Uppercut’s 22 LR, 32-grain, jacketed hollow point bullet features nose skiving that initiates full and reliable expansion through 2.5- to 4-inch semi-auto pistols, while retaining the weight needed to hit critical penetration depths needed for self-defense. Plus, CCI ’s legendary priming ensures it will always be ready if ever required.

The new Hevi-Bismuth pest control centerfire handgun shotshells are loaded with the Catalyst lead-free primer and HEVI-Bismuth pellets. At 9.6 g/cc, the shot carries nearly the same density and downrange energy of lead but adheres to all non-toxic ammunition requirements. Available in 9mm Luger, 38/357 Mag., 40 S&W, 44 Spl/Rem Mag., 45 Auto, and 45 Colt.

The new 10mm Auto 105-grain No. 9 pest control centerfire handgun shotshells produce consistent patterns that make it easier to knock down nasty critters such as snakes and other pests in tight quarters. Packed in reusable boxes of 10 shotshells.

New 9mm Luger Blazer Brass handgun ammunition features reloadable brass cases, quality primers, and clean-burning propellants. The new lower-recoil, 100-grain load offers consistent, reliable, accurate performance for target shooting.

Attendees of the 2024 SHOT Show are encouraged to stop by Booth No. 11838 for a first-hand look at these new products and more. For more information on all products from CCI Ammunition, go to www.cci-ammunition.com.

A great factor in the popularity of the AK rifle platform in the 1980-90s was the wide availability of cheap military surplus plinker ammunition from the former ComBlok countries. Later, after the surplus waned, still-inexpensive steel-case commercial bulk 7.62x39mm fodder became available. The commercial ammo had the advantage of being non-corrosive. People made videos of mag dumps with drums, showing smoking handguards. While surplus 5.45x39mm ammunition was briefly available on the cheap, magazines and cartridges were never quite as accessible, and neither were the guns that fired it.

Fast-forward two decades, through import restrictions and inflation, now the cheapest 7.62x39mm runs 40 cents per round. Blasting through a magazine just for fun is not only expensive but worse, blasting through the same for training costs just as much. With much of the ammunition still using spark-making gilded steel jackets, indoor ranges treat cheap 7.62x39mm as a fire hazard. At my outdoor range, fires aren’t a risk, but damaging steel targets at close range when practicing close range rapid fire is a concern. With the AR15, the solution is simple: several companies make affordable .22 uppers with realistic feel and manual of arms. Up to now, rimfire clones of the AK47 have been either unreliable, fragile, inauthentic, or all three. Recently, Pioneer Arms from Radom, Poland began making realistic, durable, and very authentic copies of the AKM in chambered in .22 rimfire.

The 5-pound 10-ounce wood-stocked rifle looks like the real thing, complete with the slant muzzle compensator. The only detail giving away the unusual nature of the rimfire trainer rifle is the charging handle placement further back than usual, and a smaller ejection port recessed inside the top cover opening. The breech face of the 16-inch barrel sits a little further back than usual, too, accommodating the shorter cartridge and the correspondingly abbreviated bolt travel distance. From the left, there’s no visual difference at all. Full-size 30-round magazines I used were the real thing with the feed lips cut short and a 3D printed 10-round magazine inserted in their place. Remarkably, even the two printed magazines held up through a very high volume of fire. The magazine follower holds the bolt open until removed to prevent accidental dry fires, a small concession to the rimfire nature of the rifle. Production magazines will be visually identical to the 7.62x39mm mags produced by Pioneer Arms, a lightweight and inexpensive all-polymer design. Capacity is still pegged at 10 rounds, mainly to simplify logistics and avoid having to make and track special ban-state variants. With the main purpose being training, frequent magazine changes aren’t that much of a detriment.

The sights are identical to the centerfire version, though the range markings would have to be memorized once the dope chart is done. With the rear leaf set to a “direct shot” point blank setting, I could hit a head-sized target at 50 yards by placing the front sight post right under it and by aiming right on at 100. The close-range drills were often done by bracketing the target with the protective ears of the front sight and not even bothering with more precise sight alignment. With AK clones, the iron sights provide the natural limits on practical accuracy, and plinker-grade ammunition places another constraint. In the cheap-and-cheerful spirit of the platform, I used mainly bulk fodder and found it to be almost entirely reliable, the rare exception being occasional unprimed cartridges. When shooting at 100 yards, the main goal was to keep the impact group centered on the target to indicate correct sight alignment, smooth trigger pull, and follow-up. Closer, the goal was rapid sight acquisition, effective transition from target to target, and developing better familiarity with the controls of the AKM. For those goals, the AK47-22 proved ideal. Benched groups were surprisingly good at around 2 inches at 50 yards or 4MOA, my ability to align sights being the greatest limiting factor.

Since the rifle has no recoil and a moderate length of pull, it proved a favorite with teen and female shooters. And a range visitor wanted to run at least a hundred rounds through this rifle, an interesting display of favoritism considering how many more exotic arms were also available for use. With hardy, standard-sized magazines fitting regular AK magazine carriers and pouches, this gun proved highly useful for movement drills.

Fieldstripping follows the regular process at first, but the gas tube can stay in place since it is entirely decorative. 80% of the combined simple blowback bolt and carrier, other than the aluminum guide tube in place of the gas piston, is made of steel. More extensively skeletonized than the centerfire original, it is just slightly lighter. The mechanism proved quite reliable: my friends and I shot at least 1,500 rounds of mainly un-plated .22 ammunition without any cleaning and saw no reduction in accuracy or reliability.

The rifle ships with the standard AK pattern compensator held by a detent in the front sight tower. Other muzzle devices, including linear comps and sound suppressors, can be installed without resorting to tools. Even a cleaning rod is included! The only missing piece of authenticity is the bayonet mount in case that charging Chupacabra doesn’t fall promptly enough to the mighty .22 rimfire.

