the historical timeline of failures to field superior small arms by the United States from the period of the American Revolution until the present. Going further, he elaborated on the current status of U.S. small arms acquisition and noted the similarities to historical failures while pointing out the underlying issues are not related to a specific vendor or weapon type. Using the example of the brewing carbine debate and citing three Sand and Dust Tests conducted by the Army at Aberdeen Proving Ground as well as the 2006 CNAC study “Soldier Perspectives on Small Arms”, Mr. Schatz made his case that as a military and nation we are at a critical juncture where superior small arms exist that the United States has not adopted for conventional units despite other countries and Special Operations Forces fielding the incremental improvements available and that this is a repeating trend in our nation’s small arms history. He finished by offering solutions to the audience while encouraging listeners to actively fix the “system dysfunction” that he believes hinders supplying superior weapons to the end user.

Dr. Gary Roberts DDS, using DoD/DoT ballistic studies in which he was personally involved, presented a joint session as part of “Time for a Change” relaying data about the debate between intermediate calibers such as 6.8mm SPC and 5.56mm NATO. Dr. Roberts left little doubt that he believed 6.8mm SPC offers the warfighter significant advantages and presented a slew of graphs, data, and photos from ballistic gelatin testing. Mr. Roberts also criticized the ammunition restrictions of the Hague convention while highlighting the ability of modern ammunition types to make soldiers more effective while contributing more to the overall humane objective of the Hague convention than standard ball ammunition does.

Regardless of the outcome of future events it is certain that the carbine debate is simply a picture of a larger discussion about the way the industry functions both on the military and commercial side. Despite being an emotional topic for some, there is no doubt the presentation accomplished the end of stimulating more interest in the issue. To this day, the topic remains one that inspires many otherwise bashful people to state strong and confident opinions. Only time will tell what the next development will be. At the moment, the ball is in both courts.

Despite the over shadowing carbine controversy, other papers had a large impact, but probably none so much as LTC Michael Hartman’s presentation on the development of the Negev light machine. LTC Hartman gave a dirty boot presentation in true infantry soldier fashion. As a former NCO turned officer, Hartman’s background is steeped in experience as a member of the Israel Defense Force’s Givati Infantry Brigade. In regards to the Negev, Hartman illustrated the features of the weapon and the combat demands that inspired them noting it was only developed after extensive comparative testing of available LMG’s to include the Minimi. This development approach lead to the weapon’s prominent features including a low profile feed tray cover half the length of the M249, which allows a soldier to stay more covered and concealed while utilizing the weapon, a selector switch enabling semiautomatic fire inspired by unique Israeli small unit tactics, and a high but controllable cyclic rate empowering Negev gunners to advance through near ambush scenarios. Other features of the Negev include a left folding stock for vehicle use, a built-in diagonal mounted assault handle providing troops a second control point, rifle grenade compatibility, ability to fire less-than-lethal ammunition, a quick change barrel, an adjustable gas regulator, and an internal safety that prevents the bolt from closing from any position other than fully cocked. After the presentation LTC Hartman took the time to elaborate further in a one-on-one discussion explaining that part of the goal in the Negev’s development was to create a durable, light, and effective LMG that can also serve in the assault rifle role if need be. Emphasis was given to ease of use and maintenance for the operator while making the weapon light, short, and reliable.

Hartman followed the Negev brief with yet another unique weapon, the Israel Weapons Industry (IWI) MicroTavor, Israel’s latest assault rifle configuration. With the standard Tavor-21 assault rifle already replacing Israel’s mixed fleet of M16 and M4 type weapons, the MicroTavor is a smaller, more ergonomically friendly version of the current Tavor design. The Tavor captured the interest of the crowd particularly because of the relevance of a combat proven army replacing their current systems with a new long stroke gas piston Bullpup design. During his brief, LTC Hartman explained, “We love the M4, our country would not exist with out it.” but noted the weapon was a stop gap measure until the IDF and Israeli industry could produce a weapon specific to the nation’s needs. Hartman emphasized smaller and lighter has become the focus of the IDF infantry which often fights in confined battle spaces. “There are no more long weapons in Israel, we take the old M16s and make them into short weapons.” he added. The Tavor and MicroTavor are only three quarters the length of the M16 and M4 comparatively yet maintain nearly equal barrel lengths. Hartman also cited increasing stoppages with the older weapons in the inventory as an indicator it was time for a replacement.

A rapid departure from the conventional platform, the IDF integrates the Tavor Bullpup on the initial training level to recruits. This method has born fruit as it avoids building habits that must be changed when switching from a conventional platform to a Bullpup. LTC Hartman noted that the change over to the Tavor has proceeded smoothly and, once retrained, soldiers and commanders alike praise the weapon and its performance. The MicroTavor itself was developed for specialized use and can be converted from the standard 5.56mm configuration into a 9mm select-fire submachine gun. A true modular system, the Tavor incorporates the optics mounting platform integrated with the barrel as a one-piece unit assuring zero retention when devices are remounted. Israel Weapons Industry (IWI) sought to address the commonly known faults with Bullpup designs by producing a weapon that takes minutes to change from left and right hand configuration and incorporating a thumb actuated ambidextrous bolt catch just behind the magazine well combining magazine changes and rechambering the weapon into one smooth motion. The MicroTavor even incorporates a feature most American users would immediately appreciate: a magazine release button operable by the firing hand while holding the weapon, which when paired with the location of the MicroTavor selector, give the weapon’s ergonomics a familiar M16 feel. Over all, the Israeli small arms upgrade seems to be a fine example of soldier inspired incremental improvements while the tiny nation of Israel is fielding one of the most modern and mission relevant squad level small arms fleets in the world.

It should be noted that the staff of NDIA small arms did a fantastic job preparing and providing support to the briefing. Other presentations were delivered throughout the duration of the symposium besides those mentioned here, far too many to address, especially with any detail. A full listing of presentations and their associated visual aids can be found on-line at NDIA’s website. It is important when planning for this event to utilize the NDIA supplied program to manage your time. Between time on the exhibition floor with the vendors, the firepower demonstration, and professional papers, there is little room for anything else.

Closing

At the end of the week, as participants headed home, there was a sense that high intensity topics at this years Small Arms Symposium had turned up as many new questions as they had new answers. Spawning dialogue is exactly what this forum is about. It’s unquestionable that this event is influential in molding the nation’s small arms vision and provides the basis for coordinating military and commercial assets to achieve the most important goal as stated on the 2008 symposium program, “Enhancing Small Arms Effectiveness in Current and Future Operations.” It is interesting to see the “system” in action and the many committed people, both military and civilian, both developer and operator, all united for the common interest of giving the dirty boot warfighter what he needs to do the job of defending freedom across the globe.

(Editor’s Note: SAR is taking a different approach this year in presenting coverage of the National Defense Industrial Association’s annual Joint Services Small Arms Systems Symposium. This prestigious gathering of top names in weaponry from industry, government, military, and law enforcement offers up so much information and hardware that an entire issue would be required to do it justice.

Military Affairs Correspondent Robert Bruce’s assignment was to find and report on what’s new and exciting then shoot as many photos as possible covering all aspects of the event. The pictures appearing here have been carefully selected from more than 160 submitted.)

“Achieving a secure environment for the American people requires a strong resolve in the diplomatic arena and a stronger fortitude to back it up. Facing terrorist forces from MOUT to the open battlefield, American forces, both military and law enforcement alike, require the best equipment available. Only through the efforts of government and industry focusing together on the immediate needs of current operations and ‘lessons learned’ and applying the emerging advanced technology and system integration approaches will the tools necessary to support our warriors now and in the future will be realized.” Objective Statement – NDIA Joint Services Small Arms Systems 2007 Annual Symposium, Exhibition and Firing Demonstration

It’s all here for “warriors now and in the future.” NDIA Small Arms Systems is once again hosting what is arguably the most exciting, most exclusive and most important annual gathering for those whose purpose in professional life is to arm the free world’s defenders with the best that men can build and money can buy. Technical presentations, hardware exhibits and thundering live fire demonstrations are jam-packed into three days at the Virginia Beach Convention Center and on the ranges at Blackwater USA.

Symposium Schoolhouse

Formal presentations are essential to the event, providing an opportunity for hundreds of attendees to get the latest information on major government initiatives, military want lists and industry solutions.

Briefings by members of the Joint Services Small Arms Synchronization Team were perfectly scheduled to kick off the first day’s symposium. JSSAT’s mission is to harmonize as much as possible the often divergent needs of all five branches of the US Armed Forces as well as Special Operations Command.

When these men talk, everyone listens closely. Some even rush outside to call the office with breaking news.

We learned that the Army still officially loves the M4 carbine, further dampening the hopes of advocates of piston-driven upper kits, SCARs, XM8s and such. Big Army is well along in improving reliability of the M249 SAW, lightening the M240, moving toward a QCB M2HB, and has been directed by Congress to “green” its ammo. This presumably so that the environment outside enemy bodies will not be contaminated by lead.

Oh, and it may field a better handgun and/or Personal Defense Weapon in the next few years. For more on this go right to the USAF section. The Navy is phasing out obsolete M14s in favor of more M16s, as well as sometimes troublesome Miniguns in favor of twin-mounted M240s. The crunch in full scale range real estate is driving a move to use of more electronic simulators, supplemented by live fire training on shorter ranges with reduced-power ammo.

Its partner, the Marine Corps, is leading the charge toward an Infantry Automatic Rifle, lighter than the current M249 SAW and holding the line until LSAT (see sidebar) is fielded. The Corps, considered by many to be the most serious about cutting red tape to put good stuff in the hands of grunts, is also looking for new Long Range Sniper weapons and solutions to “emerging requirements TBA.”

Alternative caliber and weapon advocates leaned way forward to catch each word about the Leatherneck leadership’s plans to “evaluate alternatives to 5.56mm ammunition and weapons.”

Don’t make the mistake of looking at the Coast Guard as harbor cops. Coasties are America’s first line of defense against seaborne terrorism at home and many places abroad. Armament upgrades continue, most notably in transition to new .50 cal Barretts and 7.62mm MK11s from Knight’s. They don’t need a new handgun because almost all their puny 9mm Berettas are overboard now, replaced by hard-hitting .40 S&W SIGs.

Airmen are directly involved in more ground combat than ever before. USAF Security Forces are growing by leaps and bounds in weapon requirements and quantities, filled mostly by Army standard hardware like M16 rifles, M240 machine guns and M9 pistols. However, the AF apparently takes sidearms seriously and now has the lead in the search for JSSAP’s on-again, off-again Future Handgun program.

Colonel Charles Beck explained that the program is funded and underway now, looking for an off-the-shelf pistol chambered for a “readily available military cartridge” that is “non-expanding” but yielding a “wound channel increase.” So, the race is on again for all those hopeful manufacturers who had lined up last year for the USSOCOM trials that never happened.

SAR’s readers can sit in free at this and other notable presentations by accessing proceedings on Defense Technical Information Center’s website at www.dtic.mil/ndia/2007smallarms/2007smallarms.html where slides from most of the briefings are posted.

All are organized in chronological order and grouped by specific themes including Individual Weapons, Ammunition, Joint Services Small Arms Program (JSSAP) Update, Activities in NATO, Crew Served Weapons, Modeling and Simulation, as well as Less Than Lethal Systems.

