From a distance it looks like another tricked-out M4-style black rifle. There is something a little different but it may take a second to put your finger on it unless you are a died-in-the-wool AR-15/M16 fan. While it looks like an M4 on steroids, there is no doubt it is a 7.62x51mm NATO powerhouse.

The original DPMS LR-308 was tested in Small Arms Review (Vol. 8, No. 5, February 2005) and was very well received so the bar was set high for this latest addition to the DPMS Panther Arms .308 line up. Originally tested with a 24-inch, Stainless Steel Heavy Barrel and A2 Mil Spec Stock, this newer AP-4 variant sports a much lighter, and shorter 16-inch barrel that is contoured similar to the original 5.56x45mm M4, and has a 6-position telescoping stock.

The lower receiver and bolt group are the same as the LR-308 with all the changes to the AP4 upgrade being in the upper receiver. The upper receiver is a thick-walled extrusion from 6066-T6 aluminum. It is hard anodized and Teflon coated black to perfectly match the LR-308 lower receiver. The shell deflector and forward assist unit are machined as a single unit. On top is an A3 style flat top allowing the use of several sighting options. The front sight is a standard A2 sight assembly and can be combined with several popular rear sighting or BUIS (Back Up Iron Sight) devices, and even used in conjunction with a plethora of low magnification, electronic sights.

Since we had a positive experience with the BW Optic Y-TAC scope the last time we tested the LR-308, it was decided to use it again in with new configuration. The BW Optic Y-TAC used in this article was a 2.5 to 10-power scope with a 42mm objective. These scopes are custom built by IOR Bucuresti in Bucharest, Romania. The photoengraved German glass used in the assembly of the Y-TAC features the Carl Ziess T-3 lens coating system and combined with the 30mm tube it provides an excellent sight, especially when multiple loads are to be used. With a scope of this nature it is easy to “zero” a specific load and have several different points of aim to use for specialty rounds and always be “on” without firing multiple test shots when in the field. We will get into a little more detail on multiple loads and point of aim vs. point of impact later in the article.

The barrel of the AP4 may be shorter and the overall gun much lighter than the original LR-308 but don’t be fooled into thinking the changes were made at the expense of the performance. The 16-inch 4140 Chrome-moly steel barrel is contained inside a free floating handguard and is still a button rifled, 6-groove, 1 in 10-inch twist. The shorter barrel is completed with 308 Panther flash hider, which is attached via a standard 5/8×24 thread. This last little detail brought immediate joy to the author who contacted suppressor manufacturer Elite Iron and immediately ordered their D30 silencer to test in conjunction with this rifle.

Dale and Kathy Poling of Elite Iron have been involved in the machine gun and suppressor industry for several years. Their latest suppressor line, including the D22 and D30, are made with 304 stainless steel tubes and all internals are CNC machined from solid billet stainless steel. Upon assembly they are welded for added strength and durability. They can immediately be identified by their signature-knurled bands at the rifle end of the suppressor. Throughout our testing, the DPMS LR-308AP4 and the Elite Iron D30 silencer proved to be an excellent combination.

Range Time

Time at the range was spent with several types of ammunition. Other than a few failures to feed due to a damaged magazine (which was quickly identified and discarded) the function of the LR-308AP4 was excellent and uneventful. We used Wolf 150-grain FMJ, 173-grain M118 Lake City Special Ball and 168-grain Federal Gold Medal. While all functioned well and performed satisfactorily, the combination of the DPMS LR-308AP4, fitted with the Elite Iron D30 Silencer and loaded with the Federal Gold Medal ammo provided most excellent results.

When changing muzzle devices the point of impact is almost always affected and we wanted to measure this effect with a single type of ammo for maximum continuity. After shooting a few groups we chose the Federal Gold Medal to continue recording and we started measuring group size and point of impact shift. We first sighted the rifle in with no muzzle device. We reinstalled the factory Panther flash hider and shot a 5-shot group at 100 yards. It measured 1.56 inches and was centered 2.8 inches low and left of the point of aim (in the 7 o’clock position). We were thinking that 1.5 MOA was pretty impressive for a 16-inch barreled, semiautomatic rifle fired in a semi-rapid manor but things were about to get better. The second group we fired was done without any muzzle device and we again shot a 5-shot group at 100 yards. The point of impact was exactly the point of aim and the group measured an impressive 1.10 inches. Things just continued to get better. The Elite Iron D30 Silencer was attached and we fired a third 5-shot group. This time the point of impact shifted 3 inches to the right of the point of aim (in the 3 o’clock position) and measured an amazing .765 inches. Since we were shooting 5-shot groups we were impressed with this combination and continued to shoot the same point of impact for the remainder of the afternoon.

Point of Impact vs. Point of Aim

Since it was brought up earlier, a little more should be said about this effect. Contrary to some beliefs, almost anything you do with a firearm in relation to the barrel can affect the point of impact. In the field of precision shooting there are several factors that determine exactly where the bullet is going to impact once the trigger is squeezed. Most are related to the shooter but even after the human factor is taken out there are many more forces at play. The harmonics and whip of the barrel change every time an accessory is added or removed. Most are sensitive enough that even the use of a bipod placed directly on the barrel instead of the stock can have a dramatic effect on accuracy. At times, removing and replacing the same accessories without tightening them the same can even show a slight difference in the group size or placement. Typically the whip effect of a barrel is more exaggerated or pronounced if the barrel is a long or thin barrel (or a combination of both) and lessened with a short and fat barrel, hence the popularity of “bull” barrels with serious target shooters.

Even though barrels tend to react differently to dissimilar stocks, loads or muzzle devices, they usually have some amazing continuity if those factors are not disrupted. That being said, once a firearm is setup the way the shooter wants to use it, leaving it alone is the best cure. When an accessory is added and the point of impact has shifted, all the shooter needs to do is re-zero the firearm with the new combination of parts. A look at the combination of the LR-308AP4 and the Elite Iron D30 Silencer is an excellent example of a situation when the performance can actually be improved. The group size was almost reduced by one half, dropping from 1.5 inches to almost 3/4 of an inch, consistently. All that was necessary was a re-zero of approximately 3 inches to the left and this mighty carbine was transformed into an extremely quiet, sub-MOA powerhouse. To be sure of your sighting, just make sure that every time changes are made to any portion of the system, recheck the zero.

