Gun Dealers Urged To Counter Y2K Thieves

Concerns about possible civil disorder on January 1, 2000 when the power and lights may go out, are being raised not only by firearms consumers who are purchasing guns for self-protection at a steady clip these days, but also by firearms dealers who fear looters.

As the Clinton Administration increased controls on civilian access to firearms during the 1990’s, government statistics show there has been a corresponding increase in thefts of firearms from the premises of licensed dealers. Some criminals apparently feel if they can’t buy the guns, they will just steal them.

Recognizing these factors, the Maryland Licensed Firearms Dealers Association recently issued a warning in its members’ newsletter to plan for a worst case Y2K scenario by heading off the thieves with extra security measures. Criminals across the nation may be planning to burglarize gun shops after midnight on December 31, 1999, reasoning the police will be too busy to respond to store burglar alarms as they will concentrate on handling more serious emergencies brought on by Y2K, the Association says.

If there is no police response to the alarms, “thieves will have time to penetrate gun shops’ physical defenses and remove the firearms inventory. Remember, there is no lock that can’t be broken, no door that can’t be smashed, no bars that can’t be removed, if criminals have enough time,” the newsletter warns.

Dealers are advised to place all of their firearms in a secure safe. “At the very least, all firearms should be removed from view of the store’s front window. Place a sign on the store’s door stating, that all firearms have been removed.”

ATF News

In remarks made in early May before the International Association of Chiefs of Police meeting in Dublin, Ireland, John W. Magaw, director of the gun industry’s regulator, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (ATF) noted his agency’s investigations into firearms trafficking have found there is an increasing frequency for international organized criminals to be involved.

“The major areas for trafficking of US -sourced firearms in Europe are the Baltic States, the former Soviet Union, and the Balkan States. To a lesser degree, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Finland, and Germany have all been impacted by illegal international firearms trafficking,” Magaw explained.

Offering to provide technical assistance to interested agencies in combating illegal firearms trafficking, Magaw said the ATF National Tracing Center (NTC), which traces the origins and ownership of recovered US -sourced firearms at the request of American police is available for use by law enforcement agencies worldwide. “Tracing is often a vital step in identifying trafficking organizations,” Magaw stated.

“In 1996 the NTC had 15,000 international firearm trace requests, and 60,000 such requests in 1998. We anticipate 100,000 plus international trace requests for 1999. ATF, with our international counterparts, has initiated more than 1,500 international firearms trafficking cases, based in part, from information received from these traces,” Magaw disclosed.

The National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, an ATF/FBI partnership venture, was also mentioned as available to law enforcement agencies around the world. The Network employs a firearms identification technology system that captures a digitized image of the unique markings imprinted on a projectile and on shell casings and compares those markings with all other images of shell casings and projectiles previously entered into a database to produce potential matches. In this way, cartridges can be traced as having been fired from particular firearms. The system is being deployed not only in the US, but in countries such as Venezuela, Israel, Turkey, Taiwan, People’s Republic of China, Greece, South Africa, Thailand, and Canada.

Pawn Shop Raided

A federal search warrant culminating a three-month undercover investigation was executed May 20, at the 27th Avenue Pawn & Gun shop at 2045 NW 27th Ave., Miami, FL, as well as upon the store’s owner, Roman Hernz, by ATF and Miami police for alleged illegal firearm trafficking and sales.

Hernz, who had been in business since early 1992, and previously ran other pawnshops during the 1980’s, is suspected of conspiring and engaging in numerous illegal firearms transactions known as “straw purchases,” according to ATF. A “straw purchase” involves an individual who acts at the behest of the true purchaser to acquire the firearms. Specifically, the actual buyer uses the straw purchaser to execute the federally mandated firearms acquisition form (ATF Form 4473) purporting to show that the straw purchaser is the actual purchaser of the firearms.

In many instances, the actual buyers may be prohibited from legally purchasing firearms, or may simply want to hide their involvement in the procurement of the firearms. The licensee selling the firearm under these circumstances also violates federal law if the licensee is aware of the false statement on the form.

ATF’s National Tracing Center has determined that numerous firearms sold by 27th Ave. Pawn & Gun have been recovered by law enforcement authorities throughout the Caribbean and Central America. Foreign police officials initiated many traces after recovering the firearms at crime scenes in their respective countries.

This dealer, ATF says, though a medium sized pawnshop, has for the last six months been responsible for the multiple sales of more handguns than any other gun dealer in the metropolitan Miami area. A multiple sale refers to the sale or purchase of two or more handguns within a five consecutive day time frame. The store was also said to be a leading source of inexpensive ($100 to $150 price range) low quality pistols illegally trafficked to Haiti, Puerto Rico, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic.

Hernz could face multiple federal counts of selling firearms in violation of state laws, selling firearms without recording the identity of the purchaser, and maintaining false firearms records. If convicted, Hernz could potentially be sentenced to five years and/or fined on each count.

Alleged Traffickers Nabbed

On March 10, Jamal Hyden of West Philadelphia, PA and Dominic Howard of Greensboro, NC, were arrested by the Philadelphia Firearms Trafficking Task Force (composed of ATF special agents and Philadelphia police detectives) for federal firearms violations. The arrests followed an indictment by a federal grand jury of the pair for conspiring to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a license, aiding and abetting, and (in the case of Hyden) receiving firearms while under indictment. The government further alleged the two agreed to have Howard purchase firearms in North Carolina at various licensed dealers, and Hyden was to sell these firearms for profit in Philadelphia.

During the course of the investigation, an ATF operative was able to infiltrate the conspiracy and purchase about 24 firearms. The types of guns purchased included: 15 Lorcin 9mm pistols; three Intratec 9mm pistols; one Glock .357 pistol; one Llama .45; one Jennings/Bryco 9mm; one HiPoint 9mm rifle; and two Norinco 7.62x39mm rifles. The total number of firearms trafficked by these individuals is still being investigated. All of the undercover purchases took place in Philadelphia. All of the purchased firearms, with the exception of two, had the serial numbers obliterated at the time of purchase.

The investigation initiated at the request of the Philadelphia School Board Investigation Unit for the tracing of two firearms recovered on school grounds. Philadelphia police offices early one morning had arrested two 18-year-old males for discharging firearms in the schoolyard of William Penn High School. Both firearms had their serial numbers obliterated.

The Philadelphia Police Firearms Identification Unit was able to restore the serial numbers. ATF then initiated a trace of the firearms and determined that both guns were purchased by Howard in Greensboro, NC just 48 hours prior to their recovery.

If found guilty, Hyden could receive up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million. Howard could receive up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000.

Defendant Pleads Guilty

Gerald Lowrance of Stockton, CA, was recently sentenced to serve 18 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised probation for violating federal firearms laws. As part of a plea bargain, Lowrance pled guilty to a violation of United States Code, Title 18, Section 922(k), possession and transfer of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

New ATF Chief Counsel

John J. Manfreda, formerly ATF’s deputy chief counsel, has been appointed chief counsel. In his new position, Manfreda is responsible for all legal services related to firearms, explosives, tobacco, arson, alcohol, and administrative law. He also is responsible for overseeing the preparation and review of proposed legislation, regulations, and executive orders relating to the laws affecting and enforced by ATF.

Military Developments

In other news, the U.S. Army is reported as testing a remotely-controlled robotic platform that can aim and fire arms such as the M-16 rifle and .50 caliber machine guns. Known as the Telepresent Rapid Aiming Platform (TRAP) T-2, the device enables troops to aim and fire their guns from positions out of harm’s way.

Developed by Precision Remotes, Inc. of Point Richmond, California, the $50,000 system allows the soldier to remain hidden while observing an area through a video camera and sighting in on targets through a high-powered, automatic focus sight. The system consists of a weapons mounting platform, a video camera, a sight and a control box with a viewfinder. The camera can be used for an overview of the target area, or to zoom in with the high-powered sight. The control box contains buttons for adjusting aim. TRAP also contains two lasers to warn intruders coming into guarded territory that they are being targeted in a high-tech version of the old, “Halt, or I’ll shoot” command.

When the control box is connected to the platform with electrical cables, the arm can be controlled from as great a distance as 1,000 meters. The control distance can be extended infinitely if connected via a radio frequency link. Weighing 38 pounds, the system is intended to be issued to squads or platoons and possibly mounted on vehicles.

Have identified reflections from the objective lenses and laser protective filters of its optics as an issue, the U.S. Army has awarded Tenebraex Corp. of Boston, Massachusetts, a contract for over 35,000 anti-reflection devices (ARDs) for five fire control and observation optics. The firm’s killFlashTM ARD filters will be used for the Army’s M24 Sniper Weapon System’s optics including the Leupold day rifle sight, the AN-PVS-10 Day/Night Sight, and the M144 spotting scope, as well as the M22 (Steiner and Corion) Binoculars and the M24 Miniature Binoculars.

killFlashTM ARDs use a honeycomb material and patented geometry to provide a retrofittable solution to glint and glare from optical surfaces with minimal light loss and no loss in resolution. In addition to hiding glint, the product is claimed to allow users to see the target better in conditions of high glare, such as when looking into morning or afternoon sun or when shooting across snow.

Glint is a serious threat to operational security, yet it is often not considered by military commanders. Glint, however, has played a crucial role in military history. For example, the Japanese Army’s second attack on Henderson Air Force base in World War Two’s Battle of Guadalcanal was turned when a U.S. Marine patrol saw reflections from a Japanese officer’s binoculars on a hilltop, in what had been thought to be unoccupied, impenetrable jungle. Because of that sighting, the U.S. commander was able to shift forces to his previously unprotected flank and defeat the enemy attack.

Moshe Dayan, the Israeli general, got his famous eye patch when a sniper saw reflections of the sun from Dayan’s binoculars. In the Battle of Stalingrad, the top Soviet sniper, Vasili Zaitsev, won his famous three-day duel with the top Nazi sniper, Major Koning, by looking for and targeting the reflection from the German’s scope.

Glint even played a decisive part in the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. As the Confederates prepared to attack, Union General Gouverneur Warren arrived on the top of Little Round Top hill, where his men had reported seeing movement in the trees below. The General asked that a shell be fired into the area and as the shot went whistling through the air, the sound caused the enemy troops to look in its direction.

“This motion revealed to me the glistening of gun barrels and bayonets of the enemy’s line of battle, already formed and far outflanking the position of any of our troops. I immediately sent a hastily written dispatch requesting an additional division,” General Warren later said. Those reinforcements, turned the Confederate attack and preserved the Union’s possession of the hill.

KillFlash technology. in addition to sights, is also available for laser-protective goggles, vehicle headlights and windshields.

STEN MK II, III AND V RECOIL BUFFER

If you have a Sten, semi-automatic or select-fire or even if you have some Sten parts kits, the STEN Recoil Buffer is a NEW accessory item that will benefit you and your gun! The Sten is already a fairly tame firearm by itself, but with the Recoil Buffer installed, the recoil will feel near to nothing! The shooter should notice at least a 60% reduction in felt recoil and less muzzle climb. It will add life to any Sten by stopping the metal-to-metal contact and wear from the rear of the bolt impacting the return spring housing/cap. The recoil buffer also reduces the noticeable action noise of the Sten. Installation is simple, especially for those already familiar with the disassembly of their Sten. Easy to follow illustrated instructions are included with each Sten Recoil Buffer. Retail price for the new buffer is $5.50 with a special introductory price of just $4.25 each with $3.50 shipping and handling per total order. Also, for a limited time buy 2 and get 1 FREE. For more information or to place an order contact Mark Holloway at 25th CTC (25th Century Today Concepts), Dept. SAR, Rt #1, Box 127C, Griffithville, AR 72060. Phone: 1-870-256-9989. Fax: 1-870-256-4580. E-mail: mjholowy@ipa.net.

STRENGTH-LOCK GUN CASE

The Strength-Lock Case is the first affordable protective handgun case designed specifically to store handguns safely without the use of numbered locks or other keyed entry devices. This case will absolutely minimize the possibility of a handgun being accessed by a child or any other unauthorized user, yet the Strength-Lock case still allows the handgun owner quick access whenever a need arises. The Strength-Lock case utilizes a simple but very effective secret locking mechanism. There are no keys to find or combinations to remember. Special instructions for the secret locking mechanism are easily mastered by the handgun owner and can then be destroyed. As an added deterrent, the technique to operate the locking mechanism requires the strength and manual dexterity of an adult. There are two versions of the locking mechanism. The Strength-Lock Lite is ideal for women handgun owners or for households with only small children. The original Strength-Lock Case is suitable for all other households. The Strength-Lock is the perfect carrying/storage case for handguns. It is strong, durable and stable and will hold handguns with barrel lengths up to 6 inches. This affordable case cushions and protects a handgun while helping to keep it out of a childs’ hands. No product can guarantee to be 100% childproof, but the Strength-Lock Case will significantly limit any child’s ability to access its contents. For more information contact Douglas Industries, L.L.C. Dept. SAR, 2850 East Prestwick Road, Warsaw, IN 46580. Phone: 1-219-269-4959. Fax: 1-219-267-2499.