Exhibits

The opportunity to pick up and examine cutting edge hardware is essential to the conference mix and more than 80 exhibitors were on hand with the latest in guns, gear and ammo. In stark contrast to the more commercial trade shows, NDIA Small Arms is where attendees will most often find the men and women who are directly responsible for creating what’s on display.

Curious about the new barrel coupling system for the Army’s new M110 Semiauto Sniper Rifle? Talk to Dave Lutz at the Knight’s Armament booth. Tantalized by just a sneak peek at Magpul’s Masada rifle at SHOT? Rich Fitzpatrick and Drake Clark were giving muzzle to butt plate tours.

What’s with that trailer toting a big and heavily armored weapons station replicating that of a US Navy warship? Special Tactical Services’ Jerry Hurd will explain how the firm supplies full spectrum training and innovative hardware support for maritime and ground combat operations.

How about the latest hardware in use by Navy SEALs and others in Special Operations Command? Talk to NAVSEA Crane’s Barry Gatewood about Miniature Day/Night Sight developments or Jason Davis about on-weapon Shot Counters.

Customary exhibits from ARDEC/JSSAP/PM Soldier Weapons, collectively the 800 pound gorilla of small arms development and fielding, were conspicuously absent this year. A spokesperson explained that budgets are tight right now so money is better spent in direct support of war fighters – a decision that we understand and endorse.

Not to worry, much of what would have been in the Army’s display could be found elsewhere in the large hall. Some examples include HK with the XM320 grenade launcher, General Dynamics with the QCB (Quick Change Barrel) M2E2 and convertible XM312/XM307 .50 cal./25mm machine gun, and show star LSAT at the AAI booth.

Range Day

After two and a half days of formal presentations and exhibit hall booth hopping, the opportunity to get out on the range is essential to maintain a real world perspective. Sal Fanelli, NDIA SA’s perennial volunteer Rangemeister, now with USMC Program Manager Infantry Weapons, was ably assisted this year by Jim Schatz, the long term HK veteran now enjoying his role in semiretirement as an independent industry consultant and Small Arms Review contributor.

With all military ranges in the greater Virginia Beach area fully booked with intensive GWOT training, Fanelli was fortunate to secure permission from Blackwater USA to utilize three of the dozens of ranges on its sprawling 6,000 acre complex, an hour’s drive south in Moyoc, North Carolina.

A notable downside of this arrangement was Blackwater’s necessarily strict OPSEC (operational security) rules that protect the identities of employees and trainees, many of whom are part of ultra-sensitive domestic and overseas operations. Most prominent was the near total ban on photography and all attendees got a stern warning to leave their cameras on the bus.

(Editor’s Note: SAR sends Fanelli a big thanks for certifying Military Affairs Editor Robert Bruce as NDIA’s “official range photographer” and to Blackwater’s Allen Livingstone for turning him loose on site with confidence in his promise to carefully avoid showing details of facilities and identities of non-NDIA personnel.)

Again by special arrangement, SAR got there early to observe industry teams as they prepared for the afternoon’s live fire demonstrations. This is invaluable for close-up photography of significant hardware in a way that doesn’t block spectator viewing and an extended period of relatively low stress to talk with the shooters.

Extended coverage of JSSAP’s LSAT is a prominent example for these reasons, providing ample time to discuss the finer points of the system’s experimental weapon and ammunition with AAI’s team leader Paul Shipley and his crew. Then, observing within an arms length the test firing for function and zero.

Other teams from FN, Knights, HK, Milkor, Colt, and the like were spread out along Range 5’s 30 meters of firing line, popping away with modular assault weapons, PDWs, and grenade launchers (sorry, dye marker rounds only).

On Range 4 next door, Remington’s Greg Baradat rehearsed door breaching with a stubby 870 MCS shotgun, and TDI’s Tim Lindsay conducted an invitation-only VIP demo for the KRISS submachine gun. Glock’s team searched the gravel in vain for an extractor lost from its crowd-pleasing Model 18 selective fire machine pistol. No problem, plenty of other Glock’s to show and shoot.

With a hour or so before arrival of the main body of event attendees, we took a somewhat leisurely stroll up the road about half a mile to Range 19. This is a KD (Known Distance) range with a 1,200 yard limit and suitable safety fan so the event’s sniper rifles and heavy machine guns could be accommodated.

This provided a look at a half dozen of Blackwater’s various specialized live fire training stations including multi-weapon CQB, an elaborate MOUT complex and K-9 facility.

All were bustling with activity and plenty of lead was flying. No comment on what organizations the trainees represented, but George Orwell’s oft-quoted observation comes to mind that, “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” Amen.

Arriving at the KD range we found Armalite’s Mark Westrom zeroing his Super SASS while some other guy was mounting a mean looking .50 cal. atop a camo painted honest-to-goodness GI HMMWV (not a silly civilian HUMMER) incongruously sporting Wisconsin license plates.

Turned out to be Ed Haywood, creator of Central Wisconsin Armory’s formidable new Dragon M50 high rate of fire machine gun, characterized by modifications allowing the gunner to select open or closed bolt operation utilizing the spade grips. This burly former Navy Gunners Mate had made the very long trip to Virginia in his personal war-surplus HMMWV, no small feat of endurance for man and machine.

Back at the main area chartered buses had deposited hordes of event attendees who, after a catered lunch, were gathering around at Range 4 for the handgun, submachine gun and shotgun demonstrations.

When the time came to move one range over, Jim Owens of FNH USA set the tone for several of the subsequent industry presentations by doing a quick briefing on the SCAR family of weapons but deferring live fire to later. The show, tell and sometimes shoot moved down the line in roughly five minute increments, ending with HK Defense’s Wayne Weber inflicting the always crowd-pleasing full immersion water and sand torture on an unstoppable HK 416.

Then the smorgasbord of small arms opened for business with attendees lining up behind their favorites for live fire action. Bragging rights aplenty come with hands-on time with exciting new and unusual weaponry like the 7.62mm FN SCAR Heavy, TSSI’s shoot-from-cover ParaScope, and Karl Lewis’ 40mm M203 pistol. Life doesn’t get much better than this with free ammo, expert coaching and somebody else has to clean the range and the weapons afterward.

Particularly noteworthy this year was the absence of any heartbreaking mechanical failures or heart-stopping safety violations by demonstrators or others. No rounds fired directly skyward, no commando rolls with loaded weapons and no recalcitrant robots. A big round of applause, please.

NDIA’s Joint Services Small Arms Systems

SAR strongly supports the work of the National Defense Industrial Association, readily accessed on the web at www.ndia.org. Make plans now to be at the 2008 Small Arms event in Atlantic City, New Jersey, May 12 to 15. The customary live fire demonstrations will be held at nearby Fort Dix and are likely to include some of JSSAP’s most interesting cutting edge hardware. Industry demonstrators will, no doubt, keep in mind draconian restrictions on transport of weapons and ammunition imposed in the Peoples Republic of New Jersey. Good luck guys!

Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT)
SAR Spotlight by Robert Bruce

SAR’s intense and sustained interest in the Joint Services Small Arms Program’s LSAT initiative was once again handsomely rewarded as government/industry team leaders Kori Spiegel and Paul Shipley charted a number of significant developments since last year’s presentation to this NDIA symposium.

While all combat infantrymen are overburdened, the problem tends to be particularly acute for SAW gunners in Army and Marine rifle squads. In addition to standard body armor, water, rations, and gear, these men carry a 17.5 pound M249 with 200 rounds of linked 5.56mm ammo (6.5 lbs.) and two extra 200 round bandoleers (13 lbs.).

While the SAW’s firepower is critical in many combat scenarios, the system’s weight has a decidedly detrimental effect on the speed and endurance of most gunners who carry it.

However, it will require something approaching a 50% reduction in combined weapon and ammo weight before the SAW gunner will have mobility on a par with his brother riflemen. How close to this ambitious goal can they get without sacrificing this essential weapon’s firepower, range and lethality?

While a definitive answer is several years away, parallel experimentation with both cased and caseless ammunition is progressing well, JSSAP’s Spiegel explained, and a prototype weapon, firing plastic cased telescoped 5.56mm ammunition, has been demonstrated in both laboratory and field firing.

The experimental demonstration weapon and its rapidly evolving ammunition were working so well in fact, that program officials were taking the calculated risk of conducting the system’s first “public” live fire demonstration at this event.

Traveling to Blackwater USA early Thursday morning in advance of the scheduled industry demonstrations, we caught up with LSAT industry team coordinator Paul Shipley of AAI and crewmembers Dennis Trump and Tim Livelsberger on Range 5. This was the perfect time to take a close look and get some photos of the weapon and ammunition.

The prototype light machine gun they brought was tried-and-true Serial Number 1, which has fired more than 3,000 rounds so far, starting with the initial “Spiral 1” cased telescoped ammo and has recently been converted to fire the reduced size “Spiral 2” cartridge.

Its gas piston driven operating system has a cartridge rammer instead of a bolt and features a highly unusual oscillating chamber with push-through feed and ejection. While this is called a “rotating chamber” in program documentation, it doesn’t spin, but moves back and forth in an arc of approximately 90 degrees.

Program officials are understandably wary of disclosing too much technical detail, but official promotional/informational materials include simplified diagrams and evocative wording that might guide a reasonably knowledgeable person to informed speculation as follows.

Think of a clock face with the chamber (viewed from the rear of the weapon) at rest in the 12 o’clock position and the barrel waiting at 9 o’clock. The gunner cocks the action by pulling back on a charging handle and a spring loaded rammer is poised to push the first round forward into an empty chamber.

M249 SAW gunners know this as “open bolt” operation, essential “thermal management” to avoid problematic cookoffs.

Pulling the trigger releases the rammer to chamber a cartridge and this releases the chamber mechanism to rotate counter-clockwise down to the 9 o’clock position where it locks in line with the barrel. A conventional firing pin is released to initiate the primer, igniting the propellant powder. The plastic case is fully contained and supported in the cylindrical chamber so chamber pressure and resultant muzzle velocity equate that of conventional systems.

As the bullet passes the gas port inside the barrel some of the follow-on propellant gas is vented downward into an expansion tube where it meets the head of the piston. Kicked rearward, it causes the chamber mechanism to unlock and swing back down with the empty case in line for push-through ejection when the next round is fed.

“Dwell time” – milliseconds delay allowing the cartridge to deflate for ease of extraction – occurs during the chamber’s movement. Links are pushed out of the feedway as each new round moves into position.

In full auto burst fire, the action automatically repeats at a cyclic rate of approximately 650 rpm, similar to that of most conventional belt fed guns.

LSAT Heritage

Those who know about the Advanced Combat Rifle program circa 1990 will recognize some useful mechanical design principles carried forward from the ARES entry. This strikingly configured magazine fed bullpup featured a separate, moving chamber and push through feed and ejection of its lipstick tube polymer cased telescoped 5mm all-tracer cartridges.

The radically new ammo was developed back then in partnership with Olin. It is no coincidence that this famous firm, now known as St. Marks Powder, is now a prominent member of the new LSAT team.

Superior synergy, of course, as ARES is the program partner responsible for the launching platform and currently offers the TARG (Telescoped Ammunition Revolver Gun), a .50 caliber weapon firing caseless ammo from multiple chambers.