Just before going to press we were informed by Dale Poling at Elite Iron that he has developed a system of “tuning” a rifle and suppressor so POI shift will be minimal, if measurable at all. According to Poling, using his method, if there is any POI shift it tends to be minimally vertical with no apparent horizontal shift at all. For more information on this latest finding you can contact Dale directly via e-mail at: Kpoling@Blackfoot.net

Point of impact is obviously also affected by the ammo you are using. Just like the examples explained above, a different load can produce as tight a group as the first, but if it isn’t hitting the intended area it has little value to the shooter. One example where 2 different loads may be advantageous to a shooter would be when utilizing subsonic ammo for specialty applications and finding it necessary to also use high velocity ammo for other situations. During some earlier testing with subsonic ammunition for Small Arms Review (Vol. 9, No 9, June 2006) we fired a substantial amount of Engel Ballistic Research 7.62x51mm Thumper. This 180-grain projectile traveling at an average of 958 feet per second would consistently (and silently) impact the target at 6 inches below the point of aim established for the full strength projectile traveling at 2,642 feet per second. The windage was not affected at all. With the sound reduction being a big factor in some instances and the consistency being so tight, all the shooter has to do is choose a mil-dot with a 6-inch rise as the point of aim for use with the subsonic ammo, and aim directly at the target. When it becomes desirable to use the high velocity ammo again, the shooter just returns to using the original point of aim. The BW Optic Y-TAC is an excellent choice for an application such as this. The Leupold M8 Tactical Mil-Dot scope also works quite well for multi-load uses. With a little practice and an understanding of your firearm and ammo, it is amazingly simple and effective.

Summary

Even though the LR-308AP4 with the 16-inch barrel is much smaller and lighter than the original LR-308 with the 24-inch bull barrel, the performance is still extremely impressive. The threaded muzzle allows for the use of many accessories and the AP4 returns more traditional cosmetic features that some black rifle enthusiasts find desirable. The available telescopic stock allows for a smaller package when carrying or transporting and has a similar feel to the original M4. Based on the original ArmaLite AR10 design, there are several magazines available in a number of materials and capacities, and they are reliable and inexpensive. Being a life-long fan of the black rifle as well as a student of the “School of Bigger is Better,” this writer thoroughly enjoyed testing the LR-308AP4. Combined with the Elite Iron D30 Silencer it well surpassed any preconceived accuracy expectations and the combination is destined to become permanent fixtures in the Small Arms Research reference collection. With a suggested retail of $1,254, this rugged and well-built carbine is sure to make an excellent addition to the collection or any black rifle enthusiast.

Panther LR-308AP4
DPMS, Inc
Dept. SAR
3312 12th Street SE
St. Cloud, MN 56304
(320) 258-4448
www.dpmsinc.com

D30 Silencer
Elite Iron
Dept. SAR
1345 Thunders Trail
Bonner, MT 59823
(406) 244-0234
www.eliteiron.net

Y-TAC Scope
BW Optic
Dept. SAR
P.O. Box 355
Simpsonville, SC 29681
(864) 297-4137
www.bwoptic.com

EBR Subsonic Ammo
Engel Ballistic Research
Dept. SAR
544 Alum Creek Rd.
Smithville, TX 78957
(505) 684-0118
www.ebr-inc.net

Only a few short years ago an AK-style rifle with a short barrel was typically a fairly expensive, custom build. In the last 10 years, very short AKs, or “Krinks” as they are often referred to, have gained massive popularity within the US shooting community. There has been an influx of images we see on the daily news of fighters (both good and bad guys) carrying these short rifles, and combined with our never-ending affair with custom gun modification it seems like a logical progression. Arsenal, Inc. of Las Vegas has watched this interest build and is proud to offer their latest addition to the AK lineup, the SLR-106U. For the first time in the USA, a factory Krinkov rifle can be as close as a simple phone call away.

If you have been following the pages of Small Arms Review over the last 8 months, this newest offering from Arsenal, Inc. may not be much of a surprise. We introduced the Arsenal SLR-106FR in the February 2007 (SAR Vol. 10, No. 5) issue and the SLR-106CR in the June 2007 (SAR Vol. 10, No. 9) issue. Continuing to build new innovative designs in the same, lightning fast pace, we are extremely pleased to learn of this latest configuration and are pleased that Arsenal, Inc. has chosen Small Arms Review to introduce it to our readers first.

Like the other Arsenal firearms in the Model 106 family, the SLR-106U is chambered in 5.56x45mm and continues to have the left-side, folding, polymer stock. It also utilizes the same Bulgarian Mil-Spec stamped receiver and the US-made fire control group as the others in the 106 line. The 2-stage trigger that we first tested in the SLR-106FR and again in the 106CR is still included in this latest model much to our satisfaction. We measured the trigger with a Lyman electronic pull gauge and recorded an average of an 8.2-pound break on the second stage with very little movement. Other than the US pistol grip specific to this rifle series almost everything else is drastically redesigned.

As the SLR-106U is shipped from the manufacturer, it has a 16.25-inch hammer-forged, chrome-lined barrel. It has the standard twist rate of 1 turn in 7 inches to allow better performance with heavier ammunition. The 90-degree gas block and front sight combination is chrome lined for increased durability. The sight assembly includes the standard 24mm right-hand thread to accept several common 24mm muzzle devices in case the shooter desires to register the rifle as a Short Barreled Rifle (SBR) and cut the barrel to its originally intended length. (Here at Small Arms Review we knew what length the readers would be interested in so we are testing the modified version with the 8.5-inch barrel in the first place.) Should the owner decide to leave the rifle in its Title 1 configuration and keep the 16.25-inch barrel (or live in an area where SBRs are not an option) a PBS-5, non functional, replica suppressor is available to slide right over the barrel and attach to the 24mm threads.

