By Jason Wong

In the history of modern small arms, the majority of small arms design has come at the hands of individuals working to create something unusual or fulfill a perceived or real need that is unavailable on the commercial or military market. Without individuals designing and building modern small arms, it is unlikely that the current diversity of small arms would be possible. As a small arms manufacturer, Mark Serbu owns and operates Serbu Firearms, Inc., a Class 2 manufacturer located in Tampa, Florida. Small Arms Review has followed the release of new and innovative products created by Serbu Firearms since 1998, and sought to gain insight into the business of designing and engineering small arms. They can be reached at Serbu Firearms, Inc., 6001 Johns Road, #144, Tampa, FL 33643. (813) 243, 8899 or at www.serbu.com.

SAR: What was the first gun you ever bought?

Serbu: It was a Marlin Model 60, a .22 caliber rifle with a tubular magazine. I bought it for sixty dollars when I was 18 years old.

SAR: What was the first gun you made?

Serbu: The first gun I made was a little single shot .22 caliber rifle that I made with a drill press and a welder. It was very light weight, but it worked.

SAR: Tell me briefly about your back ground.

Serbu: Growing up, I always played with mechanical projects, starting with go carts, working my way up to cars, and eventually into guns. As a kid, I would always make “inventions.”

I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of South Florida in 1990. After I graduated from college, I was lucky. The employment situation was bad, but I managed to get a job with a company that built flight simulators. I designed and built control systems – the hydraulic systems that provide feedback to the pedals and the yoke in the flight simulator. I enjoyed designing parts for the simulators, but as I got more seniority with the company, I spent less time in design. I started Serbu Firearms in 1995 and worked part time. In 1999, I quit the flight simulator job to run Serbu Firearms full time. At that time, I had a Bridgeport mill and a Clausing lathe in my garage.

SAR: How did you decide what your first product was going to be?

Serbu: As a new Class Two manufacturer, my first product was an integral .22 suppressor. It took the least amount of engineering and work to design and build. Once I decided to make a .22 suppressor, Joe Gaddini (of SWR) helped me design and build the suppressor baffles. At the time, I thought I’d give it a shot and go with the basic design that Joe and I worked on. I decided to add flutes to the suppressor tube to make it look nice, and started making them.

SAR: How do you decide on the design of the final product?

Serbu: I’m big on Computer Assisted Design (CAD). I’ll model the project in three dimensions within the computer and look at it before I ever cut metal. I like taking time to look at the product for aesthetics before making it, to make sure that it looks good from all angles. With the BFG 50 bolt action rifles, I modeled nine different variations within the computer before I found a barrel contour that I liked. The nice part was that it was modeled in the computer, so I was able to go through nine different variations without ever cutting metal.

SAR: How much does CAD play into your engineering and design?

Serbu: It’s huge. I consider CAD indispensable and use CAD in everything I design. Recently, I’ve starting using CAD and CAM (Computer Aided Machining) so that when I get something that I like, I am able to send the design program directly to the machine and have the part made.

SAR: When you entered the market in 1996, what was it like?

Serbu: It was a lot more laid back. I was still working for the flight simulator company, and working part time out of my house. I had little overhead, and made suppressors when an order would come in. Often I would work long nights building guns, but it wasn’t high pressure. I made just over a hundred suppressors over a two year period.

SAR: How did you make the decision to run Serbu Firearms full time?

Serbu: The business was growing. The Sirus pistols and 10/22 rifles were selling well, in addition to the Super Shorty Shotgun. With those, I was doing well enough to go full time.

SAR: Tell me more about the Super Shorty. How did that come about?

Serbu: I owed some money to a friend after sharing a hotel and car rental during a trip to Knob Creek. Instead of taking the money, he asked for a really short Mossberg shotgun registered as an AOW. I agreed, but I thought it was a dumb project. What he was proposing was so short; it needed a front grip in order to hold it. It seemed absurd.

It took abut a year to get the first one built. Once it was built, they sold like crazy. Since being introduced, I’ve sold them to police departments around the country, and the military. A few were recently purchased by the King of Jordan. Hollywood bought a couple, and the Super Shorty has been used in a few movies and on television.