Institutional knowledge is invaluable and decades of direct experience plus engineering know-how at ARES and St. Marks – along with the rest of the program’s team – are no doubt saving plenty of time and money.

For example, the layout and lines of the prototype gun are unmistakably influenced by the Stoner-ARES Light Machine Gun, a more conventional 5.56mm SAW featuring a box receiver with in-line buttstock and under barrel piston gas system.

A follow-on inquiry to ARES, answered by Drew Kurtis, their top engineer on the LSAT project, revealed another specific aspect of Gene Stoner’s work on the earlier LMG that has been wisely utilized.

“The recoil scheme Mr. Stoner used in this gun is adapted to the LSAT,” he explained. “Feedback from the people who have fired it…has been extremely positive and feel the weapon is very controllable, especially given the light weight.”

LSAT Muzzle to Buttplate

The Cased Telescoped (CT) Weapon SN1 we observed at Blackwater has a 16.5 inch long smooth (unfluted) rifled steel barrel tipped with a standard GI birdcage flash suppressor/muzzle compensator.

The gas block (an interim configuration, Shipley says) is topped by a dovetail for a front sight if needed, and has what appears to be a conventional expansion chamber surrounding the piston.

The forward end of the receiver has stylishly angled multiple cooling slots on the sides above lengths of MIL STD 1913 rail used to mount various accessories. Another underneath serves as a sturdy anchor for an adjustable bipod. Hard mounting to test fixtures and tripods is facilitated by a pair of tubes attached underneath the receiver.

The pistol grip/trigger housing mechanism is of standard ergonomic design and the left side selector lever moves by downward thumb pressure in an arc with its indicator pointing in turn from SAFE to 1 (semi) and A (automatic).

Feeding the plastic linked polymer cartridges takes place on the left side from an assault pouch attached underneath. On top is a hinged feed cover, roughly the size of a cigarette pack, which swings open to reveal a pair of conventional feed pawls that move the belted ammo in line with the chamber.

Ridges on the feedplate and inside of the cover provide low drag support to the ammunition. Stripped links drop out the right side as each round is rammed forward and another moves in line with the chamber.

A charging handle protrudes from its channel on the right side of the receiver, automatically returned to forward position by a coiled spring and guide rod and does not reciprocate on firing. A prominent rectangular port in front of the feedway allows ejection of spent cases as each is automatically pushed forward and out of the chamber by a new round.

Its skeletonized buttstock features a hinged shoulder rest on its butt plate and a good gripping surface up front for the nonfiring hand. It telescopes in the manner of an M4 carbine to adjust for body armor and different sized shooters and body armor.

A length of Picatinny Rail rigidly mounted to the top rear of the gun’s boxy receiver will accept most any type of sight. Trijicon’s Bill Taggart had thoughtfully provided a new piggyback combo sight to use in the demonstration, the company’s entry in the Army’s Rifle Combat Optic Program trials.

Based on extensive USSOCOM use, it features Trijicon’s 4 power ACOG TA31 Rifle Combat Optic fitted with distinctive honeycomb anti-reflective cover and laser filter. On top is a Docter red dot for fast CQB shooting, shielded by protective wings.

Livelsberger quickly clamped the combo’s A.R.M.S. Throw Lever mount in place and proceeded to achieve a suitable zero with just a few single shots. Nothing unusual was observed about the weapon’s muzzle blast sound level, propellant smoke or flash.

CT Ammo

While representative caseless telescoped (CT) ammunition may be seen in LSAT program literature and shown in actual sample cutaways, Shipley was not at liberty to allow detailed photos of the actual “Spiral 2” live rounds on hand for the demo. Agreeing to avoid close shots of the primer end, we were rewarded with the opportunity to photograph from the side and front the translucent polymer tubes with black plastic links.

Most notable are the copper-clad tips of conventional 5.56mm M855 ball projectiles seen behind black plastic end caps that retain and center each one, surrounded by granular propellant in the cylindrical case. Waterproofing has to be problematic but Shipley indicated that a configuration with molded in place end seal is nearing completion.

A ridge on the end cap at its junction with the case serves to position each featherweight and flexible plastic link. The combination is neat, compact and strikingly unusual.

It should be noted that team member St. Marks Powder recently completed development of a special reduced flash propellant tailored for LSAT that will replace the off the shelf powder in ammo used for the demonstration. A laboratory test video shown in the symposium briefing showed a dramatic decrease in muzzle flash in a darkened room.

Live Fire Demo

JSSAP’s LSAT team chief Kori Spiegel arrived and we spoke briefly with her about what she had in mind for the demonstration. She explained that the team was proud of the speed and scope of recent progress and it was time to show peers in military and industry what the system could do.

Ever mindful of “Murphy’s Law,” we asked about calculated risk. This produced a smile and a confident nod. “We’ll see,” she said.

When their turn came during the industry demos, Shipley introduced the weapon and its ammunition to a crowd of NDIA attendees, briefly explaining features, benefits and progress to date. On cue, Livelsberger loaded a forty round belt then took an offhand shooting stance, popping off several semi auto shots before extending the bipod and dropping to prone.

So far, so good. A deft thumb flick moved the selector to AUTO and he began a series of short cadenced bursts, ending in a twenty round sustained fire belt runout. All had been fired without a hiccup, prompting enthusiastic applause from the crowd and probably a considerable amount of relief to the LSAT team.

SAR sends congratulations to JSSAP and its LSAT industry partners AAI, ARES, ATK, Battelle, Omega, and St. Marks Powder for a job well done! And best wishes for success with the many challenges ahead on the long road to fielding in the not-too-distant future.

“The Lightweight Small Arms Technologies program has made tremendous progress, which includes a fully functioning dynamic model of the weapons system, a working weapon prototype, and hundreds of cased telescopic rounds fired to date.” Kori Spiegel, US Army ARDEC, Joint Service Small Arms Program

Ms. Spiegel’s presentation during the symposium part of NDIA’s annual gathering of infantry weaponry innovators should be of particular interest to SAW gunners and others who stand to benefit from scientific advances that are cutting the weight of weapons and ammunition. Sharing the rostrum with AAI’s Paul Shipley, her briefing detailed ongoing developments in JSSAP’s multi-million dollar Light Weight Machine Gun and Ammunition program.

AAI is particularly well suited to head up the effort, bringing decades of experience with innovative concepts such as the Vietnam era SPIW, ACR ca. 1990, and the run-up to today’s OICW. They have assembled a similarly distinguished team of companies for the program including ARES, Alliant Techsystems, Battelle Institute, St. Marks Powder, and Omega Training Group.

Recognizing that an alternative to traditional brass cased and steel linked ammunition represents the most productive avenue to meaningful reduction in overall system weight, two alternatives are being simultaneously explored, both featuring projectiles that are “telescoped” in a cavity in the propellant.

The CTA (Cased Telescoped Ammunition) employs conventional powder, primer and projectile, but packaged in polymer casings with synthetic links. This approach is said to be a “low risk” option, yielding significant weight reduction at acceptable levels of cost, complexity and weapon performance.

Fully caseless configuration is the second alternative, using advanced propellant technology where each round is fully consumed on firing so no case extraction and ejection action is necessary. This remarkable cartridge concept was developed to a high degree by Dynamit Nobel back in 1990 for HK’s G11 rifle and is said to promise a greater degree of weight reduction.

AAI has been successfully burst firing CTA in a prototype weapon that is evolving based on engineering refinement and application of advances in materials technology. Concept drawings show the gun as having a rotating chamber with in-line push-through feed and ejection. A fluted, quick change barrel gives high stiffness and heat exchange. Right now the configuration and construction are very conventional with extensive use of alloys and polymers.

Program goals call for successful demonstration firing next year, then transition to Program Manager Soldier Weapons by 2010.

While a standout for this correspondent, the JSSAP/AAI briefing was only one of more than three dozen compelling presentations given during the period 16 to 18 May in Albuquerque’s impressive Convention Center. Other topics of interest included updates on weapons and equipment for Special Operations Forces, NATO research and development, a status report from Program Manager Soldier Weapons, and representatives of each of the US Armed Services charting near term plans for small arms upgrades and replacements. A few morsels from this banquet:

• Marine Corps Systems Command is looking for something beyond the SAW, but needs it sooner than 2010. “The Infantry Automatic Rifle… a light weight, magazine fed, 5.56mm, individual weapon,” sounds something like the CIS ULTIMAX.
• Suppressors are big with all the services seeking noise and flash reduction for everything from Barrett fifties to pistol poppers. Opportunities abound for designers and manufacturers.
• While USSOCOM is moving at flank speed to field the SCAR family, it is not neglecting those current operators still carrying M4 type carbines. NSWC Crane is closing in fast with the Miniature Day/Night Sight program to upgrade capabilities beyond the current hodgepodge of clamp-ons.
• The Coast Guard – and probably Navy Mobile Security – will be getting a reduced range 7.62mm round, developed by ARDEC, with standard velocity and penetration at moderate distance, but quick fall off after that to minimize collateral damage in crowded ports and narrow waterways.
• Remotely aimed weapon systems for a variety of platforms continue to gain favor. The robo turret on STRYKER vehicles will probably be the first to get General Dynamics’ XM307.
• USSOCOM’s MK47 Advanced Lightweight Grenade Launcher is on a parallel track with “Big Army’s” XM312/XM307.
• Knight’s is a big winner with the Army’s recent selection of their modified SR-25/MK 11 as the M110 SASS (Semiautomatic Sniper System).
• Countersniper technologies are getting lots of attention, but existing solutions tend to be complex and expensive. M2 Technologies and the Univ. of Kentucky have partnered to develop an infrared system using COTS components.
• ARDEC has a Rapid Design branch for urgent projects like the Afghan National Army’s need to mount their Russian-type DShK machine guns on American-supplied M113 APCs.
• Along with continued development of Barrett’s 25mm XM109, FN has a shoulder-fired high velocity 40mm launcher in JSSAP’s efforts to enhance anti-materiel capabilities.
• Everybody but the Coast Guard (they have the new SIG P229 in .40 caliber) wants a .45 ACP pistol. SOCOM and Big Army are, once again, conducting separate programs to this common goal.

Go online to get briefings for all of these topics and much more at www.dtic.mil/ndia/2006smallarms/2006smallarms.html

It’s a Small World

Once again this year the Awards Luncheon was enhanced immeasurably by a thoughtful presentation from JSSAP’s Dr. Stephen Small, who can always be counted upon to put current trials and tribulations into historical perspective. This time reaching back to 1326 A.D. and the dawn of gunpowder warfare, his “First Three Hundred Years of Small Arms” had an appreciative audience alternately chuckling and shaking their heads in recognition. Was some distant ancestor of Ronnie Barrett responsible for the 41 pound, carriage mounted, 27mm wheel lock “anti-materiel rifle” developed in Germany so long ago?

Small was honored immediately afterward with an NDIA Professional Service Award, as were Simunition’s Brian Berger, Aberdeen Test Center’s Marvin Maule, Broden Resources’ Dave Broden, and USMC Lieutenant Colonel Richard Adams.

This year’s George M. Chinn award was presented to Richard Swan of A.R.M.S. and the Carlos Hathcock award went to USMC Major Allen Bootby.