As with the other rifles in the Arsenal lineup, there is a companion model available to the SLR-106U. It is the SLR-106UR, with the letter “R” indicating the addition of a scope rail. In this case it is a riveted Warsaw Pact scope rail, which will not work loose and will accept an abundance of available scope mounts.

Looking at the many differences between the 106U and the others in the 106 family, aside from the barrel on an SBR variant, the most noticeable attributes are the length of the handguards and gas piston. The visible portion of the lower handguard on a standard length AK measures approximately 6 inches in length. The same portion of the lower handguard on the SLR-106U is a little less than 4.75 inches. The newly designed handguards are made from high quality polymer and incorporate stainless steel heat shields. The raised-rib design is comfortable and functional and the heat shields did their job of deflecting heat away from the hands of the shooter during all our testing.

The bolt carrier itself is slightly modified although it may not be immediately noticeable. The diameter of the bolt carrier directly behind the gas piston and in front of the charging handle has been turned down to a diameter of approximately 0.566-inches to facilitate the smaller opening in the hinge block of the 106U. The diameter of an unmodified bolt carrier in this area is 0.625-inches. Much more noticeable is the shorter gas piston of the SLR-106U measuring only 2.25 inches in length compared to the SLR106F that measures 5.75 inches.

The top cover of the SLR-106U is the same length as a standard AK variant but it is front hinged and not removable. Directly under the front hinge is a spring-loaded captive piston that acts as the rear latch for the top handguard. After opening the top cover and removing the op-rod, the top handguard can be removed by simply lifting it up. This is due to the shortening of the rear sight block in front of the barrel trunnion, which no longer has room for the standard handguard latch.

Since the rear sight block has been severely shortened, the standard front sight is no longer utilized. In its place is a 2-position U-notch rear sight that is located on the top cover. In the first position it is utilized for distances up to 300 meters. For distances out to 500 meters it can be flipped to the second setting. The sight radius is approximately 9 inches compared to 14.5 inches on a standard length AK.

The stock of the SLR-106U is the same high quality left-side folding stock found on the others in the SLR-106 lineup. There are a few interesting features about the stock that should be of particular interest to fans of the Krink-style rifles. First, the stock is pinned in place with a 4.5mm hinge pin. This pin can easily be tapped out and the stock replaced with a more traditional triangular metal folder for a more “original” look and feel. Secondly, in anticipation of this stock change, the 106U has enough US made parts so the stock needs not be counted towards 922(r) compliance. The rifle contains only 9 foreign made parts, even counting the 3 primary magazine parts, the magazine body, magazine follower and magazine floor plate.

Range Time

All 3 variants of the 106 family were tested for comparison during this time with the 106U. There is a lot of speculation about the loss of muzzle velocity that is inherent with such a short barrel, so we compared the 16.25-inch version and the 12.5-inch version beside the 8.5-inch version of the 106U. Testing was completed with a PACT MKIV XP Timer & Chronograph using Wolf 62-grain FMJ and was measured at a distance of 8 feet from the muzzle. Testing was concluded with no muzzle device and again with the 4-piece muzzle brake for comparison. Three strings of 5 rounds each were measured, and the average test results are in the included chart. In summary, the fastest average muzzle velocity measured was 2,739 fps with the 16.25-inch barreled 106F and the lowest was measured with the 8.5-inch barreled 106U at 2,230 fps.

20-round groups were fired at distances of 50 yards and again at 100 yards with each rifle. Open sights were utilized from a bench. Since all rifles tested have a rifling twist ratio of 1 turn in 7 inches we used the heavier 62-grain ammo for test purposes. At 50-yards the 20-round groups fired averaged around 4.5 inches. This shooting was done in a rapid-fire manor. The groups at 100 yards were a little larger but only slightly. The 12.5-inch barreled SLR-106C that we tested in an earlier issue of Small Arms Review (Vol. 10, No. 9, June 2007) performed extremely well at both distances as well as the 16.25-inch SLR-106F. We expected to see a larger spread in accuracy between the 106 series rifles as the barrel lengths were reduced but all were comparable when fired under exactly the same conditions. Maybe for a future issue we will test the models equipped with the scope rails with some quality optics and some match grade ammunition, and see how these rifles are really capable of performing.

While the group sizes showed no enormous changes as the barrels got shorter, two things that did weigh in much differently were the aforementioned muzzle velocity readings and the amount of noise and flash that increased. The target spotter assisting the writer was quick to speak up when the 106U came to the bench and everyone in a reasonable proximity craned their necks to find out what just changed on our shooting bench. If the shorter barreled versions are being fired from an enclosed area, even one with a simple roof and small knee walls, double hearing protection may not be a bad idea.

Conclusion

In this writer’s opinion, the Arsenal SLR-106U can be summed up in 4 simple words: It is about time! Custom rifles of this type and configuration have been gaining incredible popularity in the United States of late, and this rifle series has been one of the last to have caught on. Short Barreled Rifles (SBR) of other types that were once only available as custom builds have been increasingly available as “factory” guns in the last decade. Several companies have been offering short AR-15 type rifles for many years and lately there are a few H&K type rifle manufacturers who have also jumped on the bandwagon. It is nice to see Arsenal addressing the desires of the die-hard Kalashnikov fans with their latest offerings, lastly the 8.5-inch barreled SLR-106U. Although they are shipped from the manufacturer in a Title 1 configuration, the hardest part of the SBR conversion is finished. All the end user needs to do after approval of their BATFE Form 1 is shorten the barrel and they are good to go. It won’t be long that a few enterprising Title II Manufacturers will be offering completed SLR-106U SBRs in the not-so-distant future. If you are a fan of the Arsenal family of Bulgarian AK variants and you want something a little different for your 5.56x45mm collection, this rifle will fill that open space in the vault just fine. Be forewarned though, an 8.5-inch 5.56x45mm rifle is an attention-getter at the range, especially around dusk. It is as stimulating to the audio senses as the visual senses so it is hard to conceal as a “regular rifle.” Because of this extra attention, you will need to make sure you have plenty of extra ammo for your friends, both old and new.