Besides the rifle form, this action is also available as a Hellpup pistol with a 12-inch barrel. Given the disruptions in the supply of AK ammunition, either variant should be a desirable training aid. It’s also just plain fun, a little lighter than the 7.62mm original, recoil-less and less annoying to neighbors’ dogs.

Make: Pioneer Arms
Model: AK47-22
Caliber: .22LR
Barrel Length:  16in
Overall Length: 34in
Weight: 10.625
Mag Capacity: 10rd
MSRP: $TBD
URL: www.pioneer-pac.com

The year 1994 will be remembered by many as the dark cloud that brought the dreaded “Assault Weapon” ban in the paramilitary market among civilian shooters. This controversial law killed importation of sporterized military type weapons and their rimfire look-alikes. The fallout soon affected many independent aftermarket accessory producers solely dedicated to the development and production of hi-capacity magazines, folding stocks and dress up kits for sporting arms to eventually close their doors after their pre ban hardware was depleted. Owners of sub guns and hi-capacity guns and look-alikes saw the value of their wares climb sky high overnight and lasted for a decade. The Clinton ban finally sunset in 2004 marking the beginning of yet another era in the hi-tech weapons development geared for both military and civilian market. Back once again are the high capacity magazines for short and long arms, dress up kits and folding stocks as well as few rimfire look-alikes of the golden 80s. Regretfully, the big difference this time is that not all states have been freed from this bureaucracy as legislators in anti-gun strongholds opted to live with the restriction and are likely to stay with it for an indefinite period of time.

When hi-tech exotic weaponry first entered the scene back in the 80s, its primary goal was to fill the enormous demand in transforming semi-auto sporting arms to military format. Aftermarket accessories for the very popular Ruger 10/22 self-loading carbine undoubtedly stirred more money-making innovations among independent manufacturers than any other models ever produced in the American market. Hi-capacity magazines for this gun became the hottest selling item to date followed by folding stocks and dress up kits. Bill Ruger’s masterpiece self-loader is unquestionably one of the most advanced and sophisticated U.S. made rimfire carbine in the world. With nearly five million produced to date, no other model in its class will ever come close. This gun is as hot a seller today as it was when it was first introduced 42 years ago. Out of the box, the 10/22 can be best described as a subtle cross-breed between a sporter with just a slight dash of the famed M1 .30 Carbine with the absence of the clip sticking out below the gun. Perhaps, the hottest selling point of the gun is its unmatched reliability and ruggedness as compared to other models in its class that are many times more expensive. The ten-round rotary magazine of the 10/22 is a masterpiece of design as well as reliability. However, for a more serious defensive application, its limited firepower becomes an issue. It is a pure fun gun that barely encounters any malfunction; but its limited capacity keeps the fun a bit too short, especially when used by paper punchers and plinkers. In today’s standard, a ten-round magazine is considered a handicap, particularly for a self loading carbine designed to be a work horse. Selling the 10/22 is no problem and is always the first one to leave the dealer’s shelves. The maker has a hard time catching up with the demand of seemingly never ending orders. The main problem confronting the dealers is supplying their 10/22 customers with the demand for a truly reliable large capacity magazine that can equal the factory produced magazine in overall reliability. Whether Ruger ignored the idea of developing this device for their bread and butter gun or simply hadn’t time for it, still remains a mystery. One thing for sure however, it has left an open market for a very desirable item.

The mid 80s opened the door to many private entrepreneurs who entered the race in the development and production of hi-capacity magazines for this hot selling little carbine. The first contender to enter the market was the ill fated Condor. In its first month, the 25-shot plastic magazine was a sensation. A month after, customers who bought it cursed it to the moon. In a desperate bid to calm down the complaining buyers, the manufacturer enclosed a small instruction sheet, suggesting that the buyer has to throat the barrel until it works. Nice try, but this didn’t solve the problem. A few months later, the company closed. The Condor was followed by the Sanford-50, a drum type magazine boasting an impressive 50-shot firepower. This magazine was marketed by Eaton Supply. This item was also offered by Arcadia Machine & Tool Company (AMT) as an optional accessory for their “Lightning,” a stainless steel clone of the 10/22. The Sanford-50 gives the gun and awesome look and feeling of confidence seeing the large number of rounds neatly stack around the rim of the clear plastic housing. The Sanford drum is the first 10/22 magazine to feature a see-through viewing using clear Lexan plastic for its exterior casing. The magazine also features a loading gate wherein the ammo spool can be manually turned while loading. This excellent feature makes for easy loading advantage by simply dropping the rounds into the feed lips, while turning the spool. The magazine lip is made of cheap cast zinc oxide material that is somewhat fragile and out of dimension. The Lexan plastic easily cracked in its rear half casing when accidentally dropped to no higher than a foot on a wooden floor.

