Colt’s Manufacturing Acquires Saco Defense

New Colt Holding, the parent corporation of Colt’s Manufacturing Co. and Duchosso Industries, announced in early December that it had executed a definitive purchase agreement to acquire the assets of Saco Defense.

The acquisition was widely viewed within the arms trade as yet another sign that the newly reinvigorated 162-year old Colt’s was well on its way towards reestablishing itself in a premier position within the industry.

The Saco acquisition was primarily intended to strengthen Colt’s light military weapons line. In addition, the acquisition of Saco’s sporting arms capability (Saco produces a bolt action hunting rifle for Weatherby, Inc.) means Colt’s now has the capability of entering the hunting rifle arena by producing a line of Colt-brand bolt-action rifles from the Saco plant in Maine.

Saco is chiefly a military arms manufacturer whose product line of MK19 and Striker grenade launchers, as well as light machine guns, complements Colt’s M-4 military carbine and M-16 rifle line.

Both firms’ manufacturing and engineering operations will remain independent, and all current products will continue to be manufactured in their respective current locations. There are no planned workforce reductions, according to management. Colt’s international sales network will help market Saco’s products.

More Deals Pending

“This is the first of what I expect will be several acquisitions,” said Steven Sliwa, Colt’s recently named president and CEO. “The finalization of this merger positions Colt’s to be a premier supplier of military small arms. I am looking forward to the future profitability and strengthening of both organizations as we move forward with technological advancements.”

“This merger ensures the integrity of the quality weapons and weapons systems produced at Saco Defense,” added Bruce Makas, Saco’s president. “We are excited to be part of this growing organization.”

Donald Zilkha of New York, co-organizer of the investment partnership which owns New Colt Holding, commented, “The acquisition of Saco’s assets, combined with Colt’s new 1999 product which specifically addresses needs in the marketplace, and the continued development of ‘smart gun’ technology, makes us feel well-positioned to take advantage of growing market opportunities.”

Among the new products coming from Colt’s are .40 S&W and 9mm versions of the recently introduced Colt Defender, a compact M1911-style pistol that is selling above expectations. Another product is the Pocket Nine, an ultra-compact 9mm pistol. The long-awaited Colt Cowboy, an affordably-priced version of the firm’s legendary Single Action Army, is shortly expected to become available.

In the rifle category, expect to see the new “Colt Tactical Elite,” a highly accurate .223 rifle with a floating bull barrel, Choate stock, flat top receiver, and a tuned trigger. The rifle is said to be capable of producing 1-inch groups at 100 yards, out-of-the-box.

For the military, a new M-16 bayonet as well as a gravity knife for paratroopers are among the products in development.

Acquired through bankruptcy reorganization in September 1994, Colt’s Manufacturing has been restored to profitability, ending a decline begun under past owners that had led the company into strikes, boycotts and bankruptcy.

Colt’s President Profiled

“My role is to position the company for growth while gaining greater market share through the development of new products, innovation and technology,” Sliwa said during a recent interview.

Sliwa, who came on board in mid-August, replaced Ronald L. Stewart, who had announced his decision to retire from the company effective September 17. Stewart had been with Colt’s for about two years and had concentrated his efforts on the completion of a restructuring of the company’s business and manufacturing operations. Stewart had also become embroiled in the gun control controversy by calling for national gunowner licensing and other measures that upset and enraged many firearms rights activists.

Sliwa spent the past seven years as president of Embry-Riddle University in Daytona Beach, Florida, which specializes in teaching aviation and aerospace disciplines. Prior to that, he was vice president of product development for Integrated Systems, Inc. of Mountain View, California, an embedded software company. He was a research manager at NASA earlier in his career and also founded an educational software company known for its products for the blind and for college board exam preparation.

Sliwa holds bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees in engineering from Princeton, George Washington and Stanford Universities, respectively, and a master’s degree in management from Stanford.

A Shooter

“One of the best things about being at Colt’s is being involved with the firearms industry and to be able to go to the company range and blast away with M-16’s, M-4’s and Anacondas,” he continued. “I am a life member of the NRA and did a lot of target shooting with my father when I was growing up in western New York state. My wife is also a shooter. When this opportunity at Colt’s came up, it gave both of us a chance to get back into something we both enjoy,” Sliwa exclaimed.

“When Donald Zilkha (Colt’s chairman contacted me about this position and said he needed someone who felt comfortable dealing with government folks in Washington, D.C., as well as working with the press, and someone who is high-tech oriented, is a shooter and prepared to fight for firearms rights, I responded that I fit all the categories and it seemed to be a job made in heaven for me.”

Ask for his main mission at the company, Sliwa explained, “Overall, it is in strategies and relationships. We have a great team here and have been adding to our engineering talent. What I intend to do is build relationships not only with our consumers, retailers and distributors, but also in Washington, D.C., and within the firearms industry itself.”

Colt’s has scored a couple of victories recently in that it has won back all the M-16 contracts and is now the exclusive M-16 and M-4 carbine manufacturer for the federal government. The company has also recently won its first research and development contract in over a decade from the US military. The contract is for development of an under barrel-mounted shotgun for the M-16 rifle.

The highly-publicized Bank of America shoot-out in Los Angeles in 1997 involving two head-to-toe body armor-clad individuals who sprayed the street with an illegally converted full-auto rifle, equipped with a 100-round Beta C-Mag drum magazine, has prompted many police departments to trade-in their pump action shotguns and purchase the semi-auto version of the Colt’s M-4 carbine (this product can only be sold to government agencies under federal law).

‘Smart Guns’

Since Colt’s is the only company with a research grant from the federal government to develop so-called smart gun user recognition firearm technology, Sliwa reports he has been appearing on television frequently to testify against legislatively-mandated use of such user recognition technology on firearms, as has been proposed in Maryland and New Jersey. “Reporters have been shocked to discover Colts opposes ‘smart gun’ mandates as we know most of our customers are totally content with the current safety standards of firearms,” Sliwa said. “Though there are some firearms users who would like to have the option of experimenting with such technology, they are totally against any sort of government mandate requiring the use of ‘smart guns,’ and so is Colts. Going on the news shows also gives us an opportunity to talk about the Second Amendment and the value of firearms rights in general.”

Firearms user recognition technology is at least several years away from the completion stage, and Colt’s is working on a version for use by law enforcement personnel in which the authorized user must wear an electronic bracelet.

If, and when the police technology is perfected, the gunmaker may pursue developing a version that could be offered for sale to the public as an optional firearms feature. Experiments on the consumer version are ongoing and involve fingerprint and voice recognition methods as well as skin conductivity technologies.

As mentioned, Sliwa was with an embedded software company earlier in his career, and such technology may have an application in firearm user recognition systems. “We think it is a viable concept to wed electronics and guns and we will try to find ways to make that happen in a way that works reliably,” he said. “In the meantime, we have a lot of work to do with our core offerings, and that’s where we will be focused.”

In a related matter, the recent trademark dispute between Colt’s, O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc. and Fulton Arms (manufacturer of another user recognizing firearms system) over the right to use of the name “smart gun,” ended up with a decision that the name had been used so much that it had become a generic term that no one owned. If Colt does eventually market a firearm incorporating user recognition technology, it will likely use a name other than “smart gun” for the product, due to that name’s prior extensive use.

In conclusion, Sliwa said Colt’s greatest asset is its name. “This company has such a great name and that has allowed it to survive good, bad and mediocre company presidents. I hope to do more than just help Colt’s survive, I want it to achieve its full potential as it moves into the 21st century.”

Saco Products

Saco’s Striker 40mm Advanced Lightweight Grenade Launcher was developed in partnership with Computing Devices Canada and BOFORS Carl Gustaf of Sweden and is said to be the first major advance in crew served weapon systems since the end of World War Two.

The Striker is a highly portable 40mm machine gun usable by the combat soldier in small, mobile tactical units. It can provide a decisive technological advantage over an enemy equipped with older crew served weapons. The gun’s sophisticated fire control system utilizes video image processing and ballistic computer technology to assist soldiers in detecting and recognizing targets. New high performance ammunition has been developed for the piece. Programmed air-bursting fuse technology ensures that each round detonates at the intended range, scattering lethal fragments onto the intended target.

Weighing just 38.6 lbs., the Striker (marketed in Europe by BOFORS Carl Gustaf as the CG40) first at the rate of 250-300 rpm, is 34.65-inches in length, 7.72-inches wide, and 7.48-inches high. A built-in round counter aids in establishing regular maintenance.

Saco’s Mk19 Mod3 40mm machine gun system, whether employed in either offensive or defensive operations, is designed to provide a heavy volume of accurate, lethal 40mm anti-personnel/anti-armor grenade fire to a range of 2,200 meters. When firing M430 High Explosive Dual Purpose grenades, the MK19 provides lethal fire against lightly armored vehicles and dismounted infantry. It will penetrate 50mm of rolled homogeneous armor and dismounted personnel within a radius of 15 meters from impact, will be killed or seriously injured by blast and fragmentation.

The MK19 features sustained automatic or single shot firing, with dual spade grips for controllability and a removable barrel with no headspacing or timing adjustments needed. Its open bolt firing system works to eliminate cookoff of rounds, enhances cooling between shots and facilitates sustained firing at 3 to 5 round bursts. Its mean rounds between failure exceeds 20,000 rounds. A full range of day and night sights, laser range finders and laser aiming devices are available and many of these fire control systems can be used with the M60 and M2HB .50 caliber machine gun series. Obtaining a muzzle velocity of 790 fps, the MK19 has a 325-385 rpm rate of fire, weighs 72.5 lbs., length 43.1-inches, and width is 13.4-inches.