Hardware Show

Numerous breaks from scholarly proceedings in the auditorium gave attendees welcome opportunity to visit the large exhibit hall where more than sixty commercial firms and government entities showed their wares. There, many of the concepts and much of the hardware from dry technical papers could be found, along with knowledgeable reps to answer questions and discuss advantages that come with items on display.

ARDEC, JSSAP and Program Manager Small Arms held the biggest section of exhibit booths, a necessary and fitting situation for this giant of the military small arms community. We spoke at some length with engineers and others directly responsible for weapons and ammunition under development as well as those seeking and fielding COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) items to meet immediate needs of troops in harm’s way. From high tech “smart” weapons to Otis cleaning kits, this is the team that gets the good stuff for the good guys.

Several of JSSAP’s industry partners also had a large presence. General Dynamics was on hand with their convertible XM307 to XM312 Advanced Crew Served Weapon. AAI showed its concept mockup of the future light machine gun and its innovative cartridges. ATK had the amazing programmable airbursting ammo for the XM307 and the shoulder-fired XM25.

Long Mountain Outfitters and Defense Munitions combined their considerable assets to provide a billboard-sized display of old and new weapons from around the world, providing an engineering, reference and sales resource for the widest range of attendees. Suppressed pistols, submachine guns, assault rifles, belt guns, grenade chunkers, and antitank rockets snared enthusiasts of all types, sparking innumerable technical discussions and historical anecdotes with this walk-up-and-touch product catalog.

Other real gun guys were also much in evidence including ArmaLite, Barrett, Beretta, Colt, FN, Glock, HK, Knight’s, Remington, S&W, and Taurus.

Barrett is working with JSSAP to lighten the .50 cal M107 and to get the 25mm XM109 ready for fielding. Then there’s the exciting new bullpup XM500 in .416 caliber.

Colt Defense was showing a push-rod M16 called the Advanced Law Enforcement Carbine and a side-opening grenade launcher. Both were apparently developed as entries in recent Army and SOCOM trials. A prototype light machine gun also attracted interest, featuring quick change barrel, open and closed bolt operation, and a push-rod.

FNH USA proudly displayed several new variants of USSOCOM’s tough SCAR (Special Operations Combat Assault Rifle) including a 5.56mm version for sharpshooting, a SCAR Heavy in 7.62mm, and the clever left or right side opening Enhanced Grenade Launcher Module.

HK Defense, after fielding the push-rod HK416 in 5.56mm, has just added the 7.62mm HK417. Also on the table was the handy and hardy MG4, a 5.56mm SAW/LMG.

Knight’s has plenty of reason to crow with the Army’s recent selection of its candidate as the new M110 Semiautomatic Sniper Rifle System, but something much smaller took center stage at their booth. Weighing just 4.5 pounds and measuring only 19.5 inches with stock folded, the brand new 6x35mm PDW (Personal Defense Weapon) was a show stopper for those in the know. The unique high-performance ammo and its diminutive launch platform were developed with requirements and funding from Technical Support Working Group, a little known US Government counter-terrorism organization with direct links to the CIA, FBI and more than seventy other agencies.

Optimizing existing guns and ammo is the job of those who specialize in accessories and add-ons. Specific needs are met mostly by entrepreneurs with companies outside “the system” but well known in the tightly knit world of combat soldiers.

Some precision shooters from CENTCOM’s area of operations asked LaRue Tactical for a special mounting system and soon got the “S.T.O.M.P.” The Sniper’s Total Optic Mounting Package for Remington 700 actions consists of a suitable length of Picatinny Rail, quick-detach rings and inserts, and a quick-detach overarm for positioning night vision optics like the PVS-22 in front and in line with whatever day optic is preferred.

In the same vein, urban warrior shotgunners punished by the heavy recoil of slugs and breaching rounds asked for and got a special buffer from Enidine. The unit we saw was the “ShotShock,” neatly housed in the telescoping tubular stock with grip that Mesa Tactical makes for the Remington 870.

De-ranged

For whatever reason, L3’s Sal Fanelli keeps volunteering to coordinate and conduct the Small Arms Symposium’s traditional government and industry live fire demonstrations. Never an easy task under the best conditions, but heartened that this time wasn’t in the Peoples Republic of New Jersey; Fanelli got everything set up with the Department of Energy’s Central Training Academy to use their superb range facilities on nearby Kirtland Air Force Base.

This became a no-go a few days before the event when those in charge of base entry security clearances realized that busloads of civilians including plenty of foreign attendees would be rolling up. An official case of the vapors ensued, leaving Sal scrambling to find another venue.

Fortunately the good-guy network kicked in and the Albuquerque Police Department cleared its scheduled training to make way for the day’s demos, apparently recognizing that real “national security” should take priority over bureaucratic BS. A big thanks to APD and Range Master Dave Bartram!

Crossed SWORDS

We got out there early on range day to have plenty of time to examine and photograph the weapons and ammo that would be in action later on. This paid off handsomely when the Army’s SWORDS team arrived with two of their mean little battle ‘bots. As ARDEC’s Mike Zecca, along with his team from Foster-Miller, went about their preparations, we watched closely, took pictures and asked a few questions.

Zecca’s planned demonstration, he said, would show how the armed mini-crawler was radio remote controlled by an operator using video link to navigate, acquire targets and then take them out with bursts of machine gun fire.

The first order of business was to swap out the demilled display gun for a real M240, a process that takes only a few minutes when the right tools are on hand. Then, with Deguire at the hardened laptop style computerized OCU (operator control unit), the battery powered rock ‘n roll robot cruised around a few obstacles and pulled up on the firing line. It was time for some test firing so the range went “hot” and a belt of 7.62mm ball got loaded in the 240.

Peering intently at crosshatches on the display screen, Deguire did some fine tuning with the aiming joystick then flipped up the red firing safety cover. The M240 roared to life with the first burst hitting high. Additional fine finger pressure sent a movement signal by radio link and the muzzle lowered almost imperceptibly. The next burst was right on target and a series of quick traverse signals moved the muzzle leftward to quickly engage each silhouette in turn. Satisfied with its practice run, the team powered down SWORDS in place and manually cleared its machine gun.

Most everyone is aware of the cruel truth of “Murphy’s Law” which states, “Anything that can go wrong will, and at the worst possible time.” Keep this in mind as we jump ahead a couple of hours and pick up the story when it was SWORDS’ turn for a live fire demo in front of a crowd including some of the most influential persons in the world of infantry weaponry.

In an unfortunate incident that may have taken its place ahead of all such others in the lore of NDIA Small Arms Demonstrations, the armed robot violated the most basic range safety rule. Our narrative continues with a statement from the Army’s official after action review, presented verbatim:

“SWORDS #5 was equipped with a M240B Machine Gun and flawlessly test fired on the range prior to the opening of the event. At the time that SWORDS was to start its demo, the vehicle started backing up in a counterclockwise arc without any input from the operator. At this time the weapon had loaded ammo but the safety was on, none of the redundant arming steps had been initiated, and because the robot was moving, no firing signals could be accepted (SWORDS cannot fire on the move) by the fire control. The robot was powered down and cleared. No one was injured. An immediate formal investigation of SWORDS #5 revealed that one wire in the operator control unit had broken and was causing a rearward command string to be sent to the tracks. The wiring has now been redesigned to reduce the chance of broken wires and to add wiring redundancy so that these wires have a backup signal.”

(Editor’s Note: Robert Bruce’s in-depth report on SWORDS may be found in SAR’s Vol. 8, No. 5, September 2005 issue.)

Blastin’ With the Big Boys

The ill-fated SWORDS demo took place on the APD range’s rifle lane, a facility that allows even .50 caliber BMGs to be fired safely when reasonable care is taken. Defense Munitions kicked off the firepower show with John Browning’s masterpiece, in this case a new Ohio Ordnance M2HB on the light and versatile Vinghog 12.7 soft mount with the Vingfoot high-low tripod. This was followed by some serious double tapping from LMO’s twin M240 right/left mount that gives over 1500 rpm of 7.62x51mm firepower with superb accuracy.

Then, US Ordnance showed some sustained Sixty shooting with long bursts from their M60E4/MK43, an improved version of a long time favorite of the Navy SEALs.

Others took a turn in demonstrating their wares which included several suppressors. SRT Arms has the Typhoon can for the M4 that quick couples to standard GI birdcages, and Surefire has a nice new addition to its Fast Attach High Endurance line with one for the M249 SAW. Knight’s Dave Lutz showed the dramatic reduction in signature that comes when the M110’s suppressor is in place.

Lewis Machine has a unique recoil compensator and flash suppressor that looks akin to a SKOL can welded under the barrel but is said to significantly reduce muzzle rise and signature. Karl Lewis also showed the easy one minute conversion on his special upper from 5.56mm to 6.8 by swapping out the bolt, barrel and magazine.

The last demo on the big range was a seriously long belt of Simunition’s new 7.62mm “ShortStop” reduced range training ammo, spectacularly sprayed from an M134 Minigun positioned atop an armored car. This rig was thoughtfully provided by the Department of Energy from those now in use by Nuclear Facility Security teams.

PDWs, Pistols, Pumps, Pistons, and Pumice

Live fire action moved a couple ranges over to the pistol lanes where some other interesting weapons awaited.

Earlier that morning we had gotten our hands on Knight’s 6mm PDW, including the chance to handle and strip it. Confidence must be kept but it is permissible to say that lead engineer Doug Olsen’s mechanical action is strongly influenced by a certain designer named Kalashnikov. We also got to fire a mag in semi and full, confirming the controllability and quick handling of this clever weapon/cartridge combo. SAR looks forward to the chance to do an in-depth feature in the near future.

Taurus fired its prototype .45 ACP that is intended for the upcoming military trials, and then Glock went one by one through a table full of their variants including the ever-popular Glock 18 full auto model.

Ammo guru Whit Engel wowed the crowd with a spectacular watermelon-busting shot. Designed for breaching with minimal overpenetration, his 12 gauge hollow point “Entry Frangible Safety Slug” pulverized the hapless melon without even denting the cardboard witness plate two feet behind it.

Colt’s team put the piston-powered Advanced Law Enforcement Carbine through its paces, shooting mag after mag in quick order without incident. This was a tough act to follow for the next presenter, intending to demonstrate the effectiveness of his proprietary metal finish formula and process. Common courtesy dictates that he will not be identified here. “It eliminates the need for lubrication,” he said, pouring handfuls of APD range sand down the barrel and into the receiver of an M16 type rifle just before firing. Painfully, one pop was all he got and no amount of pulling on the charging handle would help. Damn that Murphy…

Once the last round had been fired in formal demonstrations the line opened up for event attendees to come forward and put a few rounds downrange. Sadly, the Minigun had left the range.

National Defense Industrial Association’s Small Arms Systems Division

Small Arms Review strongly supports the work of NDIA. Make plans now to be at the 2007 Small Arms event in Virginia Beach, Virginia, 7 to 10 May. For membership categories and other information contact:

National Defense Industrial Association
“Strength Through Industry and
Technology”
2111 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 400
Arlington, VA 22201
www.ndia.org

GI Joes and Janes fighting the Global War on Terror (GWOT) are getting some damn good stuff through the system these days. Among noteworthy pieces of gear are a variety of day optics that help pinpoint bad guys in crowds of ordinary citizens and increasingly sophisticated night sights that strip away the cloak of darkness and even “see” through smoke and sandstorms. Just about everything from pistol magazines to “smart munitions” is more and better as America’s vast technological advantages and economic resources are directed toward supporting the warfighter. Who thinks this has resulted from the collective wisdom and dedication of legions of bureaucratic bean counters? SAR argues that troops fighting terrorists today – and those who will undoubtedly be doing so well into the foreseeable future – should credit NDIA in general and its Small Arms section in particular.