Did the Sanford 50 work? Unfortunately this is another matter. During the test, this awesome looking drum proved to be a great pretender. It develop multiple loading problems with hang-ups leaving the chamber empty because the next round for battery got stuck halfway below the feed line and was not scooped up by the bolt during the loading cycle. It was also plagued by ejection problems with empties barely clearing the ejection port. When the magazine is loaded to capacity, the spool is slower than a turtle walk, leaving no round positioned in the magazine lip when the bolt passes through resulting in an empty chamber. With just about ten rounds remaining in the magazine, the tension of the clock-type spring becomes erratic, causing the top round in the magazine lips to occasionally jump out of its seat. This causes a loading jam with the cartridge caught between the breech face and barrel chamber in an almost vertical position, with the tip of the bullet lodge in the chamber mouth. As much as the quick and easy loading feature of the Sanford drum was a big plus, it failed miserably with every type of ammunition used. A few years later a new version of the Sanford drum was produce and marketed by Pro-Mag. Gone was the see-through Lexan material being replaced by what appears to be an unbreakable material. Externally, the Pro-Mag drum appears solid and impressive. This first impression quickly changed during the actual test firing. Pro-Mag made the same mistake as on the first Sanford construction by using a soft metal instead of steel in the magazine lips. After the last round is fired, the bottom section of the breech face that pushes the cartridge to the chamber is hitting the top of the magazine feed ramp and deforming quite easily. Another fatal flaw of the design is the very short protrusion of the round metal in front of the magazine that connects to the receiver. When the gun is fired, the magazine tends to disengage and fall off the gun since this part of the magazine is barely engaging the gun. The magazine connection to the receiver is loose and it tends to rock back and forth when it is seated to the gun. The overall reliability of the gun is acceptable when using solid point cartridges; however the magazine must be supported by the non-shooting hand while the gun is being fired to prevent the magazine from falling off. The forward racking action of the magazine as the bolt moves forward when not supported by hand tends to jam the cartridge nose against the edge of the chamber as it is being pushed out of the magazine lips. The Pro-Mag 50 is far from being perfect. It definitely needed more refinements on the above noted areas of concern. Next in the market was the Black Dog 50-shot polymer drum magazine for the 10/22. This magazine looks promising and is very well made as compared to both the Sanford and Pro-Mag drums. The Black Dog version appears to have borrowed some features from the Sanford employing a back window to access the winding mechanism as well as its clock-type spring. However, its inherent reliability can be attributed to the features borrowed from the Italian made Bingham PPS-50 steel drum design incorporating plastic dummy cartridges as part of the magazine follower system. The PPS-50 drum magazine is possibly the finest 50-shot drum magazine ever made and Black Dog certainly made a great choice in employing its design characteristics. The Black Dog drum works best with solid point ammo. When hollow points are used there is an average of 3-4 jams per mag.

The quick demise of the old Condor magazine was quickly followed by yet another 25-shot all plastic banana magazine called the Eaton. Both the Condor and Eaton are virtually identical except the Condor utilized steel feed lips while the Eaton is an all plastic construction. Is this the improved Condor? During testing, three Eaton banana-type magazines were used. For a while, the magazines seemed to work fine but after 300 rounds were fired, malfunctions started to appear. The follower started to get tight and loading problems become frequent. The ejector shoulder on the magazine lip started to wear out fast causing frequent ejection problems. It appears that the plastic material used is not geared for this type of device. One time during the test, a rim blow-up occurred while firing a Remington Yellow Jacket hi-velocity cartridge. The unsupported section below the breech face diverted the exploding gas towards the magazine forcing it to disengage from its seat. As a result, the small protruding section that engages the magazine catch at the back of the magazine broke off, rendering the magazine totally unserviceable. As the Eaton magazine fell off the gun, it split into two halves as it hit the ground scattering the remaining ammo during impact. The two halves appear not to be bonded together. The Eaton 25-shot magazine is a standard item for the AMT Lightning when it entered the commercial marketed in the 1980s. Interestingly, Black Dog resurrected the Eaton magazine design as one of the primary offering in the banana type magazine market. While the early Eaton magazine are made to 1980’s standard, the new Black Dog version is much refined employing unbreakable polymer materials in their overall construction.

The new and much touted Butler Creek 25-shot “Steel Lips” magazine appears to bear a strong heritage to the old Condor magazine in overall design and construction. The difference between the two is that the Steel Lips works and the Condor doesn’t. By close examination, there are subtle differences between the original Condor and Steel Lips primarily in the feed lip and follower design. The exterior format is virtually identical between the two, however, the Butler Creek magazine proved to be far superior to the Condor in both quality of workmanship and reliability. The Steel Lips works reliably as long as it is kept clean. However, once the inside is exposed to heavy powder residue built up after prolonged use, the follower tends to hang up and will not push the cartridges upward leaving an empty chamber. The Steel Lips was also offered in all plastic format called the Hot Lips (clear plastic) and are both available in ten and 25-shot capacity. Three ten-shot version can be clipped together to form a unique “Star” shape configuration for a 30-shot firepower. In addition to its excellent magazines, Butler Creek also produced and marketed a very compact loading device for their magazines. Unfortunately, this loader will not work with other brands due to their different magazine lip opening.

Yet another 50 rounder entered the scene. This one has a unique teardrop type configuration. This magazine was originally marketed by Mitchell Arms designated as the 50/22. It was given good advertising and publicity when first introduced. Class II manufacturers for the 10/22 were also at its peak during this period. It was hoped that the Mitchell magazine was the final answer to the long search for a reliable hi-capacity magazine in their full auto wares. Two magazines were ordered with the same expectation. Unfortunately, after few try outs, the enthusiasm towards the Teardrop magazine quickly faded away. This device does not load to capacity without jamming. The drive belt is prone to hang-ups, just like the spool design of the Sanford drum. Worst of all, the Mitchell magazine has the shallowest ejector shoulder of all the hi-cap contenders tested. As expected, ejection problems plagued this magazine next to feeding hang-ups, caused by frequent stopping action of the drive belt. The Mitchell 50/22 has good possibility to be a top contender in the 50-round category once all the bugs are ironed out.