H&K 91/G3 FLAT TOP RECEIVER

Federal Arms is now selling an all U.S. made H&K 91/G3 style receiver. The receiver is super strong, super light weight and is made entirely of aluminum. Using the same technology as is used in the M-16 rifle receiver the Federal Arms H&K type receiver is precision machined from a solid block of aluminum. The new receiver is said to be 20% stronger than the original H&K receiver. It features a built-in scope rail milled right into the top of the receiver allowing the user to mount optics without the need of purchasing an additional, not to mention expensive scope mount. The receiver is also milled to acccept the original H&K rear sight so the shooter can have either open sights or the use of a scope. It has a pebble grain feel and is finished in a space-age black Teflon coating. The coating offers unrivaled lubricity as well as functional integrity. With the purchase of a readily available parts kit, the receiver allows an entire firearm to be assembled quickly and easily without the need for any welding. The receiver will only accept semi-auto parts as per B.A.T.F. guidelines. Now you can have the H&K style firearm that you thought was gone forever! For more information contact Federal Arms Corporation of America, Dept. SAR, 7928 University Avenue, Fridley, MN 55432. Phone: 1-612-780-8780.

SADW is a monthly electronic publication from Nick Steadman Features. Nick, intrepid world traveling reporter for much of the arms industry, files this 40,000 to 50,000 word report once a month to his loyal subscribers. Those lucky ones pay a mere $50 (US) £32.50 (UK) per year for the privilege of getting the hot tips and insights from one of the industry’s insiders. Nick’s unique perspective is globally based, as is his wit. Each issue is full of insight and information for those with an interest in Small Arms, as well as his observations on world travel.

EVEN MORE STEYR SCOUTS WITH KLA: in his recent jottings, Col Jeff Cooper reports that he was told in Austria that there are 35-50 Steyr Scout Rifles in Kosovo. Since we understand the KLA is allowed to keep its commercial bolt-action rifles and any shotguns, we guess they’ll be staying there. We’d be very interested to know where the Scouts actually came from, however.

NATO BOMBING CAMPAIGN HAD NEGLIGIBLE MILITARY IMPACT: a Daily Telegraph item said a NATO review of the Serbia bombing campaign had concluded this had virtually no military impact on Milosevic, who only rolled over after losing Russian support. It found that the Serbian forces in Kosovo had remained essentially unscathed, and that bombing of strategic targets was badly planned & executed. If starting out again, NATO would probably opt to go after targets such as public utilities more fiercely and earlier in any hostilities, and most likely also scrap the policy of ‘phasing’ the bombing of Serb military targets which allowed Milosevic time to regain the propaganda initiative.

The alliance also believes it needs to acquire more remotely controlled, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for detailed low-level reconnaissance and target identification. However, whilst this soul-searching analysis is all fine and dandy, we hope NATO will not find it necessary to re-test its tactics anytime soon, which would reinforce growing hostility outside the ambit of the alliance to the power projection – as opposed to defensive role that NATO has newly created for itself.

PERSUADE US THAT KOSOVO WILL NOT GO PEAR-SHAPED: we’re still convinced none of the outsiders, starting with NATO, who have been pulling the strings in Kosovo have the foggiest idea what dangerous stuff they’re playing with. We quote:

‘The rebel-led provisional government of Kosovo refuses to acknowledge unconditionally the legal authority of the United Nations civilian administration in the region, and warns that it could revert to armed struggle if the UN administration fails to lead Kosovo toward independence’ (Wall Street Journal Europe, 5 Jul 99)

Kosovan independence, you’ll recall, was never on the cards as far as anyone other than the KLA was concerned, but NATO sought & accepted the KLA’s help during the expulsion of Serb forces from Kosovo; now it’s insisting on the Kosovan resistance being disarmed. No-one heeded the old admonition that one never messed with the Balkans except at one’s own peril. We can now see another Northern Ireland already in the making.

COLT ‘BETTING THE COMPANY’ ON SMART GUN: there was another minor publicity blip for the Colt Smart Gun in late Jul 99 when Newsweek ran a piece reporting that a patent had been applied for. It said that Colt president Steve Sliwa, whose mission was get the Smart Gun up & running, was not a gun-owner when he joined the Hartford firm and quoted him as saying “We’re essentially a 1950s company with old equipment”. As to the implications of the Smart Gun, Sliwa reportedly said “We’re betting the company on this”.

$2.95 A MINUTE FAX ‘POLL’ CREATES WAVES: in late May 99, a warning was issued by Better Business Bureaus (BBB) about a so-called ‘National Gun Control Poll’, voting papers for which were faxed unsolicited to ‘over 4 million’ recipients in the USA by a firm calling itself 21st Century Fax Ltd in New York, though this was reportedly only a ‘mail drop’. BBB said that the ‘poll’ actually originated from 21st Century Fax Ltd in London, which has a Website http://www.pollresults.co.uk/ showing that it also sells such exciting stuff as exercise and weight loss tips by fax and Internet.

Significantly, the poll (a copy of which is on our files) notes that replying by fax will take around 1-2 minutes, and calls to either of the two 1-900 numbers shown would cost $2.95 a minute. Ermmm – over four million forms at $2.95 to $5.90 a whack? That’s an awful lot of premium phone-rate income.

Complaints were made to the FCC http://www.fcc.gov/ and FTC http://www.ftc.gov/ about this fax poll, and an investigation was under way – FCC rules prohibit unsolicited commercial faxes.

BBB went on to say that, according to a Washington Post report, a temporary injunction was obtained earlier this year by regulators in the UK against the director & other officers of a sister company, 20th Century Fax Ltd, alleging it sent deceptive & misleading information in faxes offering a ‘Yummy Yum Yum Diet’. However, anyone taking seriously any communication about something with such a daft name as this probably deserves all he gets.

STINGERS STILL CIRCULATING: those Stinger SAMs the CIA originally supplied to the Mujahideen in Afghanistan keep popping up unexpectedly – The Asian Age recently showed an Indian army NCO inspecting a sample recovered from Pakistani troops, along with a number of 7.62mm MG3 GPMGs, a GPMG sustained-fire kit and a 30mm AGS-17 grenade launcher.

HIRED GUNS: an Independent on Sunday story in May 99 said that, in an attempt to persuade Hollywood moviemakers to come to the UK, the British government was offering to hire out regular & reserve military personnel and equipment, to which end a new MOD liaison post had been created. The MOD will charge ‘commercial’ daily rates of £60 per head for troops used in movies, but the servicemen themselves will get nothing extra. Ministers are thought to be miffed because Steven Spielberg borrowed 1,000 troops from the Irish army to make ‘Saving Private Ryan’.

GLOCK INC ON SMART GUNS: The New York Times quoted Glock’s general counsel, Paul Januzzo in Jun 99 on the controversial subject of ‘smart guns’: “The first guy to invent an affordable and reliable smart gun will be a Trillionaire. It’s absurd to say we’re hiding this technology. Why would someone be hiding it? They’d be a wealthy person.” We guess we can take this as a heavy hint as to what Glock itself may be up to.

IANSA GUN-BURNING STUNT: we’ve mentioned before the ‘bonfire of guns’ (aka Flame of Peace) event orchestrated to mark the launch of the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) in the Hague on 11 May 99). Saferworld’s Summer 99 Update newsletter carried a photo of this immortal event, with a Kenyan dignitary lighting a tripod of wooden poles, towards the apex of which were tied, Christmas tree-style, a number of distinctly non-flammable MAC-10 lookalikes, as symbols of evil incarnate.

The whole thing had the bizarre appearance of one of those old Salem witch-burnings. If this cheap stunt is any indication of the quality of debate we can expect from IANSA in the future, we shouldn’t worry too much. What subsequently happened to the slightly-scorched MAC-10s was not disclosed, though the whole thing might have had rather more impact if they’d tied some of the convicted triggermen to the stake rather than trying to cremate a few innocent Ingram clones.

AERIAL GUNFIRE A PROBLEM IN ARIZONA: A Jun 99 report in the Arizona Republic claimed that bullets randomly fired into the air in Phoenix were an increasing public safety hazard. It cited a recent case in which a 14-year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet while standing in her own back yard which had an eight-foot wall around it. Phoenix police say they get at least 50 ‘shots fired’ calls a night, and other cities nearby report similar trends.

In reality of course, it is not usually ‘spent’ bullets fired into the air and plunging to earth under the sole influence of gravity that cause the deaths, but bullets which are still ‘under power’, albeit often at the outer extent of their ballistic trajectory.

UK MOD Y2K PREPARATIONS: it’s been confirmed by the UK MOD that it’s now thoroughly checked its ‘nuclear deterrent’ and the ministry claims there’s ‘no risk of it being fired accidentally through any computer failure’. Nice to know, now we’ve had the house re-painted.

Royal Navy ships should be cleared by Aug 99 and army ‘mission critical’ systems, including weaponry, by Sep 99. All RAF aircraft have already been certified safe to fly after 31 Dec 99.

BRAZIL GUN BAN – OPPOSITION GETS ORGANISED: the National Association of Firearms Owners and Retailers (ANPCA), formed in Brazil to fight government proposals for an outright gun ban, says it has already managed to get the ‘urgent’ classification of the legislation dropped and also secured a decision from the courts that the Rio de Janeiro state ban, which the federal ban would resemble, is unconstitutional. It furthermore claims that public support for the federal legislation is waning.

Advanced Ultimate Sniper
Author: Major John L. Plaster

ADVANCED ULTIMATE SNIPER
By Major John L. Plaster
Paladin Press
P.O. Box 1307
Boulder, CO 80306
1-800-392-2400
ISBN 0-87364-916-8
$59.95 Plus S&H
Aprox. 120 Minutes
Reviewed By David Fortier

This is the sequel to sniping authority Major Plaster’s book and video “The Ultimate Sniper”. For someone interested in the subject of sniping this is quite a video! Starting off at the famous Gunsite Training Center, founded by Jeff Cooper, Major Plaster gives the viewer a in depth look at some state of the art sniping equipment. Demonstrations are given with .50 caliber sniping rifles, suppressed weapons, laser range finders, and the latest night vision equipment.

Advanced lessons in fieldcraft are taught in the desert, at night, in the mountains, and in the winter. There is something here for everyone. The night classes are superb with the footage being shot at night and filmed with the aid of night vision. Fieldcraft and shooting techniques are both taught, and this information is relevant to anyone no matter their location. Light discipline is taught, using a normal rifle scope at night, Night observation devices, use of tracers, flashlights to illuminate targets, infrared lasers, and much more.

The mountain classes are directly applicable for use in Yugoslavia or Korea. The effects of elevation on a cartridge and its ballistics are discussed. Normal troop movements in mountainous terrain are discussed and how to foretell where targets are likely to appear. Picking a hide location and what to look for. Making a hide and operating in one.

Winter operations was of particular interest to me as I live in Maine, and the information is excellent. Scope fogging, camouflage, skiing, snow shoes, temperature effect on trajectory, stalking, scope glare, and more are all covered. There is not a lot of information on this subject so this is a welcome addition.

The quality of this video is much better that Major Plaster’s previous video. The material is first rate and now the camera work and sound is up to snuff. I highly recommend this video, while it is expensive, it’s worth it.

The Stoner Machine Gun: A Navy SEAL Remembers

Written by Dennis J. Cummings and Ron Erb
Special guest appearance and co-narration by LCDR Michael J. Walsh, USN (Ret.)
35 minutes Paladin Press,
$29.95
Review by Rob Krott

Dennis Cummings, author of Men Behind the Trident (Naval Institute Press) and producer of Navy SEALs; America’s Secret Warriors and other SEAL oriented videos, has once again come through with a winner. This one on the Stoner 63 machine gun. Eugene Stoner (designer of the M16, in case anyone forgot) and a Cadillac Gage engineering team developed the Stoner 63 weapons system. The weapon had six different configurations based on the Stoner receiver. The Stoner 63A light machine gun was the model most frequently used by the US Navy SEALs. Although the US Army and the USMC tested and evaluated the Stoner as a possible replacement for the M60, only the SEALs used the Stoner in significant numbers in Vietnam. It was the primary machine gun of the SEAL teams in Vietnam and the Cadillac Gage engineers received technical reports and requests directly from the field. The opening clips of this video show the various Stoner variants being fired on a range while the weapon’s technical aspects are described. The video also shows the Stoner being tripod mounted in its medium machine gun role.

The focus of the video is provided by LCDR Michael J. Walsh as he reminisces about the Stoner and its role with the SEAL teams in Vietnam. Walsh served five tours in Vietnam, three of them in assignments where he was intimate with the Stoner. In fact, the front cover of Walsh’s memoir, SEAL! Depicts a young Mike Walsh geared up for a mission and holding a Stoner. According to LCDR Walsh, “This added to our firepower like no other weapons could have… The Stoner was like nothing else around. It was different.”

LCDR Walsh’s participation in this video lends real credence to its historical and technical accuracy and really “makes” the video. He provides an informal technical brief on the weapon detailing its high-points and its foibles including the problems with its feed pawl mechanism and the infamous “dead man’s pin”. The “dead man’s pin” was a receiver pin which when it vibrated loose caused the weapon to fire. It caused the death of one SEAL by his own weapon before being corrected. Walsh discusses various field expedient modifications made to the weapon in Vietnam. He explains how the SEALs carried additional ammo; the adaptation of the box and drum magazines; and the expedient use of captured RPD drum magazines. Walsh gets off the subject a little, but only to make some interesting comments about the SEALs participation in the Phoenix Program and to provide some interesting operational observations such as “Most SEAL operations in Vietnam didn’t go past one evolution of darkness…you didn’t eat ‘til you got home.” Producer Cummings wisely decided to leave these interesting tidbits in the video.