Sources

Arsenal, Inc
Dept. SAR
5015 W. Sahara, Ave., Ste 125
Las Vegas, NV 89146 USA
Ph: (888) 539-2220
www.arsenalinc.com

Wolf Performance Ammunition
Dept. SAR
1225 North Lance Lane
Anaheim, CA 92806
Ph: (888) 757-WOLF
www.wolfammo.com

PACT, Inc.
Dept. SAR
P.O. Box 535025
Grand Prairie, TX 75053
Ph: (800) 722-8462
www.pact.com

Advanced Technology, Inc. Introduces New AK Stock

Advanced Technology, Inc. introduces their new AK stock. The new stock features a collapsible and side folding buttstock with ergonomic pistol grip and forend. Made with matte black, glass-filled nylon, the AK buttstock is six-position collapsible as well as side folding to the left side of the receiver. It takes only 2 seconds to either open or close. The stock is Section 922R compliant with included conversion kit. The stock has a sling swivel stud and a slot for a tactical sling attachment, removable rubber buttpad and a removable/adjustable cheekrest. Extra battery storage is located inside the stock tube. The pistol grip and ventilated forend are both textured. One 4-inch and three 2-inch removable Picatinny rails are included and stock inserts are provided for when the rails are not being used. The new stock requires no gunsmithing, is made in the USA and carries Advanced Technology’s Lifetime Warranty.For more information, or to order one of these stocks, please contact Advanced Technology, Inc., Dept. SAR, 102 Fairview Drive, Versailles, KY 40383. Phone: (859) 873-9877. Fax: (859) 873-6229. They can be found on the world wide web at www.atigunstocks.com.

New “Slim” AR Rail Handguard from DoubleStar

Sleight of hand isn’t just for card tricks and poker. If you’re a shooter who’s “slight of hand,” you’ll appreciate DoubleStar’s new two-piece AR handguard. With its trademark oval shape, this four-rail handguard system should prove to be a favorite among shooters with small hands. However, those with large hands will also find the handguard easy to grip and maneuver. Some people with smaller hands feel like the round handguard systems on the market today don’t fit their hands very well. The new AR handguard just fits better. The oval handguard is made of aircraft-grade 60-61 T6 aluminum extruded to provide a lightweight advantage that still offers extreme strength. The mil-spec 1913 Picatinny rails will accept attachments from nearly every manufacturer, so pack on your sites, grips, scopes, lasers – whatever you need. The handguards’ snap-on installation has a spring pressure that forces it against the front handguard cap. The tight fit allows no side-to-side movement. The handguard currently is available only in a carbine AR version, but a rifle model should be available soon. A free-float version is expected to be available later this year. For more information please contact DoubleStar, Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 430, Winchester, KY 40391. Phone: (859) 745- 1757. Fax: (859) 745-4638. Website: www.jtdistributing.com.

New Counterfire Target Systems

Counterfire Target Systems has now created a new look for tactical training. These targets are currently in use by military, law enforcement as well as recreational shooters worldwide. The die-cut targets are shaped like enemy combatants; with add on arms holding weapons; an AKS rifle or an RPG launcher. The arms can also be mounted in various positions. Lifelike in size, they can be set up for back yard Airsoft shooting fun, to serious practical drills. Shapes come in regularsoldier in green camo, or hooded combatant in brown camo. They are available in die-cut cardboard or on 25″ X 38″ 70 pound paper. For more information contact Counterfire Target Systems, Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 26637, Prescott Valley, AZ 86312. Phone: (928) 303-6669. Fax: (928) 759-9564. Their website can be visited at: www.counterfiretargets.com.

1919A4 Stainless Steel Flash Hider

For those shooters who would rather not have a large fireball erupting from their 1919A4, there is now a solution. A man named Richard Miller is making a very nice looking, as well as very efficient, flash hider for the 1919A4 machine guns as well as the semi-auto versions. The flash hiders are made of 303 SS and have 5 prongs. They have the booster built in to them and they are 1 3/4″ OD x 3 1/2″ long. The new flash hider will fit the two piece1919A4 bearing: just take your old booster plug off and thread the new custom SS 5 prong flash hider on – that’s all there is to it. It will not rust if you use corrosive ammo and they come in 308, 8MM or .30-06. Price for this unit is $60 plus $6 s&h. By the time you read this, a second model should also be available. It will be styled after the .50 M2 version, will be 5.5 inches long, made from 4140 steel and parkerized. For more information please contact Richard Miller, Dept. SAR, 1384 Cherry Way, Brighton, CO 80601. Phone: (303) 659-5563. His e-mail address is detect@att.net.

Colt and Browning Replica Wrenches

BMG Parts Co. has introduced two quality reproductions of the hard to find Colt and Browning .30 caliber water-cooled combination wrenches. The Colt wrench is made from 4130 steel and has been surface ground to the exact thickness as the original, which allows it to properly fit between the flash hider and the end cap. These are two practical and useful tools for your ordnance tool box. Drawing number and proofs are included to make these wrenches a fine collectable. The Browning combination wrench comes in a polished blued finishand the Colt combination wrench comes in a black parkerized finish and both are offered at a retail price of only $49.95 each. Please contact BMG Parts Co., Inc., Dept. SAR, Carson City, NV. Phone: (775) 671- 7500. Fax: (877) BMG-1919. They can be found on the web at www.BMGparts.com.

Weaver Introduces Bases with New Tactical Multi-Slot Options

For the past 77 years, Weaver has provided hunters and shooters with rock-solid, dependable mounting systems for all their shooting needs. With many new products lined up for 2007, Weaver continues to be an industry mainstay. One product joining the Weaver family is the Tactical Multi-Slot Bases (MSRP $4.49 to $38.49). These versatile bases will help give consumers’ guns the tactical edge. They are constructed of tough, lightweight aluminum in order to withstand the most powerful recoil. They accept all Weaver Top Mount Rings and allow the consumer the option of mounting devices such asscopes, red dots and laser optics, while allowing for optimal eye relief. For more information on these, as well as the entire Weaver lineup, please contact them at Weaver Mounting Systems, Dept. SAR, N5549 County Trunk Z, Onalaska, WI 54650. Phone: (800) 635-7656. Fax: (763) 323- 3890. Their website is www.weavermounts.com.