Twenty two years after its initial introduction, the Mitchell teardrop magazine once again came to life in the form of the new MWG 50-Rounder. This author was quite skeptical whether the MWG version was any better than the original despite the flowery advertising. The MWG is not cheap retailing at $80 but was not as expensive as the Pro-Mag drum which at one time sold for $100. Nevertheless, two of this new version was purchased for testing. As usual, prior to the actual reliability test, a visual comparison between the old and the new was made. The first thing noticed was the belt clip on the old Mitchell magazine was omitted on the MWG. The new version sported an all clear plastic construction in its shell casing versus the two-tone plastic of the old. Further examination revealed that the new MWG incorporated identical steel feed lips to the factory rotary magazine, while the Mitchell design had a narrow ejector and slightly different cutouts in the release point of the lip area. Internally, everything seemed to be identical except for the new type of material used in the loading belt. The old type has some sort of strands coming off the belt while the new one is clean. Range testing consisted of 500 rounds of Stinger and two 10/22s for heavy duty workout. Out of the 500 rounds fired, only three malfunctions were experienced which occurred only when the magazines were fully loaded. One of the 10/22s has an extra power recoil spring purchased from Brownell’s. The other has the standard factory recoil spring, which is basically tailored to work with their magazine. The bolt seems to have difficulty pushing the top round from the magazine lip, which is under heavy tension with the factory standard recoil spring. However, with the heavier recoil spring, the magazine worked flawlessly with 300 rounds fired. That is quite impressive. Finally, a 50-round magazine for the 10/22 that really works. MWG has indeed done their homework on this one. So what makes the MWG work and not the Mitchell? After stripping both the Mitchell and MWG magazines, the only valid explanation as to why one works and the other don’t is the difference in magazine lips. To test my theory, I switched the magazine lips on both magazines and retested both. The MWG, now having the lips of the old Mitchell, did not work. The Old Mitchell, now with the new magazine lips of the WMG, worked very well. Now on the right track, the metal lips were borrowed from two factory magazines and installed them on the old Mitchell magazines. They fit perfectly, and at last, worked perfectly. Puzzle solved. Why Mitchell did do not use identical lips as the factory rotary magazine to begin with is a mystery. Unfortunately, such good things do not last. Barely two months after getting the new MWG magazines, with just over 1,000 rounds being used in each mag, cracks started to appear on the top of the magazine just around the cap nut that controls the tension of the upper half of the belt. In addition, the bottom of the magazine housing also exhibited multiple cracks now rendering this expensive magazine totally unserviceable. Nevertheless, the old Mitchell mags are very much intact and still working great after their defective magazine lips were replaced with original Ruger parts. If MWG changes the housing with a better material that does not crack easily, I may but them again. For now, they work, but they don’t last very long.

Just at the time when more and more large capacity magazines were starting to flood the market for the 10/22, Bingham Ltd. of Norcross, Georgia introduce an all steel 30-shot banana type magazine of Italian manufacture. Bingham at this time was busy promoting its upcoming PPS-50, a rimfire clone of the famed WW II Russian PPSh burp gun. The Bingham magazine is very well made. A magazine adapter was utilized to compensate for the wide opening of the stock’s magazine chute for the factory rotary type magazine. The Italian magazine produces only marginal reliability, however. It also suffered multiple ejection and loading problems when fully loaded. It worked best with only 25 rounds loaded to give the spring and follower more leverage for movement. The magazine lip appears easily deformed and needs to be re-adjusted from time to time, especially the built-in ejector to minimize ejection problems. The magazine also tends to disengage accidentally from its adapter during firing. To correct this drawback, the writer installed built-in spring loaded plungers positioned on both sides of the adapter. The protruding ends of the plungers locks securely on their corresponding detent holes at the front of the trigger housing.

For few years, the Sanford, Eaton and Mitchell magazines dominated the 10/22 hi-capacity market despite their shortcomings. In the later part of the 80’s Ram-Line and Eagle International, both based in Colorado at that time, set to compete in this open market. Eagle International introduced a very attractive 30-shot banana type polymer magazine in both smoke and black color. The Eagle has a few interesting design features not found in any magazine in its class. It features a built-in magazine catch activator that is more convenient to operate than the factory flush-in catch if a high capacity magazine is used. The bottom of the magazine had a sliding trap door that would allow internal cleaning if needed. There were notable malfunctions experienced with the Eagle that occurred mostly after several thousands of rounds had gone through it. The magazine lips appeared to have opened up and caused the top round to jump out of its seat when firing hi-velocity rounds, particularly Stingers. A custom nylon buffer will help alleviate this problem by softening the recoil impact. When new, this magazine worked quite well with very few malfunctions noted. The Eagle magazine is available again and now offered in various colors ranging from black, smoke, orange and clear. This magazine not only proved to be one of the more reliable 30-rounders available in the market today, it is also one of the cheapest with some retailers selling them for as low as $10.

Perhaps, among the half dozen or more independent aftermarket accessory producers, no one can claim the top spot in the development and manufacture of hi-capacity magazines in the banana type category than Ram-Line. Famous for their extensive line of fixed and folding stocks made of indestructible polymer material and dress up kits, the Colorado based company has undoubtedly offered more selections of banana-type magazines than anyone else in the industry. Their first 30-round single stack magazines are the most reliable in their lineup. I still have five of these which I have extensively used in the past 20 years and they still work as good as when they were new. These magazine were soon followed by the more sophisticated double stack versions that were offered in 15, 20, 30, and 50-shot capacity, as well as a 25-shot single stack magazine called “Truncator” designed to work primarily with truncated type ammo such as the Remington Yellow Jacket. Ram-Line can be credited to the final breakthrough in creating a double column type magazine, something thought impossible at one time with .22 rimfire ammunition. These double stack format magazines however are very hard to load due to their very powerful dual clock type springs. To solve this problem, the company developed an autoloader device that can load the magazine almost as fast as you can shoot it. Unfortunately, as good as it sounds, the loader does not always work reliably. Their double stack magazines are also subject to this type of criticism. I have a dozen of this magazine that I acquired back in the late 80s. Out of twelve, half actually worked as long as they were not loaded to capacity and with certain type of ammo. Winchester Super-X appears to work best with these mags. The others have varying problems that I can attribute to excessive spring power of the follower. The most common problems encountered with this type of magazine is the tendency of the top round’s front end to lift itself up to almost 50 degrees as the bolt hits the back of the receiver during recoil. As the bolt comes back to battery, the lower end of the breech face that normally scoops the cartridge will miss the rim (now below the feed line) and instead glides over the lifted front end of the bullet, scraping it and finally stopping as the breech face dug deeper into the bullet nose. Another frequent malfunction using this magazine is the tendency of the bullet nose to hit the upper section of the chamber mouth as it is being pushed by the bolt towards the chamber. Again, the excessive magazine spring power appears to be the culprit here. There seems to be imbalance in the distribution of spring tension with much of the pressure directed to the front end of the follower. It is this author’s opinion that Ram-Line should have combined a full power spring and a half power spring rather than using two full power springs to make the system work reliably – and it would also make loading easier.