War stories from LCDR Walsh’s personal experience make the video especially interesting. His on and off camera narration is accompanied by combat file footage on patrol. Vietnam film footage includes a mission brief. One thing you’ll notice is the long hair, mustaches, and beards.. especially the more “beatnik” styles. Some of these guys look like a cross between the Hell’s Angles, the Grateful Dead, and the “Green Berets”. Nobody I’d want to mess with. Other interesting spots on the video is the frequent wearing of Levi’s; what appears to be a SEAL on patrol barefoot; VC rice paddy farmer hats; and most impressive; an M60 gunner carrying a gun equipped with an aircraft feed mechanism and humping the door-gunner ammo pack on his back.

A professional narrator picks up the narration from time to time during the film clips, many of which apply directly to Walsh’s narration. Two of the clips are actually of Walsh’s platoon on actual combat operations. It’s a good summation and discussion of the Stoner’s use by the SEALs in Vietnam, however, I would have liked to have seen a disassembly-assembly of the gun and more technical data, including nomenclature on the weapon. But then again, this wasn’t meant to be a how-to video and a field stripping sequence might bore other people. Weapons aficionados, fans of the Stoner, SEAL buffs, and SEAL veterans will want a copy of this video tape.

Robert Krott is a former US Army M60 machine gunner (PFC) and Infantry officer. He is a senior foreign correspondent for Solider of Fortune and a staff writer and columnist for Behind the Lines: The Journal of US Military Special Operations, as well as the Military Affairs Editor for SAR.

From a Stranger’s Doorstep to the Kremlin Gates: A Word from the AK Man

By Mikhail Kalashnikov
Published by Military Parade Ltd., Moscow 1997
ISBN 5-7734-0009-X
Review by Charles Madurski

For most of his career, Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov was surrounded by a state controlled “impenetrable veil of secrecy”. In the paranoid days of post World War II and well into the cold war, his work and existence was considered critical to the defense of the Soviet Union. Not allowed to travel outside of the country and limited in his movements internally, he managed to change the world of military weapons forever. With the break-up of the Soviet Union and other political changes in the world, he decided the time was right to tell his story.

Written in a style reminiscent of a letter to one’s great-grandchildren, “From a Stranger’s Doorstep to the Kremlin Gates- A Word from the AK Man” is a fascinating read. It’s an important one too. A large part of the book is devoted to detailing Kalashnikov’s development of the AK-47. Many arms enthusiasts are familiar with the generalities of the story, how the wounded tanker somehow came up with the idea during his recovery and managed to have prototypes made while convalescing. Few knew, until now, that when he was injured it was because of an encirclement deep in German held territory and he had to travel for days on foot through enemy lines to get to help.

Drawing from an extensive personal archive of letters, commendations, notes and drawings, he recreates the events of his life in great detail, giving new insight into the process of Soviet small arms procurement and exposing new information to complete the legend. Such as the fact his first design was really for a 7.62×25 chambered submachinegun, and it was after this design was rejected that he was invited to compete in the design of a new arm using the then very new M-43 (7.62×39) cartridge.

Through his years of service, Kalashnikov crossed paths with nearly every Russian arms designer of note. They are almost all here, Degtyarev, Goryunov, Makarov, Shpagin, Simonov, Sudayev and Tokarev. Due to the circle he worked in, he is able to discuss other well-known Russian designs from some of his contemporaries. Arms such as the Pistolet Makarov and its adoption or the SKS carbine and the circumstances surrounding its removal from front line service. Unfortunately, his detail is a little lacking when he goes over the development of the AKM, RPK, PK/PKM series, and the AK-74 generation of weapons. At least he does explain, once and for all, that the so-called rate reducer in the AKM was designed simply to “achieve closer grouping of shots”.

Kalashnikov delves into philosophy, poetry, politics, hunting and more. He sheds light on the Russian trait to consider all Slavic people brothers, an important lesson to remember. In a special chapter near the end of the book titled “My Black Box Data Recorder”, he recalls the events that led to his family’s internal exile to Siberia in 1931. Ironically, but perhaps not surprisingly, he expresses a tremendous love for Mother Russia constantly throughout the book, which may explain his involvement in Party politics.

Kalashnikov doesn’t directly address his political career; he only mentions it as part of larger tales or where it needs to be included to fill out some details. He does, however, give the reader a look into the dichotomy of Russian politics, stating at one point that he “never was a staunch communist”, yet it seems he worked his way from being a member of the Young Communists League to his multiple terms as a Deputy of the Supreme Soviet.

At one point during a sales trip to Argentina, Kalashnikov considers all of the gifts he has received while there, mostly souvenir cartridges and several pistols, and he frets over the trouble he will have with customs if he tries to return home with these things. He expresses amazement over the Argentine’s lack of control over such objects, the expectation of responsibility. In contrast, he muses over the inability of his homeland to react the same way. “…how much trouble, grief and sorrow Russians would have to suffer and how much tragedy Russia would have to go through until it outgrew its obsession with arms the way Argentina had…” The lesson is clear.

Mikhail Timofeyevich “Miktim” Kalashnikov’s autobiography is full of history. Entertaining on many levels, it should be considered a companion volume to the late Dr. Ezell’s AK-47 Story, at least. When viewing all of the innovations and weapons systems and equipment to come from this man and his design teams, Kalashnikov could be called ‘Russia’s Browning”.

Death From Above, The German FG 42 Paratroop Rifle

By Thomas B Dugelby
and R Blake Stevens
Produced and edited
by R Blake Stevens Published by Collector Grade Publications Inc.
PO Box 1046
Cobourg, Ontario
Canada K9A4W5
Price $39.95 plus $4.50 S&H
Reviewed by Stephen Stuart

The German FG 42 was born out of ‘Operation Merkur’ in May of 1941. The operation called for German paratroopers (Fallschirmjager) to attack the island of Krete in the Mediterranean Sea. The German paratroopers, unlike their American counterparts, jumped without their primary weapons. These were dropped in canisters to be retrieved later, once the paratroopers were on the ground. The British took advantage of the situation, decimating the German troops in the beginning with their full power .303 Enfield rifles and BREN machine guns.

Because of this reason, when the opportunity arose to field a new rifle for the paratroop force. The call was for a rifle firing the standard 8mm Mauser cartridge, instead of the new 7.92x33mm Kurz round for the Sturmgewehr rifles. This new rifle was the FG 42. There are over twenty different variations of the FG 42, they are divided into a basic alphabetical series starting at ‘A’ and ending at ‘G’.

From a personal perspective, I have only seen two FG42s in my entire life, both of them in museums. The author pacifies one’s appetite for information by detailing the different models in pictures and line drawings. Accessories are given special attention in the text; particularly the scope, and field manuals (which have been reproduced in English). Of particular interest to small arms historians is the legacy of the FG42, and the weapons that were derived from it’s earlier innovations.

If you are a history buff of the German Fallschrimjager, or just want to trace the lineage of your pet M-60, this is the book in which to start. As with all of the Collector Grade Publications, this is truly an excellent text. I highly recommend it for your small arms library.

Greetings from the PRK. It’s spring and one’s fleeting thoughts turn north to Oregon, a NFA friendly state, for the Albany Rifle and Pistol Club’s Spring Machine gun shoot. Oregon is indeed a beautiful state and the people really are friendly (unless you tell them you’re from CA and you’re thinking of moving there). The state is so friendly the local State Patrol even publishes their “maximum enforcement” time and places in the local newspaper. For example the paper tells you they’re using their airplane to catch speeders on Interstate 5 Sunday from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM between exits so and so. Of course if you’re not a local, the chances of you seeing the local news paper are small. But come on up. In addition to the chance to meet and shoot with other NFA gun owners and enthusiasts, the lush green forest and valleys are worth the trip.

If you are not local, Albany is a little south of Portland right on Interstate 5. The Albany Rifle and Pistol Club permits campers to park at their facility but there are no hook ups. If you need motel accomadations try the town of Albany about 10 miles north of the range or Eugene which is about 25 miles to the south.

The Albany Spring Machine Gun Shoot is held every year on the 3rd weekend in May. There is also a winter shoot in December but even the locals say the December Shoot weather usually “sucks”. The Albany Spring shoot is both Saturday and Sunday. Each day’s activities are roughly the same. Formal matches are conducted for subguns, assault rifles in both major and minor calibers, and crew served weapons. Fun shooting and machine gun rental take place throughout both days. Saturday’s paid attendance was 350 people. Sunday’s attendance was about half of that. In spite of the national political anti-gun climate, attendance at the Albany shoot has been climbing steadily each year over the past several years. A lot of the credit for this goes to the efforts of Mark Cook, the event coordinator, and Allen Ericksen, operations manager, for the Rifle and Pistol Club. The club does an excellent job of offering a safe, fun event with something for everyone’s interest.

The subgun match is held on the north range. NFA rules apply.On Saturday the course consisted of 47 total targets plus two bonus targets and the usual “no-shoots”. Starting behind a barrel you engage 11 metal targets plus one swinger and one turner. Moving to a barricade you engage approximatley 12 metal targets through a 2” vertical slot. One of the metal targets had an exploder. If you hit the exploder (instead of just the metal plate) it was worth a five second bonus. Moving again to another barrel you engaged another series of poppers and plates. One of the poppers triggered a clay pigeon thrower – if you hit the clay in the air it was worth another five second bonus. One other tricky target was to break a stationary clay through a hole cut out in a no-shoot that was the same size as the clay. This target was intentionally close so those who didn’t allow suficiently for the bullet path being below the sight path shot the no shoot.

The Saturday Subgun Match consisted of 30 shooters.

The class winners follow:

1st – Steve Arnold, M1A1 Th.
2nd – Robert Dunlap, MP5
3rd – Greta Morrel, 1928 Th.

Sunday’s course was similar with 42 total targets and three firing positions. At stage one the turner was back with a bunch of metal plates, pepper poppers and a few no shoots. The exploder bonus (5 seconds) was on this stage Sunday. Stage two involved a number of metal plates shot from behind a vertical barricade. Targets painted blue were engaged by firing from the left shoulder. Targets painted white were engaged firing from the right shoulder. Targets painted red were not supposed to be engaged, period. You basically shot all the blue targets then shifted rifing positions and shot the white plates. Moving to the third firing position you were to engage a plethoria of plates, poppers and bowling pins. The shoot through the hole in the “no-shoot”, so popular from Sat., was back. Sunday’s Subgun Match had 25 shooters.

The winners follow:

1st – Jim Wright, MP5
2nd – Wayne Woodcock, 1928 Th.
3rd – Chad Wallace, M11 9mm

The course of fire for the assault rifle and crew served matches were very similar. Targets consisted of four metal plates at 100 yards, 6 metal plates including one no shoot at 150 yards and 2 or 3 metal targets at 200 yards. For minor caliber the two plates at 200 yards were five second bonus targets. For major calibers one of the three metal plates was a five second bonus. Crew served weapons had to get all three 200 yard plates. The Assault rifles ended the course of fire by puncturing a gallon water jug and putting three rounds in an IPSIC target at 50 yards. The crew served weapons started with the jug and paper IPSIC target. All assault rifles had to be sot with the equivalent of “iron sights”. Rifles with optics were considered the “unlimited” class.

Saturday’s winners were:

Assault Rifle Minor caliber (.223)
1st – Mel Andrews, M16
2nd – Hal Gould, M16
3rd – Jim McDowell, M16

Assault Rifles Major caliber (.308)
1st – Larry DeMello, M14
2nd – Jerry Hesting, FN-FAL
3rd – William Kaald, M14

Unlimited Rifle (magnifying optics)
1st – Michael Toney, M16
2nd – Wayne Woodcock, G3
3rd – Fred Sims, M14

Crew Served Weapons (belt fed guns)
1st – Rex Wemmer, 1919A6
2nd – S. L.Wozony, 1919A6
3rd – Branden Wemmer, 1919A6

As you might expect most of the spectators and participants seemed to be from Washing and Oregon. Based on my informal survey of license plates in the parking lot on Saturday, Washington cars almost rivaled Oregon cars. I also saw four Idaho plates, three CA plates and one Nevada plate.

Sunday’s course of fire was similar to Saturday except you started by bursting a water jug hidden from view by cardboard IPSIC targets at 50 yards. There were four metal plates at 100 yards, six metal plates and a “no-shoot” at 150 yards and one small bonus target each at 150 yards and 200 yards. For Sunday major & minor calibers competed in one single class.