Black Dog Machine Introduces AR-15/M16 .22 Magazines

Black Dog Machine, LLC has introduced a new magazine for the Ciener AR-15/M16 .22 conversion kits. The new magazines come in black, clear and smoke. They were designed from the ground up to work with the Ciener conversion. They are injection molded from high-impact polycarbonate. These 30-round magazines load easily and feed flawlessly to both semi and full-auto. Best of all, the magazines can be disassembled for easy cleaning. Retail price for these new magazines is just $30 each. They are made in the US and are fully warrantied. By the time you read, this Black Dog Machine will also have their magazines available to fit the US military .22 conversions. For more information,or to order magazines, please contact them at Black Dog Machine, LLC, Dept. SAR, 22843 Buskirk Drive, Middleton, Idaho 83644. Phone: (208) 585-6581. Cell: (208) 989-7443. E-mail: blackdogmachine@msn.com.

.500 Colt Kynoch (.50 North)

This cartridge was developed in 1901 in the UK in at least two versions, including rimless, but the semi-rimmed is the most common. Only a few brief notes concerning the ammunition have survived, and nothing is known about the gun except that it was presumably a scaled-up version of the Colt MG. The term “.50 North” is sometimes used; a Mr T.K. North was based in London as a senior employee of the Colt company at that time. Considering its age and obscurity, the cartridge is surprisingly common in collections.

.500 Colt Kings Norton

Also known as the “Colt .500 Long Range Experimental”, this rimmed cartridge was developed by the Kings Norton ammunition factory in the UK in 1912. Again, there are just a few surviving notes about this round, of which only one specimen has been found. It was presumably designed with a Colt machine gun in mind.

13mm TuF

This is of course the “Father” of all modern HMGs which inspired the development of the breed. It was devised during the Great War for the dual purpose of dealing with tanks and aircraft – hence the designation, TuF standing for “Tank und Flieger”. The gun was a scaled-up Maxim. It took some time to develop, so Mauser produced a big bolt-action rifle – the M1918 T-Gewehr – chambered for the same 13x92SR ammunition. This did see action, and is probably responsible for the fact that the ammunition is still easy to find (many soldiers must have picked up thebig rounds as souvenirs). By the end of the war, some 24 examples of the TuF were known to have been completed by Maschinen-Fabrik Augsburg-Nurnberg and distributed in batches of three to eight different army units but these did not, it seems, arrive in time to see any action.

There is one amusing side-note to the story; some sources claim that the “Tank und Flieger” refer to what the gun was meant to be fitted to rather than to its targets, despite the fact that it was only ever made as a water-cooled gun on a wheeled artillery mounting, and in that form wasfar too big and heavy to have made a practical aircraft gun. There is a letter in the British National Archives, dated March 1921, which may explain where this misperception came from. The British were making efforts to acquire an example of this gun, but the Military Committee of Versailles had previously decided that the TuF was an army weapon, and therefore not subject to seizure under the terms banning aircraft armament. So the British tried to argue that the gun could easily be adapted for use in aircraft, so it ought to be considered as an aircraft weapon! It appears that this ingenious ploy was unsuccessful.

.55 Boys

It may seem odd to include a service anti-tank rifle round in an article about experimental HMG cartridges, but one Rolls- Royce MG was designed around the .55 inch. There was in fact a series of R-R aircraft guns, some recoil-operated (Type AA) and some gas-operated (Type AB), initially in 13.2×99 Hotchkiss and later in 12.7×99 (.50 BMG). There was a plan to adapt the gas-operated design to the .55 Boys ammunition under the designation Type CB. All three of these cartridges were of course dimensionally very similar, differing only in calibre and (in the case of the Boys) the addition of a belt, so switching calibres was straightforward. However, in October 1941, before the conversion to .55 could be carried out, Rolls- Royce was instructed to stop messing about with guns and focus on aircraft engines.

Some reports claim that the Italians designed an MG around captured stocks of the .55 Boys cartridge, but apart from being inherently improbable (it had no significant advantage over the 13.2×99 Hotchkiss they already had in service) drawings have been found of a separate Breda cartridge of the same calibre.

.661 Vickers

This is probably the biggest HMG cartridge ever made. It resulted from a mid- 1930s Royal Navy requirement for a new light AA weapon to replace the .5 inch Vickers; more range and hitting power were asked for. Vickers duly produced this massive cartridge and one multiple-barrel mounting to fire it, although no details of the gun are available. It was cancelled in 1939 in favour of acquiring the 20mm Oerlikon Type S, which had less impressive ballistics but did fire the explosive shells which the RN had decided were essential to produce adequate terminal effects. The .661 cartridge was briefly revived in 1942 for some high-velocity penetration tests against armour plate. Chambered in a pressure barrel, it fired light (660-710 grain) bullets at up to 4,500 fps, but the results were disappointing. The cartridge is now a rare item, existing in only a few collections (not, unfortunately, including the author’s).

.60 Cal

This was the only American HMG cartridge to pose a serious threat to the dominance of the .50 BMG. It originated in a requirement for an anti-tank rifle, which duly emerged as a massive semi-automatic, gas-operated, strip-fed, tripod-mountedweapon. Only one gun was made, by the Springfield Armory, and this was tested at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in October 1942 and again in June 1944, but no orders were placed. However, the very powerful ammunition attracted the attention of the USAAF, who at that time rated a high muzzle velocity as being of overriding importance in an aircraft weapon because of its benefit in increasing the hit probability. (It is worth noting that every other major air force disagreed with them, preferring to trade some velocity to obtain the greater destructive power of 20mm or larger cannon shells, but exploring that issue is beyond the scope of this article.)