This worthy organization’s 2005 annual gathering was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey’s impressive Convention Center over three information packed days beginning on 17 May. Each morning kicked off with a general session, giving all an opportunity to benefit from prepared remarks by authorities like Marine Corps Systems Command’s top general and the Army’s Program Manager for Small Arms.

Back to School

Afterward, attendees had to make some hard choices among more than fifty multi-track panel discussions, informational and technical papers. So, there was a fair amount of shuttling between conference halls where experts explaining ammunition innovations spoke concurrently with those of mortars. Or small arms at the same time as international infantry, then fire control vs. weapons and ammunition. Luckily, PowerPoint files with many of these presentations are readily available to all though the internet. Inexcusably, most postings omit the text of prepared remarks so one is left for the most part with meatless bones to gnaw on. Wise to this frustrating situation, many attendees run tape recorders but that presents the equally daunting task of reviewing hours and hours of poor quality audio. Note-taking requires a fast pencil and a keen eye for essential points. What follows are some brief points from downloads, tapes, slow pencil, and jaundiced eye.

Those needing more are strongly encouraged to log on at www.dtic.mil/ndia/2005smallarms/2005smallarms.html and scroll down to the titles listed here in the order posted.

• LETHALITY 101 by Shawn Spickert-Fulton, US Army ARDEC. “When a shooter asks the experts about his weapon’s ‘lethality,’ he is likely to get more responses than he has rounds. These answers, like the shots, will all be off target to some degree.” The Joint Service Wound Ballistics Team is working to clarify, define and standardize methods of gauging relative lethality. Will this someday put an end to endless silliness written about “knockdown” and such?
• MORTAR OVERVIEW by Major Paul Shuler, APM for Army Mortar Systems. This set the stage for seven in-depth papers on the latest developments in the infantry commander’s “hip pocket artillery,” including smart ammo and mortars linked to the digital battlefield.
• PROGRAM MANAGER SOLDIER WEAPONS OVERVIEW by Colonel Michael Smith, PMSW. Colonel Smith led an in-depth presentation by key members of his team on what’s in the pipeline for near term and later issue. (Editor’s Note: SAR was given the opportunity to conduct a wide-ranging interview with the colonel and his two top deputies. A comprehensive feature on the vital work of PMSW may be found in Small Arms Review, Vol. 9, No. 3, December 2005.)

• JOINT SERVICES SMALL ARMS CAPABILITIES UPDATE by Joel Goldman, JSSAP Chief. JSSAP is working to correct identified shortcomings in current infantry weaponry with respect to target acquisition, lethal and non-lethal capabilities, personal defense, and detection avoidance. The US Army National Small Arms Center and the National Small Arms Technology Consortium are actively seeking technologies that advance state-of-the-art and improve capabilities to sustain military supremacy so JSSAP can plug these in to both today’s weapons and developmental platforms. Among JSSAP’s many cutting edge programs may be found the 25mm XM109 Anti-Materiel Rifle and XM29 Integrated Airburst Weapon System.

• LIGHTWEIGHT SMALL ARMS TECHNOLOGIES by Kori Spiegel, JSSAP, and Paul Shipley, AAI. In February 2005, AAI won JSSAP’s multimillion dollar contract for further development of what may emerge in about two years as a replacement for the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. “Alternative materials” are being explored for the receiver and barrel along with caseless or plastic cased ammo. See also: COMPONENT TECHNOLOGY INVESTIGATIONS FOR LIGHT MACHINE GUN APPLICATIONS by Lucian Sadowski, ARDEC.

• FUTURE FORCE WARRIOR UPDATE by John Edwards, ARDEC. Tomorrow’s high tech infantryman is on track from a Stryker Integrated Land Warrior sometime around 2007 to the Objective Ground Soldier System of 2014. Along the way technological developments now in the works will be incorporated to increase survivability and lethality.
• FCT (Foreign Comparative Testing) and SOCOM SHOULDER FIRED WEAPONS by Keith Martin, SOCOM. It’s no secret that American special operators – Rangers in particular – have a great affection for their awesome 84mm Carl Gustaf M3 recoilless launchers. The family of off the shelf ammo includes some spectacular rounds such as the newly procured ADM 401 Area Deterrent Munition packed with more than a thousand flechettes.
• MINIATURE DAY/NIGHT SIGHT DEVELOPMENT by Barry Gatewood, NSWC Crane. Shortcomings in SOPMOD sighting components are being addressed with new COTS (commercial off the shelf) products including Elcan’s quick switch 1 to 4 power day Enhanced Combat Optical Sight-Carbine, Litton’s “starlight” Miniature Night Sight Version II and Insight Tech’s Clip On Night Vision Device Thermal.
• LIGHTWEIGHT REMOTELY OPERATED WEAPONS SYSTEMS by Anthony Sebasto, ARDEC. Recently demonstrated combat success of the formidable 600 pound CROWS (common remotely operated weapon station) compels development of smaller and lighter systems at ARDEC. One is the Picatinny Lightweight Remote Weapon Station, only 200 pounds ready to shoot. Another is SWORDS, familiar to our readers as the weaponized TALON robot.
• S.C.A.R. – SOF COMBAT ASSAULT RIFLE by Troy Smith, NSWC Crane. FN won the initial contract for the 5.56mm SCAR Light so the Belgian firm has a lock on further development and manufacture of the 7.62mm Heavy version and the 40mm Enhanced Grenade Launcher Module.
• MPRS – MULTI PURPOSE RIFLE SYSTEM by Alon Guttel, Israel Military Industries. While Uncle Sam continues long-track development of the XM29 Integrated Airburst Weapon System, IMI is said to have already fielded something with very similar capabilities. MPRS is a modular bolt-on system consisting of a sophisticated fire control system that interacts with tube launched “smart” airburst programmable 40mm grenades or advanced muzzle launched ordnance. Need quick aerial recon but no spy drones available? Shoot a Rifle-Launched Reconnaissance Grenade carrying a miniature TV camera that sends pictures back to your GI issue Palm Pilot!
• 40MM AIR BURSTING MUNIITON SYSTEM AND LIGHT WEIGHT AUTOMATIC GRENADE LAUNCHER by Fong Kok Chung and Aw Chen Hok of Singapore Technologies Engineering. Similar in capabilities to General Dynamics’ 40mm MK47 Advanced Lightweight Grenade Launcher, the STE LWAGL boasts a computerized day/night fire control system and a “smart” airburst blast and fragmentation warhead. Total system weight of 65 kg breaks down into three loads of 23.5 kg or less for individuals to carry.

Mysteriously absent from the posted proceedings is a presentation by Transformational Defense Industries’ Tim Lindsay and Andrew Finn on “Super V,” an exciting new recoil-mitigating technology demonstrated in the prototype KRISS submachine gun firing full power .45 ACP ball at 1,300 rpm. TDI expects to apply “Super V” to long arms as well and has promised SAR a live fire evaluation as this program matures.

Awards

This year’s George M. Chinn award was presented to Rich Audette of Program Manager Soldier Weapons and the Carlos Hathcock award went to Christopher Mitternight of Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane. Also honored for years of exemplary professional service were Sal Fanelli and Jim Schatz of Heckler and Koch, Marvin Maule of Aberdeen Test Center, Colonel Michael Smith and Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Clarke of PM Soldier Weapons, as well as Lieutenant Colonel Robert Carpenter, now with National Defense University.

Dr. Stephen Small, JSSAP’s own national treasure, succeeded again this year in telling a century-old story that was spot-on relevant to today in his Awards Luncheon address “A Bold Initiative: Colonel Miles and the Lee Magazine Rifle in 1879.” This fast-cycling bolt action became better known in later times as the British Army’s beloved Short Magazine Lee Enfield. Small’s postscript had heads nodding in agreement that true visionaries should not expect to be warmly embraced by entrenched bureaucracies. “As for the Lee rifle, it has the dubious distinction of being the most successful rifle ‘never’ to be purchased by the U.S. Army.”

Hardware Show

Welcome respite from information-rich presentations was provided by numerous breaks in the large exhibit hall where more than sixty commercial firms and government entities showed their wares. The diverse subjects of many dry technical papers and an alphabet soup of acronyms took form there in an array of things to pick up, point, look through, and discuss.

From AAI with a model of JSSAP’s conceptual “Lightweight Machine Gun” and ammo mockups (www.aaicorp.com) to Weibel Scientifics’ precision instrumentation (www.weibel.dk), attendees got up close with new hardware and knowledgeable product reps – many of whom are the engineers responsible for design and production.

SAR Editor-in-Chief Dan Shea and this reporter started at opposite ends of the hall searching for what’s new, improved, and noteworthy. Some observations from our pooled notes:

• NSWC Crane, the superstore for SEALs and Special Boat units, has combined a deck mounting soft recoil heavy machine gun mount with smoke projectors. Shoot, screen, scoot!
• JSSAP is working diligently on reducing the bulk and weight of remotely-aimed weapons stations and PMSW is proud of many quick-fixes to urgent soldier requests. Some cases in point are the SWORDS robot gun mount, the eleven pound XM192 tripod and an M240 with titanium receiver. www.peosoldier.army.mil.
• Elsewhere in the hall we found Savit, supplier to PMSW for those handy soft pack belted ammo carriers and a neat little collapsible stock for the M249 SAW.
• Reed Knight’s candidate in PMSW’s XM110 Semiautomatic Sniper System competition, a highly evolved SR-25 with a custom-built Leupold day optic, adjustable buttstock, and URX (Upper Receiver Extending) Picatinny Rail. www.knightarmco.com
• Aimpoint’s new 3Xmag, a quick-mounting three power magnifier optimized for in-line use with the M68 Close Combat Optic (Aimpoint CompML3). www.aimpoint.com
• Elcan’s SpecterDR, a dual-role combat sight that switches instantly from 1x close combat to 4x for extended range engagements. www.elcan.com/specter
• Buffer Tech showing Enidine’s remarkable new M16 buffer, as well as an improved MagCinch with built-in bottom pull tab and several sizes of MOLLE compatible pouches to hold multiple cinched mags. www.buffertech.com
• Otis Technology continues literally “on a roll” with a bunch of different compact weapons cleaning kits built around a flexible, coiled-up cleaning rod. Uncle Sam and most everybody else dealing with anything dirty from pistols to grenade launchers are using Otis kits – now available in stylishly practical desert tan. www.otisgun.com
• Brownells nifty 3-way combo cleaning head for 40mm blooper barrels and plenty of other stuff from their indispensable catalog. Don’t go to war without it! www.brownells.com
• MEI’s Hellhound and Draco 40mm enhanced effect ammunition (www.martin-electronics.com), perfect companions to Milkor USA’s MGL-140 six-shooter 40mm blooper.
• McNett’s “Camo Form” stretch material for guns and gear in all the favorite disruptive patterns including USMC MARPAT and the new Army ACU digital. www.mcnett.com
• Cobb Manufacturing’s FA50(T) bolt action sniper rifle in .50 BMG caliber. www.cobb50.com
• RUAG Ammotec’s button-tipped, high energy transfer 9mm “green” ammo that is reputed to be in widespread SOF use including Germany’s famed GSG9. www.ruag.com
• Metal Storm is continuing development of its unique stacked caseless ammo/launcher technology on several fronts including the planned live fire demonstration featuring an unmanned helicopter equipped with a cluster of downward-blasting MS tubes. www.metalstorm.com

Range Time

Atlantic City has just about everything one might expect in an oceanside vacation playground with the glaring exception of a suitable military multipurpose range. So attendees climbed aboard chartered busses late Thursday morning for a pleasant hour-long drive up the Garden State Parkway to the US Army’s Fort Dix.