Sunday’s winners were:

Assault Rifle
1st – Wayne Woodcock, G3
2nd – Dick Thoma, M16
3rd – Craig Mitchell, BAR

Crew Served Weapons
1st – Jerry Hesting, MG34
2nd – Jim Wright, HK21
3rd – Mark Cook, HK21

Over the last several years the Albany Rifle and Pistol Club has made substiantial improvements to their facilities. Under the clever desguise of “sound moderators” both north and south ranges have large metal buildings to “mitigate” the noise from firearms. The buildings also do a wonderful job “mitigating” the normal inclement weather that usually prevails. (You can shoot all day, be under cover and not get wet. ) But this year the weather god smiled. Not a drop of rain fell during either day of this years Spring Shoot. But take my advice, if you come next year at least throw some rain gear in the car. It rained Friday and rain was predicted again Monday. I didn’t hear it this year, but a usual joke is that in Oregon even the Subguns are water cooled.

While the matches were in progress there was plenty of opportunity for just fun shooting and machine gun rental. You could rent anything from a silenced .22 pistol to a M2 .50 cal. Targets consist of water jugs, metal plates and strings of helium filled balloons at various distances. There were lots of Browning’s, MP5’s, Uzi’s, AK’s, MAC ect. One of my favorites was a gentlemen who fired a belt of probably 250 rounds from the hip through a Landes MG-74 (post ’86DS MG42). The NFA people from the northwest are a creative lot. It was interesting to see how adept they are at making new different caliber uppers to fit some standard lowers. Likewise there were all sorts of modifications to magazines to enable a basic magazine to be used in a wide variety of firearms and some clever ways to mount guns on mounts for which they were never intended. And while the MG shoot and Sub Gun matches were going on Sunday the Albany Rifle & Pistol Club also had a Cowboy Shoot take place simultaneously on some of the adjacent north ranges. They really do have some nice facilities.

Personally I thought the Albany Rifle and Pistol Club put on a splend event again this year. In addition to Mark Cook and Allen Ericksen there are a host of Club members who volunteered their time and hard work and made this year’s event a success. Three particular individuals who deserve mention are John Nichols – Lead Range Safety Officer, Wayne Woodcock – Subgun Match Director and Mel Andrews – Main Range Match Director.

SAR readers in Washington & Oregon. If you don’t go to the Albany Spring Shoot you should. For readers a little farther away it’s worth the trip. Plan to take a few extra days and go up to Seattle and Vancouver BC after the shoot. Or go over to the Oregon Coast for a jet boat ride up the Rogue River or just come back down Highway One. Readers from Nevada might just like to seen things naturally green for a change.

If you’ve been to the shoot before skip the following directions. If not I suggest you read on – the exits are not exactly at the range. From the north take exit #228. Incidently the ARCO station there generally has the lowest gas prices around. From the freeway exit go east .7 mile. Turn right on 7 Mile Lane and go straight as the arrow flies south for 5.0 miles. At the curve turn right on Shedd Rd. and follow it for 2.0 miles. Just where Shedd truns right to cross I5 look over to your left and you’ll see the Albany Rifle and Pistol Club. Look for the large metal buildings. From the south take exit #216. Go west over the freeway until you come to the town of Hasley. Turn right on route 228 East and go north for 2.4 miles which brings you to the town of Shedd. On the north end of Shedd turn right on Boston Mill Rd. (there are signs pointing right for “Plainview” and “Gun Club”)and follow it until it crosses I5. Again the Albany Rifle and Pistol Club is just ahead and slightly to the right. Again look for the metal buildings. For those using “alternative” transportation Albany has a public airport (no commercial service to my knowledge) and an Amtrack station. The airport has rental cars. I don’t know about the train. The nearest commercial airports would be Eugene or Portland. For more information you can call 541-754-1605. If you’re doing form 5320.20’s the address is Albany Rifle & Pistol Club, 2999 Saddle Butte Road, Shedd, OR 97377. The Club also has a web site – htp://www.proaxis.com/~arpc

Next year come on up to the shoot. You’ll be glad you did.use

SAR’s Suppressor Technology Editor Al Paulson was recently asked what he thought were good choices for someone’s “Kit” in the event of needing suppression on a firearm. The ensuing article provides some interesting perspectives and choices, and we hope this helps answer some questions for the readers- Dan

Who knows if this Y2K business is media hype or not? Friends who are computer programmers disagree. One suggests fixing code is simplistic stuff. Another points out that even the first release of Windows 98 was not Y2K compliant. He suggests that the Y2K problem is much more subtle and pervasive than a lot of people believe, and not all the Y2K problems will appear on the first day of the Year 2000. There are several minefields that will appear on subsequent critical dates as well. He also points out that a lot of public utilities use an archaic programing language that has not been taught at the college level in decades, so there are a limited number of qualified programmers to resolve Y2K issues for the many mainframes still using this old language. His personal solution to the Y2K issue was to buy a generator, bury a fuel tank, put in a well with hand pump, stockpile gallon cans of freeze-dried food and crates of ammo, and add some sound suppressors to his kit. That got me to thinking. What sound suppressors would I want in my Y2K kit? They would fall into several mission categories: small game hunting, big game hunting, general tactical, and long-range tactical.

Selecting silencers for a Y2K kit is somewhat daunting, since this is the golden age of silencer design. The state of the art has grown considerably in the last decade, and the industry is rich with talented companies making diverse and outstanding products. Some of these manufacturers are relatively large and well known, while others are small shops catering to small but fiercely loyal clienteles. Both big and small companies produce some really excellent products. The net result is that the consumer has a plethora of outstanding sound suppressors to choose from. The following are some of my personal favorites, which I hope will stimulate your thought processes concerning what your own needs may be. You may wish to add a few suppressors or integrally suppressed arms that will serve similar needs, be they from these or other manufacturers.

If food availability becomes a problem, the easiest way to supplement your existing stores is the hunting of small game. If local laws permit the use of suppressed firearms for hunting, you will be at a social and strategic advantage by using such tools.

Small Game Hunting

The criteria for selecting the best silenced arm for hunting small game will depend upon several factors. Can you hunt openly (i.e., with a rifle) or must you hunt surreptitiously (i.e., with a concealed handgun) to avoid alarming nearby farmers or residents, or to avoid giving away the location of your favorite hunting ground? Is visual stealth important? This would favor an integrally silenced arm, which the uninitiated will view as a target-barreled gun. Or is maximum service life more important? This would favor the use of a visually conspicuous muzzle can. Finally, does your skill level permit the use of a handgun to feed the family?
I now live in a semi-rural area that features individual homes and small subdivisions interspersed with small farms and woodlots. Hunting is frowned upon but small game abounds. Since hikers are welcome, I could go for a walk at dawn or dusk (when most game is especially active) with a day pack and an integrally silenced pistol hidden under a long shirt. It would be a simple matter to use a single well-placed shot to collect a rabbit, squirrel or game bird for the pot within the 50 yard effective range of a good silenced pistol.

In fact, I regularly did this when I was a graduate student at the University of Alaska—Fairbanks. With the blessing of campus security, I’d hike or ski the two miles to campus with a Ruger Mark I (not silenced to conform to local game laws). Since most of the two miles were woods, and since homes and cabins were rare, I frequently collected several snowshoe hares or grouse for the evening meal on the way home. All UAF security asked of me was that I keep the gun unloaded while on campus. While one saw people with long arms on campus routinely in those gentler days (often grad students who needed protection while conducting field research in bear country), it still would have been tacky to walk from class to class with a rifle on my shoulder. The pistol resided in my day pack, which was a ubiquitous and therefore invisible accouterment of campus life. The pistol was a graceful and discreet solution for adding meat to the table of a starving grad student.

If both game and neighbors are plentiful, my own bias would be to use an integrally silenced pistol that features a tensioned barrel to minimize barrel harmonics. Such pistols by manufactures like Gemtech, Sound Technology, and the D.H. Melton Company (to name a few) can be easily holstered and carried unobtrusively. This assumes the operator limits his or her shots to a range where first-round kills are assured and great care is taken to ensure that no livestock, hikers, or buildings lie behind the target.

If you can hunt openly in a rural setting, then I like a good silenced .22 rifle, which will greatly extend a hunter’s effective range. If visual stealth or maximum suppression are required, then I’m particularly fond of D.H. Melton’s Sound-Master integrally silenced Ruger 10/22, which can deliver a sound signature that is within 2 decibels of action noise when using subsonic ammunition, or it can deliver maximum practical subsonic projectile velocity by using high velocity ammunition, when maximizing penetration is important.

If I were cynical about the duration of problems following Y2K, then I’d opt for a muzzle can rather than an integrally suppressed .22 rimfire. Any integrally suppressed arm will have a finite lifespan, limited by the infinitesimally slow accumulation of lead and hard carbon residue inside the suppressor wherever there is porting. I have x-rays documenting this process, but I can’t publish them without giving up the design secrets of the manufacturer. For most end-users, this process is so slow as to be irrelevant; you’ll be able to leave these guns to your grandkids. But if you expect to hunt game for food on a frequent and long-term basis, then using a well-designed muzzle can might increase the number of rounds you could put through the system tenfold.

Perhaps the most thought-provoking muzzle can design in the marketplace is the Millennium .22 suppressor from Sound Technology. It’s very quiet. It’s as tough as a Russian T34 tank. Lead and carbon accumulation is minimal. Furthermore, the design will probably tolerate more lead and carbon build-up than any design I’ve seen, which means it could well deliver the longest service life. Finally, the Millennium’s mounting system is practical in the extreme.

For mounting to a rifle or pistol, it features a 5/8 inch, hardened steel stud with NF, left-hand threads. The muzzle of a heavy (target-weight) rifle or pistol barrel is counterbored, crowned and threaded to accept this stud. This arrangement has a number of practical advantages. (1) The new barrel crown is protected by the deep, threaded socket. (2) The use of internal threading in front of the new crown eliminates any expansion of the bore that might be caused by the use of conventional outside threading. Such expansion adversely affects accuracy. (3) The use of left-hand threading ensures that the muzzle can tightens to the weapon with each shot, since the barrels use RH rifling so the resulting torque from each shot is applied in a right-handed vector. (4) No external thread protector is required. (5) This design assures proper axial alignment and it compensates for face wear over the long haul. (6) The same suppressor can be swapped between rifles and pistols. Sound Technology’s Millennium suppressor would be part of a very practical and durable system for hunting small game after the dawn of Y2K and well into the new millennium.

Big Game Hunting

For most residents of the United States, deer are the most readily accessible large game. Decades of experience hunting big game in Alaska has given me some definite biases. One of these biases is my confidence in the efficacy of heavy bullets of large diameter. My standard gun for bear protection was a Winchester Model 95 in .405 caliber. It stopped three bears at very close range with a single shot each time. Another of my favorites was the .44 Special round, which proved to be very accurate and effective on the black-tailed deer of Kodiak and Afognak, consistently providing one-shot kills. Coincidentally, this is a subsonic round and well suited to employment with a silencer. An integrally suppressed Ruger 77/44 rifle would be my first choice for discreetly taking deer-sized game.

The suppressed Ruger 77/44 from John’s Guns is an especially attractive system. Featuring a 16.25 inch barrel, and a 1.25×20 inch suppressor tube of 4140 steel finished in a handsome but discreet matt blue, this suppressed Ruger 77/44 has an overall length of just 39 inches. More importantly, it has a superbly quiet sound signature, and it’s as accurate as the unsuppressed rifle. This system from John’s Guns is my suppressed rifle of choice for the taking of deer-sized animals.

General Tactical

Any tactical requirements related to Y2K would probably relate to a possible breakdown of the social order, which could manifest itself as looting, or as an increased incidence of robbery, burglary, and carjackings. For protection from robbery and carjackings, it’s hard to beat a concealed and unsuppressed handgun of major caliber, preferably in .45 ACP according to my biases. For home defense, however, it’s hard to beat a 5.56x45mm carbine fitted with a sound suppressor to preserve the family’s short-term and long-term hearing if the weapon must be fired. One of my favorite systems is a select-fire M16 with 11.5 inch barrel and a quick-mount suppressor. A quick-mount suppressor is handy because some tactical situations call for making as much noise as possible, such as the need to gain temporary fire superiority to disengage from a superior force or to flank the enemy using fire-and-movement tactics.

One of my favorite quick-mount cans for the M16 family of weapons is the Model M4 3L sound suppressor from Suppressed Tactical Weapons. STW’s Model M4 3L features a patented three-lug quick-mounting system which is the most robust and trouble-free quick mount in the business. Designed by Carl O’Quinn and Andy Andrews, STW’s M4 3L suppressor has just four parts. The rear end cap and suppressor guts are machined from a single block of solid titanium. This ingenious monobloc design does not use baffles and spacers in any conventional sense. In my opinion, STW’s very efficient, one-piece suppression module represents one of the most important technological advances in the history of suppressor design.

Crafted entirely out of G2 titanium, the M4 3L suppressor has an overall length of 8.5 inches. Since the quick mount slips over the weapon’s barrel for 1.6 inches, the suppressor only adds 6.9 inches to the overall length of the weapon. The diameter of the silencer is 1.3 inches and the weight is an astonishingly light 14.0 ounces. The M4 3L runs 6-11 ounces lighter than the other quick-mount systems in the marketplace. Only the superbly crafted, screw-mount titanium Viper Model 3016 from the Special Op’s Shop is comparably light, but this smallest Viper variant produces a much louder sound signature. An M16 carbine with STW’s M4 3L suppressor provides an outstanding system for the up-close and personal requirements of family defense and the repelling of boarders.