With the uncertainty of the current political scene and economic times, ammunition of all calibers has been flying off shelves and, when available, it has been higher in price than it has ever been. With the price of military style firearms rising to very high levels and coupled with an even worse availability due to the unprecedented demand, recreational shooters have been waiting for something positive to affect the market. American Tactical Imports (ATI) has stepped forward to address all of these concerns with their GSG (German Sport Guns) line of firearms and their timing couldn’t be better.

Designed as a high-quality rimfire version of the extremely popular H&K MP5 family of firearms, the German-made GSG-5 has hit the ground running and its popularity only seems to be increasing. Since its introduction at SHOT Show 2008, it has developed a huge following and is now offered in several configurations. Other than under close examination, the GSG-5 guns are almost identical in aesthetics to their full-size counterparts and all share the feel and basic function of the originals.

The models available from the manufacturer include the following configurations:

• GSG-5 Carbine – Resembles the MP5A2 with full-stock and non-functioning suppressor.
• GSG-5P Pistol – Resembles the MP5A2 with no stock and short barrel.
• GSG-5PK Pistol – Resembles the SP-89 (or MP5k) with no stock and short barrel.

Several accessories are available directly from the manufacturer and include slings, stocks, mounts, magazines and optics.

Rimfire Rampage

With the GSG-5 guns, chambered in .22 LR, the ammo is far less expensive and much more available than almost all centerfire offerings. Rimfire rifles designed to emulate full-size “tactical” counterparts are not new. The difference with the GSG-5 series of .22 rifles is that it has been designed as a rimfire military-style firearm and not a “sporting rifle” simply wearing new clothes. From the packaging, to the ever-growing list of accessories, the GSG-5 is a quality military-style gun strait from the German factory.

The handling, the weight and the controls of the GSG-5s all painstakingly resemble their centerfire cousins. While the internals are completely different, the fit and function is immediately familiar to the shooter. From the ambidextrous selector/safety to the paddle-and-button magazine release, the feel is close enough to the original to make a low-cost training aid that is already in use in some circles already.

Aftermarket Configurations

Just like the original MP5 family of firearms, it seemed to take about 35-seconds before ingenious entrepreneurs started developing and offering Title-II versions and related accessories to make these new guns even more attractive to the Class III community. The GSG-5 Carbine and GSG-5P soon turned into SBRs (Short Barreled Rifles) with collapsible stocks, resembling an original MP5A3. The GSG-5PK also quickly made the SBR transformation with a folding stock to resemble the MP5K/PDW. Both sport either (or both) 3-lug suppressor adapters or threaded adapters for the popular 1/2×28 accessories on the market. To date this writer has seen no less than 10 different configurations from the 3 basic models.

Range Time

We were able to test several versions of the GSG-5 for Small Arms Review and all ran great and without any hesitation. Several types of ammo were utilized, as you will see in the chart that accompanies this article, and muzzle velocity and accuracy were measured and reported.

The two versions we spent the most time testing were both registered Short Barreled Rifles. They were converted by Kennebec Outfitters of Winslow, Maine, using standard parts available from Gordon Miller of HK Specialists in SC, (www.hkspecialist.net).

The first gun was an original GSG-5P with a collapsible stock. With a barrel length of 9 inches and an A3-style stock, it strongly resembled a standard “Navy” MP5. The second gun was an original GSG-5PK with a side-folding stock and Gemtech (www.gem-tech.com) 3-lug adapter. The third gun was an original GSG-5PK in the factory pistol configuration and was not used in any major capacity as the function and specifications were identical to the SBR version we were already testing.

Ammo utilized during live fire exercises included 40-grain Federal Champion, 40-grain American Eagle, 40-grain Federal Premium Gold Medal, 40-grain Wolf Match Target and 60-grain Aguila Sniper Subsonic.

All ran without malfunction of any kind until we got heavy in testing with the GSG-PK after firing in excess of 1,000 rounds with no cleaning. At that point, to be certain the malfunctions were only due to the heavy, thick sludge in the well-used gun we swapped to a new GSG-PK and continued firing with no malfunctions whatsoever. All ammo ran excellent, with the faster velocity rounds showing less sensitivity to the dirty gun.