Several mounts are available to increase the MK19’s versatility. The MK64 Carriage & Cradle is for vehicle, boat and ground-mounted applications. The M3 Tripod mount is best suited for ground use, and the MSGH19 Stainless Steel mount is best suited for vehicle or boat use and an optional armor shield is available.

The MK19 Mod3 Daylight Optic & Adjustable Sight/Bracket improves the gunner’s ability to acquire and accurately attack targets. It replaces the existing MK19 iron sight and non-adjustable M2 weapons bracket. The bracket contains an iron sight (consisting of a hooded post front and an rear aperture peep sight) and two mounting points for day and night optics, infrared aiming lights indirect fire module and other accessories. In use, the gunner determines the range to the target, sets the sight/bracket for the proper range using the adjustment lever, activates the range lock, overlays the reticle or infrared aiming light on the target, then fires.

The M2HB Series (heavy barrel) .50 caliber machine gun manufactured by Saco Defense provides a heavy volume of accurate, lethal fire using NATO standard 12.7mm ammunition. It is a recoil-operated, alternate-feed, link belt-fed, air-cooled , crew-served gun designed to fill the gap between 7.62mm machine guns and heavier, more-costly arms. It is in use by over 30 countries and provides sustained automatic or single shot firing, Its closed bolt operation in the single shot mode provides increased accuracy when used in a sniper role.

The range of ammunition available for the M2HB includes M33 Ball for soft-skinned targets and personnel, Slap for lightly armored targets, M8API giving an incendiary effect on lightly armored targets, M17 Tracer allowing observation of fire, M1A1 Blank and M2 Dummy rounds for training.

The applications for the M2HB include: firing on dismounted infantry, bunkers, weapon emplacements and lightly, armored vehicles and boats; fire suppression; defense against aircraft; protecting convoys, assembly areas and supply trains; reconnaissance by fire; and drug enforcement.

Accessories include the M2HB Quick Change Barrel Kit which offers fixed headspace, barrels with interrupted threads, removable barrel changing handle and alignment retention slots to facilitate quick barrel changes.

Saco’s M60 machine gun series (including the M60E3, M60D, and M60E2) using NATO standard 7.62mm ammunition, are air-cooled, gas-operated, belt fed designs that have proven to be one of the most widely-used general purpose machine gun series in their caliber.

The M60E3 Lightweight Assault Machine Gun (illustrated in these pages) is about 20% lighter in weight (at 19.5 lbs. with a standard barrel) compared to a standard M60 (at 24.5 lbs.). The M60E3’s three Stellite-lined, chrome plated interchangeable barrels (available in lightweight, lightweight/short length and heavy) give the soldier employment flexibility and the barrel mounted carrying handle aids in the removal of a hot barrel. A gas cylinder locknut enables easy disassembly/assembly and cleaning while a reversible piston prevents improper assembly.

Specifications for the M60E3 are as follows: maximum effective range 1,100 meters (1,200 yards); maximum range 3,725 meters (4,075 yards); muzzle velocity 2,800 fps; rate of fire 500-650 rpm; weight 19.2 – 20.8 lbs. (depending on barrel used); length 37-inches – 42.4 inches (depending on barrel); width 120mm (4.8-inches).

Saco’s products nicely complement existing Colt military products such as the M203 Grenade Launcher which turns any Colt M16A1 or M16A2 5.56mm rifle into a versatile double threat system. A complete self-cocking mechanism in the receiver (including striker, trigger and positive safety lever), allows the M203 to operate completely independently from the host firearm. Low recoil enhances accuracy up to 400 meters. A lightweight, single-shot, breech-loaded arm, it is designed to be installed with only two screws using a standard screwdriver, and without barrel modification.

In operation, the M203’s barrel slides forward in the receiver to accept a round, and slides backward to automatically cock and lock in the closed position, ready to fire. The sight system consists of a battle sight mounted on the handguard adjustable for ranges of 50 to 250 meters. A quadrant sight furnished with each launcher mounts on the carry handle and is adjustable for 50 to 400 meters. Firing the most commonly used CN/CS gas and various signal rounds, the M203 is constructed of high-strength aluminum alloy, making it extremely rugged, yet light in weight.

Colt’s submachine guns combine the M16A2’s straight line construction with the low recoil of 9mm ammo to provide highly accurate fire with less muzzle climb, especially in the full automatic mode. Firing from a closed bolt with a last round hold-open feature, models are available with fire control configurations of safe/semi/full, safe/semi/3-shot burst and safe/semi. All have telescoping buttstocks and are offered with barrel lengths of 7 or 10.5-inches. The 9mm NATO round yields 1,200 fps muzzle velocity versus 3,150 fps for the 5.56mm round, giving reduced penetration for certain combat situations.

Crossfire

Colt’s is also expected to be soon marketing the Crossfire rifle/shotgun system. The Double-barrelled long arm fires .223 Remington or any 12 gauge shells, including less-than-lethal rubber pellets, bean bags, CS-CN gas or OO Buck and slugs. The rifle section is designed with a 1-9 twist to optimize the use of .223 ammunition. Manufactured under ISO-9001 quality control standards, the Crossfire utilizes a pump action for both firing systems, optional Meprolight Tritium adjustable night sights, Invector-style choke tubes, single trigger and fire control selector, Picatinny-style optical rail on the receiver and under the forearm, 4-round removable shotgun magazine, AR-15 type 5-round rifle magazine, composite stock and forearm. The piece is available in black oxide or camo finishes. Length overall is 38-inches and weight is 8.6 lbs.

Vermont derived its name from the Green Mountains running the length of the state. French explorer Samuel de Champlain first entered the region in 1609 and called the mountains Vert Mont, or ‘Green Mountains.’ Before 1791, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York had made claims to parts of Vermont’s terrritory. But the Green Mountain Boys, led by Ethan Allen, drove out settlers who had received land grants from New York. Later, the Green Mountain Boys fought heroically in the Revolutionary War and helped win the important Battle of Bennington in 1777.

During the Revolutionary War, the region declared its independence as a republic with the name of New Connecticut. In 1777, the region’s name was changed to Vermont. Since colonial days, Vermonters have been known for their independent thinking, love of the outdoors, and their industriousness. In modern times, the state has become a popular vacation destination and is of particular interest to military and small arms aficionados as it contains a holiday spot all their own.

Located just five miles west of the state’s capital city of Montpelier is the Camp Meade Motor Court and Bunker House Restaurant. Operated with a military atmosphere, your stay at Camp Meade won’t be quite as uncomfortable as the accommodations available to you during basic training. Your hosts will also be a lot friendlier than your drill sergeant was.

The motel offers twenty comfortable cottages with cable television, pool, restaurant (where meals are served mess hall style), lounge, playground (for the kids), a military surplus gift shop and quiet spacious lawns. There is also a large display of vintage military vehicles, artillery, and a World War Two museum. It is a perfect retreat for the student of military history.

Motel Background

The cottages were built in 1928 for use by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps who were building a flood control dam in the area. Since the mid-1930’s, the cottages have been operated as a seasonal motel. Camp Meade (no connection to the military facility in Maryland), located in Vermont’s Washington County, was named in recognition of the first family to settle in the area in 1782. Current owner Gaston “Gus” Gosselin bought the motel in 1984 and later gave it its military theme park atmosphere.

“Everyone who visited here after we bought it asked us why we named it Camp Meade and thought there was some connection with Fort Meade in Maryland, although there were no military exhibits here initially. So many people drew a connection between our name and the military, that I decided to make the place have something to do with the military by buying a tank and displaying it in the front yard,” Gosselin explained.

His interest in things military grew along with his collection over the ensuing years. “Every day I learn a little more from the guests. One person recognized the deactivated bomb shell we had in our gift shop as the same type that took off half her calf in World War Two,”Gosselin recalled. About half of the motel’s business comes from repeat customers who come back year after year. Veterans’ groups often rent out the entire motel for several days to hold gatherings where they meet their old combat buddies and reminisce about their days in the armed forces. Military Theme

Guests are reminded of the military theme of the facility throughout their stay. In the early morning, reveille is played on a public address system followed by military “run to cadence” music. “It brings back memories for many of the veterans and really gets the blood flowing,” Gosselin commented. In the evening, the sound of taps floats through the air. Maids travel from cottage to cottage in a 1942 World War Two vintage ambulance loaded with clean linen and toiletries. When he first began to implement the military theme, Gosselin became worried about possible protests from peace activists, but thus far none have occurred.

The cottages are named after famous generals and other military figures such as General Mark Clark and Admiral Chester Nimitz. The most popular cottage is that named in honor of Lt. Col. Oliver North and guests often pose for pictures in front of it. On the televisions in the rooms, a label lists which channels play war movies. Guests are offered rides in the military vehicles, all of which are said to be operational.

Among such vehicles is a Light Tank M5A1 designed and standardized in September 1942 as a replacement for the Light Tank M5. Changes included an improved turret with a radio bulge at the rear, larger and better water-sealed access hatches, an improved mount for its 37mm gun, and an escape hatch added in the floor of the hull. Manned by a crew of four, its weight is 33,907 pounds. Other items on display include artillery pieces and a few aircraft.

Camp Meade is located on Route 2 just off Interstate 89 from Exit 9. The cottages are open from May 1 to November 1. For more information call (802) 223-5537

Worldwide Market For Military Arms Shrinking Dramatically

Arms sales to the developing world have been shrinking dramatically through the decade, according to a new report by the Congressional Research Service. Weapons deals dropped dramatically in 1997 to $24 billion, the lowest level since the Gulf War sales boom of 1990.