Long-Range Tactical

Some folks live in open areas where they can see trouble coming from a considerable distance. To deal with such problems, it’s hard to beat a precision rifle chambered for 7.62x51mm ammunition. My own bias would be to use a system that featured a sound suppressor since, as the old Finnish proverb explains, “A silencer does not make a soldier silent, but it does make him invisible.” Using a suppressed rifle greatly facilities the ability to engage a superior force at a distance.

Furthermore, if the rifle features a barrel with a 1 in 10 inch twist, then the operator could also use high-performance, 200 grain 7.62x51mm Precision Bonded Subsonic (PBS) hollowpoint ammunition from Engel Ballistics Research that will give accurate shot placement, good penetration, and reliable expansion at subsonic velocities. Thus the operator could place high velocity shots reliably out to perhaps 800 yards using conventional match-grade service ammunition or 1,000 yards using VLD ammo. This same rifle could also be used to provide virtually silent hits into 1 MOA at 100 yards by using EBR’s PBS rounds. This would be a very versatile system suitable for a wide variety of hunting or tactical applications.

There are a number of outstanding .30 caliber suppressors in the marketplace. One of my favorites is the TPR-S suppressor from Gemtech. The TPR-S is very quiet with supersonic ammo, and it has a large enough bullet passage to use with subsonic ammo when the rifle barrel has a 1 in 10 twist rate. (Some other .30 caliber cans have tight bores that require a 1 in 8 rate of twist with subsonic ammo.) One of the best features of the Gemtech suppressor is that it features a spring-loaded quick mount that snaps onto two asymmetric lugs of a patented muzzle brake called the Bi-Lock. Not only does this allow the operator to mount or dismount the can in a few seconds, it also means that the rifle returns to the same zero every time the suppressor is mounted. Screw-mount suppressors will frequently require re-zeroing every time they are mounted, unless a torque wrench is used to mount them with the same number of inch-pounds every time the can is installed.

Final Thoughts

Is all this concern about Y2K insightful or just so much hokum? Only time will tell. While you might never use that new-in-the-box generator or a basement full of freeze-dried food, a careful collection of suppressed firearms would serve you well for years to come, whether or not you and your loved ones are bitten by the Millennium Bug. A good suppressed .22 rimfire rifle or pistol, a silenced .44 Special rifle, a 5.56mm carbine with quick mount suppressor, and a silenced rifle of .30 caliber should prove to be practical tools that will cover a wide spectrum of requirements in the new millennium. But this selection is a very personal one, based upon my own experiences and biases. What suppressed weapons would best fill your own needs as the new millennium approaches? I hope the preceding discussion has stimulated your own decision-making process.

D.H. Melton Company
Dept. SAR
1739 E. Broadway Road, Suite 1-161
Tempe, AZ 85282
phone 602-967-6218, fax 602-902-0783

Gemtech
Dept. SAR
P.O. Box 3538
Boise, ID 83701
phone 208-939-7222, fax 208-939-7804
URL http://www.gem-tech.com

Engel Ballistic Research, Inc.
Dept. SAR
544A Alum Creek Road
Smithville, Texas 78957
phone 512-360-5327, fax 512-360-2652
e-mail engelbr@swbell.net

John’s Guns
Dept. SAR
3010A Hwy. 155 North
Palestine, TX 75801
phone 903-729-8251, fax 903-723-4653

Sound Technology
Dept. SAR
P.O. Box 391
Pelham, AL 35124
phone and fax 205-664-5860
e-mail rem700p@sprintmail.com
URL http://www.hypercon.com/soundtech

Suppressed Tactical Weapons, Inc.
Dept. SAR
6911 Bill Poole Road
Rougemont, NC 27572
phone 919-471-6778, fax 919-471-3314
e-mail raymonda@earthlink.net

Special Op’s Shop
Dept. SAR
P.O. Box 978
Madisonville, TN 37354
phone 423-442-7180
URL http://www.compfxnet.com/opshop

Producing a miniature machine gun that actually fires ammunition provides a whole different set of problems because as the scale reduces, so do the tolerances that, ultimately, must be maintained to some degree to provide safety when dealing with chamber pressures and other forces that affect the working parts. A machine gun has many working parts that must act in unison under stress. Thus, certain liberties must be allowed to compensate for this. While the operating principles of the weapon may still be adhered to, true scaling of the internal parts is generally not possible because it must be chambered for a commercially available cartridge which, in all likelihood, is not to scale. Besides the multitude of manufacturing difficulties, current law prohibits the manufacture of “new” functional machine guns (in any size) so there are extremely few miniature machine guns that are capable of shooting.

Without a doubt, the best-known fully functional belt fed miniature machine guns were made by Dennis Tippmann and his Tippmann Arms Company. Starting out in the 1970s producing 1/2 scale Model 1862 Gatling guns he then turned his attention in the mid 1980s (when the law allowed the manufacture of “new” machine guns) to producing in 1/2 scale the classic Browning series of tripod mounted belt fed machine guns.

What can be said about the Browning guns that haven’t been said many times before in a legion of publications? They are the epitome of classic functional design that makes them instantly recognizable with an operating principle that is simplicity itself as well as proving itself in combat as being a true workhorse under a multitude of adverse conditions. Tippmann chose to recreate the .30 caliber Model 1917A1 water-cooled and Model 1919A4 air-cooled machine guns and the venerable .50 caliber M2 HB “Ma Deuce”. The guns were live working models and offered in semi-automatic or, upon special request, ATF registered full automatic versions. They came complete with tripod, non-disintegrating plastic link or cloth belts, metal or wood ammo boxes, technical manual, operating chart and fitted oak arms chest. Chambered for the .22 Long Rifle and .22 Magnum (for the M2 HB), they provided a source of full auto fun at an affordable price. Though some parts are not 100% accurate in scaling detail (such as the slightly larger trigger) due to its functionality, they are nonetheless wonderful representations of the larger versions that they copy and there is absolutely no mistaking what they are. They truly do capture the essence of the Browning.

After the fall of the USSR, two young Master Russian Metal Workers named Sergey Alekseevich and Sergey Vyacheslavovich from the Central Military Museum in Moscow turned their attention to making extremely detailed, fully functional but non-firing miniatures in an effort to keep their talents honed and occupied. They set up a little shop in an undisclosed location and due to current political Mafia pressure they sell nothing in the former Soviet Union and their location is a closely guarded secret. Using some ages old milling equipment and drafting techniques often consisting of merely a pencil, straight edge and calipers, they created in exquisite detail, and in excruciatingly small limited numbers, versions of the Thompson, German MP-38 and Russian PPsH-41 sub machine guns as well as the Russian SG43 and SGM Goryunov heavy machine guns and the Russian Maxim Model 1910 on a Sokolov wheeled mount. Some of these miniatures even come with scaled down dummy ammunition that will actually feed, chamber and eject. Truly astounding and remarkable in detail! Their work is displayed in several military museums throughout Russia such as the Museum of Military Power in Rovno, Ukraine, the Military Power Museum in Ezhevsk, Russia and the Military Power Museum in Moscow. The three gun set of the Goryunov Model 1943 (SG43) and its further modification to the SGMs were originally ordered by two Swedish merchants for donation to the Swedish Arms Museum in Stockholm but the order was ultimately canceled due to the volatile political environment in Russia and the guns were then sold. Their craftsmanship has been acknowledged here in the states by winning a number of medals at the annual NRA conventions the past several years.

Another master miniature arms maker was Frank Adlam of Australia. He built just 30 miniature weapons in 1/4 and 1/8 scale in his 25 year career ranging from swords (4) to rifles (7), pistols (6), machine guns (8) and artillery pieces (5). A professional soldier for 32 years, he rose to the rank of Warrant Officer and Master Gunner and proofed ammunition and tested weapons for the Australian Army and Navy. He set up a little shop in a tiny radar hut in 1957 at the Port Wakefield Range in South Australia and taught himself to be a draftsman, forger, fitter, wheelwright, molder and turner. He even made much of the equipment he needed to produce his miniatures. He created wonderfully accurate miniatures all through the 1960s and showed them at numerous shows in Australia until he had a serious heart attack in 1972 and was forced to cease his beloved avocation. He died in 1982. His models were so accurate that when his widow attempted to sell the collection the Adelaide, South Australia police determined them to be dangerous, illegal weapons under South Australia’s gun laws and threatened to confiscate and de-activate them by welding them up. A friend of the family clandestinely spirited them away into hiding in another Australian state while appealing the police ruling on behalf of the Adlam family. It took nearly ten years but the Australian Parliament finally exempted the Adlam Collection from any firearms laws which allowed the family to sell the collection.

The skill required to produce such exacting miniatures is achieved by only a small handful of craftsmen worldwide from such countries as the United States, Italy, England, Australia, Spain and Russia. Working generally from home workshops a single gun, from drawings to finished product, can take literally thousands of man-hours. Production can be a single example to a “production run” of maybe twenty or so guns. The time and effort put into these miniatures are not conducive to earning a living from such an endeavor. They are made for the love of the challenge and a passion to create a tangible object of their skill. Whether hand forged centuries ago or with the help of modern computer assisted milling equipment available today, these Lilliputian firearms are truly masterpieces that can be appreciated by all.

Brrrp! Brrrp! I was putting rounds down range and grinning ear to ear. It was July 1993 and I was the first American (to my knowledge) to ever fire on the weapons range at the old Soviet Spetsnaz Polygon (special forces training base) in Adazi, Latvia. Brrrupppp! Brrrupppp! More automatic weapons fire punctuated the stillness of the forest and the sharp, acrid yet pleasing smell of cordite soon tainted the pine-scented morning air. If you had told me, say ten years ago, that I would someday be standing on the firing range of a Spetsnaz base in the heart of Latvia I would have laughed in your face. As a U.S. Army “cold warrior” the only way I thought I’d ever see a place like this would be while waiting for a bullet as I hung from a parachute and peered past the toes of my jungle boots at little green tracer “footballs” coming up to meet me. Either that or being led out from an interrogation cell on my way for use as an unwilling pop-up target by a bunch of guys named Boris and Ivan. Nope, neither one. Matter of fact, I was standing there happy as could be with a fully-automatic Soviet Stetchkin machine-pistol and watching gunsmoke curl from the barrel. Of course I was surrounded by Latvians, who if they don’t hate Russians, they certainly dislike them. Strongly. The Ruskies, by the way were still garrisoned a few hundred yards down the road. The Latvian press was referring to them as “occupation forces”.

I spent two very pleasant days on the range with new found friends in the Valdibas Apsardzes Parvalde. (VAP, Government Security Service), specifically the Special Intervention Group (SIG). The SIG was Latvia’s counterterrorist and hostage rescue unit. It is now known as OMEGA (See SAR, April 1999, Vol 2 No. 7 “Omega’s Small Arms”).

Several of the VIP’s diplomatic bodyguard section carried Soviet Stetchkin machine pistols, and they happily loaned me one. I fired the Stetchkin in the holster-stock configuration. On full automatic. Very sweet, I fell in love. A large, robust pistol but with many good design features, it wasn’t difficult to handle. Its large grip (containing a rate retarding device and big enough to hold a 20-round magazine) provided plenty of purchase for two hands. Overall quality of the materials used in production is high and tolerances were good. The Avtomaticheskiy Pistolet Stetchkina, 9x18mm Makarov caliber, was fielded in Soviet military, police and KGB armories in 1951. It was issued for use in special operations and special police task such as diplomatic bodyguard details and convert counterterrorism operations. It also saw some use as a sidearm for armored vehicle crews. The APS was designed by Igor Yakolevich Stetchkin, then a Tula Arsenal engineer and designer.

Development

The Stetchkin’s design parameters as set by the Red Army called for a 9-mm selective fire pistol with a large magazine capacity that would use its holster as a shoulder stock (ala the 9mm Parabellum firing Mauser M1932 or M172 Schnellfeuer pistole also known as the “Broomhandle”) and have an effective range of 200 meters. A design team was headed up by I.Y. Stetchkin in 1950. Stetchkin, the son of a doctor, had risen to the position of engineer at the Tula Mechanical Institute during World War II. After producing an approved design a working prototype was manufactured. It performed acceptably and modifications were made to two test weapons. Comparison testing was done with the Mauser Schnellfeuer and its Spanish copy, the Astra Model 902 aka Model F (both in 7.63mm Mauser) and the Soviet Sudarev PPS-43 submachine gun which fires the 7.62mm Tokarev cartridge. Stetchkin remarked that his design performed better than the Mauser and the Astra and nearly as well as the Sudayev. After further modification and extensive troop trials the APS was adopted into service with the Soviet Army in 1951. In 1952 Stetchkin was awarded the State Prize for his development of the APS.