We recently started making the Super Shorty on Remington 870 actions after fielding requests for the 870 action for years. I didn’t want to make the Super Shorty on an 870 action because it’s difficult. The magazine tube is silver soldered to the receiver and cannot easily be removed. In 2005, a SWAT team requested 870 actions and would not accept the Mossberg, so we started making the Super Shorty on the 870 action. We continue to sell the Super Shorty on Mossberg actions in addition to the Remington 870 actions.

SAR: How did you decide to build a fifty caliber rifle?

Serbu: I wanted a fifty caliber rifle, but was unable to find a rifle that was affordable, yet designed and engineered well. Many of the affordable rifles at the time looked like a piece of pipe. Anything that was engineered well cost in excess of $4,000. I wanted to design a rifle of my own that was built well and was still affordable.

I designed my first fifty caliber rifle on June 9th, 1999. At the time, Congress was discussing a proposed ban on fifty caliber rifles. I stayed up all night designing the BFG 50 so that I could try to get it out on the market before the ban could be passed. I recall the date because the proposed ban on fifty caliber rifles was introduced in Congress the following day. I knew that I had to get the BFG 50 on the market.

SAR: Tell me more about the BFG 50.

Serbu: I wanted to get the BFG 50 on the market for $995. I took deposits on the first 50 BFG rifles for that price and sold all 50 rifles very quickly. I raised the price to $1,250, and continued to get orders. I remember thinking, “Wow! I’m going to be rich! I’ve got $60,000.”

SAR: Recently, California decided to ban the fifty caliber. What happened?

Serbu: It was incredible. We were selling bare receivers, just to get them into California before the deadline. We had hundreds of orders and were limited only by the amount of time needed to build the receivers. In three months, we were able to get several hundred fifty caliber rifles into California to beat the pending ban. It was the hardest I had ever worked. I was working until 3 a.m., trying to finish the receivers in time.

SAR: Now that the California ban on fifty caliber rifles is in effect, what are you doing to get guns into California?

Serbu: We’ve started making rifles chambered in 50 DTC, a caliber designed in Europe that is California legal. The case is a tenth of an inch shorter, and has a slightly different profile. The powder, projectile, and powder charge is the same as the 50 BMG, giving very similar results as the 50 BMG that is disallowed.

SAR: How did you decide to build the carbine version of the BFG 50?

Serbu: It’s a regular BFG 50, but with a shorter hand guard and barrel. Customers requested something more compact and lighter, so we obliged. We reduced the barrel length to 21 inches and reduced the weight to 17 pounds. One customer requested a carbine with a 16 inch barrel, so we made it. I think it weighed about 14 pounds.

SAR: How did your semiautomatic fifty caliber rifle come about?

Serbu: I was never a single shot type of guy. I always wanted to make a semi auto, but with the pending ban in 1999, I didn’t think there was enough time to design a semi auto rifle before a ban could be put into effect. As a result, I designed the single shot version first.

The semi auto rifle is currently designed to use a 10 round box magazine, and utilize a quick change barrel. The rifle is gas operated, and uses a fixed barrel, which should result in sub-MOA accuracy. Because of the modularity, the rifle can be broken down to fit into a three foot gun case. It currently weighs 25 pounds, but when placed into full production, the weight will be reduced to approximately 22 pounds. Best of all, we expect retail price to be about $5,000.

SAR: What kind of advice would you give to individuals interested in firearms manufacturing?

Serbu: Don’t do it! It’s a lot harder than it seems. It’s a huge time commitment. I’ve pulled many all-nighters over the years and have neglected my family. Often, it’s difficult to realize how much money is going to be required. When I first started, I raided my retirement account and withdrew $80,000. I barely made it. I can’t imagine someone starting out today with nothing and relying upon deposit money paid for start up capital. If you are able to buy the equipment to make the parts yourself, you’re spending a lot of money on equipment. If you are forced to rely upon outside contractors to make your parts, you’ll be buying a lot of parts and will have huge inventory costs. It takes a lot more time and money than one would imagine.

Many times, people comment that they’d love to have an MP5 or an M16. I get to work with these all the time. It sounds great, but when you’re doing it daily, it loses the allure. It becomes mundane and gets old.

I’d also tell prospective businesses to expect the worst. When I first started the BFG project, I wasn’t working nearly as hard. When the initial orders came in, I didn’t think the project would be too difficult. We took the first deposits in August 1999, and we were not able to deliver until June 2000. At the time, all of the parts were being made by outside vendors because we didn’t have the CNC equipment to build the parts ourselves. The BFG was a simple gun requiring 37 parts, but the orders were delayed. We were told that the parts would be ready in three weeks, but it ended up taking three months to receive the parts. In the end, it took 9 months to build the first BFG.