The United States remained as the top arms supplier, with about $5.3 billion, or 22 percent of defense related contracts. The figure is a significant drop from the $8.5 billion in new arms agreements reached in 1996. The second largest arms seller in 1997 was the United Kingdom with just under a 21 percent share of the total, followed by Russia with slightly over 18 percent and France’s total in excess of 10 percent.

Much of the loss comes from the developing world, where the financial crisis in Asia and low oil prices are making it hard to sell to heretofore steady buyers such as Japan, Taiwan, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. America signed just $2.3 billion in sales to developing countries in 1997, down from $5.3 billion in 1996. The U.S. share of deals with developing countries dropped from 29.3 percent in 1996 to 13.3 percent in 1997. Persian Gulf countries remain the biggest buyers of U..S. arms worldwide.

In total arms deals, France came in at a close second in 1997 at $5.1 billion, a sharp increase over the $3 billion in arms deals it signed in 1996. Much of the gain came from developing nations. In fact, France ranks number one in deals with developing nations, with $4.6 billion, much of it in the Persian Gulf, where France offered financial incentives.

Russia ranks third, but is falling behind. Potential customers are “not likely” to buy unfamiliar Russian arms, “when newer versions of existing equipment are readily available from traditional suppliers,” such as the United States and France, the report notes. Russian arms export agreements dropped somewhat in 1997 to about $4.1 billion, from $4.7 billion in 1996. Deals with developing nations totaled $3.3 billion, a drop from the $4.1 billion achieved in 1997.

A large amount of America’s sales activity rests on the aftermath of past deals. “Much of the value of U.S. arms transfers to developing nations in 1997 reflects either the continuation of established defensive support arrangements, such as weapon systems upgrades, training and support services or the sale of generally less costly systems, ammunition and spare parts,” the report details.

While the relative peace between the world’s major powers has not helped the arms trade, unrest in certain spots around the world stills fuels activities in the arms bazaars. “The developing world continues to be the primary focus of foreign arms sales activity by conventional weapons suppliers,” the report concluded as it noted there is little indication the trend will change anytime soon.

Company News

Moving closer to home, CZ-USA, the new U.S. affiliate of Ceska Zbrojovka (CZ), has established headquarters in Kansas City, Kansas to support CZ firearms in the U.S. market. Sales and warranty departments have been established to assist dealers and distributors and a certified gunsmith has been hired. “CZ-USA is looking forward to establishing itself as a leader in the US by increasing awareness of these incredibly accurate and easy-to-shoot firearms,” said Josef Jares, CZ-USA’s director.

CZ has been a leader in firearms manufacturing since its creation in 1936 in Uhersky Brod, Czech Republic. The company’s use of state-of-the-art technology combined with European craftsmanship has gained them worldwide recognition for their lines of pistols, centerfire and rimfire rifles, over/under shotguns, and airguns.

Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc., one of the nation’s largest producers of firearms, has reported 1998 third quarter net sales of $43.4 million, compared to $47.2 million in the third quarter of 1997. Net income for the quarter ended September 30, 1998, totaled $2.5 million or nine cents per share versus $4.8 million or eighteen cents per share in the comparable quarter of 1997.

For the nine months ended September 30, 1998, net sales were $161.9 million and net income was $18 million or sixty-seven cents per share. For the corresponding period in 1997, net sales were $156.8 million and net income was $20.2 million or seventy-five cents per share.

Commenting on the quarter, Chairman William B. Ruger noted his disappointment at the quarter’s profitability, caused in large part by significant start-up costs associated with new customers and products in the golf club market. “Satisfactory resolution of our customers’ concerns is our highest priority,” he said. The adverse impact on current earnings is an investment that we must make for the benefit of our future in the golf club market.” These additional costs are expected to continue for the remainder of 1998.

Encouraged by the second consecutive quarter in which firearms segment sales grew from the prior year, Ruger added, “The increase in firearms shipments and our continued success in defending product liability litigation exemplify our leadership in the firearms industry.”

Sturm, Ruger was founded in 1949. Since 1950, it has never failed to show an annual profit and has never required financing from outside sources. The company’s business segments are engaged in the manufacture of the Ruger brand of sporting and law enforcement firearms and titanium, ferrous, and aluminum investment castings for a wide variety of customers and end uses. Plants are located in Newport and Manchester, New Hampshire, and Prescott, Arizona. Corporate headquarters are situated in Southport, Connecticut.

With the acquisition of a plethora of M1 Carbine parts, Gun Parts Corp. of West Hurley, New York has put together a complete kit consisting of all parts needed to build an M1, except the receiver. The chrome-lined barrels include a bayonet lug. The wood is refinished walnut.

Sten Mark II parts kits are also available from Gun Parts Corp. Originally the basic submachine gun of England during World War Two, it has been favored by many armies as well as some partisan and guerrilla groups. All parts less the receiver are supplied in the kit, including a 20-round magazine.

Leupold & Stevens, Inc. of Beaverton, Oregon is introducing a new tactical scope geared towards military and law enforcement applications. The new Vari-X III 4.5-14x50mm long-range tactical scope has a side focus feature and features 1/4 minute click target style adjustments. The 30mm maintube provides as much as 80-minutes of elevation travel to adequately compensate for bullet drop in long range shooting situations.

The scope’s side focus mechanism uses a parallax adjustment dial positioned on the left side of the scope turret housing. This ergonomically designed feature allows the shooter to eliminate parallax while remaining in the shooting position. The larger exit pupil facilitated by the 50mm objective makes this scope especially good for low light conditions at higher powers. The scope is available in three reticle styles-duplex, 3/4 mil-dot, and target dot.

Sierra Bullets of Sedalia, Missouri has combined the accuracy of its MatchKing bullets with the explosive characteristics of their acetal resin bullet tip technology to create what it says are the world’s deadliest and most accurate varmint bullets. The new green-tipped BlitzKing bullets are constructed with MatchKing jackets and held to tight tolerances. With their match jacket design and construction, BlitzKing bullets are made to withstand even the high velocities of the .22-250 and .220 Swift, and are wildcat friendly.
Offerings include a .22 caliber, 55 grain BlitzKing, a .22 cal. 50 grain bullet, and a .22 cal. 40 grain projectile.

Firearms Training Systems, Inc. (FATS) of Suwanee, Georgia has been selected as the preferred tenderer by the Australian Army to supply its Weapons Training Simulation Systems and Indirect Fire Observer Trainers. “This selection further reinforces FATS’ business strategy to offer multiple training capabilities using a single platform. Customers may now consolidate procurements for gunnery training,” said Peter A. Marino, FATS’ CEO and President.

FATS is a leading worldwide producer of interactive simulation systems designed to provide training in the handling and use of small and supporting arms. Output also include air defense, anti-armor, and armored vehicle training products designed and manufactured by its Canadian subsidiary, Simtran Technologies, Inc. Commercial versions of FATS products supporting the sports shooting industry and professional hunter are designed and manufactured by its Colorado-based subsidiary, Dart International, Inc.

National News

Existing systems to distinguish friendly aircraft-or tanks, soldiers or anything else on a battlefield- from those of an enemy, rely on active transmissions which can give away a location to anyone with the proper listening equipment. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico have developed an identification system allowing “friends” to recognize each other while giving nothing away to others.

The system, called synchronous identification of friendly targets, uses a method of frequency locking to identify a weak signal buried in the normal radiant energy emitted by an airplane, tank, or person. The device, for which a patent was recently awarded, is portable and reliable, and can be easily modified to prevent an enemy from determining its operating characteristics.

Also in New Mexico, following the death of Airman Marcus R. Zaharko by previously unexploded ordnance on the White Sands Missile Range, the U.S. Army has canceled all oryx and deer hunts at the site until it completes a safety evaluation. The Army is assigning additional ordnance experts to the range to expedite the investigation.

Pentagon officials are reported as developing plans to train National Guard and Reserve units as terrorist response teams, due to a perceived increased terrorist threat within the United States. National Guard and Reserve units are already trained to respond to natural disasters, and to threats or use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. The view that terrorist response training is necessary is based on recent testimony given before the Senate Judiciary Terrorism Subcommittee from Secret Service, FBI, and Immigration and Naturalization Service officials.

A federal grand jury has handed down a fourteen-count indictment of Curtis Lynn Debord and a thirteen-count indictment of Peter Tran in a multi-million dollar conspiracy involving the smuggling of machine guns, conventional firearms, and gun parts from Vietnam. In a joint investigation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the U.S. Customs Service, undercover agents infiltrated an illegal arms distribution network that lead them across the Pacific Northwest and Oklahoma, Vietnam, Singapore, Mexico, Costa Rica and Germany.

The joint ATF/Customs investigation exposed Debord and Tran’s alleged intricate plot to import about $5 million worth of weapons, weapon parts, and other munitions from Vietnam, a country from which federal law prohibits arms importation. The indictment further charges Debord with witness tampering, a charge by itself that carries a possible ten year federal prison sentence.

This case is the latest indictment stemming from the ATF/Customs investigation entitled, “Operation Dragon Fire” wherein, over a dozen individuals, both U.S. citizens and Chinese nationals were indicted. The agents seized over 2000 AK-47’s in the case, the largest machine gun seizure in U.S. history.
SAR

Blount, International, the shooting sports conglomerate, has acquired the assets of the premium optics maker Redfield from Norwest Business credit, a secured lender. Redfield ceased operations last June amid allegations that leaking chemicals from its plant contaminated area homes. Blount plans to relocate Redfield’s manufacturing operations to its Sporting Equipment plant in Onalaska, Wisconsin. Repair service on existing Redfield scopes will be provided by an optics repair center in Miami, Florida.