Technical Specifications

The APS was designed to fire the 9x18mm 93-grain FMJ steel-core Makarov cartridge (the APS was introduced by the Soviets at the same time as the Makarov). Muzzle velocity is about 1100 feet per second. Field tests by western intelligence analysts have found the Stetchkin achieves a muzzle velocity of 1,063 fps for East German manufactured by Makarov ammunition and 1,096 fps for Hungarian ball ammo. The same ammunition test fired in a Makarov produced muzzle velocities of 1,006 and 1,015 respectively. The noticeable gain in muzzle velocity can be attributed to the Stetchkin’s longer barrel. This weapon used a 20-round detachable staggered or double stacked box magazine. The double or two-position feed magazine, which feeds from both sides alternatively, has a spring exposing cut-out which allows for cartridge capacity checks. The receiver is of forged steel with a milled finish. The high quality salt-blue held up well on all examples I fired or handled. Weight was conserved where ever possible so the weapon weighs only 2.25 pounds (1.02 kg) empty (less than a Colt 1911A1 .45 ACP. With a full 20 round magazine it weighs 2.7 pounds (1.22 kg). Its chrome lined, fixed barrel (pinned in place like a Walther PP) is 5.5 inches (140mm). Overall length of the pistol is 8.9 inches (225 mm) – add the stock and it is nearly 21 inches (533 mm) – and height is 5.9 inches (149 mm). It has a chrome-lined bore and reddish-brown bakelite synthetic grips. Variations also exist with smooth wood grips. The barrel has four right-hand twist riflings.

A 14.5 inch (368 mm) long wood combination stock and holster, like that used with the Broomhandle Mauser M712, with a belt clip (a spring clip with two sling eyes) for right-side belt carry and sling can be quickly clipped to the pistol butt. While all the Stetchkins I’ve fired or seen had wood holster-stocks plastic versions were also manufactured. A sling or lanyard eye on the left side of the pistol just behind the trigger provides for retention of the weapon. The sling is attached much like the Mauser Broomhandle stock, except in reverse. The male attachment on the pistol butt’s backstrap is inserted into a matching female T-slot cut in the steel endcap of the stock. A spring catch locks it into place. The clip-on stock can then be disconnected from the pistol via a butt-cap mounted release catch. The pistol is stored in the holster by way of a hinged top (like the Mauser stock-holster) which allows the butt of the Stetchkin to protrude to the rear when clipped on the right side of the belt, much like any conventional holster. A simple press stud indented into the stock just below the hinged top activates a spring catch to unlatch the lid for drawing or removing the pistol.

Inside the holster-stock is a combination screwdriver and cleaning rod. The sling which can be clipped to both the sling connection on the stock and the sling eye on the pistol behind the trigger. The Latvians (and also the Estonian Police), however, clip both ends of the sling to the sling eye on the right, or non-firing side of the stock. Four spare 20-round magazines are issued with a double flapped leather magazine pouch.

The APS is sighted for 200 meters. The rear sight elevation is adjusted via a knurled drum between two protective flanges. The open U-notch rear sight can be set from 25 meters up to 200 meters with incremental settings at 50 meters and 100 meters. The front sight is a fixed blade.

The Stetchkin uses a two-stage single-action five pound trigger while the double action breaks at about fifteen pounds.

Mechanical Functioning

The APS is a non-locking blowback design. This unlocked breech design is largely responsible for the relatively light weight of the Stetchkin. Such a non-locking blowback action is possible using the low-power 93 grain 9x18mm Makarov cartridge. When the Stetchkin is fired the breech of the weapon remains closed from the weight of the slide and pressure from the recoil spring. The side is actioned to the rear via gas pressure exerted on the base of the cartridge case. The hammer is re-cocked and the spent cartridge extracted and ejected. The slide is sent forward by the recoil spring, chambering another cartridge and closing the breech. In semi-automatic fire the trigger does not engage the hammer until the trigger is released and pulled again to fire.

Pulling the trigger repeats the sequence. In the full-automatic fire mode the hammer is automatically tripped as the breech is closed, firing another cartridge and this sequence repeated. There is a spring-loaded plunger in the grip between the frame backstrap and the magazine-well which acts as a rate reducer in the full-automatic firing mode, limiting the effective cyclic rate of 700 – 750 rounds per minute. The plunger is activated by a transfer lever (initiated by a slide lug) as the slide cycles rearward. On the upstroke it impedes the firing of a second round (in the semi-auto mode) when it engages with the transfer lever and selector. Besides lowering the cyclic rate to a manageable level in full-automatic is also functions as a slide buffer and reduces the recoil velocity of the slide.

Loading and Firing

To load the magazine simply press a cartridge into the magazine until it catches under the feed lips. The next round is pressed down directly on top of it. Insert the loaded 20-round magazine into the magazine well at the butt until it engages the magazine latching lug. The APS three position selector switch is on the left side of the slide along with a hammer-drop safety. To operate: set it at OA (Cyrillic OD) for single shots, then to NP (Cyrillic PR) for safe (where it locks the hammer and slide), and all the way back to ABT (Cyrillic AVT for avtomat) for full auto fire.

On “safe” the firing pin is locked and the hammer is tripped to a locked position. Note that the hammer and slide are now locked. The selector must be moved to either semi-auto or full-auto before the slide can be pulled to the rear to chamber / eject a round. Pulling the trigger in either firing position will cock the hammer, in double action and release it to fire the first round. Trigger functioning is then single action. The first round or burst can also be fired single action, but only by manually cocking the hammer. On full-auto the cyclic rate of 700-750 rounds per minute will quickly – in 1.6 seconds or so – empty the 20 round magazine. There is a hold open device consisting of a lug on the magazine follower which engages the slide to lock it open after the last round is fired.

The Stetchkin will also reportedly reliably fire the 9mm Kurz or 9mm “Sort” (.380 caliber) ammunition. The case diameter of the 9mm Makarov is .309 inches and case length is .68 inches while that of the 9mm Kurz is .372 inches and .71 inches, respectively. Expended cartridge cases of the smaller .380 caliber cartridge usually will be bulged. Note also that the cyclic rate will drop and the velocity and accuracy will be likewise effected. But it will chamber, fire and eject. (NOTE: Neither the author nor Small Arms Review advises firing any cartridge in a weapon except the particular round that the weapon is specifically designed for).

Unloading and Clearing

On a Stetchkin with the slide forward, point the weapon in a safe and neutral direction and insure the selector switch is on either semi-auto or full-auto. Pull and hold the slide to the rear. Observe for ejection of a chambered round. Engage the slide release-catch (located on the left side of the receiver below the slide and just forward of the selector switch / safety as on most automatic pistols). Release the magazine (like the Makarov the magazine catch is a knurled button on heel of the pistol butt). Inspect the chamber.

To clear the weapon with the slide locked to the rear; inspect the chamber. Release the slide. Release the magazine catch and draw out the magazine. You can then re-cock the slide and inspect the chamber if desired.

Field Stripping

To disassemble the Stetchkin: First, clear the weapon and remove the magazine. Insure the selector is on either semi-auto or full-auto. Like the Makarov, the trigger guard of the APS is pulled down to initiate disassembly. It will be held in the down position (unlike the Makarov or Walther) by a spring-loaded catch stud. Next, pull the slide back to the recoil spring and lift the slide from the frame. Pull the recoil spring off the barrel. Disassembly is complete. Further or complete disassembly necessitates the use of armorer’s tools to disassemble the trigger mechanism, hammer, selector switch, firing pin, safety, rate retarder – grip spring, and grips.

KGB Assassination Weapon?

The Stetchkin was also manufactured in a fully suppressed version, known as the APS-B (Besshumniye or “without noise”). At least one of these “silenced” Stetchkins was captured in Afghanistan. This version of the Stetchkin had a wire buttstock rather than the wood or plastic holster stock and sported a long muzzle suppressor which was offset so that the sights are not occluded while attached. The barrel was ported (reducing bullet velocity to a suppressible subsonic level) with four small ports near the chamber and eight more, larger ports near the barrel. The barrel diameter between the ported sections was reduced and the barrel then ensconced in a tubular gas expansion sleeve. This tubular expansion sleeve (fitting over the barrel and extending nearly two inches beyond the slide) is locked into place by lugs fitting into two notches in the frame. The suppressor (which could be attached to the stock for carrying) is screwed onto the expansion sleeve by a helical thread – two twists and it’s on – is retained by a spring-catch. The front of the slide is cut out to accept the suppressor and a larger diameter recoil spring. Both the suppressor and the pistol with stock were issued in a large leather flap holster with two individual pockets: one for the pistol and the other for the stock and suppressor. This version of the APS was probably used for covert operations by KGB operatives; it is relatively rare. In this configuration it was ideal for carrying out KGB”hits.” Especially by motorcycle mounted drive-by shooters if the target is standing on a street corner. It could also be used (in the fashion which the M-11 Ingram was supposedly designed for) to take out “a room full of very surprised colonels.”
There were also specially presented Stetchkins, no doubt to foreign military dignitaries. Boxed in a wood presentation case lined in green wool baize were a Stetchkin with polished stock, leather sling and four magazines with pouch.

Tactical Critique

The Stetchkin can be fired full-auto, single handed as the rate reducer and long recoil spring minimizes recoil. Muzzle climb is drastic, even with the shoulder stock attached, when firing long bursts. Short three round bursts allow for the best accuracy. With aimed, semi-auto fire from a stable firing position (sitting-supported or prone) by a trained marksman the Stetchkin will group on man-sized silhouettes out to 150 meters.

With a little practice the Soviet requirement of effective accuracy to 200 meters could be achieved, however, it is truly pushing the envelope for both weapon and cartridge. Accurate full automatic fire degrades considerably beyond 25 meters. In firing the Stetchkin with the stock affixed I was able to consistently hit man-sized silhouette targets at that range with 3-5 round bursts from the standing off-hand. This is course could just as easily have been achieved using most any submachine gun. Without the stock it punches twenty holes in a man-sized silhouette at about 10 meters only by controlling the pistol dramatically between bursts. As a close combat weapon it is excellent, if only for its rapid, multiple hit capability and ease of engagement.

The Stetchkin is one of the true machine pistols, defined as handguns designed to fire in full automatic, as opposed to small submachine guns such as the Micro Uzi or the Czech Skorpion Model 61 .32 ACP submachine gun. The Broomhandle Mauser, Spanish Stars, Heckler & Koch VP70z, Glock 18, and Beretta 93R, are all weapons designed for this purpose. Individual examples of other handguns such as the Colt 1911 have been converted to fire full-auto, but were not originally designed for this purpose.

There may very well have been political reasons for development of the Stetchkin. At about the same time as it was being designed Stalin viewed the increasing popularity of certain communist party aparatchiks from Leningrad with suspicion. The successful defense of the city during the Siege of Leningrad was an epic victory of the Soviets over the Germans. Faced with a shortage of small arms the PPS-42 (Pistolet-Pulemet Sudayeva M1943) was quickly designed by a military engineer. A.I. Sudarev, to make use of existing machine tools, parts and ammunition.

It was a crude but efficient submachine gun constructed almost entirely of heavy steel stampings and held together with spot welds, pins and rivets. This weapon became a symbol of the victorious defense of Leningrad (now again called St. Petersburg). Because of this visual link with the past and with the Leningrad leadership, Stalin ordered the removal of the weapon (continued in production with minor modifications as the PPS-43 until 1945) from Red Army armories in order to banish it from sight and from the consciousness of Soviet citizens. This was a major undertaking as nearly 1 million of these weapons were produced. A replacement may have been part of the plan. Hence the comparison at the arms trials of the prototype Stetchkin and the PPS-43. While this is only speculation on my part, it would be a better motive than simply deciding to arm troops with a machinepistol which was neither as portable as a Tokarev nor as accurate as a submachine gun. The Kalashnikov was also in full production at this time which further begs the question: why a machinepistol? An arms historian can also draw a link between the popularity of the Mauser 1920 Bolo pistols (Bolo being short for Bolshevik at the time) supplied in quantity by Mauser to the Soviet Union. The Bolo was chambered for the bottlenecked 7.63mm (.30 Mauser), a cartridge which became more popular than the pistol. The Soviets adapted this pistol cartridge to become the Tokarev 7.62mm, which can also be fired in the .30 Mauser pistols. Perhaps some Soviet general or Communist Party official enamored of the Bolo Mauser (politically incorrect for use as it was a German weapon), but not very knowledgeable about weapons and modern warfare wanted a suitable replacement.

Filling no real purpose (except perhaps in special operations) it did not enjoy widespread success and was largely withdrawn from service by 1980. The APS, however, was fielded by the Soviets or their satellites (especially Bulgaria) to various “wars of liberation” and guerrilla groups. The Stetchkin would be a handy weapon for arming field advisors and rear area specialists and it has popped up in Afghanistan, Mozambique, Angola, Rhodesia, Libya and Zambia. In 1996 three Stetchkins with ammunition and seven magazines along with thirteen handgrenades were found by South African police in a mielie field near Krugersdorp. They were probably an abandoned ANC weapons cache. The most infamous incident involving a Stetchkin occurred in January 1989 in Holland when a Bulgarian truck driver was detained by police after they noticed the undue attention he was paying to NATO bases. A search of the truck revealed a Stetchkin concealed in the cab. This was probably the last major incident involving hard espionage during the Cold War.