Two existing guns were modified to fire the .60 cal. ammunition. One was the 20mm Hispano, designated in modified form the .60 T18, the other was the German Mauser MG 151, which became the .60 T17. The T17 proved the most satisfactory and about 300 guns were made; adoption by the USAAF was a distinct possibility. But compared with the .50 M2 the gun was heavier and slower-firing, and it seems that its advantages were not felt to be sufficient to be worth the trouble of replacing the big Browning.

The .60 cartridge remained in the running for new aircraft guns even after theend of the war. The new US revolver gun, based on the Mauser MG 213C, was initially made in this calibre as the T130 (it would have been designated the M38 had it entered service). The first prototype of the Vulcan rotary gun, the T45, was also made in .60 calibre. However, the USAF ultimately decided that such big guns should fire more effective ammunition, so the .60 cartridge case was necked out to 20mm calibre and shortened to keep the overall cartridge length the same, creating the famous 20×102 round still in front-line service today. The revolver gun in this calibre became the M39, and the six-barrel rotary the M61. The .60 cal. cartridge therefore never saw service, but it is still a common collectors’ item.

.50/60

As the designation suggests, this was simply a .60 cal. case necked-down to take a .50 calibre bullet. This 1944 project was the ultimate expression of the USAAF’s World War 2 obsession with high muzzle velocity and certainly set the record in this respect, achieving no less than 4,400 fps with the light T49 API bullet. However, judging by the relative rarity of this round, it was not given very serious consideration.

.50 HV (High Velocity)

The result of yet another Second World War attempt by the USAAF to achieve a very high-velocity machine gun, this was simply the 20mm Hispano case necked down to .50 calibre, and fired in a modified Hispano cannon. Work started in 1942, but it was dropped as a contender in 1943, following a decision that the .60 cal. showed more promise. However, the round was retained in use for high-velocity bullet test purposes up to 1945.

13mm and 15mm MG 215

The German armament industry was highly prolific during the Second World War, and particularly so in the case of aircraft guns. Many different types saw service, and many more were developed but not adopted. One of the latter was the Mauser MG 215, made in two new calibres – 13x92B and 15x83B. These were compact, gas-operated weapons, intended to replace the little 13mm MG 131 but offering much higher performance. However, they did not emerge until 1944, by which time the Luftwaffe had other priorities – namely, large-calibre cannon for attacking heavy bombers – and only a few specimens were made before they were rejected.

Other experimental HMG cartridges

This is very far from a complete listing of the experimental HMG rounds made up to 1945, just some of the more significant or interesting ones. Some only remained as paper projects, and the second photograph with this article illustrates some modern replicas of these more obscure rounds.

Assault Rifle
The Development of the Modern Military Rifle and its Ammunition

By Maxim Popenker and
Anthony G. Williams
ISBN 1-86126-700-2
The Crowood Press Ltd.
Ramsbury, Marlborough
Wiltshire SN8 2HR
UK
www.crowood.com
$34.95

Assault rifles have been the primary arm of the foot soldier for nearly fifty years. Interestingly, the world’s armies are largely equipped with variations of two basic designs that date back to the earliest days ofassault rifle development. These are the AK47 and the M16. Though these two rifle types dominate the world market, that does not mean research and development has been lax. On the contrary, assault rifles have been the main focus of small arms development in recent years. Western countries looking to modernize and update from the 7.62 NATO have produced many new designs while newly independent eastern bloc lands have been busy as well. This book undertakes to catalog and review these new guns, along with their ammunition, while providing historical context andthorough treatment of current issue guns.

Written by Maxim Popenker, a reserve lieutenant in the Russian Armed Forces, and contributing editor to a Russian gun magazine, and Anthony G. Williams, the author of several gun related books, best known being Rapid Fire: The Development of Automatic Cannon, Heavy Machine Guns and their Ammunition for Armies, Navies and Air Forces, as well as being a regular contributor to Small Arms Review, Assault Rifle packs an impressive amount of information into its 224 pages. Divided into two parts, it additionally has an Appendix of Military Small Arms Cartridges, a Glossary, a Bibliography and a useful Index. Part One is the introduction to the subject and, giving credit where credit is due, features a discussion of the first true assault-type rifle, the Fedorov Avtomat of 1916.

A nice touch is the extent to which the authors work to ensure they are clear on the information they wish to convey. One example is taking the time to define the terms they use such as ‘assault rifle’. Thissort of rigid flexibility allows them to include the G3, FAL and US M14, clearly not assault rifles by strict definition, whileeliminating SMGs from the text other than mentions for historical context. The majority of Part One is made up of the two Technical Background chapters, one for the Weapons and the other for Ammunition Design and Ballistics.

In the Weapons background chapter is information on action design, advantages and disadvantages of differing action types, and detail on design trends. Some time is spent in comparing the traditional layout of a rifle, with the action between the hands and magazine in front of the trigger and pistol grip, as opposed to the bullpup guns, with the action and magazine generally behind the trigger and pistol grip. One particularly interesting portion of this section is the sub-chapter titled Rates of Fire and Their Consequences. Interesting because it does not solely focus on ROF and how it affects reliability, but also on those rifles that have a deliberately high ROFs (usually in a burst mode) for higher hit probability.

Things get really interesting in Chapter 3, Technical Background: Ammunition Design and Ballistics, and in Chapter 4, The Development of the Assault Rifle Cartridge. In Chapter 3, after a few pages of requisite background information on cartridge construction and internal and external ballistics, come the charts. Over the next several pages, interspersed in the text, are useful charts or lists quantifying characteristics of typical modern assault rifle cartridges. Sectional Density, bullet mass,velocity loss, Ballistic Coefficient, trajectory and more are shown for comparison. This all comes together at the end of Chapter 3 in the section titled The Search for the Perfect Calibre, accompanied by one last chart Characteristics of Some ‘Ideal’ Cartridges. Indeed, the authors stick their collective necks out and finish by describing their idea of the “perfect” round and why it is so.