The first tests were to measure muzzle velocity. This was accomplished with a PACT MK IV XP Timer and Chronograph. We used the upgraded infrared screens, placed 8 feet from the muzzle. The SBR GSG-5P was tested first. Having a 9-inch barrel, the fastest average muzzle velocity recorded was with the Federal Champion at 1,173fps. The most consistent ammo was the Aguila Sniper Subsonic with an extreme spread of only 16fps. With the 4.685-inch barreled GSG-5PK the fastest average muzzle velocity measured was with the Federal Champion at 1,081fps. The Federal Champion also proved to be the most consistent ammo with an extreme spread of 42fps. The third round of muzzle velocity testing was a repeat of the previous GSG-PK with the addition of a Coastal Passport silencer. Due to the short barrel leading to the inability to properly stabilize the heavy 60-grain projectile, the Aguila Sniper Subsonic was purposely omitted from this phase of testing so we would not have the potential of a baffle strike. With this firearm/silencer configuration the fastest average muzzle velocity was recorded with the American Eagle ammunition at 1,082fps. The Wolf Match Target provided the most consistency with an extreme spread of 35fps.

Accuracy testing was completed on a portable bench at a distance of 25 yards. All guns were tested using a single shooter and the factory open sights. No optics on any kind were utilized for these tests. Given the probability that the sights were designed more to match the cosmetics of the factory HK sights than to be utilized as a serious target sight, we were somewhat impressed with the groups the guns were capable of recording in the configurations described. Testing for accuracy was only recorded with the unsuppressed firearms.

The GSG-5P had the best 5-shot group when used in conjunction with the Wolf Match Target 40-grain ammo. The best group we recorded measured 1.070 inches. When dropping to the shorter GSG-5PK, the Wolf Match Target also had the distinction of the tightest 5-shot group measuring 1.190 inches. While the guns were fairly consistent with ammo by typically opening up a little as the barrel got shorter there were a few noteworthy abnormalities. First, the Federal Gold Medal actually shot a little tighter with the shorter barrel. The best 5-shot group with the 9-inch barrel was 1.640 inches and the best group 5-shot group recorded with the 4.685-inch barrel was 1.490 inches. This was the only “flip-flop” where a shorter barrel produced a tighter group. The other significant finding was with the 60-grain Aguila Sniper Subsonic ammo. With the 9-inch barreled GSG-5P we recorded an impressive 1.425-inch 5-shot group. Once we started shooting with the 4.685-inch barreled GSG-5PK the 5-shot group enlarged to a massive 5.272 inches and upon inspection it was revealed that some of the projectiles tumbled and impacted the target sideways.

Conclusion

Every model, version and style of the GSG-5, even those heavily modified from the original factory intentions, has functioned at or above the expectations of the author. Given the “more aesthetic than accurate” style of open-sights, the GSG guns proved to be very suitable plinkers and definite training aids to those wishing to shoot on a budget. The appetite for rimfire ammo, ranging in quality and price “from budget to bench-rest” was one of the most amazing attributes of the system. Many experienced shooters who have fine-tuned specific rimfire rifles can attest to the fact that .22 LR ammo has the potential to include manufacturing specifications all over the spectrum, and many guns are finicky of particular ammo brands. The GSG-5 series guns we tested ate everything we stuffed into the magazines and only after an enormous amount of ammo was fired did we experience any type of malfunctions at all. These were immediately rectified with a quick cleaning with no adverse effects. After spending some time with the GSG-5 guns it became obvious why so many people are adding these to their collections as these guns have the look and feel of the HK MP5 family of guns so many of us have come to enjoy. They are cheap to shoot and have an enormous number of accessories making the potential configurations almost unlimited. Even if we looked past the practical applications of training on a smaller ammo or equipment budget, and looked at the fun factor alone, this writer would wholeheartedly recommend the GSG-5 series of firearms to the readers of Small Arms Review magazine.

Registering your own Short Barreled Rifle

Most of the configurations of the GSG-5 we tested in this article are “Short Barreled Rifles” and require prior registration with BATFE. If you would like to own one, there are a few avenues you can use. The first option is to purchase one already registered from a Class III Dealer or Title II Manufacturer. Gordon Miller of www.HKSpecialist.net sells them all done, and he can be contacted through his website for pricing and to walk you through the purchase process. The other option you have is to register the pistol as a SBR yourself by filling out a BATF Form 1, and upon its return and approval, you can add the stock and other desired accessories.

For those of you not familiar with “making” an NFA firearm, here is a condensed version: The process is almost identical to the paperwork you do when buying any NFA firearm from a dealer. When you buy from a dealer you fill out both sides of a BATF Form 4, mail it in with a check for $200, a few passport pictures, a few fingerprint cards and a Certification of Citizenship form. After the item is approved you can pick it up. The only thing different when you register the item yourself is that you already own it in its Title I configuration, and you send in a BATF Form 1 instead of a BATF Form 4. Once it is approved you can acquire the parts to complete the conversion and assemble it. Do not buy or have in your possession the parts that would constitute the Title II firearm until the application to manufacture (BATF Form 1) has been approved.

To obtain the forms necessary to register your own NFA firearm (individuals may manufacture any NFA firearm or device except machine guns) you can contact your local BATFE branch office or order them on line at: www.atf.gov/forms/5000.htm. You will need a duplicate copy of a form ATF F 5320.1 (Form 1) – Application to Make and Register a Firearm, A form ATF F 5330.20 – Certification of Citizenship and some BATFE Fingerprint Cards. All are downloadable except the fingerprint cards.

If you have any questions you can find almost every answer at the BATFE website in the Firearms section. The home page is www.atf.gov.