I thought it would be much easier. Projects currently being developed by other gun manufacturers require hundred of parts. Managing production and manufacturing of all the parts is difficult. The delays compound each other, making the situation worse.

SAR: What’s the best aspect of your job?

Serbu: I get to do something that I really enjoy as a career. Growing up, I loved to design and build things, and now I get to design and build guns as a living. I get to play with cool guns. It’s fun.

SAR: What’s the worst aspect of your job?

Serbu: Find a job doing something you love, and you’ll grow to hate it, just like any other job. (Laughing)

If I had to do it over again, I think I would have read some business books a lot sooner. I didn’t think I would make a career out of this – I just wanted to make some cool stuff. Before long, other people liked the products, and it grew. Still, I didn’t really plan to build a business at all. I don’t hate my job, but it was a whole lot more fun when it wasn’t a business. Dealing with employees, taxes, and suppliers is not enjoyable.

SAR: What new products do you see coming from Serbu Firearms in the future?

Serbu: Probably more accessories for our existing products. We already make bipods for another manufacturer. I’d like to make a smaller gun; a rifle chambered in .338 Lapua or .308. I’ve got quite a few ideas that I’m working on. We’re building a 6,000 square foot building. Our current space is only about 2,000 square feet, so it will allow us some space to grow.

SAR: I’ve heard rumors that you plan on building a rifle chambered in 20mm Vulcan. True?

Serbu: I’ve wanted to build a 20mm rifle for some time. It’s already designed, but I haven’t had the time to get the project going. I’m not sure about the demand for a 20mm rifle, but I also can’t wait to shoot it.

Even in modern times, the shortest repeater type actions rarely lowered the barrel length below approximately 12.0”, due to the need to accommodate the factory action system. The resulting barrel length was simply a function of where the need to preserve the action components stopped. A Remington 870 for instance, can be cut to 12.0” and still utilize the normal factory pump-action, and remains far handier than the stock length barreled gun. Even with a pistol-gripped stock installed, at that barrel length it is hardly “concealable” in the normal sense of concealed carry of a handgun type weapon. Break-action shotguns, either single or double barrel versions, can be cut to bare minimalist dimensions, and with careful working of the pistol grip stock shape can easily approach the dimensions of a large handgun….the highly modified gun carried by Antonio Banderras in the movie ‘Desperado’ is a classic example. But in the end you still are only going to have 2 shots, at a maximum. If only a repeating-type action could be adapted to preserve it’s inherent larger ammunition capacity…….

The Serbu Super-Shorty AOW grew out of a specific request by a friend of Mark’s, David Prall, a true AOW lover with a fetish for bizarre and obscure AOW’s. Dave had requested Mark to build him “… a really short repeat action AOW”. Once challenged Mark eagerly went to work on the problem. For Mark Serbu, President of Serbu Firearms, Inc. and chief designer, this was more than just a joking matter. His new ‘Super-Shorty’ AOW is an amazing piece of engineering minimalism. It is also a most remarkable firearm. Since this was to be transferable as an AOW status weapon, fully transferable on a NFA $5.00 Tax Stamp, Mark had to choose a factory shotgun host weapon that had come from the factory originally equipped with a pistol grip stock. Both gas-operated and recoil-operated actions were eliminated for specific mechanical reasons of desiring the utmost in simplicity, and the fact that none of these host guns are currently offered from the factory without a full stock. As such, they could only be transferred as a NFA registered short-barreled shotgun, not an AOW, despite any shortening modifications done. So a pump action became the natural choice remaining, and the current number of factory guns coming this way can be counted with a couple fingers.

So sticking with the other original goal of making the conversion economically attractive as well, Mark selected the Mossberg Model 88 Maverick home defense shotgun in 12-gauge as the host weapon for the conversion. This is an excellent weapon with a time-proven action and well manufactured from high quality materials. The receiver is made from aircraft grade aluminum alloys with a steel breech mechanism. The barrel is made from ordnance grade steels. The weapon’s safety button is located ahead of the trigger guard, in easy reach of the trigger finger.