Considered rare, relatively arcane, and supposedly removed from general service in the USSR by 1985, I was surprised to find it in such general use amongst special operations units in the Baltics as late as 1995. I would guess that these have been largely supplanted by H&K MP-5s in Estonia and Micro Uzis in Latvia. However, if the Balts were making use of the weapon just a few years sago, then I suspect some elements of the new Russian Army might be as well. At the time I first fired the Stetchkin (1993) I was told it was available on the black market for $1,000 (USD). Following the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union a quantity of Stetchkins were undoubtedly removed from storage in state armories and peddled for hard currency. Counterterrorism instructors were warning students of the use and availability of this weapon to terrorists, assassins and criminals.

Various attempts to turn automatic pistols (semi-auto and select fire) into carbines via the addition of a shoulder stock holster prior to development of the Stetchkin met with mixed results. The most well-known machinepistols or pistol carbines include: the Mauser; the Astra; the Star Pistol Carbine Model “A” and its select fire version Model “M”; the long barreled P08 Model 1914/1917 “Artillery” Luger (further encumbered with a 32-round snail magazine’ and various 9mm FN Browning Hi-Power manufactures. None of these were great successes as general-usage military weapons. Stocked pistols are neither as accurate as carbines and submachine guns nor as portable as pistols. Perhaps the Soviets merely needed to find out for themselves what the Germans and the Spanish already knew.

US Lore of the Stetchkin

“Common Knowledge” dictated that the only Stetchkin machine pistol in the US was secretly stashed at Langley in the possession of the CIA. Rumors of one held by a Vietnam Veteran who took it from the body of a “Large Caucasian” in a cross border op during the Vietnam war were followed up by this author, to find he did not have the gun, but was a dog handler with the Marines who did in fact discover one on a “Large Caucasian” with a leather pouch full of documents and a Stetchkin, but as he and his team mates examined it, several of the CIA personnel who had called his K9 team in for a body search quickly removed it and the pouch. He did not have the gun. It was not supposed to have happened. He had the credentials to back up his story.

The ATF booklet on Curio and Relics lists the Stetchkin APS machine pistol, and has ever since I remember the publication. This would indicate, but not guarantee, that there is at least one registered transferable Stetchkin in the US.

LMO purchased 50 Arsenal refinished and new Stetchkin APS machine pistols in the early 1990’s. These were packed 25 per wooden chest, with plastic stocks, slings, and magazine pouches. Approximately 25 were imported for law enforcement use or as dealer sales samples, and are restricted as “Post 86 dealer samples”. The balance of the guns had the receivers destroyed and were imported as parts sets. Most of these were made into dummy guns, but some were reportedly redesigned into a semi automatic version by a Midwest manufacturer. With the stocks, these would have required registration as Short Barreled Rifles.

From the Stetchkins that were seen, it would indicate that the dates of manufacture were 1951 until 1955.

One of the suppressed versions is in the possession of the Royal Pattern Room in Nottingham, and SAR hopes to bring the story and pictures of that piece to the readers in a future issue. – Dan

Back in the 1950’s, when people were still amazed at things like supersonic flight and ballistic missiles, newer and faster aircraft seemed to be introduced almost weekly. The new 1,500 mph Lockheed F-104A Starfighter didn’t disappoint anyone as the U.S. Air Force put the world’s fastest jet through its paces at its first public flight on March 5, 1956. Gathered to watch the spectacle were over 200 reporters, government officials and other curious onlookers assembled at the Air Force’s production test facility at Edwards Air Force Base near Palmdale, California. When the show was finally over and the crowd inspected the plane on the ground, many noticed a rather curious bulge in the front left side of the fuselage. Several speculated openly that it covered the Air Force’s mysterious new “supergun”, a marvelous new machine gun that had been rumored about for the past two years but remained shrouded in secrecy. The Air Force, of course, would say nothing.

But there had been some hints dropped. A few months before the F-104’s flight, Lt. General Donald L. Putt made a speech during a meeting of the Aero Club of Washington. Gen. Putt, at that time head of Air Force armaments development, stated that the standard .50 caliber Browning aircraft machine gun with its 850 rpm cyclic rate had become outclassed in the new jet age. Replacing it was the M39 20 mm automatic cannon, a new weapon with a cyclic rate of about 1,700 rpm. And the M39, he continued, would soon be replaced by a still newer gun, a 20 mm gun that could achieve almost 7,000 rpm!

This and other vague references to the new “supergun” kept the rumors going strong until the Starfighter was first shown to the public. Then the desire for information became so strong that, shortly after the fighter’s flight, the Pentagon finally acknowledged that a new 20 mm machine gun was in the final stages of development, with regular production expected to begin later in the year. The gun was a joint venture involving the U.S. Army Ordnance Dept., the Air Force and the General Electric Co. of Schenectady, New York. The Pentagon had even given the project its own code name—”Project Vulcan”!

The story of “Project Vulcan” goes back to 1945 and a research effort being conducted between the then Army Air Force and the U.S. Army Ordnance Department’s Research and Development Service, Small Arms Branch. In command of this branch was Colonel Rene R. Studler and under his command were two officers, Cleves “Doc” Howell and Melvin M. Johnson, Jr. (of Johnson rifle and LMG fame). While traveling to Waterbury, Connecticut to consult with yet another machine gun contractor having belt-link problems, Howell suggested to Johnson the idea that the old Gatling guns should be tested with an external motor attached for possible aircraft applications. Johnson replied that he was not particularly pleased with the prospect of dealing with the belt-link problems of a high-speed Gatling. But Howell eventually persuaded Johnson of the validity of the concept and both agreed that a proposal should be brought before Col. Studler.

The colonel listened to the young officers’ proposal intently, and then granted them permission to do a “feasibility study” of the idea. Backed by Studler, Army Ordnance granted Johnson Automatics, Inc. (Melvin Johnson’s own company) a small contract to do research with antique Gatling guns that were in the collection of the Ordnance Museum at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. The tests were conducted in late 1945 at Johnson Automatics’ private test range in Cumberland, Rhode Island. Johnson himself wanted to test one of the later versions of the Gatling, a caliber .30-06 or .30-40 Krag model from the period 1896 to 1910. Unfortunately none could be found at the time and Johnson had to settle for a .45-70 model 1886 Gatling with 10 barrels and a 103-round Accles feed drum. Dr. Richard Jordan Gatling, inventor of the original gun, had conducted a few tests himself with a powered gun in 1896, but by then the Gatling was being overshadowed by the self-powered designs of Browning, Maxim and others. Nothing came of those early experiments, and Dr. Gatling died in 1903.

Two tests were conducted, one at approximately 4,000 rpm and another at 5,500 rpm, each with the Accles drum loaded with only fifty rounds so that the gun mechanism could build up speed before firing. In spite of the clouds of smoke created by the use of original black-powder ammunition, Johnson’s tests were a great success. A few more bursts were fired and the old Gatling performed amazingly until an extractor failure brought the tests to an end. Johnson immediately submitted his findings to the Ordnance Dept. along with some recommendations for making a plausible belt-fed weapon. Ordnance was impressed enough with the findings that on January 18, 1946, only a couple of months after Johnson’s tests, the Dept. awarded the General Electric Company a contract to further study the idea. By June G.E. had a contract to develop a practical powered, belt-fed Gatling. Johnson’s original test gun was bought by Winchester in 1949 and eventually ended up in the museum of the Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation.

The Air Force, which was providing most of the funding for the project, laid down the initial specifications for the gun. It wanted 5,000 rpm, a caliber of about .60, a 60-inch barrel length with the entire gun being no longer than 80 inches, and five barrels. It also wanted the gun to be easy and quick to maintain and reliable at high speeds, altitudes and extremes in temperature. G.E. engineers went to work and by April 1949 they had a prototype that could achieve 2,500 rpm reliably. By June 1950 an improved prototype had reached 5,000 rpm, and by September it reached 6,000. Further testing was conducted at Aberdeen Proving Ground and at the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts. Four different versions were tested, and in May 1952 seven prototypes shot 75,000 rounds without a jam.

Things looked promising for the motorized Gatling, but it was not without competition. In 1945, as Hitler’s Third Reich crumbled, the Allies overran the Mauser facilities at Oberndorf and found that the Germans had produced a prototype gas-operated, high-speed cannon using a revolving drum to feed a single barrel. After the war ended, a joint project between Army Ordnance, the Air Force and the Ford Motor Company produced the M39 automatic cannon, a weapon very similar to the original Mauser. Development proceeded quickly and this weapon officially replaced the Air Force’s M3 Browning in time to see action at the very end of the Korean War, in MIG Alley in 1953. Eight F-86F Sabrejet fighters were equipped with the new guns and in only a few days destroyed 9 MIGs and damaged 12 more. The gun became standard equipment in all Air Force fighters until the introduction of the Starfighter in 1956, and was primarily produced by the Pontiac Motor Division of General Motors. But even though the MIG Alley encounters demonstrated the validity of the high-rpm aircraft gun, the capability of the M39 was limited by its single barrel and even it couldn’t keep up for long.

Fortunately, progress on the new Gatling was made at a rapid pace. By mid-1952 three different versions were still being considered. There was the .60-cal. T-45 (also called Model “A”), the 27 mm T-150 (Model “B”), and the 20 mm T-171 (Model “C”). After additional trials at Springfield Armory the T-45 and T-150 were dropped from consideration and the T-171, now being referred to as the “Vulcan” gun after the project code-name, was stepped up to the pre-production phase. In August 1952 G.E. produced 27 T-171 six-barreled guns for extended Air Force trials at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and after successfully completing these trials General Electric was awarded a contract to begin pilot production of the gun at their Schenectady, New York plant in 1954.

The “Vulcan” was finally shown to the public at Aberdeen Proving Ground on August 28, 1956 after having been adopted officially by the Air Force earlier in the year as the M61. General Electric was awarded a 7-million dollar contract to begin full production late that year at Schenectady, and later production was moved to the company’s Aircraft Equipment Division plant in Burlington, Vermont. Two versions, one with electric motors and one with hydraulic motors, were produced to satisfy the requirements of the Air Force’s two largest aircraft contractors, Lockheed and Republic. A year after the T-171 was adopted, a larger 30 mm version dubbed the T-212 was introduced. The T-212 was originally designed to fire high-explosive shells and was to be used on heavily armored targets against which the 20 mm standard armor-piercing rounds were ineffective. But it was not until 1973 that the Pentagon would find a use for the big 30 mm, when on June 21 of that year General Electric was awarded a contract to produce the GAU-8A “Avenger”, an updated T-212, for use in the new Fairchild-Republic A-10 “Thunderbolt” (aka “Warthog”) close-air support aircraft.

It was never entirely smooth sailing for the Vulcan when it came time to decide the Defense Department’s budget. Major emphasis at that time was placed on guided missile development, and Air Force small arms development took a back seat. Several times “Project Vulcan” and other projects such as the M39 came close to being cut out altogether, and in fact all Air Force small arms programs were cut entirely in 1957 and did not resume again until early in the Vietnam War. But Vietnam was to be the coming of age for the Vulcan concept both in the air and on the ground, and would see the extensive use of both the Vulcan and its diminutive but famous offspring, the “Machine Gun, Aircraft, GAU-2/A”, more commonly known as the “Minigun”.

Many people believe that the Minigun was conceived and developed expressly for use in the Vietnam War, but that is not entirely true. A rifle-caliber gun for use in direct tactical support of ground troops was part of the overall concept from the start, and the “mini-Vulcan” gun was actually conceived as part of the original 1946 contract that spawned the T-171 and T-212. Development of the 7.62 mm version was begun in 1957 immediately after the U.S. Army adopted the T-44 (M-14) rifle and its 7.62mm x 51mm NATO cartridge in May of that year, and G.E. had prototype guns and universally mountable “gun pod” systems ready by mid-1958. The gun itself, designated by G.E. as the model GAU-2/A, was originally designed to be housed in its own self-contained “pod”, or enclosure, designated SUU-11A/A. This pod held the gun, its feed mechanism, fire controls and ammunition, and was intended to be a simple add-on assembly that could be mounted on the exterior of any subsonic aircraft. Later, in 1963, G.E. would also offer the Vulcan in its own self-contained bolt-on unit, nicknamed “VULPOD”, for use on close-air support variants of the F-100, the F-104 and F-4C fighters. But, like the T-212, the Pentagon simply didn’t have a use for the Minigun at that time. It would not be until mid-1963 and the Air Force’s search for a weapon system for their fledgling gunship program, that G.E.’s old 1958 prototypes would be dusted off and further developed in the Weapons Laboratory of Detachment 4, Aeronautical Systems Division of the Air Force Systems Command at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The rest, as they say, is history.

I have some serious reservations about recommending firearms for “Y2K” scenarios, because no one really knows what is coming. Yet, that has been the subject of conversation for many months, and people keep expecting some type of commentary from SAR. The following is my essay on the subject- simply my take on the situation. – Dan Shea

No one has the Crystal Ball. I keep asking, and can’t get a positive answer as to “What” is going to happen in “Y2K”. The answers vary from “Nothing at all” to “As the systems totally collapse, Bill Clinton will declare martial law and suspend elections, effectively ending the American system as we know it”. Some go so far as to say we are going to lose all of our modern civilization.

Well, that’s quite a spread there. Not to be flip, but how does a nineties kind of guy choose the proper suit and shoes for Armageddon, let alone the appropriate weaponry? It is totally beyond me.