GSG-5 Specifications (As new, unmodified)

GSG-5P
Classification: Pistol
Caliber: .22 Long Rifle
Method of Operation: Semiautomatic, recoil operated
Feed Mechanism: Detachable magazine 10-rds or 22-rds
Barrel length: 9 inches
Rifling: 6-groove, 1 twist in 16 inches
Overall Length: 18.6 inches
Overall Weight: 5.89 pounds
MSRP: $549.99

GSG-5PK
Classification: Pistol
Caliber: .22 Long Rifle
Method of Operation: Semiautomatic, recoil operated
Feed Mechanism: Detachable magazine 10-rds or 22-rds
Barrel length: 4.685 inches
Rifling: 6-groove, 1 twist in 16 inches
Overall Length: 15.275 inches
Overall Weight: 5.20 pounds
MSRP: $549.99

Sources:

GSG-5 Rifles and Pistols & Accessories
HK Specialist
146 Ashlan Woods Court
Greer, SC 29651
Ph: (864) 590-8570
Fax: (864) 877-8811
E-mail: Gordon@hkspecialist.net
Website: www.hkspecialist.net

GSG-5 Silencer Adapters
Gemtech
P.O. Box 140618
Boise, ID 83714
Ph: (208) 939-7222
Fax: (208) 939-7804
Website: www.gem-tech.com

How far back in time would you have to travel to find a Ruger 10/22 that fires at 800 rounds per minute, accurately and controllably, that retails under $1,300? Thanks to the Akins Group, Inc., that time is now.

One of the newest innovations in the recreational firearms industry is now a reality. Under development for several years, the Akins Group, Inc. is releasing their latest product, the Akins Accelerator. The Akins Accelerator is a rifle stock designed to be used with a Ruger 10/22. It contains a linear motion device that in simple terms allows the rifle to recoil inside the stock. This slight rearward travel allows the trigger to be reset upon firing. Upon resetting the trigger, the return-forward motion of the firearm brings the trigger back into contact with the trigger finger of the shooter starting the process over again. It will continue until the magazine has emptied or until the shooter takes his finger off the trigger.

When first contacted by the principals of the Akins Group, Inc. regarding this project a few years ago, while the mechanism description made perfect sense, it definitely sounded a little “too good to be true.” Over the last few decades we have seen several gimmicks and gadgets that were “guaranteed” to create a legal and inexpensive alternative to transferable machine guns and very few have delivered as promised.

About a year ago this writer was asked to participate in a group of BETA testers who would utilize and push the mechanical limits of this new Akins Accelerator learning whatever we could about it and its abilities. This testing would take place while mass quantities were being produced for a future, public release. The testers were given specific instructions not to publicly display the device but were given the option of sharing its existence with close members of their individual firearms community. There have been over 100 BETA test units in all corners of the United States for over a year. The collective test results have been shared within this group, and this knowledge has been utilized to create an even more reliable design. Such a wide test, in regard to environment, ammo, and accessories has helped the Akins Group to fine tune the Accelerator far before making a public release. Much to the pleasure of everyone who has been privy to this testing, the release time is now and units are already being delivered.

Unlike almost all other devices designed to give the shooter a simulated full automatic fire effect, the Akins Accelerator is held and utilized in exactly the same fashion as a traditional rifle or stock. During fire, the stock remains solidly in the grasp of the shooter with a tight cheek weld, and solid grip on the pistol grip and forend. This allows for unprecedented accuracy and control. The only movement is happening inside the stock and it is so smooth and fluid-like, the shooter is almost unaware of it happening at all.

Something else that makes the Akins Accelerator unique is the ability to fire a single shot when desired just by squeezing the trigger in a conventional manner. During our testing it was easy to shoot a single burst of 10-15 rounds, engage a different target and shoot a few rounds in semi, and then empty the remainder of the magazine in a single burst.

How exactly does it work?

As already briefly explained, the rifle actually recoils inside the stock. It is attached to a device called a Linear Motion Assembly. This device takes the place of the standard V-block barrel retainer supplied with the 10/22 and is firmly attached to the receiver, solidly holding the barrel in place like the factory V-block. The Linear Motion Assembly is then secured into the stock. Once fastened into the stock, the top of the device along with the rifle and barrel are allowed to move rearward and return forward again while the bottom of the Linear Motion Assembly is fastened tightly to the stock.

When correctly adjusted and assembled, the firing sequence works in the following manner. The firearm is loaded and charged in a typical fashion and the safety still works in the normal manner as well. When the shooter wishes to fire several rounds in a single burst, the trigger finger of the shooter is “bridged” over the trigger, touching both sides of the stock. As the trigger is depressed, the finger remains static. The recoil of the rifle causes the whole barreled action to move slightly rearward with the assistance of the Linear Motion Assembly. There is a return spring in the Linear Motion Assembly that brings the barreled action to its forward position after the recoil stroke is completed. As the rifle returns to its beginning position, the trigger finger of the shooter now acting as a “bridge” across the trigger area of the stock, comes back into contact with the trigger, starting the process over again. A properly assembled and well-fed 10/22 will continue to function in this way until the magazine is empty. If the shooter wishes to stop shooting the finger is simply removed like any traditional firearm. If the shooter wishes to fire single shots instead of bursts, regular pressure is applied to the trigger instead of using the “bridge” type hold described above. The gun may be used with either the left or right hand.

Why is this NOT considered a machine gun?

Simply enough, it does not meet the definition of a machine gun as defined in the National Firearm Act (NFA), 26 U.S.C. Chapter 53. Machine gun: “The term “machine gun” means any weapon designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. The term shall also include the frame or receiver of any such weapon, any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts designed and intended, for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun and any combination of parts from which a machine gun can be assembled if such parts are in the possession or under the control of a person.”

During the exchange of letters between the Firearms Technology Branch of ATF and the Akins Group, Inc., ATF said, “…As noted previously, the proposed theory of operation of this stock involves the application of the movement of the counter recoiling device to initiate a rapid succession of semiautomatic fire. Our examination and subsequent classification revealed that the stock did not constitute a “machine gun” as that term is defined in the National Firearms Act (NFA), 26 U.S.C. Chapter 53…”

Not only are the Akins Accelerator stock and assembly not considered a machine gun, they are not even classified as a firearm. This is only an accessory, needing a legal, semiautomatic host firearm to even function. The semiautomatic firearm (in this case the 10/22) added to the stock assembly still only has the ability to discharge one shot per function of the trigger as required by law. The rapid succession in which these shots are fired has no bearing on the legality of the system as noted in the above letter from the Firearms Technology. This is the same logic used in rulings for decades on the numerous hand cranks and similar rapid-fire devices offered on the market today and in the past.