HK’s Sal Fanelli once again did most of the hard work in coordinating and emceeing the Small Arms Symposium’s traditional government and industry live fire demonstrations on good old Range 59C. With its sweepingly panoramic vista of Dix’s enormous impact area, the range’s “safety fan” allows everything from popguns to air strikes so collateral damage wasn’t an issue.

What was a big issue arose from New Jersey’s draconian and punitive gun laws, discouraging all but the most determined commercial firms from bringing in weapons and ammunition for the event’s demos. While a suitable subject for a full page rant, suffice to say that the NJ State Police’s petty prohibitions and absurd obstacles to law-abiding defense contractors contribute nothing to national security. If half the attention NDIA got was directed at Newark, all of the Garden State would be a safer place to live.

Fortunately, the US military doesn’t face such harassment so planned demonstrations by some of Picatinny Arsenal’s better-known organizations could proceed. The buzz among attendees centered on plans by JSSAP and Program Manager Soldier Weapons to show and shoot most of the lineup of experimental weaponry so it made sense to drive out early to cover setup and test firings.

Sure enough, ARDEC and contractor technicians soon rolled in with truckloads of hardware and plenty of ammo for all the promised XMs. Apparently because SAR works hard to stay on the “good guy list,” we were allowed to not only stick around but also get in close for detailed photos.

The pictures accompanying this feature document the extraordinary first “public” firing of a HEAB (high explosive airburst) round from ATK’s 25mm XM25 airburst weapon, the newly-selected 40mm XM320 grenade launcher from HK, and General Dynamics’ cleverly convertible XM307/XM312 in 25mm and .50 caliber respectively. Additional Picatinny demos included the Barrett .50 cal. M107 Long Range Sniper Rifle and its astonishing big brother, the 25mm XM109 “Payload Rifle.”

The final government demo was PMSW’s CROWS (common remotely operated weapon station) fitted for the occasion with the delightfully anachronistic M2HB, John M. Browning’s 85 year old design that’s still going strong worldwide. CROWS, usually mounted atop an up-armored HMMWV, is a remotely aimed and fired techno marvel that allows a gunner seated at a computer station inside in relative safety and comfort to find and fire on enemies in all light and weather situations.

Industry Demonstrations

More homage to the influence and importance of NDIA Small Arms Symposium attendees came from a determined firearms industry cadre with the strength and fortitude to jump through New Jersey’s flaming hoops.

HK Defense led the way by unveiling its innovative HK416 Enhanced Carbine. This complete rework of the Stoner/Colt M4 features a short stroke gas piston, simplified bolt assembly, no-rebound buffer, and free-floating barrel inside a four quadrant rail forearm. A slightly modified version of its underbarrel mounted 40mm side-opening grenade launcher was recently selected by the Army’s PMSW as the XM320.

HK is always savvy to what makes demonstrations impressive and memorable. HK’s Rob Tarter completely submerged the carbine in a barrel of water then immediately fired a thirty round burst. Similarly, Phil de Garis’ grenade blooping was done with some special 40mm tracer rounds that arrest the eye as they lazily arc to the impact point then smash open to release a cloud of orange powder. www.hkdefense.us

Armalite’s president Mark Westrom got some help from Kathy Roa, PMSW’s public affairs officer, for a suppressor muffled demo of his firm’s entry in the Army’s hotly-contested XM110 SASS (Semiauto Sniper System) trials. www.armalite.com

Lietner-Wise Rifle Company’s petite Marianne Rosato showed there was nothing to fear from recoil in firing the LW15 .499 in semi and full auto. This M16 type rifle is cleverly modified to reliably feed and fire L-W’s astonishing 300-grain .499 caliber cartridges, delivering a stunning 1,875 foot pounds of energy at 200 yards. www.leitner-wise.com

Grenade blooping reached epic proportions as Milkor USA’s Richard Solberg Jr. repeatedly popped 40mm target practice rounds from his firm’s MGL-140 six-shooter at a menacing lineup of silhouettes. Reloading is fast and easy with the launcher’s swing open design and all six rounds can be squeezed off in about three seconds. Sadly, safety nannies had previously ruled out any firing of MEI’s spectacular new DRACO and HELLHOUND grenades. www.martin-electronics.com

Remington is aggressively in there for some PMSW competitions including the XM26 Modular Shotgun and the XM110 SASS. Mike Haugen showed how his firm’s 12 gauge 870 based Modular Combat Shotgun could be quickly customized in four versions from high capacity conventional to underbarrel accessory.

Haugen used the shorty Breaching version to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of Remington’s no-lead and frangible Disintegrator Number 4 buckshot ammo by blowing open a door without skipping a beat in his narration. www.remingtonmilitary.com

Once the last round had been fired in formal demonstrations the line opened up for event attendees to come forward and put a few rounds downrange. Regulations kept all but active duty military and government program personnel from firing the JSSAP and PMSW weapons but all were welcome by the industry presenters.

Want bragging rights from full auto with a .499? Line up at Leitner-Wise. Curious about how HK made the troubled M4 workable for special operators? Slam a High Reliability mag into a 416 and pump it dry. Always hated to reload after every round from your M203? Thump out six 40 mike-mikes from an MGL-140. Worth the price of admission all by itself….

Long time readers of Small Arms Review should know by now that my favorite annual gun event is NDIA’s get-together for manportable weaponry enthusiasts, known formally as the Joint Services Small Arms Symposium, Exhibition & Firing Demonstration. I look forward to this in much the same way a kid anticipates Christmas morning when friends and family gather, gifts are opened, and there are lots of great new toys to play with.

This year’s three day fete was held in mid-August in a swanky hotel in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas (insert your own Bill Clinton and Paula Jones joke here), featuring the usual mix of thoughtful technical papers, exciting industry exhibits, and the chance to go out to the range for some earplug-packing, gunsmoke-snorting live-fire fun.

Now, there is much new and improved hardware to report on that is of immediate interest and practical value for military, police and civilian shooters. However, let’s start with something we saw there that may be a year or two away from the hands of freedom’s defenders but has damn sure got the attention of the firearms establishment right this very minute.

METAL STORM

“My amazement is at the process — O’Dwyer didn’t blow up a barrel or kill himself in making it.” SAIC Physicist Adam Drobot, quoted in Scientific American magazine.

I can’t think of a better name than METAL STORM to represent Australian inventor Mike O’Dwyer’s bold new concept in projectile pushing at fantastic rates and quantities. Now with private and government financing in excess of $400 million, O’Dwyers multinational corporation seems likely to brush aside nearly a millennium of warfare’s established launcher and payload technology.

Overhearing mutterings from a number of exhibitors and other conference attendees about some “weird Star Wars stuff”, I hastened to METAL STORM’s booth and wormed my way through the crowd to snag some promotional materials. Retreating to a quiet corner, I skimmed the handouts and zeroed in on the vivid description of its operational principle. O’Dwyer’s inspiration came, we are told, by the speed and precision of an inkjet printer head on his everyday desktop computer. This led him, by trial and error (fortunately not life-threatening error), to have a computer program electronically fire rounds at infinitely tailorable speeds and sequences.

In his METAL STORM ballistic system, the only significant moving parts are projectiles from uniquely designed (also patented) caseless ammunition, loaded one in front of the other as many as practical depending on the length and caliber of the launch tube. Discarded entirely are all the usual mechanical contrivances required by existing multi-shot weaponry for feeding, mechanically firing, extracting and ejecting. Time to reload? Just rip out and replace the pre-loaded, non-metallic barrel cluster.

Does it work? Documented firings of “Bertha,” the thirty-six barrel, 9mm prototype, burping out 180 rounds in about one one-hundredth of a second, have established a new official Guinness World Record. Is it practical? For one thing, this sealed block of bullets and barrels could prove vastly superior to complicated and maintenance-intensive cannon caliber Gatling type systems now protecting many free world warships against EXOCET type missiles.

Advanced Sniper Rifle

Numerous demonstrations of Bertha and other configurations including a handgun have been conducted for high level leaders in military and scientific communities in Australia and the US. This has resulted in a gusher of RDT&E funding including a $10 million contract from DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), the Holy Grail of America’s defense technology, to develop the Advanced Sniper Rifle.

The cluster of four barrels on the rifle’s conceptual prototype is apparently its only unconventional aspect. Microprocessor based fire control allows the gunner to key in and send the best combination of a variety of projectiles as required for antipersonnel or antimateriel applications. Aiming and related functions are to be optimized using ongoing developments from such official US government initiatives as the very expensive “Objective Individual Combat Weapon” and the very spooky “Project White Feather.”

Electronic Handgun

METAL STORM is also creating quite a buzz in the world of law enforcement with the O’Dwyer Vle (Variable Lethality Law Enforcement handgun). Another Guinness honoree as the world’s first 100 percent electronic handgun, as of this writing it is a single barrel, seven shot working prototype. In addition to a personalization feature that will let only one specific officer fire the weapon (desirable if it’s taken in a scuffle or otherwise lost) its computer chip “brain” also stores additional keypad instructions from the gunner. This allows tailoring of each firing among a number of options including single shot (semi-auto), double tap, triple tap, or high energy modes. This last setting kicks out two shots at a mind-boggling 500,000 rpm so as to drill right through body armor!

Subsequent handgun models forseen by METAL STORM include multiple barrels in a soft recoil mount with different ammo ranging from “less lethal” stuff like stun bags and CS, to conventional kinetic energy terminators.

Dick Tracy take note: The Vle will eventually be equipped, we are told, with any number of optional gadgets like a two-way radio for immediate situation reporting and “advice” from the incident commander, as well as a GPS so everybody knows where the gun and its owner are located. Even “political correctness” can be enforced by a provision for a superior to electronically jam the weapon if a combat-stressed peace officer is about to take out the “wrong” category of miscreant at an embarrassing moment. Try explaining that to the family of the subsequently slain or horribly injured officer…

Other applications of METAL STORM technology cry out for development. According to O’Dwyer in his formal technical presentation at the event, some military initiatives include several already funded programs such as the Area Denial Weapons System (minefield replacement), vehicle self-defense, and arming of unmanned aircraft.

Not surprisingly, much of the muttering about METAL STORM overheard at the show is coming from established gun and ammo makers. Many of those who do not have their heads in the sand are understandably concerned by the potential of the O’Dwyer system for rather quickly putting conventional firearms in the same category as bows and arrows in the atomic age. In response, numerous very legitimate objections and cautions are being raised including danger from exploding barrels and system vulnerability to EMP (electro-magnetic pulse). So, SAR will be watching and reporting as this story unfolds.