Chapter 4 held several surprises. After discussing the origin of purpose-designed assault rifle cartridges through World War II, they delve into the myriad types experimented with in the post-war world. Of course the SPIW and Project SALVO are mentioned. However, many more interesting and enlightening photos, with the text, reveal rare and exotic cartridge designs little known outside of the countries they were designed in. Micro calibers are shown such as the .12 US (3×47) and the ridiculous looking 3.5mm FN (3.5×50.5). Many variations of the Soviet/Russian 39mm case, such as the 9×39, are listed and shown, along with performance data. And while the H&K G11 caseless round is covered, it is nowhere near the oddest of the lot. That label would have to be applied to either the boxy Hughes Lockless cartridge, looking like a small bar of soap, or the truly strange 5.56mm Folded (5.56×25), an attempt to make a rifle cartridge as short as possible. A favorite for its whimsical theme might be the HK/ CETME 4.6×36 round featuring the spoon tip or Löffelspitz bullet.

Part II of the book is titled “The Weapons” in which the authors basically catalog the assault rifles of the world country by country in alphabetical order. Popenker and Williams grant themselves wide latitude in order to review arms other than pure assault rifles to provide perspective. In that way, weapons such as the FAL, the Chinese Type 81S (belt-fed) light machine gun and even the illustrious German FG 42 are included. Written in a tight, concise and thorough manner, this encyclopedic section is an excellent resource, would serve well as a handy reference and enhances the usefulness of the whole book.

If there is any minor nit to pick, it might be the fact that Popenker and Williams seem to believe that the bullpup configuration is the future of assault rifles. They do well to explain their case while admitting the advantages of the traditional layout. However, to see one sterling example of why the bullpup may not be the answer, just view the photograph on page 35 of a Steyr AUG with an M203 40mm grenade launcher attached.

Ambitious in its scope, perhaps audaciously titled considering its relatively small size, Assault Rifle comes through admirably and presents not only good value, but good reading with the promise of future usefulness as a reference and more.

The very first .50 caliber machine guns designed for aircraft applications had a cyclic rate of approximately 600 rounds per minute. Continued research and development efforts by Colt and Springfield Armory had successfully increased the Browning’s cyclic rate to as high as 850 rounds per minute during the war. Still, the U.S. Air Corps wanted a gun with a minimum cyclic rate of 1,000 rounds per minute. The ever increasing speed of new enemy aircraft, and the introduction of the jet powered German Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe in 1944 with a maximum speed of 540 miles per hour, greatly reduced attendant “on target” time and necessitated a faster cyclic rate for aircraft machine guns.

The desire for a super-fast .50 caliber aircraft machine gun was nothing new. As early as 1939, Springfield Armory and the Colt Company began a joint effort to develop a high-speed aircraft machine gun. Finally in January of 1940, Colt developed a .50 caliber high-speed aircraft machine gun, designated as the M2E1. The weapon fired at a rate of 997 rounds per minute, but experienced far too many malfunctions and parts failures during the testing due to increased vibration and stress.

Designing a successful high-speed Browning .50 caliber machine gun would prove to be quite a difficult task. When fired at a rapid speed, the .50 caliber cartridge simply appeared to be too powerful for the Browning’s basic construction to withstand. In an attempt to help guide future development of high-speed aircraft machine guns, the U.S. Ordnance Department drew up a list of what component failure rate would be considered acceptable in a high-speed gun. The Ordnance engineers concluded that at a cyclic rate of 1,200 rounds per minute, five malfunctions and one breakage in every 5,000 rounds would be deemed acceptable. Even with these seemingly attainable requirements, it would take millions of dollars and almost five years to develop and adopt a weapon that would meet the Air Corps specifications.

Frustrated with the lack of any significant progress in the development of a highspeed aircraft gun prompted the Headquarters of the Army Air Forces to send a high priority letter to the attention of Major General G.M. Barnes of the Ordnance Department. The letter, dated 7 August 1943, specifically requested “expeditious action be taken to initiate supplies of the improved pilot models of a .50 caliber high-speed aircraft machine gun to the Army Air Forces for service testing. The tactical requirements for a high speed .50 caliber machine gun for aircraft use has been determined in active combat theaters. Previous reports of a high-speed gun have indicated that a high incident of part failure has occurred with high-speed .50 caliber weapons. However, it is now been determined that issuance of a high-speed gun may be predicated upon assured functional reliability and not upon a high breakage rate of component parts. The Army Air Forces realize that the service life of a highspeed aircraft machine gun would be drastically reduced over that of the present .50 caliber aircraft gun, but Headquarters is willing to accept this restriction if the main concern of functional reliability can be assured.”

On 19 August 1943, another letter was sent to the Chief of Ordnance from Brigadier General W.A. Wood, Staff Corps Director of the Requirements Division, requesting that the necessary action be taken to develop an improved high-speed .50 caliber aircraft machine gun at the earliest practical date.

High Standard’s High-Speed Machine Guns

The Springfield Armory continued its research and development on the aircraft gun, but most of the progress was made by several commercial concerns that were manufacturing the standard .50 caliber M2 aircraft Brownings, specifically High Standard and Frigidaire.

Efforts to develop a high cyclic rate .50 caliber machine gun had begun at the High Standard Company, New Haven, Connecticut as early as 1942. By late summer of that year the High Standard engineers had developed the experimental T22, which was initially tested on 10 August 1942. The T22 had a cyclic rate of 1,066 rounds per minute. However, seven malfunctions occurred after firing only 554 rounds. The T22E1 was a modified version of the original T22 and was tested in February 1943. The weapon’s sear failed after only 111 rounds, which at that point the Ordnance personnel decided to discontinue the testing. Just a month later during March of 1943, the next High Standard prototype, the T22E2 was tested. The T22E2 fired 3,700 rounds at a cyclic rate of 1,219 rounds per minute. Although the cyclic rate was acceptable, there were forty-three malfunctions and seven part failures. High Standard’s next experimental gun was the T22E4 model. This weapon was tested in August of 1943 and had a cyclic rate of just over 1,000 rounds per minute, but before 5,000 rounds had been fired there had been numerous stoppages and part failures. Next came High Standard’s T22E5 model. It was quickly determined that the T22E5’s rate of fire was too slow and testing of the gun was terminated. In December of 1943, the last High Standard T22 series prototype gun, the T22E6, was tested. Again, the cyclic rate was within the required specifications, but the weapon lacked both strength and reliability.