California-based shooting industry retailers should be aware that the state now has a law banning the possession of body armor by convicted felons. The measure, drafted in response to North Hollywood Bank of America shootout involving two body armor clad gunmen, was signed into law by then Governor Wilson last August. A 21-year old New Jersey man, Kareem Prunty, pled guilty August 12 to a charge of guilty in a gun-running scheme. Four others have been indicted in the case involving the purchase of 62 handguns from a West Virginia dealer and the sale of the guns in New Jersey.

In one of his final executive acts, California Governor Pete Wilson vetoed three anti-gun bills in September. The first would have banned affordable handguns commonly used for personal protection. The second bill would have accomplished the same purpose by establishing arbitrary “safety” and performance standards for firearms. The third measure would have expanded the definition of “assault weapons” under the state’s 1989 Roberti-Roos gun ban.

Industry To Launch $15 Million Public Relations Effort Echoing the call, “The Time Is Now,” leaders of the firearms industry attending the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Shooting Sports Summit recently, voiced their support for a $15 million public relations effort designed to improve the image of firearms ownership. The effort will be funded by a one-half of one percent surcharge on the gross receipts of guns and related merchandise to begin January 1, 1999.

Premium walnut gunstock maker Reinhart Fajen is ceasing production. The firm’s 80,000-square-foot plant in Warsaw, Missouri is being closed due to unsatisfactory financial results. The brand name is expected to live on via a line of gun stocks to be produced by outside sources.

Dealer Inventories Expected To Rise As Result Of NICS One “good” aspect of the five working day waiting period requirement in the Brady Law, was that it allowed smaller dealers to maintain low inventory levels of handgun “samples.” When a customer indicated a desire to buy a particular model, the dealer had five days to order it in time for delivery to the consumer. But with the onset of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), dealers will have to provide “instant” delivery of a desired firearm after the background check is conducted. The higher inventories at the retailer level will help many wholesalers.

Importer KBI, Inc., reportedly intending to capitalize on the success of its recently introduced Charles Daly 1911 standard sized pistol, is planning to release compact version in the near future, according to trade sources.

Wisconsin, one of seven states that did not have a constitutional guarantee of the right to keep and bear arms, got one in the last election. Voters approved an amendment to the state constitution by a four-to-one margin which reads: “The people have to the right to keep and bear arms for security, defense, hunting, recreation or any other lawful purpose.”

Camfour, Inc., a Westfield, Massachusetts wholesale firearms distributor, has been purchased by a group of investors led by Peter A. Picknelly of the Springfield, MA-based Peter Pan Bus Lines firm. The purchase from Al Ferst, who owned Camfour since 1952, was private and no financial terms were disclosed. The distributor will remain at its present location.

Shooting Industry to Launch $15 Million Public Relations Effort

A major public relations and advertising campaign to create measurable growth within the gun industry as well as to counter the disinformation efforts of anti-gun groups, was proposed during the recent Shooting Sports Summit attended by 160 industry representatives.

In this, the third such Summit to be held in as many years in which firearms manufacturers and representatives from related firms meet to discuss and formulate strategies to grow and maintain their businesses during the year, the highlight of the meeting was the idea for a voluntary 1/2 of 1% Shooting for the Future tax on companies’ gross sales. To get the ball rolling, several major manufacturers agreed to begin paying such a “tax” effective January 1999. It is estimated that the program could generate $15 million in funding annually.

Bob Scott, vice president of marketing and sales, Smith & Wesson, one of the firms which has agreed to pay the tax, commented, “For the first time, we have the potential to have sufficient funds to offset a significant portion of the anti-gun campaigns that we are faced with on a regular basis. This could ultimately spell the difference between our ultimate success or failure.”

“The idea that all companies involved in the manufacture of shooting and related equipment might contribute a portion of their annual sales to an overall promotion and development fund is an extension of the ‘Dollar-a-Gun’ concept that has been discussed over the past several years,” said Bob Delfay, president and CEO of the trade group, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) of Newtown, Connecticut, the organizer of the meeting.

“The Dollar-a-Gun concept, while simple, has two basic flaws. At $1 per firearm, some companies would contribute a much higher percentage of their sales than would others and firearms manufacturers would be the only ones asked to contribute. These shortcomings are solved by a uniform and broad-based 1/2 of 1% approach,” Delfay said.

Vito Genco, attending as a representative of an Italian firearms trade group, said, “A similar self-imposed tax on firearms and ammunition was put in place in Italy several years ago and is working very well with 90% of manufacturers signing on in the first three years.”

Don Gobel, president of Browning and U.S. Repeating Arms, noted, “Recent surveys show that the majority of the non-shooting general public still support the private ownership of firearms. However, the well-financed anti-gun groups are and will continue to negatively influence these same people. The recent tragic school shootings are clear evidence of how they use their allegiance with the media to do so.

“We can no longer sit on the sidelines and react defensively whenever there is a crisis. We must become pro-active by launching our own public relations media campaign to tell our story to the general public. Since such a communications campaign will cost a lot of money, I support a 1/2 of 1% surcharge on all shooting products to fund such a program. I know of no other way,” Gobel said.

Another program discussed was the “Step Outside” effort which encourages new participants in the world of shooting and is coordinated by the NSSF. “A recent study conducted by the research organization, Roper-Starch Worldwide, found that there are 67 million men and 47 million women who would accept an invitation to go target shooting, if asked,” commented Delfay.

“These numbers are staggering,” Delfay continued, “the key is to reach out to these people by extending the initial invitation and-if you are able-mentor the individual until he/she is proficient enough to go on his/her own.” Delfay was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the largest ad hoc caucus in Congress.

In a presentation entitled, “Guess Who’s Coming To The Gun Club-Or Not,” Joseph Wheeler, an economic consultant, stressed that $470 billion in African-American buying power can be a substantial opportunity for the firearms industry.

“What this means to the shooting sports,” said Wheeler, is “a substantial opportunity” to attract new entrants. “With only 2% of the African-American population participating now, there is the opportunity to increase that percentage to at least the national average, 7%,” he explained.

“Having established that a market does exist, the question then turns to, how do we ‘invite them to dinner,’ or in this case, to the shooting range.” Wheeler cited an article by Eugene Morris titled “The Difference in Black and White,” published in American Demographics magazine. “The author points out that respect and acceptance are always issues,” Wheeler said. “African-Americans will spend money where they are respected and aren’t made to feel like outsiders.”

Wheeler went on to call for new gun advertisements directed specifically to blacks. “I suggest we design ad and marketing campaigns that suggest African-Americans are the primary market. We need to see black personalities shooting and hunting. The message must be directed at a black audience with images that say, ‘come on in.’”

News Tidbits

In other news, the U.S. Department of State recently revoked 250 licenses to export some 14,000 handguns to Great Britain. The stated intention of the action is to stem the illicit flow of firearms worldwide. U.S. officials indicated American firearms shipped to Britain over the last several years could have been re-exported and used to fuel conflicts in other parts of the world, especially since civilian handgun ownership has been outlawed. While end user certificates are required from the receiving countries stating where the firearms are intended to be sold, the U.S. has no way of enforcing the certificates, should terms be violated by the other country.

Non-lethal weapons systems are gaining a greater share of Department of Defense spending, the trade publication Defense News recently reported. In 1997, the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate was established at Quantico, Virginia to coordinate non-lethal weapons programs across all four service branches and the Special Operations Command. Between 1996 and 2003, over $130 million will be spent on non-lethal weapons programs.

The technologies under development range from acoustic devices that cause internal organs to resonate resulting in discomfort, permanent damage or death, to electronic magnetic waves that can cause interference with brain functions, cerebral hemorrhaging and visceral disruption.

Robin Coupland, a surgeon in the Health Operations Division of the International Committee of the Red Cross, wrote in a 1997 paper on non-lethal weapons for the British Medical Journal that survivors of future wars may return home with psychoses, epilepsy and blindness.

China has developed the ZM-87 portable laser disturber. Its manufacturer, China North Industries, Corp. describes the device in its sales literature as having one of its major applications to “injure or dizzy the eyes of an enemy combatant.” U.S. troops are reported as having deployed the Sabre 203 laser in Somalia, which the Helsinki-based group, Human Rights Watch called a device that could be used to blind people.

Russia has developed radio frequency weapons and other non-lethal technologies and Germany, Israel, France and Great Britain are developing antipersonnel laser programs or other directed energy weapons.

Home Gun Inspections

The Arlington County Virginia police Department has instituted a policy of “Home Site Inspections” in the application approval process for Class Three firearms, the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) reports. Arlington’s new police chief, Edward Flynn, instituted the policy.

There is no statutory authority under federal or state law for the police to conduct such inspections, writes the VCDL in an Internet membership alert. “Such inspections of homes is a violation of our Fourth Amendment rights. We should not have to subject ourselves to government searches just because we want to own a military style firearm, the very type of gun that the Second Amendment was written to protect.” The group has instituted a letter writing campaign to local officials in protest of the directive.

New Sniper Scope

Leupold & Stevens, Inc. of Beaverton, Oregon has introduced a new tactical scope geared towards military and law enforcement applications featuring a bullet drop compensator. The new Vari-X III 3.5-10x40mm Long Range M3 scope features a side focus adjustment using a parallax adjustment dial positioned on the left side of the scope turret housing. Conventional parallax adjustments, which are located on the objective bell of the scope, require reaching to the front of the scope to make parallax corrections, often resulting in the shooter losing sight of the target.

Meanwhile, Redfield, Inc., the 90-year old manufacturer of optics, has virtually shut down its operations following the emergence of financial and environmental problems. The company’s problems began with the discovery of environmental pollution in homes in the vicinity of Redfield’s Denver, Colorado plant. The use of cleaning chemicals by the optics manufacturer in the recent past is suspected of having infiltrated groundwater in the area.