Back to Earth

The symposium part at NDIA is like going to school for a highly concentrated series of half-hour lectures on the latest developments in guns, ammo, sights and related things that are of value to the soldier and policeman. This year’s lineup of distinguished speakers presented some 48 technical and informational papers, most well illustrated with computer-generated visuals and some with fascinating video clips. Space does not permit a detailed account here, but what follows are some of the highlights. Those with internet access plus the time and tenacity to delve deeper are encouraged to access the full collection of technical presentations that are thoughtfully posted by NDIA in cooperation with the Defense Technical Information Center for your viewing pleasure at www.dtic.mil/ndia/2001smallarms/2001smallarms.html

Small Arms Master Plan

As should be expected, there is intense interest from many directions in the formal plans that the US military has for research, development and procurement of weapon systems. After all, America’s Armed Forces are the free world’s largest and have the most money to spend. This is well covered each year by a series of presentations from top names in the Joint Services Small Arms Program (JSSAP) who tend to cover everything from improving the old stuff currently in use (now euphemistically called “legacy systems”) to crystal ball projections of at what is possible ten or twenty years out.

Some short-term projects include development of non-lethal ammo that will work the semiauto action of the new M1014 shotgun (which works just fine right now with crowd control loads by pulling back on the charging handle after each shot) plus ways to lighten existing weapons like the M249 Squad Auto Weapon and the M240B Machine Gun. In the mid term, the US military wants an Advanced Medium Machine Gun – presumably to finalize the lingering death of the tin can M60 and replace the ultra-reliable M240 even though it will probably be lighter by then. Finally, programs are well underway to harness various forms of directed energy (real ray guns, sonic blasters, and who knows what else) for use in WWIII.

Interestingly, both the Objective Individual Combat Weapon and the Objective Crew Served Weapon have been bumped up a notch in funding and fielding and are said to be on track for FUE (First Unit Equipped) in 2009. It will be quite fascinating to see if METAL STORM technology has any impact on these programs in the next couple of years.

The Few, The Proud, The Oughta Be Better Equipped…

A bare-knuckled assessment of the current state of US Marine Corps weapons and equipment for amphibious warriors at the spear point was delivered by Lieutenant Colonel James Diehl of Systems Command, with a bit of dry humor backed up with lots of actual instances. For example, don’t tell the bad guys, but after making sure first line guns stay up and running, the Marines don’t have enough maintenance money to repair and recondition the M249’s in wartime reserve!

A later presentation by a top-level guy from JSSAP noted an $11 million shortfall in funding the Army’s small arms rebuild program to keep “legacy” guns working. Yes, they’re all waiting for something to happen from that presidential campaign-promise that “Help is on the way.”

LTC Diehl’s laundry list of the Corps’ initiatives includes dropping the 60mm mortar in favor of a lighter but longer-reaching 81mm, more M4 carbines and their add-on accessories, ensuring all optical devices have laser-proof coating, and painting all those black guns and other stuff “Coyote Brown” for better camouflage. The Corps is also seriously exploring the use of ceramic liners to enhance performance of machine gun barrels, searching for more effective airbursting fuses, and seems to have a healthy skepticism toward Army plans to replace the combat classic M26 “Lemon Frag” grenade with something smaller and lighter so that girls can throw it.

Oh, and by the way, the Marines are once again taking a hard look at and doing live-fire testing of Jim Sullivan’s light, compact and highly controllable ULTIMAX 5.56mm Squad Auto Weapon. Sullivan, by the way, is also the guy who worked on making Stoner’s AR-10 into the M16, designed the incomparable C-MAG, and lots too much more to mention.

High Tech Crap

The irreverent Mr. Sullivan himself was on hand at the meeting to receive this year’s prestigious George M. Chinn Award for his lifetime of high achievement in the small arms world. He delighted many and offended others with pungent remarks during his acceptance speech, decrying such “fribble-frabble of fashion” as full-auto provision on individual weapons and the expensive, heavy, complex “high tech crap” that is likely to break or otherwise be rendered useless in the crucible of combat. Nothing stings so much as the truth…

Sullivan wasn’t the only iconoclast to shake up this gentlemen’s club with frank and pungent opinions. Reed Knight, Mr. SEAL Weapons himself, delivered a lively talk formally titled “Challenge for the Defense Industry.” Noting JSSAP’s commendable and continuing search for weaponry that is more reliable, easier to make and maintain, lighter and more effective, he criticized the often poorly thought out and confusingly written requirements documents put out by the military’s bureaucracy that contractors must bid on. “The customer needs to clearly set goals, challenges and rewards,” Knight said, “and say what you are willing to pay to meet those needs.”

SOCOM

Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has lots of things underway to support Rangers, SEALs, Special Forces and such, but their three big initiatives are the Advanced Light Grenade Launcher (the SACO 40mm showcased last year), a 7.62mm Lightweight Machine Gun (SEALs have pretty much used up all their specially chopped M60s), plus more and improved bells and whistles for the M4 carbine and the Navy’s new Mark 11 Mod O (Knight’s SR 25) sniper rifle.

Step Right Up

Now, unrelated to SOCOM’s presentation but as luck would have it, Knight’s Manufacturing and more than forty other business and government entities were downstairs in the exhibit hall with a whole bunch of exciting hardware. This is a great place to pick up and point exotic guns, eyeball the latest in sighting systems and often be able to talk with the actual person who designed and/or built them.

Taking Knight’s for example, they had brought along not only the SR-25 in various configurations, but a whole array of new and improved items like their Rail Adapter System’s MRE (Modular Receiver Extension with “more real estate”). This is a response to the very critical need of many spec-ops types for lots more space to clamp on any number of devices as dictated by particular missions.

They also offer a bunch of things to clamp on to US military and other small arms including a forward pistol grip, bipod, various suppressors, and the in-line “KnightScope Model 007.” This unity magnification image intensifier is intended for tandem mounting with the customer’s preferred day scope, giving around-the-clock operation capability.

Oh, and if you want a handguard for your M4 carbine in the stylish new “Coyote Brown” or other terrain matching colors such as green or white, Knight’s can fix you right up.

Many other great companies were on hand with cutting-edge products like the Leitz Pocket Laser Rangefinder, AirMunition marking rounds, Armalite Mk 19 blank adapter, and lots of night vision devices.

Free Range Time

This year’s host for the event’s all-important live fire portion was the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center at nearby Camp Joseph T. Robinson. They had set aside Range 13, a classic Known Distance facility dating all the back to WWI, and thoughtfully provided a diverse and interesting array of hard and soft targets to accommodate a full spectrum of weapons from 9mm handguns to .50 caliber sniper rifles. In addition to such classics as swinging steel plate silhouettes and oil drums (empty, of course), there were several old 2 1/2 ton trucks positioned at various distances. Also, Caswell International set up a bunch of their radio-controlled popup target mechanisms complete with stroboscopic hostile fire simulators that are particularly lively in the dark.

Yes, in the dark. This year a significant departure from the usual blistering summer afternoon range ordeal called for the live fire demos to begin about 90 minutes before sunset — right after a speech by Little Rock’s mayor and a tasty barbecue supper. Theoretically, this was going to allow sufficient daylight for regular “shoot and tell” by nine companies, and then as darkness fell the night sight guys would have perfect conditions.

Well, a combination of factors delayed the first rounds going downrange and frequent halts for safe passage of small planes to and from a nearby airport meant that most of the rest of the live fire was done under conditions rapidly progressing from low light to pitch black. But hey, that’s a lot like what the real world imposes on infantrymen and generator-mounted floodlights give sufficient illumination to allow spectators to see what was being demonstrated. Suck it up and drive on.

Oldies but Goodies

Another departure from the norm was conspicuous in the evening’s first demonstration. Distinguished retired soldiers Colonel Tom Brown (now with VT Kinetics) and Colonel John Meloy (now with Benelli) put on vintage US Army uniforms and live fired several of the classic infantry weapons that were used in World Wars One and Two. Taking the microphone while “Private Benelli” stepped up to the firing line, Brown pointedly contrasted these old machined steel and hardwood guns with the sheet metal, cast aluminum and plastic weaponry of the period from the Vietnam War to the present. “These,” he said, “are the guns that actually won wars.”

New Generation

Moving down the firing line as twilight rapidly deepened into purple then black, subsequent presentations of ten to fifteen minutes each were made by VT Kinetics firing the ULTIMAX and the SAR-21, GEMTECH suppressors, HK’s new P2000 pistol, PDW and chopped G36k assault carbine. Knight’s Armament fired several KnightSight equipped suppressed weapons including their 5.56mm SR-15 and 7.62mm SR-25, dramatically closing with a long belt of ball and tracers full auto from a Stoner Light Machine Gun.

Big Boys

These relatively small weapons were followed by several big and spectacular .50 caliber sniper rifles, grouped near the center of the range and all mounting various types of night sights. Mark Westrom cut loose with his AR-50, Jim Owens touched off the FN-PGM, and Ronnie Barrett pumped out a few from his semiauto M82A1. All of these guns use a backward-deflecting muzzle device to help tame recoil and reduce the enemy’s ability to detect muzzle flash and report. Well, as dramatic as this is on firing in daylight when the dust and grass goes flying, you ain’t seen nothing until you stand behind and to one side of these shoulder cannons at night. Wow!

Nowhere to Hide

Well, nearly an hour after it was really, really dark, the night sight guys on the far end of the firing line had their turn and nearly perfect conditions. Moonrise wasn’t going to happen for a while and a crosswind was blowing clouds of smoke from numerous tracer-induced grass fires to completely obscure most targets from 300 yards on back. This is bad news for image intensifiers but just right for thermal imagers. Recent advances in the technologies of thermal imaging including micro-cooling and reduced power consumption have made these previously heavy, bulky and temperamental devices much more practical and affordable for wider use on small arms systems.

Jim Looby and the FLIR team had set up a table with computer and television screens right at the spectator barrier so the crowd could look at real-time color video output from the TIPS-HPC thermal sight mounted on a bolt action rifle. This got really dramatic when the rifle was fired and spectators watching the video screen could see sparks from the bullet’s impact on metal targets.

Raytheon was right next door, similarly feeding the output of a tripod-mounted AN/PAS-13 into table top video screens. This gave onlookers a great thermal image picture of whatever it was downrange that anybody was firing on at any given time.

First Look at the HK P2000 Pistol

Jim Schatz, Director of Federal Operations for Heckler & Koch’s American office, brought along the brand new P2000 semiauto pistol for display at NDIA Small Arms 2001. We caught up with him on the range at Camp Robinson where he was preparing to function test and zero the P2000 along with several other weapons in advance of the evening’s live fire demonstrations. Jim was nice enough to give me a few minutes alone with this interesting new handgun so I could take the detailed pictures seen here, and then he did a little shooting for action views.

Surprisingly slim despite having a 13 round magazine, the P2000 was created at the request of Germany’s federal police for reduced size and weight with greater operational simplicity and human engineered for higher hit probability. Purposely eliminated is any specific mechanical safety that slows getting off that very important first shot. Its innovative double-action-only mechanism can be set in “semi-cocked” mode for a smooth, relatively light trigger release on the first squeeze. Subsequent shots are even lighter and faster as the recoiling slide fully cocks the exposed hammer with each round fired. A polymer recoil absorber and improvements on the classic Browning locking system also contribute to smooth and low-shock blowback operation.