Mark’s conversion entails remanufacturing the entire front end of the host shotgun. The receiver and internal action parts are stock, with the exception of the action slide bars which Mark remanufactures into the customized configuration by shortening and welding them onto the new cocking handle mount. Serbu Firearms has a full-capability manufacturing shop completely equipped with CNC manufacturing centers, which Mark and his employees use to produce most of the conversion parts in-house. All conversion parts, whether made in-house or contracted, are manufactured on CNC machines using materials which are appropriate for their purpose. The cocking slide is made from 1018 steel, as is the new custom barrel lug. The new vertical cocking handle and mounting lug are made from 4130 ordnance grade steels. The cocking handle itself is beautifully CNC checkered and attaches to the mounting lug via a pull-down type spring-loaded catch. It pivots down and locks into the extended position with a very firm and satisfying ‘click’. All conversion parts are joined by TIG welding, and the welding job looks extremely professional and cosmetically pleasing. The new barrel lug is welded to the underside of the barrel and is attached to the shortened magazine tube by a 5/16” allen screw, providing a very strong attachment point for the vigorous cocking actions this gun will likely endure. The original barrel is shortened to 6.5”, extending fractionally ahead of the new barrel lug. When the conversion is complete and all parts forward of the receiver are completely assembled and welded, the entire unit is bead blasted then manganese phosphate parkerized to a pleasing flat, dark grey finish. This is a MIL-SPEC finish and should endure quite well for years. The Parkerizing blends well with the black anodized factory finish of the receiver. As a finishing touch, Mark laser engraves the catchy Serbu Firearms logo on the receiver side. When converted the AOW measures only 16.5” overall. The altered magazine holds two shells, either 2 3/4”, or 3.0”. This capacity combined with one shell in the chamber gives the Super-Shorty the capability of discharging 3 attitude-adjusting surprises as fast as the action can be pumped!

The host Maverick is shipped from Mossberg with a normal full pistol grip stock. While other AOW shotguns may employ a more horizontal Birds’ Head grip, this grip is intended to work in conjunction with the new vertical slide operating grip that Mark installs as an integral part of the conversion. We had initially wondered whether this nearly vertical factory pistol grip was ideal for control reasons, as other short BBL AOW’s in 12 gauge had become much more pleasant to shoot when the Birds’ head type grip was installed. To our surprise, when using the two handed shooting stance that is intended with this weapon, the combination of the two vertical grips lends a great amount of control to this weapon. It also causes a most natural shooting stance as the hands are configured in a strong gripping position, which also lends to the natural motion of cycling the slide mechanism between shots. The Deluxe version of the Super-Shorty ships with a silver-soldered-on stub front sight, though this is mostly cosmetic; in our mind by it’s very nature this is a point-and-shoot weapon intended for instinctive point aiming.

With the forward hand gripping the slide handle only about 13.5” in front of the rear hand (when cocked), it is quite easy to master a natural cocking stroke by simply drawing both hands together after each shot, then extending them until they stop. There is no need to divert the eyes from the aiming point when doing this, it is an instinctive action to close the hands together, and then draw them open when they are so closely positioned. And since this is a point-and-shoot weapon anyway, having the eye-to-hand coordination so closely aligned enhances the instinctive pointing nature. Bringing this gun into action from under cover, and to bear on a target at the intended engagement ranges is even more natural than using a handgun. For most people, the slide cocking hand is usually controlled by the master eye, and swings instinctively where the eye leads it on target; follow up shots are merely the result of quick hand motion while the master eye keeps the end of the gun aligned without conscious thought. With the cocking handle extended, the gun is only 7.5” tall. The Super-Shorty AOW may be fired with the vertical cocking handle in the fully folded position. Also, the action may be cycled with the handle in the folded position, though leverage is considerably reduced when used in this fashion, and if not careful the rear of the cocking handle may impact the front of the receiver. We only recommend cycling the action with the cocking handle fully extended and locked in place!