When news of the pollution problem became known, Norwest Bank seized the company’s assets. Lester A. Jones, Redfield’s president has resigned. At press time, it was uncertain whether the company would continue operations.

Sierra Bullets of Sedalia, Missouri has unveiled its new 77-grain MatchKing bullet, designed for AR-15/M16A2 rifles used in the Service rifle category of High Power rifle competition. The new bullet was developed in response to requests for a magazine length projectile of high ballistic coefficient. Manufactured with an elongated boattail, but an ogive compatible with the magazine feed requirements, this new MatchKing has a ballistic coefficient of .372. Due to the bullet’s length, a 1X7” or 1X8” rifling twist is required.

(Editor’s note: Readers who are planning on attending this year’s Soldier of Fortune Convention in Las Vegas and have scheduled themselves a little sightseeing time will probably want to visit this museum. The historical cars are of great interest to many of us who cover small arms, as the leaders of the countries involved in many of the conflicts expressed much of their personality in their vehicles.)

While not a firearms museum, the over 750 antique, classic, special interest and military origin vehicles comprising the multi-million dollar Imperial Palace Hotel auto collection in Las Vegas, Nevada holds much of interest to small arms collectors and shooters.

Many gun aficionados started out early in collecting life by restoring old jalopies to running condition. While later moving on to firearms, many still retain an interest in automobiles. One of today’s premier firearms manufacturers, William B. Ruger, has an automotive interest as well, and maintains a large car collection. The collection will also be of interest to students of military history.

More than 200 vehicles spanning nearly 100 years of automotive history are on display at any given time in a plush, gallery-like setting comprising 65,000-square-feet on the fifth floor of the Imperial Palace’s parking facility. While the main focus is on civilian vehicles, there are a number of military origin pieces in the collection. These specimens run the gamut from motorcycles, to trucks, tractors and amphibious vehicles. There is the image of power and simplicity presented by a 1940 Dodge Command Car, to an American paratrooper’s lightweight bicycle, to one of the largest military personnel carriers ever built – the German Krausse Maffei.

Hitler’s Vehicle

The Leader’s Row section of the museum contains a 1939 Mercedes Benz, 770K, one of several bullet-resistant vehicles manufactured for Adolph Hitler. The Mercedes weighs 11,960 pounds and is 20-feet long, 7-feet wide and can carry up to 9 passengers. The car contained solid rubber, bullet-resistant tires as well as bullet-resistant wheels. All of its seven windows are bullet-resistant and two-inches thick. The floor is mine-resistant, while the doors (weighing 900-pounds each) contain one-and-a-half-inch thick armor plate, and the rear is protected by a large shield. While this car was being built, Hitler visited the factory to inspect its workmanship and personally tested the armor plating by firing two pistol rounds into the right rear quarter panel. While he had several armored vehicles, this particular car was the only one built from the ground up specifically for Hitler. This is the same vehicle used on June 18, 1940 that appeared in the famous photographs depicting Hitler and his Italian counterpart, Benito Mussolini, standing and riding in this automobile in Munich, Germany. Hitler also rode in this vehicle during the Berlin victory parade on July 6, 1940. While being a short man, Hitler’s front right seat could be folded back to allow him to stand at a higher elevation to appear as if he were much taller. There is also a compartment in front of Hitler’s seat where a pistol was stored.

Mussolini’s car

Along the same lines, the 1939 Alfa Romeo Tipo 6C 2500S Berlinetta, formerly owned by the Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, may be seen as well. This car was part of a convoy traveling from Milan in April 1945 when it was stopped by partisan forces just before the town of Dongo, on the western bank of Como Lake. Mussolini’s lover, Claretta Petacci, who had been given the car as a gift by Mussolini, was present, as was her brother Marcello, who was driving. Also riding in the vehicle were Zita Ritossa, Marcello’s companion, and their two children. Mussolini himself, was found hiding in another convoy vehicle, a German truck. He was wearing the overcoat and helmet of a German Luftwaffe Corporal.

Nearly all the members of the convoy were executed on the spot by the partisans. Marcello Petacci, who tried to flee, was shot at the edge of the lake. Mussolini and Claretta were taken to a small house and kept overnight. This was the first (and last) time they had spent the entire night together. For the next morning, the pair were taken outside and executed by Communist partisans. The identity of those who fired the rounds is still a mystery. After the executions, the two bodies were taken to Milan and exposed in Loreto Square, hanging by their heels.

The Alfa Romeo was kept in impoundment by the local Italian police until an American soldier brought it to the U.S.

Other historical vehicles in the collection include Japanese Emperor Hirohito’s 1935 Packard, the last Russian Czar Nicholas II’s 1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, the former Argentine strongman Juan Peron’s 1939 Straight-8 Packard and former Mexican President Lazaro Cardenas’ armor-plated 1939 V-12 Packard. Al Capone’s 1930 V-16 Cadillac is one of the museum’s biggest attractions.

Contact Info.

To keep the collection interesting for repeat visitors, several vehicles are rotated from storage to the display area each month. Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., admission is $6.95 for adults and $3. for children. Nearly 50,000 visitors come in every year. For more information contact the 2,700-room Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino, 3535 Las Vegas Blvd.So., Las Vegas, Nevada 89109. Telephone: (702) 731-3311 or toll free (800) 634-6441.

At America’s birth, the republic faced a world of hostile monarchies. It was obvious a plan was needed to ensure the security of the 13 states. Thus, on April 2, 1794, Congress passed, “An Act to Provide for the Erecting and Repairing of Arsenals and Magazines.” This legislation set Springfield Armory on a 174 year career as the main supplier of arms to the U.S. military.

The site at Springfield, Massachusetts, was chosen due to its strategic position above the Enfield Falls of the Connecticut River. The location made it less vulnerable to attack by potential enemies. And during the Revolutionary War, this important location had served as the primary arsenal for munitions and supplies.

Inventions such as the Blanchard Lathe (developed in 1822) that allowed for mass production of gun stocks, the concept of interchangeable parts, and rudimentary assembly lines, all trace their origins to Springfield Armory. The Armory was the first major employer in Springfield and the advances initiated in the complex started the city on the path that made it a manufacturing center.

The Armory’s extraordinary response to the demands of World War Two marked its crowning achievement. The then new semi-automatic M1 rifle was produced with a production process allowing inexperienced workers to handle many operations. Wartime production necessitated the recruitment of thousands of women who made up about 43% of the Armory’s workforce of 13,500 employees in 1943.

After the war, the Armory, which had always focused on production, had difficulty adjusting to an uncertain postwar mission stressing research and development. The Armory also fared poorly in the complex bureaucratic infighting within the defense establishment. Finally, in a cost-cutting move, it was decided to place greater emphasis on purchasing from private contractors for the government’s arms needs. So, in 1964, then Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara announced the closing of the institution, which was completed in 1968.

While the Armory no longer manufactures firearms, it maintains one of the most extensive small arms museums in the country containing approximately 6,800 firearms. During and after the Civil War, large numbers of captured and surplus weapons were sent to the Armory to be reconditioned. Samples of these arms, particularly those of historical interest, were put aside and these formed the nucleus of the Armory museum collection. Established in 1872, the museum’s concept is as a “reference library” of arms.

The Flintlock Musket

By following the history of the guns produced at the Armory, one can trace the history of small arms development over the last two hundred years. The first model produced at the Armory, the U.S. Flintlock Musket Model 1795, was a French designed arm imported to America in large quantities during the Revolutionary War. With its three iron barrel bands, it was considered a rugged piece. It weighed about 9-pounds and was approximately 60-inches long. Firing a .69 caliber lead ball from its smooth bore barrel, the maximum effective range was about 100 yards. A 14- to 15-inch steel bayonet was fitted for close combat use.

The Percussion Musket

The advent of the percussion ignition system concept in 1807 and the invention of the percussion cap in 1814, prodded Springfield Armory into producing arms utilizing the more modern ignition to replace the flintlocks that had been in use for centuries. Conservative military leaders, however, waited until the latter part of 1841 to authorize such production.

The first produced, the Model 1842 Musket, was really the Model 1840 flintlock with a percussion lock installed in place of the flintlock frizzen and pan. Production began in 1844 and about 172,000 were made. It was also Springfield’s first model using completely interchangeable parts.

While the practice of rifling barrels to achieve greater accuracy and range of projectiles was in use in Europe as early as the late 15th Century, such arms did not come into general employ in combat operations until much later as military tactics of the day called for the placement of a heavy and quick field of fire while troops advanced. Accuracy was not so important as was ease of loading; forcing a tight-fitting lead ball against rifling grooves greatly slowed the reloading process.

The Rifle-Musket

All of this was changed in 1855 when Springfield Armory began production of the Model 1855 Rifle-Musket incorporating newly developed technologies. The first was the French invented Minie Bullet, composed of a projectile with a hollow conical base that, while smaller in diameter than the bore to allow rapid loading, expanded upon firing to contact the rifling.

The other technology was the utilization of the Maynard tape lock, consisting of a roll of waxed paper with spaced dots of fulminate of mercury (with a similar appearance to roll caps used in children’s cap guns). Each time the hammer was cocked, the lock mechanism would advance the tape a notch over the nipple, thus eliminating the need for the soldier to position a percussion cap each time the gun was fired. Chambered for .58 caliber 500-grain bullets, good accuracy could be achieved at distances up to 600 yards. By 1861, with the Civil War raging, the Armory produced the Model 1861 Rifle-Musket – basically a Model 1855 without the Maynard lock, as it had proved somewhat unreliable.

The Trapdoor & Krag Rifles

In the closing months of the Civil War, and for several years thereafter, the Armory produced a number of experimental breech-loading arms in limited quantities. But in 1873, the Trapdoor .45 caliber rifle, which carried its three-piece cleaning rod in a compartment within the buttstock, proved the most successful.