Ergonomics of its ribbed and rough-textured polymer frame and machined steel slide are noteworthy, with all surfaces comfortably rounded and no angular protrusions to hang up when pulling it out of a holster, handbag or shirt. Different sized hands are easily accommodated by a selection of interchangeable back straps and the double stack magazine floorplate comes with or without a last finger extension. Grooves and slots in the frame accept a wide range of tactical accessories like laser pointers or mini-lights.

Both the slide catch lever and mag release are ambidextrous for easy operation and a red insert on the extractor serves splendidly as a chamber loaded warning indicator. The fixed square “U” notch rear sight and post front are marked by big white dots for low light shooting.

P2000 Technical Specifications

Caliber: 9 x 19mm, 13 rounds capacity
System of Operation: Recoil, modified Browning locking system
Overall Length: 178 mm
Barrel Length: 92mm
Sight Radius: 140mm
Height & Width: 128 x 34mm
Weight: 620 grams unloaded

2002

Military, industry and law enforcement and government professionals who need to keep up with the latest in weapons technology are encouraged to join the National Defense Industrial Association and attend the 2001 International Infantry & Small Arms Symposium and Exhibition. This is currently scheduled for 13-16 May 2002 in Atlantic City, NJ, but up-to-the-minute information and registration is available at www.ndia.org or write to NDIA, 2111 Wilson Blvd., Suite 400, Arlington, VA 22201.

I’m more fond, however, of Whispers based on .30 Luger and .30 Mauser cases, which are known as the 7.62 Micro-Whisper and the 7.63 Mini-Whisper, respectively. Standard chambers are used for both the Micro-Whisper and Mini-Whisper, so factory cartridges still shoot well in them. Using a 200 grain Sierra bullet in the Mauser case with a 7 inch Contender barrel and a Choate folding stock, the subsonic Mini-Whisper will print 2 inch groups at 200 yards. Using the Luger case requires going to a projectile weight of no more than 168 grains for that subsonic load. These are very efficient and accurate cartridges, which are two qualities I value highly when using a silenced firearm. Only accurate weapons are interesting, and efficient cartridges tend to be quieter when a silencer is added to a system. That said, the pick of the .30 caliber litter for tactical applications, animal control, or hunting—in my opinion—is clearly the .300 Whisper, which is based on the .221 Fireball case.

According to small-arms scholar N.R. Parker, “Independent work by the U.S. Air Force also started with the .30 M1 Carbine case when they developed their subsonic cartridge version of the IMP, and then the Air Force used the 5.56x45mm cartridge to develop the final subsonic cartridges used with the suppressed version of the IMP. For some strange reason, the Air Force ignored the original cartridge used with the IMP, the .221 Remington Fireball, which J.D. Jones has demonstrated is better suited for a .30 caliber subsonic round by virtue of its smaller case capacity. SSK’s design goal was to develop a family of subsonic cartridges featuring a high loading density for use with both heavy and lightweight projectiles that would deliver consistent ignition and excellent accuracy out to 500 yards. The impressive Whisper family of cartridges includes the .300, .338, and .50 Whisper cartridges plus the 6mm, 6.5mm and 7mm Whisper cartridges. The smaller caliber Whisper cartridges are designed as anti-personnel cartridges while the .50 Whisper is intended for both anti-personnel and anti-materiel roles.”

SSK offers suppressed upper receiver conversions of the AR-15/M16 using specialized subsonic cartridges such as the outstanding .300 Whisper and 6mm Whisper. These conversions use unmodified lower receiver assemblies and 5.56x45mm magazines. An M16 chambered for the 6mm Whisper, for example, can deliver 1.5 to 3 inch (3.7 to 7.6 cm) full-auto groups at 100 yards (91 m) when fired in three-round bursts; try doing that with an issue M16.

My own bias is that the .300 Whisper is ideal for military SpecOps where two very different weapons are required: (1) a silent weapon for up-close and personal killing, and (2) a rifle or carbine with plenty of reach and power for team security at conventional engagement distances as operators approach and egress from their objective. A single weapon with a .300 Whisper upper receiver can be used for team security using magazines loaded with supersonic .300 Whisper rounds, and the weapon can be instantly converted to silent operation by inserting a magazine with subsonic .300 Whisper cartridges. Only one weapon need be carried for a raid, hostage rescue, or CT (counter-terrorist) operation.

Perhaps the best way to provide a glimpse of the Whisper family of cartridges and other interesting developments in the SSK pipeline is to discuss a demonstration J.D. Jones conducted at Fort Dix, New Jersey in 1999. It is safe to say that Jones and his creations impressed everyone who saw the performance at the 1999 annual meeting of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA).

Jones put on a thoroughly impressive demonstration with a variety of Whisper and other SSK cartridges. For those who came in late, I should mention that Jones is not only one of the 20th century’s brightest and most prolific cartridge designers, he’s also an extraordinarily gifted shooter. He began his demonstration by engaging steel silhouette targets out to 300 yards (274 m) with SSK’s .300 Whisper Incognito rifle from a sandbagged foxhole. Jones described the foxhole as “hellishly hot” and offering a “very uncomfortable but pretty stable shooting position.” Based on a Winchester Model 70 action and match barrel, the Incognito rifle features a suppressor tube of small diameter that completely covers the barrel, giving the impression that the rifle is simply a normal (i.e., unsuppressed) barrel of target weight. Such visual stealth can pay substantial dividends to operators who benefit from hiding the fact that a silenced weapon is being fielded.

Jones then used an M16 fitted with a suppressed .300 Whisper upper receiver assembly. The weapon featured a 10 inch (25.4 cm) barrel and the suppressor increased weapon length by another 6 inches (15.2 cm). The optical sight was a 1-5x Micro Dot scope with crosshair and a fiber-optic illuminated center dot, enabling the operator to use the scope like any red dot sight at 1x and like a conventional scope at greater magnifications. The ammo featured 240 grain (15.6 gram) Sierra MatchKings and a muzzle velocity of 1,050 fps (320 mps). Jones began this phase of the demo by engaging steel silhouettes at 100 yards (91 m) with the selector set on SEMI and AUTO. He then fired 10-round bursts at a tank at 200 yards (183 m), which was a real crowd pleaser. Just as the soft coughing of the rifle stopped, the 10 rounds began to impact noisily on the armor. The hatches were open, making the tank a very impressive acoustic instrument.

Jones then debuted his impressive new .50 Peacekeeper cartridge, which is designed to provide much of the anti-materiel capability of a precision rifle chambered in .50 BMG in a considerably more portable and user-friendly rifle. The proprietary SSK cartridge uses a .460 Weatherby Magnum case opened up and modified to accept .50 BMG bullets. Using a modified Ruger Model 77 Magnum action with 23 inch (58.4 cm) match barrel as a single-shot proof of concept gun, Jones used rounds loaded with Santa Barbara API (armor piercing incendiary) and APIT (armor piercing incendiary tracer) bullets. The rifle had a 6-power Leupold scope with mildot reticle. The muzzle velocity of the .50 Peacekeeper was about 2,400 fps (732 mps)—which is about 88 percent of BMG velocity—in a prototype rifle that weighs just 13 pounds (5.9 kg). Remarkably, this cartridge is just as accurate as the .50 BMG round, if not more so.

Jones started shooting the .50 Peacemaker at targets 200 yards (183 m) downrange, moving on to targets at 500 yards (457 m). He then turned his attention to a tank at what he thought to be 900 yards (823 m) but range officials claimed was 1,000 yards (914 m). Jones began to repeatedly hit the turret of the tank, producing a 12-15 inch (30-38 cm) group. As this went to press, Ed Brown had developed an impressive new bolt-operated rifle action for this round expressly for SSK Industries. The first prototype of the Brown action featured a 30 inch (76 cm) barrel producing a maximum muzzle velocity of 2,550 fps (777 mps) with 650 grain (42.25 gram) API projectiles. It is interesting that this system still provides a muzzle velocity of 2,300 fps (701 mps) using 750 grain (48.75 gram) projectiles.

The demo took a dramatic turn when J.D. Jones produced an integrally suppressed .50 Whisper built on a Winchester Model 70 action with a Leupold 3.5×10 center focus scope with mildot reticle. Subsonic ammo was loaded with Santa Barbara 650 grain API projectiles. Jones placed his first shot on the side of a tank at 200 yards to determine his point of impact. He then engaged a target at 500 yards and guessed right at selecting the appropriate mildot in his scope. Finally, he aimed at a tank 900-1,000 yards downrange. The first round didn’t produce a flash but some folks heard it; he’d put it through the open hatch into the empty engine compartment. Using a spotting scope, his assistant watched the second round hit when a flash appeared inside the engine compartment. Jones didn’t change his hold and put several more rounds into the compartment, surprising even himself. “I never thought I could drop them continuously into that little hole,” he later confided to me. Jones then raised his point of aim to a somewhat imprecise point on a hill behind the tank and repeatedly put subsonic .50 caliber rounds onto the tank turret, shooting about a 3 foot (1 meter) group from the foxhole. It is interesting that Jones could shoot and reload, and then look through the scope and watch the bullet strike when the incendiary ignited.

The show-stopper (both figuratively and literally) was a Thompson/Center Encore pistol featuring a 12 inch (30.5 cm) barrel and muzzle brake chambered in SSK’s variation on the .50 Alaskan cartridge, which requires a different barrel throat and rate of twist than SSK’s .50 Whisper. The ammo is made by modifying .348 Winchester brass into a straight case and loading .50 BMG projectiles. Using 650 grain API bullets, the pistol produced a muzzle velocity of about 1,450 fps (442 mps). Jones had previously pushed this velocity up to 1,650 fps (503 mps), but he found the recoil to be objectionable for a pistol at that velocity. Using a 4-power Bausch & Lomb scope sighted in at 200 yards, his first shot at the 200-yard tank turret was dead on. The second shot was about 3 feet (1 meter) high but dead center on the turret; his first shot had damaged the erector tube in the scope. He placed a few more rounds into the center of the target for effect and the damaged scope held together. Jones then took a wild guess at the required holdover for the 500 yard tank and nailed it dead center. He hit it again and again dead center, and people in the crowd began to shout encouragement to try nailing the “1,000 yard” tank with the pistol. Jones held somewhat over what he termed the “900 yard tank” and touched off a round, which his spotter called a few inches over the turret. He adjusted his point of aim down slightly and hit the turret dead center, blowing the scope once and for all (he’d lost 50 percent of his field of view, which had assumed an oval shape due to the demise of the erector tube). Consummate showman that he is, Jones simply turned around and held the pistol aloft, yelling, “I quit” to the crowd as if he’d had enough fun for one day.

Nailing that turret at 900-1,000 yards with a .50 caliber pistol proved once and for all that SSK’s approach of employing heavy projectiles with relatively modest powder charges can provide workable solutions to problems out to much greater distances than many folks were prepared to believe. And the remarkable performance of the .50 Whisper rifle proved that problem-solving could be remarkably stealthy when using SSK’s subsonic rounds and a properly engineered sound suppressor.

For more information, contact SSK Industries, Inc. (Dept. SAR, 590 Woodvue Lane, Wintersville, OH 43953; phone 740-264-0176; fax 740-264-2257; URL http://www.sskindustries.com/).