Aimed shots, while holding the front sight up into the line-of-sight, are actually more difficult than instinctive aiming. With such a short overall length, and with both hands so close together high in front of the face, the gun must be held out at arms’ length to gain a reasonable sight picture. It is simply a matter of getting used to, but very acceptable shot patterns can be had out to reasonable distances. The only problem with holding the gun in this manner is that the arms tend to be forced to absorb all the recoil forces, whereas held low in front of the body allows more of the body mass to help counter the stout recoil of such a short BBL weapon. There will of course be those who just have to try and shoot it like a normal handgun, one handed and fully extended, though they will be quick to remember that this is still a shotgun! Recoil when fired in this manner can be described as….stout, even with game loads. Aiming in this fashion is probably only realistic out to 5 feet at most, and to fire in this manner defeats the purpose of it being a pump action repeater! We tested our demo Super-Shorty with several common ammunition types, in order to gain a wide-ranging opinion of it’s capabilities, and manners. Over two field sessions we tested 2 varieties of buckshot loads, and four commonly available field loads as follows. On the first expedition we loaded and fired several magazine tubes each of:

-Winchester WW12D,

No. 7 1/2 shot, 1 oz. shot, 3 1/4 Dram equiv.
-Winchester WW12P, No. 6 shot, 1 1/4 oz shot, 3 3/4 dram equiv.
-Remington HV12-6, No. 6 shot, 7/8 oz shot, MAX dram equiv.
-Winchester XS123, T shot, 1 1/4 oz shot, MAX dram equiv., 3 in. magnum

As expected, recoil forces increased as either shot weight or powder charges increased, though for all practical purposes the Remington HV No. 6 shot provided the most ‘pleasing’ combination, and one we could essentially shoot for several boxes without any discomfort. While some would balk at contemplating using anything less than a “buckshot load” in a shotgun for self defense purposes, it must also be remembered that with this weapon, engagement range is measured at a few feet at most. As such medium range shot sizes, such as 4 and 6, in front of a common field charge would provide ample performance!

To explore the upper realms of usefulness, we then explored two common true buckshot loads. Firstly we chose the very popular Federal H132-OO; a OO Buck .33cal, 9 pellet load in a 2 3/4 in chambering, their “Tactical Buckshot Load”, which is actually a reduced charge loading compared to normal hunting loads. (This round is widely sold to LE Agencies for their duty guns) It provided a definitely enhanced effect, with considerable recoil though still manageable. The effect of those 9 pellets at 5 feet is devastating. With the field loads we could easily ‘strong arm’ the gun during the recoil effects but it became clear that when firing even these reduced charge buckshot loads a well-balanced stance was necessary to help with recoil control. The Super-Shorty, though, remained well-mannered, with maximum recoil displacement being a sharp upward transition of the muzzle. A controlled return to point-of-aim while cycling the action to load the next round was completely under control and rapid. The gun is, of course, cylinder bore, so shot patterning will be expected to expand quickly from the bore. Patterning with this load was tested at 3, 7 and 10 feet, with maximum shot displacement at 10 feet patterning in an elongated upward right side deflection approximately 9”. Serious engagements would likely occur under this range and as such the patterning of this load is quite acceptable for defense purposes. Extensive practice with this weapon using buckshot is highly recommended. (We contemplated having the chamber back-bored to ease the recoil loading, and the barrel could be adapted to a screw in choke system, though it is doubtful if this would increase the overall effectiveness of the weapon at longer ranges due to the inherent sighting issues and required firing hold.)

The last load we tested was the Federal P156-OO; a OO buckshot .33cal, 12-pellet load, 2 3/4in chambering listed as a magnum MAX dram equiv. charge. This shell was clearly too much power to recommend it for serious shooting in such a light, short weapon. It was fun for a round or two, but recoil forces quickly bit into the web of the rear hand and caused the sliding cocking handle grip to become difficult to cycle easily as the rear hand was badly out of position when trying to immediately cycle the action. In terminal ballistics, the difference between the Federal Tactical buckshot loading and this one would not be noticeable at the intended ranges.

To summarize, the Serbu Firearms Super-Shorty AOW shotgun is an amazingly well conceived, highly concealable weapon. It has legitimate self-defense capabilities, and is surely one of the most striking looking firearms available today. It is one of those weapons that just oozes personality and calls out for attention!

While we only tested the original 12-gauge chambering, the Super-Shorty AOW shotgun is currently available in both 12-gauge and now 20-gauge, which is probably even a more desirable chambering considering the gun’s physical size envelope. (The 20 gauge model is built on the Mossberg Model 500 action, but is identical in all other aspects.) Retail price for the standard model is $675.00, the Deluxe version with front sight installed and with sling swivels is $725.00, priced the same in either chambering. Either version transfers on a $5.00 NFA Tax Stamp.

Serbu Firearms, Inc.
6001 Johns Road, Suite 144
Tampa, FL 33634
(813)854-1532