Becoming standard issue for U.S. troops, the Trapdoor rifle played a major role in the Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection. With the introduction of bolt action magazine fed rifles and the invention of smokeless propellants in the closing years of the 19th Century, the single shot Trapdoor rifle was retired.

In 1892, the Norwegian designed bolt action Krag-Jorgensen .30 caliber 5-shot rifle was adopted by the U.S. and Springfield Armory tooled up to produce them. Over 475,000 Krags were produced from 1894 to 1903.

The 1903 Springfield

In 1900, Springfield Armory completed a prototype of an improved bolt action magazine-fed rifle firing a new cannelured .30 caliber cartridge with a blunt nose bullet. After going through some design modifications, the final form was designated “U.S. Magazine Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903,” or the more popular ’03 Springfield. In 1906, a new .30 caliber load was developed with a sharp pointed boat tail bullet that became the famed .30-06 Springfield cartridge.

By the time America entered World War One, Springfield Armory had produced over 800,000 ’03 Springfield rifles, and kept the rifle’s production lines humming for years in a number of different variations. Over one million were produced

The M1 Garand

The ‘03’s replacement, the M1 Garand rifle, was described by General George S. Patton, Jr. as, “the greatest battle implement ever devised.” A semi-automatically loading, gas-operated 8-shot arm, it was invented by John C. Garand, a career employee at the Armory. Beginning production in 1937, over 3 1/2 million were produced by the time the Second World War ended in 1945, and a million more were made in the post-war years. The U.S. Army’s adoption of the M14, 7.62mm, selective-fire rifle in 1957, effectively ended the Armory’s production of the M1.

The M14

The M14, basically a modified M1 designed to handle the higher powered 7.62mm and to deliver full-auto firing capability, was the last major arms design Springfield Armory produced until it closed in 1968. In a fitting tribute, more than two decades after the Armory closed, the M21 sniper rifles (basically a National Match conditioned M14), were used by Special Operations snipers in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf.

Getting There

Springfield Armory National Historic Site, administered by the National Park Service, is located in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, and close to both Interstate 91 and the Massachusetts Turnpike. It is open 10 AM to 4:30 PM Wednesdays through Sundays and is closed on January 1, Thanksgiving Day and December 25. Admission is free. For more information, call: (413) 734-8551.

Among the upcoming exhibitions SAR readers will be particularly interested in is the upcoming “Evolution of the Machine Gun.” Planned for 1999, the exhibit will trace the origins of full-auto weapons from the design concepts contained in the drawings of Leonardo Da Vinci through today’s Mini-Guns. Call the museum for more information.

BATF: Wallet Holster Sale May Constitute NFA Violation

The sale or distribution of a wallet holster-without a firearm- could constitute a violation of the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934 in some circumstances, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (BATF) warns.

In the 1970s, the BATF determined that when small handguns were combined with certain “wallet holsters” (a flat holster, usually made of leather, resembling a wallet in appearance and containing cutout sections for the trigger finger and muzzle, allowing the firearm to be fired from within), they fall into the “Any Other Weapon” category of law and are thus subject to the provisions of the NFA. The handgun combined with the wallet holster thus constitutes an NFA-determined firearm.

As defined in Section 5845(e) of the NFA, the term “Any Other Weapon” denotes certain concealable arms. Various types of disguised arms, such as cane guns, belt buckle guns, and briefcase guns (with remote control firing mechanisms) fall within the “Any Other Weapon” category. It is unlawful to make, possess, or transfer such firearms without first complying with the provisions of the NFA, which provide for the payment of a special tax. BATF agents have said firearms concealed in such wallet holsters are a favorite of outlaw motorcycle gangs.

A conventional pistol or revolver possessed without the wallet holster would not be classified as an NFA firearm. A wallet holster alone is not subject to NFA controls and cannot be registered or transferred as a firearm, and firearms contained in conventional holsters, trouser pockets, purses, gun cases, or various other forms of carrying cases have not been determined to fall within the definition of an “Any Other Weapon,” even though it may be possible to discharge the firearm while it is carried in such a manner, the agency says.

Mere sale or possession of the wallet holster without the handgun is not a violation of the NFA. However, 18 USC, section 2, provides that an individual who aids or abets another person in the commission of an offense is also responsible for the offense. Therefore, the BATF warns, sale or distribution of a wallet holster with the knowledge that it will be used to make an unregistered NFA firearm may also place the seller or distributor of the holster in violation of the NFA.

In order for an individual to lawfully “make” a wallet gun -that is to acquire both the handgun and the wallet holster – that person must first submit an Application to Make and Register a Firearm (ATF Form 1), pay a $200 making tax, and receive approval of the application. (SAR will be covering the ATF Form 1 in Vol. 1 No. 10)

The serial number appearing on the handgun should be included when registering the new NFA firearm. Transfer of a wallet gun requires an approved transfer application and payment of the transfer tax. A transfer will not be approved unless the wallet gun has been registered to the transferor.

More BATF News

The agency further notes that thefts from Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) continue to rise. Latest available figures show that from 1995 to 1996, the number of incidents and stolen firearms reported lost or stolen by FFL-holders to BATF increased by 40%.

Following an analysis of these incidents, the agency developed the following security tips: keep display cases locked at all times; show only one firearm at a time to your customers; do not leave a customer unattended while handling a firearm; do not meet with customers after business hours; strictly control firearm security at gun shows; institute an employee screening process; and, utilize any security measures you have in place regularly.

The agency has found the most popular method of entry into a store continues to be via a broken window or the front door. The next most common entry points are using a vehicle to smash the front of the building, entering through the back door, and entries made via the roof. It is advised to fortify these areas and to install a burglar alarm with central monitoring.

Another increasing crime is the theft of firearms from gun shows. Often the guns are not stolen at the show itself, but rather from the dealer’s vehicle. BATF advises firearms should be removed from the vehicle and stored at more secure locations, especially if the vehicle will remain parked overnight.

In an item of interest to pawnbrokers licensed to deal in firearms, the BATF is interpreting the Gun Control Act of 1968 to permit FFL holders to return a pawned firearm to a person who is not a resident of the state where the licensee’s premises are located. This interpretation is based upon 18 USC Section 922(a)(2)(A0, which permits a licensee to return a firearm or replacement firearm to the person from whom it was received, even though the person is an out-of-state resident.

Licensees returning pawned firearms to non-licensed aliens may return the firearms to the alien from whom they were received, upon obtaining evidence that the alien is a resident of any state and has resided in such state continuously for at least 90 days prior to the transfer of the firearm.

The Gun Control Act of 1968 has been amended, according to BATF, to allow FFL-holders to sell curio and relic firearms to other licensees away from their licensed premises. Licensees are still subject to all record-keeping requirements in the regulations concerning the sale or other disposition of curios and relics. In addition, the licensee’s record should reflect the location of the sale or disposition.

While in the last several years many FFL holders have given up their licenses, the BATF reports many of these licensees have not sent their records to its out-of-business records center. If a business is being discontinued completely, the licensed dealer is required, within 30 days, to forward his records to the BATF. Failure to submit the required records is a felony and could result in a licensee being fined up to $250,000, imprisoned up to five years, or both.

The BATF is issuing proposed regulations to implement the provisions of Public Law 103-159, relating to the permanent provisions of the so-called “Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act.” These proposed regulations implement the law by requiring, with some exceptions, a licensed firearms importer, manufacturer, or dealer to contact the national instant criminal background check system (NICS) before transferring a firearm to an unlicensed individual. NICS will advise the licensee whether or not the system contains any information that the prospective purchaser is prohibited by law from possessing or receiving a firearm. More information may be obtained from the February 19, 1998 issue of the Federal Register, or by visiting the agency’s website at: www.atf.treas.gov.

The federal agency’s recent efforts to reclassify certain muzzleloading rifles using modern rifle primers for ignition has prompted one of the affected manufacturers to go to court. Modern Muzzleloading’s initial request for a preliminary injunction against the BATF was denied, but the court ordered the agency to provide more information on why they are seeking to reclassify the guns.

Many members of the industry have voiced concern over the recent confirmation of Dr. David Satcher as U.S. Surgeon General. As chief executive at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Satcher used the agency to promote gun violence as a “disease” and gun control as the “cure.” The National Rifle Association’s lobbying arm, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) issued a statement noting, “While he was at the helm of CDC, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, a division within the CDC, funded numerous unscientific, anti-gun ‘studies.’ With Dr. Satcher serving as Surgeon General, NRA members and gun owners across the nation have reason to be concerned.”

An omnibus spending bill signed last fall by President Clinton reportedly contains a $500,000 appropriation that could lead to the establishment of a national anti-gun museum in Washington, DC.

Within the President’s spending measure was a provision for funding a commission to develop a plan for a National Health Museum to be built in a prominent location near the National Mall where many of the capital district’s leading monuments are situated. The new facility would house many of the exhibits now contained in the poorly-visited display at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, located at a nearby army base.

Leading the effort to establish the new museum is former U.S, Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, an active anti-gunner. He has thus far helped to raise about $2 million from private donors, and he has expressed confidence that additional funding in the range of $98 million could be raised. The current museum attracts about 45,000 visitors per year. It is estimated the figure could reach 1 million or more if it were in a more accessible location. Current exhibits include the projectile that killed President Lincoln alongside his doctor’s blood-stained shirt cuffs, an assortment of Civil War skeletons, and deformed but preserved fetuses.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP), which provides surplus firearms to civilians to encourage rifle practice, is under fire again. Twenty-three U.S. representatives recently sent a letter to acting Secretary of the Army, Robert M. Walker seeking a prohibition on the CMP from selling M-1 carbines. This, despite the fact that the M-1 carbine is specifically “protected” under the 1994 Clinton “Assault Weapons” Ban and rarely used in crime.