Assembling your Akins Accelerator

When you receive your new stock assembly it will come with an owner’s manual, a few pins and clips, and a special Bondhus Ball End Wrench for removal of and replacement of the barrel retaining screws. Read the manual from front to rear and everything will immediately become crystal clear. It is a simple task to mount correctly but it must be done exactly as directed to function as well as it has the ability to do.

The factory trigger and magazine catch pins must be replaced with new provided pins before firing. The factory pins have a tendency to “walk-out” and these new retaining spring pins will stay firm.

The factory barrel retaining V-block must be removed and replaced with the new Linear Motion Device. Before removing or loosening this V-block it is wise to use a felt pen to mark the position of the barrel in relation to the receiver. This way during reassembly it will be in exactly the same position and the chance of malfunction from contact with the ejector will be drastically reduced.

After the V-block has been completely removed, the Linear Motion assembly will be installed in its place using the factory screws. This is most easily accomplished with the assistance of the ball end of the provided wrench. Making sure the barrel is lined up with the receiver with your previous markings, the Linear Motion Assembly can be tightened up. When doing this, only tighten each screw a little then alternate to the other one for a few turns. The necessity to line up the operating rods so they are completely parallel with the barrel is of extreme importance. Over-tightening one side may cause the rods to lean to one side. By slowly tightening them in an alternating manner getting them parallel with the barrel should be no problem.

After the device is tightened to the barrel block it is time to install the assembly to the stock. Care must be made when positioning the system into the stock so that the trigger mechanism is not too far forward. Upon firing, it has to break clean and allow the receiver to move rearward of the placement of the shooters finger. It should be positioned very close to the rearward most area. A little adjusting of this placement may be all the “fine tuning” necessary once everything is assembled and it is time to hit the range.

The whole trick to this running dependably is realizing that there is very little residual energy left from the recoil stage in this little Rimfire and anything allowed to rub anywhere will further rob that much needed power. This includes a good cleaning of the entire rifle mechanism not withstanding the trigger group and chamber area. If the rifle is dragging on the stock in any area it must be adjusted so it can float freely to ensure the fullest potential available.

Range Test Time

Range test time has been the greater portion of a year. This is a long time to work with something compared to most gun testing. We were fortunate in assembling a gun that ran well from the very beginning. It has been noticed that a small “break-in” period may be necessary to loosen up tight tolerances caused by factory finishing when using new firearms. A well-used rifle was chosen, being completely disassembled and given a thorough cleaning and lube prior to being assembled in the new unit. The guide rods of the Linear Motion Assembly were lined up correctly and it fit well in the stock. The factory 10-round magazines just whistled through it so immediately went on to 30-rounders and even a 50-round teardrop drum. All worked flawless.

An early concern was the number of accessories that could be added to the system and still work reliably. We ended up using a 12-inch barrel with an AWC MKII Silencer for the majority of the testing and the rifle was topped with a PRO-MAG scope mount and ADCO Mirage electronic sight. Nothing caused any type of regular malfunction and every combination of ammo, magazine and accessory worked just fine. Our test model ate everything it was fed.

The correct function testing procedure recommends factory 10-round magazines with CCI Mini-Mag solid point ammo to lessen the variables. After running reliably with that combination it is recommended to upgrade or change only one thing at a time to keep a firm grip on potential problems. In dealing with Rimfire guns, some guns are finicky with specific types of ammo while others only like specific magazines and this configuration will not be any different.

During our numerous trips to the range it was easy to complete 30-round and 50-round magazine dumps regularly. Keeping the gun clean was the key. Other than the excellent functionality of this system, the controllability was really what set it apart from other systems we have tried in the past. It is very easy to keep an entire magazine of ammo on a small target from 50 feet away due to the lack of felt recoil and muzzle rise.

We used a mixed bag of almost every type of .22LR ammo readily available with most functioning fine. We extensively fired the 550-round Federal bulk pack ammo and the Remington Golden Bullet bonus pack ammo, both retailing under $9. We also used lots of CCI Blazer. Testing has shown that the use of CCI Mini-Mag Solid Point ammo is one of the most dependable. We recorded rates of fire from the 650rpm range to almost 900rpm depending on ammunition used.

This device has brought smiles to the Class III enthusiasts I have allowed to view and handle it. It is not the amazing firepower or the availability of reliable and inexpensive ammunition. It isn’t even the number of available accessories like high capacity magazines and sound suppressors it seems to work fine with. The real allure seems to be the technological aspect that just keeps people grinning from ear to ear.

People quickly grasp the concept and then balk when they inquire about the price. A demonstration is necessary to really grasp how well this system works. A 30-round or 50-round mag dump is usually sufficient to solicit a, “Hey, let me look at that. That’s really just a semi? I gotta get me one of these!” Words alone, even sprinkled with a few photos just don’t convey how well this actually runs. For that purpose, Akins Group, Inc. has set up a little space in the web to share thoughts, ideas, photos and videos and you are welcome to participate. You can find them at www.firefaster.com. You will be very impressed with what you see and hear there.

The Akins Accelerator is currently offered in three configurations. The Full Stock retails for $975, the Folding Stock retails for $1,125 and the Pocket Folding Stock retailing for $1,185.

Akins Group, Inc Dept. SAR P.O. Box 430 Cornelius, OR 97113 (503)359-1359 www.firefaster.com