The computer programmers I know vary from the ones who bailed out over the last few years, moved to Idaho or northern New Hampshire, got four miles up a dirt road and around a corner, are stockpiling guns and food…. to the ones who are still at their jobs, not worried in the least about anything but minor disruptions. Who is right? I really haven’t got a clue, and the knowledgeable people that I know are roughly divided in half on what they expect.

Are we about to face blood in the streets, massive political turmoil, and TEOWAWKI (The End Of the World As We Know It)? Or, are we about to lose power in some areas, for perhaps a week, and then it will all be just peachy. Again- this writer hasn’t got a clue.

What I do know is a little of what history teaches me, and just a little bit about firearms.

From that vantage point, I would like to totally erase the “Y2K” scenario from the rest of the article, because I think a prudent person is one who is prepared for most situations anyway.

I don’t want to be no refugee…

Historically, the lesson of human history is change, and it is seldom pretty. Usually violence is involved, and many times starvation, relocation, and other unpleasant situations are present. The Age of Aquarius is the only major change I can think of that was totally non-violent, and it only happened in the minds of some few assorted flower people. The Bible, which among other things is one of the best historical documents that we possess in the Western World, has many admonitions against not being prepared for adversity. For every comment about how the “Lilies do not toil” there is a story of how the very nasty Seven Years of Lean followed those nice Seven Years of Fat, and those who are prepared survived quite well. Most civilizations that lasted more than a few minutes have lore surrounding preparedness. The old “Ant and the Grasshopper” fable is one good example. The Ant toils and survives, the Grasshopper plays away irresponsibly and dies. (Then there is the modern version where the government comes and takes Ant’s stores of food and gives them to grasshopper, and neither have enough to survive.)

In the light of preparedness thinking, I would like to urge the following.

1- Do not drastically change your lifestyle, or get stressed out about it- you can only do what you are willing to do- If you were willing to live on a mountain top and fetch water from the creek, you would have been giving it consideration anyway. If that’s what you want, go do it.
2- Buy only things that you will use anyway. Don’t buy canned bacon if you don’t EAT canned bacon.
3- Buy those things privately, and store them quietly.
4- You need safe shelter, heat, food, water, and clothing. Make a list of what you need, and make sure you have enough for the foreseeable future- plus a little.
5- Plan your life efficiently around the things you use and need- define need carefully, no one needs a Porsche.

Many people put away things they can never use. If you switch from white bread, you know that spongy stuff that condenses into a little tiny ball of paste, to a whole grain stone ground bread, without working your system up to it, you will not only be facing digestive problems, but you can hurt yourself. Think about that with all of the items you use for preparedness.
Any good scout can give you a list of things you should have around the house for emergencies, and anyone who’s lived through a bad ice storm, hurricane, or civil unrest can suggest a list as well. Get with them, and fill out your list. That’s not what SAR is about.

In another section of this issue, SAR Suppressor Technology Editor Al Paulson makes a few choice takes on suppressors for your “Kit”. I would now like to make a couple of suggestions on regular firearms.

If you believe that you may have to hunt for food for the pot, in a survival situation, I would urge you to get a good 22 caliber rifle. Yes, 22 Long Rifle. You can comfortably afford a LOT of ammunition, and you can easily carry quite a bit as well. This might not be a popular thing to say, but I can tell you from many years experience that a couple of boxes of 22 LR equals a potload of partridge, squirrel, and other small, delicious game. The signature of the 22 is quite low in the woods as well, and almost non-directional from a distance. (Of course, if you have to hunt game on the prairie with 300 yard shots, or defend yourself against BIG game, this isn’t practical). Put a good scope on it- accuracy counts on small game, and a neck shot on a partridge keeps from ruining the meat.

Three other points about that little 22. First- no one worries too much about them, because they are almost warm and fuzzy- kid’s plinking guns. It’s almost the accepted second part of the sentence when someone tries to ban guns- “Well, except for the 22’s”. Second, if you are at all handy, you can devise ways to muffle the signature. In the case of today’s society, file a Form 1 or purchase a current manufactured suppressor, pay a tax, put on a legally registered muzzle suppressor. In a situation where all bets are off, you can be field expedient. Third, in the event that you are in dire straits…. Well, ask anyone with real time experience and they will tell you a stealthy person with a 22 can get just about anything they need, including superior weaponry.

The best part of the 22 is that you will always use it, emergency situations or not. You don’t have too much invested in the gun or in the ammunition. I highly recommend a couple of hours of 22 cal plinking to anyone, and take some kids along to show them the safe handling and enjoyment of firearms. You should be practicing anyway, just for proficiency. If you get a little paranoid and go buy 5 cases (25,000 rounds) because some article trips your trigger, well, heck, that’s a lot of trips to the sandpit, and it’s short money to boot.

You can’t lose with a 22 in your kit. Add a nice pistol or revolver in the same caliber, and you have some better concealment and mobility. Add unusual ammunition for diversity- subsonic, ratshot, Vipers, tracers, all have their use. I stick with plain old Hi Velocity 22 Long Rifle, and it has always served me well. Your personal political call on whether you want to give Bill Ruger any of your money- his 10-22 is a fine, reliable gun. I personally drift towards a bolt action, good scope, nice trigger, exhale slowly, light finger pressure on the trigger, and pretty soon there’s a nice little partridge ready for the pot. The 77-22 has always been a good gun, if a little pricey. Marlin offers some nice guns in the bolt configuration, with a reasonable price. Again, put good glass on it- I would suggest that the glass will probably cost close to what the host gun does.

Your interests are a little more intense

I guess this is somewhat more involved. In the back of your mind is combat. Real survival. What kind of rifle should someone choose for survival in a possible worst case scenario? This depends on your location, the terrain, and what, exactly you consider to be a “Worst case scenario”.

Paraphrasing Master Sun Tzu in the Art of War: “It is best to win without fighting”. Get serious here- you’re not going to sit in the woods and have a firefight with a modern army. The Warthog will sit back out of range and thoroughly mess up the area you are in. Modern munitions will ruin your day. It is also a difficult task to face down thousands of rioters with one single M16. Who the hell wants to do either? People can point out that Mr. Charles did a fine job of guerrilla fighting and holding our army at bay, but there was a lot more to it than that. The Viet Cong were a fighting force within the population- armed and trained by an outside army, with supply routes, and long term goals and objectives. Odds are, if a worst case scenario starts in your neighborhood, Uncle Ho won’t be sending you more rice and nuoc mam.

Learn to back up and regroup. I am talking about, before you think about weaponry, start thinking about exit strategies. If you live in a city, near an area that has a history of violent rioting, it’s more important to have a plan to get out and save your life and the lives of those you care about than to worry about the paintings Aunt Doris sent you. A man’s home may be his castle, but if you are standing alone, it can easily be your funeral pyre. Work with your neighbors on neighborhood defense if things start looking hairy, and if it gets real bad, have your way out pre-planned and well thought out.

A good survival rifle should be reliable. Accurate. Hard hitting with repeatable results. You should know your rifle’s good points, and it’s bad points. Parts should be readily accessible, as should ammunition. Put a scope on it. It should be light enough to carry for long distances, and it should be of the type to handle the jobs you choose for it in the area you live in, or may be operating in. One of my favorite rifles is a Steyr SSG with a kick-ass Leupold scope- it hits hard, and with someone who shoots better than me it would probably light a match at 300 yards. In the case of Hard Times, I would leave it in the vault. It weighs too much, and ammunition is not common up here.

I live in rural Maine. Almost every farmhouse has a twelve gauge, or a 30-30 Winchester or Marlin. If you really want to be a survival oriented person, having a firearm that is common to your area is a must. Parts are around, and so is the ammunition. 257 Roberts might be a screamer, but the Barkleys around the corner up by the old schoolhouse don’t have any of it for trading. I would suggest that anyone who is serious about a “Survival” rifle pick a common caliber for their area, and a common firearm as well.

At the distances encountered in the area that I live in, a 30-30 Winchester (Model 94) is devastating, and will drop a deer flat. It’s light, easy to carry, and handy to the shoulder. Might not drop a bear right off, but a well placed shot would damn sure give that bear pause for thought. I prefer a bolt action rifle, but the lever action is quick to the touch and handy as well.

Well, what about the impolite subject of arms for citizens, arms that are intended for use against other people? I am going to be frank about this. I pray fervently that we never see this on our soil again, and hope that peace can prevail around the world. That said, I do not expect this to be the case and combat comes to the discussion.

Forget your exotics. Keep it simple. If you want full or semi auto, your reasonable choices are pretty slim. AK-47 variant, or M16 variant. The HK’s are out of my consideration because of the parts availability- but if you have a good store of spares, go for it. People continually ask me what submachine gun I would grab if I had to. Well, if I HAD to grab a submachine gun, it would probably be an Uzi, but if I HAD a choice, it would not be a pistol caliber weapon. (The ergonomics of shooting the Uzi on the run, offhand, are superior to the MP5- for me. That’s my experience with them. I advocate the MP5 for police work, but would strongly recommend an Uzi over it for regular military forces). Forget the pistol calibers- the intermediate calibers are the most effective, and extend your range significantly. Wounding power, stopping power, lethality, whatever you want to call it- much more significant from 5.56 NATO or 7.62 x 39mm. Either caliber is getting pretty common today.

My choice would be an AR-15 variant. Semi-automatic. Flat top upper with a good optical scope, probably fixed 3x. 16 inch barrel with the M4 type of configuration. Fixed stock- that’s a personal preference. Tactical sling. This would be a Non-NFA firearm. No need to have it registered. If I wanted to go with an NFA item as my personal rifle, I would go with a registered receiver M16, dressed as an A2 with the 14.5 inch M4 configuration barrel. A suppressor would definitely be in the kit. Let Al Paulson test them out further, I personally liked and felt comfortable with quite a few different systems- including the old two point mount styles. The budget might prevail on this, but buy the best you can. Quality does make a difference.

Other than many years of owning full and semi automatic weapons, having handled tens of thousands of them, my choice above comes from three basic factors:

One: in the United States, parts and ammunition are commonly available for the M16/AR15 system. Parts are not readily available for the Kalashnikov series of firearms, and ammunition is available, but not common- if you contest that, name five police departments that use AK’s and 7.62 x39 mm. Now name five that use M16 variants and 5.56 NATO. Ammunition in the private sector follows a similar curve. This relatively common civilian ownership of the AR style guns means that parts and ammunition will probably be available trade goods in the private sector in the case of societal collapse.

Two: M16/AR15 variants are reliable, trustworthy systems. They are battle tested, battle proven, and have been updated by many improvements over the years. Take advantage of the newest technology, and your survival rifle can be almost Murphy-proof.

Three: Deadly effects of the Small Caliber High Velocity projectile, combined with volume of fire. If you need more convincing on this subject, read We Were Soldiers Once, and Young about the fighting in the Ia Drang valley in 1965. The overwhelmed US battalion fought its way through two days of incredible assaults. Some of the soldiers cursed the AR15’s that malfunctioned. Lt Colonel Hal Moore, the ass-in-the-grass commanding officer who was in the whole fight from the ground- not directing from up in a bird, credited the new “Black Rifle” along with the fighting spirit of his men as the reason they made it out of the valley. He spoke of the extra ammunition they were able to carry, and the withering barrage of fire they could lay out to break the backs of the NVA assaults. The unit suffered terrible losses facing those overwhelming odds, but still, in fact, they persevered. That the Commanding Officer credits the AR15 system as part of that success is a good recommendation. That type of combat experience has been repeated over and over in the last thirty odd years. Enough said.

Your new AR15 type rifle can be readily equipped with a 22 caliber subcal unit. Game-getting at it’s best. Keep it clean, because the 22 ammo will foul the gas system. Learn the scope on the 22 ammo, and you will enjoy many an hours inexpensive plinking, as well as the best the forest can offer in survival situations.

Spare parts? Relatively inexpensive, and easy to obtain. Spend about half of what you have in the rifle on spares, with 10 of each spring, and 3 or so or each small internal component, spare bolts, carrier, barrel, gas tubes, etc, and you should be well prepared.

Please don’t misconstrue this as SAR casting aspersions on any type of firearms. I took a specific location, as in the United States, and tried to choose what I would look for in an all around survival rifle. I hope you can apply my logic to your own area. There are places where an FAL variant would be the best choice, and certainly parts of the planet where an AK would be the best.

Money was also not considered. An SKS and a case of good ammo can go a long way as a survival weapon. These were devastating in combat, and I remember a short while ago we shot a whitetail deer with one- dropped flat and dead- one shot, with impressive terminal effects. However, the admonition regarding replacement parts is definitely in effect- try calling your neighbors for SKS parts or ammunition. Odds are you will come up empty. The same might happen with the AR15, but the odds are better here.

If you follow the above ideas, you should be well prepared for any eventuality. Best of all, you have purchased guns you wanted anyway. If all goes the way we want, and 2 January 1999 is just another piece of cake… you can go plinking on the weekends, then bring all the extra cases of ammunition that you hoarded up down to the Spring Knob Creek and rock and roll for a serious good time! But, a prudent person would leave a couple of cases in the back room, just in case…