Despite increases during 1997’s fourth quarter, overall sales and earnings declined for the year, reports Sturm, Ruger & Co., one of the few publicly traded firearms firms. For 1997, sales were $209.4 million, net income $27.8 million, and earnings per share $1.03. The respective figures for 1996 were sales of $223.3 million, net income of $34.4 million, and earnings per share of $1.28.

For 1997’s fourth quarter, sales were $52.6 million, net income $7.5 million, and earnings per share 28 cents. Comparable amounts for 1996’s fourth quarter were sales of $43.8 million, net income of $6 million and earnings per share of 22 cents.

Commenting on the results, William B. Ruger, chairman of the board of directors noted, “While 1997 as a whole did not meet the record levels achieved during 1996, earnings per share for the last half of 1997 exceeded the results for the comparable period in 1996. Our casting sales remain strong and the balance sheet shows significant improvement in cash, short-term investments, and inventories.”

Cash on hand at December 31, 1997 was $4,488,000, compared to $2,729,000 at the same date the year before. Short-term investments grew to $45,484,000 at the end of 1997, versus $30,652,000 a year earlier. Inventories dropped to $45,549,000 at the close of 1997, while totaling $55,068,000 at the end of 1996. Founded in 1949, Sturm, Ruger has since 1950 never failed to show an annual profit and has never required financing from outside sources.

Ruger’s chairman recently personally contributed $1 million to the National Rifle Association’s National Firearms Museum, which is expected to open June 1. “I feel the National Firearms Museum will tie together the history, craftsmanship, engineering and design of firearms as an integral part of the heritage of this country,” said Ruger. State News

In California, SKS rifles with detachable magazines are now considered “assault weapons,” under state law. Daniel E. Lungren, the state’s Attorney General, has issued a written warning to gun owners and dealers that, “Given further review…anyone in the state of California who has purchased an SKS with a detachable magazine, or converted an SKS with a fixed magazine, is in possession of an ‘assault weapon.’

“This is an illegal weapon unless and until it is registered. If the owner of the firearm can prove he or she possessed it prior to June 1, 1989, it may be registered with the Department of Justice. Otherwise, any SKS with a detachable magazine is an illegal weapon and must be relinquished to a local police station or sheriff’s department.

Since taking office in 1991 however, Lungren had allowed the sale of aftermarket detachable magazines and SKS rifles equipped with them.

But the California Court of appeals has ruled the core of California’s 1989 Roberti-Roos “Assault Weapons” Act to be unconstitutional and sent a case challenging the law back to a lower court. The court held that the list of 62 firearms deemed “assault weapons” was vague and violated constitutional equal protection principles. The provision of the Roberti-Roos Act allowing guns to be added to the prohibited list violated constitutional due process and separation of power requirements, the court added.

The California appeals court pointed out “assault weapons” are not machineguns, which have been heavily regulated since 1934, and that the semi-auto firearms listed in the law are seldom used in crime. It was further mentioned that the law’s notice provisions related to the adding of additional guns to the prohibited list by the state attorney general was so vague that it could lead to gun owners becoming unwitting felons before a list was published. “This is intolerable,” said the court.

While sales of handguns have seen a dramatic decline since the implementation of the Brady Law’s five-working-day waiting period, and the often illegal background checks of handgun buyers and attendant fees being conducted by law enforcement in some areas, in at least one state, legislation has been introduced to halt illegal police practices.

In Vermont, the state with the most liberal gun laws in the nation, a trio of elected representatives have introduced legislation that would impose criminal sanctions on police who continue to conduct background checks of gun buyers. While the US Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional, the Brady Law’s mandate that local law enforcement officials must conduct background checks to satisfy the federal law, U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno had urged local officials to conduct the checks “voluntarily.” But this is illegal in many areas, including in the state of Vermont. The bill’s sponsors say that while it is illegal for the Vermont State Police to conduct background checks while on duty, the agency has continued the practice by having its officers perform the checks on a voluntary basis on their own (unpaid) time.

In Pennsylvania, the Bucks County Sportsmen’s Coalition (BCSC) noted in a recent newsletter that the Bucks County sheriff “has taken the first step toward cessation of his policy of violating Pennsylvania state law” by stopping the collection of fees for performing Brady handgun buyer background checks. However, he is still performing the checks.

As in Vermont, Pennsylvania law does not permit sheriffs to undertake such actions without authorizing legislation and no such legislation has ever been passed. “By performing and requiring the background checks, the Bucks County sheriff was not only breaking the law, he was illegally extorting money from consumers. According to an official county estimate, almost $37,000 had been collected before the middle of 1997,” the BCSC noted.

Meanwhile, a Colorado State Senate bill that would have banned all private sales of semi-automatic firearms in the state recently failed to pass the Colorado Senate Judiciary Committee by a 4-4 vote.

Two alleged gunrunners were recently nabbed in Ohio after a female accompanying them purchased 26 pistols from a Columbus, Ohio gun shop. The men face 26 counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The pistols, purchased for $3,900 from the gun shop owner who was acting in cooperation with police, have a street value of $6,500. The arrests came after a multi-agency surveillance operation led by the Columbus Police Department. The operation was initiated when agents from the BATF informed Columbus authorities the suspected gunrunners would purchase a large amount of firearms in the city.

Virginia House of Delegates member William P. Robinson, Jr., who opposed passage of the concealed carry law in 1996, has since obtained a carry permit and is packing a pistol. Robinson was pistol-whipped by a man wearing a ski mask as he left his law office last December. “I have a permit,” Robinson told reporters. “I got one after the attack. I have to be careful and defend myself.”

BATF: Machine Gun Manufacture, Exportation Rose In 1996

During 1996, both machine gun manufacture and exportation showed increased activity compared to 1995, the latest available Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Report issued by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms shows. Rifle manufacturing also rose slightly during 1996. However, U.S. manufacturing of both pistols and revolvers – as well as shotguns, continued in a downward spiral during the year. Manufacturers produced a total of 22,020 machine guns in 1996, compared to 9,185 in 1995, and 10,248 in 1994. A total of 410 “Any Other Weapons” (which can include such products as pen guns, wallet pistols, smooth bore revolvers) were made in 1996, in comparison to 110 in 1995, and 572 in 1994. Machine gun exports climbed to 33,875 in 1996, up from 19,259 in 1995, and 16,729 in 1994. Any Other Weapon exports rose to 223 in 1996, from just 27 in 1995, and 56 in 1994. The total exported “miscellaneous” firearms grew to 6,055 in 1996, from 2,495 in 1995, and 3,222 in 1994.

Total pistol production decreased to 985,533 during 1996, from 1,195,266 made in 1995, and the 2,014,336 produced in 1994. Revolver production dropped to 498,944 in 1996, from 527,664 in 1995, and 586,450 in 1994. The total number of shotguns manufactured in 1996 amounted to 925,732, down from 1,173,645 in 1995 and 1,254,926 in 1994. Rifle production climbed to 1,424,319 for 1996, up from the 1,331,780 produced in 1995, and the 1,349,116 made in 1994.

Handgun Caliber Comparisons

By caliber category, pistols chambered for cartridges in the 9mm segment continued to lead the pack in 1996 with 319,696 being produced, as compared with 398,467 in 1995, and the whopping 752,801 manufactured in 1994. Pistols in the .50 caliber segment came in at second place with 233,364 made in 1996, in comparison with 283,693 units in 1995, and 350,580 in 1994. Diminutive .22 pistols were produced in a total number of 204,819 in 1996, compared to 260,059 in 1995 and 456,490 in 1994. Pistols in the .380 range dropped further to production of 165,789 in 1996, from 182,802 in 1995, and 313,915 in 1994. Pocket pistols in .25 caliber went down to 41,156 in 1996, from 51,025 in 1995, and 110,732 in 1994. And .32 caliber pistol production came in at 20,709 units in 1996, in comparison to 19,220 in 1995 and 29,818 in 1994.

In the revolver segment, the .357 Magnum category lead the way with 134,910 produced in 1996, compared to 210,379 in 1995, and 170,856 in 1994. Wheelguns in .22 caliber came in second with 127,119 made in 1996, compared to 99,578 in 1995, and 133,990 in 1994. The .38 Special came in third with 115,432 such revolvers made in 1996, in comparison to 92,913 in 1995, and 146,630 in 1994. Production of revolvers in the mighty .44 Magnum category totaled 80,456 for 1996, while in 1995 the total was 90,144, and for 1994, 89,713. The .50 caliber revolver category showed 27,944 units made in 1996, compared to 30,269 in 1995, and 36,101 in 1994. Finally, .32 caliber revolver manufacturers made 3,083 guns in 1996, compared to 4,361 in 1995, and 9,160 in 1994.

Export Figures

All categories except the aforementioned machine gun, Any Other Weapon and “miscellaneous” firearms, showed export declines in 1996. Pistol exports dropped to 64,126 in 1996, from 97,969 in 1995 and 95,036 in 1994. Revolvers declined to 90,058 being exported in 1996, from 131,634 in 1995, and 78,935 in 1994. Rifle exports went down to 74,555 in 1996, from 89,053 in 1995, and 82,226 in 1994. Shotgun exports decreased to 97, 173 in 1996, from 100,894 in 1995 and 146,524 in 1994.

The top three pistol exporters in 1996 were led by Smith & Wesson Corp. with 45,462 units, versus 66,689 in 1995, and 57,442 in 1994. Much of S&W’s pistol production, particularly that of its Performance Center, is exported to Germany. Colt’s Manufacturing Co. finished in second place in 1996 with exports of 4,078 pistols, compared to 10,351 in 1995, and 12,890 in 1994. Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. finished as the third place pistol exporter with 3,935 units shipped overseas, in comparison to 6,399 in 1995, and 5,185 in 1994. Other pistol exporters included: 502 units by Arcadia Machine & Tool, compared to 487 in 1995, and 533 in 1994; Taurus International Manufacturing’s 546 units in 1996, compared to 917 in 1995, and 1,637 in 1994; and, Springfield, Inc.’s 1,158 units in 1996, versus 1,695 in 1995, and 2,424 in 1994. The top three revolver exporters in 1996 were: Smith & Wesson Corp. occupying the lead position registering 74,851 units, having shipped out 113,899 in 1995, and 56,980 in 1994; Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. in second place with shipment of 7,268 wheelguns in 1996, versus 8,636 in 1995, and 9,383 in 1994; and, Colt’s Manufacturing Co., Inc. in third place with shipment of 4,012 units in 1996, in comparison to 5,388 in 1995, and 5,105 in 1994.

The top rifle exporter during 1996 was Remington Arms Co., Inc., with shipment of 19,452 examples during the year, compared to 32,315 in 1995, and 26,973 in 1994. Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc., came in second with exports of 18,226 rifles in 1996, versus 22,503 in 1995, and 18,764 in 1994. The Marlin Firearms Co. finished third with 18,181 units in 1996, compared to 22,951 in 1995, and 14,174 in 1994.

Top Pistol Makers

The top pistol makers in 1996 included Smith & Wesson Corp. in the number one position with 179,899 units in 1996, compared to 241,906 in 1995 and 269,549 in 1994. Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. finished in second place with 134,791 pistols in 1996, as compared to 197,486 in 1995, and 299,647 in 1994. Beretta USA Corp., came in at third place with 89,702 pistols produced in 1996, in comparison to 158,858 in 1995, and 201,517 in 1994. Manufacturers of lower-priced pistols, who had been negatively affected by the Brady Law’s imposition of a five-working-day wait on consumer purchasers as well as the gun buyer background check fees charged in some localities on gun buyers, continued to experience diminished sales demand and consequent lower production.

For example, industry leader Lorcin Engineering made 87,497 pistols in 1996, up from the 83,463 manufactured in 1995, but still a far cry from the total of 151,208 it produced in 1994. Bryco Arms, produced 47,316 pistols in 1996, compared to 56,727 in 1995, and 227,924 in 1994. Davis Industries made 39,093 units in 1996, down from the 45,171 made in 1995, and the 85,124 produced in 1994.

Top Revolver Makers

The top revolver maker in 1996 was Smith & Wesson Corp. with 225,491 units, compared to having made 258,223 in 1995, and 255,216 in 1994. Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. finished second with increasing wheelgun production of 166,123 units in 1996, in comparison to 148,439 in 1995, and 136,394 in 1994. Third place honors go to North American Arms, Inc., with the manufacture of 39,832 of its fine .22 caliber mini-revolvers in 1996.

Other higher volume makers include Colt’s Manufacturing Co., Inc. with 27,582 revolvers, Heritage Manufacturing, Inc. with 28,075 and H&R 1871, Inc. with 8,772 pieces.

Top Rifle Makers

Sturm, Ruger & Co.,Inc. emerged as America’s number one rifle maker in 1996 with 417,310 units, compared with 407,785 in 1995 (also the top rifle producer in that year), and 354,355 in 1994. Holding second place in 1996 for rifle manufacturing was The Marlin Firearms Co. with 350,897 units, in comparison with production of 396,215 in 1995, and 358,372 in 1994. Coming in at a close third place was Remington Arms Co., Inc. with 319,628 rifles in 1996, versus 242,706 in 1995, and 204,496 in 1994.

Other notable makers in the rifle segment in 1996 included Weatherby, Inc. with 16,360 units, Colt’s Manufacturing Co., Inc. with 15,903, US Repeating Arms Co. with production of 119,105, and Savage Arms, Inc. with 87,115.

Top Shotgun Makers

Among shotgun manufacturers in 1996, Remington Arms Co., Inc. finished the year as the top producer with 307,803 units, compared with production of 426,442 in 1995, and 403,012 in 1994. Remington has held the number one position in shotgun production for each of the three years under study. The second place position for shotgun manufacture in 1996, was held by O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc.’s 286,033 units, versus 339,881 in 1995, and 373,512 in 1994. However, if Mossberg’s Maverick Arms Inc. division’s 1996 production of 46,355 scatterguns is counted together with Mossberg’s total, the figure makes O.F. Mossberg the number one shotgun maker in 1996. Third place shotgun honors for 1996 go to H&R 1871, Inc. with production of 167,584 units, in comparison to 165,813 in 1995, and 216,360 in 1994.

Of note in the scattergun category is The Marlin Firearms Co. with 4,093 units, US Repeating Arms Co.’s production of 84,229, Savage Arms, Inc.’s manufacture of 4,198 units, and Sturm, Ruger & Co.’s manufacture of 10,634 examples.

While New York, with its onerous gun laws, is no paradise for firearm aficionados, one small arms devotee has managed to amass an extensive collection of machine guns, destructive devices, and armored vehicles. He owns so many, in fact, that he had to build a museum to contain it all.

William “Bill” Gasser, current director of the American Armoured Foundation, Inc. Tank and Ordnance War Memorial Museum in Mattituck, Long Island, New York, is a lifelong collector of militaria. He began collecting when, still a child, he visited flea markets and purchased helmets, uniforms and bayonets. When reaching his teens he began collecting surplus military rifles and he says by the time he was 17, he had one of the largest collections in the state. Then he developed an interest in restoring old cars and this eventually led him into collecting military vehicles.

In 1981 he founded the American Armoured Foundation as a non-profit charitable corporation that can receive tax deductible donations. The corporation purchased an 8,000-square-foot building in Mattituck, Long Island to house the collection.

Part-owner of a large machine shop, Gasser devotes about 85% of his income to the museum’s acquisitions and operations and seeks volunteers to help out in vehicle restorations and to act as tour guides for museum visitors.

In the past, one day per year, AAF held its annual shoot at the Calverton Long Island Shooting Range. Past year’s events have featured a variety of heavy duty firearms and cannon including a 20mm Lahti, 25mm Hotchkiss, .55 cal. Boyes anti-tank rifle and a Russian PTRS. Members of the local National Guard unit often bring down Browning or other U.S. government owned machine guns for the firing demonstrations.

In the museum collection, there are about 50 machine guns, about 70 destructive Devices, over 95 tanks and artillery pieces dating from the War of 1812 through the Gulf War, 350-plus helmets, over 300 uniforms, 40-plus rifles and thousands upon thousands of other military memorabilia.

Gasser also displays several flame throwers. The most common type encountered today is the unit made famous during World War Two which was worn on the back by a member of an infantry team. Also on exhibit is a U.S. vehicle mounted flame thrower. Developed during World War Two, it was found that an infantryman carrying a body mounted flame thrower often had difficulty getting within effective range of the target due to enemy fire. The limited fuel capacity of the man carried model was a factor in mounting them on tanks and armored vehicles to allow a closer approach to the enemy as well as greater fuel carrying capacity.

At the annual shoot, Gasser straps his reconditioned portable flame thrower on his back and fires it to the delight of the crowd of spectators who always attend. There is an obvious danger in working with the device as it is composed of two tanks carrying an explosive, highly flammable mixture under several thousand pounds of pressure which is strapped to the firer’s back. Should there be the slightest flaw in the system, the operator can be instantly incinerated.

Gasser explains the feeling of unleashing the firestorm from the unit’s nozzle as, “There is nothing to compare to the sheer awesomeness, the incredible power, the devastation.” When he is not firing flame-throwers, Gasser spends much of his time restoring and driving tanks, firing cannons and emptying machine gun drums and clips.

Noteworthy Exhibits

Among the more interesting specimens in the museum’s collection is a Russian Model 37 3.7cm anti-aircraft gun that is a copy of the Swedish Bofors designed 1936 Model 40 anti-aircraft gun. Similar designs were used by Japan and Nazi Germany. Captured by U.S. forces in Cambodia, this gun still has Cambodian bamboo under the seat. It also has a bullet hole in the gun sight that would have decapitated the gunner if he were in position when it was hit.

A U.S. U.D.M. ’42 submachine gun built by Marlin Firearms Co. in 1942 is also worth noting. Only about 15,000 were produced and it is believed the OSS was one of the main users in its operations in Europe and the Far East.

A German MG42 Maschinengewehr, captured by the Minnesota National Guard during the 1944 D-Day invasion, may be seen. The MG42, a much refined version of the MG34, was built in numbers totaling about 750,000 (according to AAF) with many captured guns used by the post war French Army.

Also on display is a U.S. M115 8-inch Towed Heavy Howitzer. Weighing 16 tons, its 200-pound projectile has a range of almost 11 miles. This Howitzer cost $65,784 to build in 1944. Obtained from an Army scrap yard, AAF’s example came complete with its firing record showing it had expelled up to 382 rounds before taken out of service.

Contact Info

For the machine gunner, military collector, veteran, or student of small arms, the AAF museum is hard to beat for enjoyment and interest. It is open Memorial Day through Labor Day, Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. From Labor Day through Memorial Day it is open only on Sundays. Admission is $6. for adults, $5 for children under 12, while kids under 4 are admitted free. For more information call 516-588-0033. To get there, take the Long Island Expressway (495) to exit 73, then Route 58 East to Route 25 and continue East to Mattituck. Make a left at the blinking yellow light onto Love Lane. Don’t forget to bring your camera.