High Standard continued their development with a new model designated as the T27, which attempted to utilize as many standard M2 parts as possible. Still, their efforts continued to fail to meet all of the requirements due to numerous part failures. High Standard had attempted to increase the cyclic rate of the .50 caliber M2 while trying to keep design changes of the weapon to a minimum,only to confirm that the standard M2 components just could not survive the increased stresses placed upon them.

Although High Standard’s efforts failed to produce a suitable high-speed .50 caliber machine gun, many of the test guns had innovative improvements that could be applied to the standard .50 caliber M2 aircraft gun. The Ordnance Department decided to take the best of these features and implement them into the M2. The resulting weapon was designated as the T36. The improvements would reduce malfunctions, increase the cyclic rate approximately 100 rounds per minute and increase belt lift. The experimental T36 used many parts from High Standard’s T22E6 model.

During September of 1944, four of the T36 experimental aircraft machine guns were installed in a P38 aircraft and tested at Aberdeen Proving Ground. A total of 20,000 rounds were fired with only one malfunction. Additional T36 guns were sent to the Army Air Corps and Navy Ordnance for evaluation. After extensive testing, both organizations felt that the gun was satisfactory for service. The Ordnance Committee authorized procurement of 31,336 of the T36 guns designated as the Gun, Machine, Caliber .50 M2A1, Aircraft Basic. The procurement was canceled after 8,000 guns had been delivered. Unexpected progress had been made at Frigidaire with their T25E3 high-speed gun.

Frigidaire’s T25 Series High-Speed Machine Guns

The Frigidaire Division of General Motors had also participated in the quest to design a suitable high-speed .50 caliber aircraft weapon. The company first tried modifying the standard M2 aircraft basic gun by designing an air buffer and a redesigned back plate buffer that was slightly longer than that of the standard model. Neither device was successful in achieving the desired result.

Due in part to the lack of progress at the High Standard plant, the Ordnance Department entered into a formal contract with Frigidaire during August of 1943, to develop a high-speed .50 caliber machine gun. This time however, the Ordnance Department specified that there would be no restrictions made upon the number of changes necessary to successfully develop the weapon. The Ordnance Department realized that a high-speed .50 caliber machine gun would have to be designed differently than the existing M2 model.

By March of 1944, Frigidaire’s first prototype gun, the T25, was ready for testingby the Ordnance Department. The back plate buffer was redesigned and had springs incorporated into the design, and the breech lock depressors were relocated from the oil buffer housing to the receiver walls. This weapon also used a muzzle booster to help increase its speed. Although the gun was relatively successful, further development work was needed. Work was immediately started on the T25E1 model. The T25E1 was tested atAberdeen on 10 May 1944, but the weapon had numerous stoppages and part failures and the testing was stopped.

Frigidaire’s next prototype gun was designated as the T25E2 model. The T25E2 gun was designed by taking the best features of all the previous High Standard and Frigidaire prototype guns and implementing them into the new gun. The T25E2 was initially tested in June of 1944. Functioning problems were immediately experienced and the testing was stopped afteronly 1,800 rounds had been fired. By making numerous changes and incorporating features from the High Standard T22E6 prototype model, Frigidaire produced a .50 caliber machine gun designated as the T25E3. It was essentially a new weapon. Although the gun looked like the standard Browning, few components were interchangeable with the M2 model. The gun was tested at Aberdeen Proving Groundon 19 July 1944. The functioning of this weapon was greatly improved over that of all previous prototype high cyclic rate models. The cyclic rate averaged 1,250 rounds per minute using standard ammunition and links. A number of malfunctions did occur, but it was possible to determine the specific cause of each individual malfunction and upgrade the parts or design as needed. After the satisfactory testing of the T25E3, the Army Air Corps and the U.S. Navy requested its standardization. By 1945, the Frigidaire T25E3weapons had been thoroughly service tested and had proven themselves to be far superior to the standard .50 M2 Browning for aircraftapplications. Frigidaire’s experimental T25E3 machine gun was eventually adopted and designated as the M3 machine gun.

The .50 Caliber AN-M3 Machine Gun

During April of 1945, the U.S. Ordnance Committee took action to standardize the T25E3 gun as the Gun, Machine, Caliber .50 M3 Aircraft, Basic. The .50 caliber M2 Aircraft Basic was reclassified as limited standard for aircraft use.

The M3 was a high-speed weapon with a cyclic rate of approximately 1,150 to 1,250 rounds per minute. The weapon’s overall length was 57.25 inches at a weightof 63.5 pounds with a belt lift capacity of 35 pounds. The M3’s fast cyclic rate increased the weapon’s effectiveness to the extent that a fighter aircraft fitted with six .50 caliber M3 machine guns had the same firepower as nine of the older .50 caliber M2 aircraft weapons.

The M3 weapon was loosely based upon the M2 .50 caliber aircraft machine gun and had essentially the same exterior dimensions and appearance. However, most parts were not interchangeable between the M2 and M3 weapons. A substantial number of parts of the M3 model differed from those of the M2 gun by redesign and advancements in metallurgy. A few readily apparent differences between the two weapons were the increased diameter of the backplate buffer, and the length added by the recoil booster. A lighter bolt was designed using advanced metallurgy and an extractor with a reversible ejector that eliminated the forcing of the ejector between the cartridges in the ammunition belt. This greatly improved the gun’s performance in cramped aircraft installations. A redesigned accelerator made more effective use of the increased energy of the barrel and barrel extension to increase the bolt’s speed. Also contributing to the increased cyclic rate was the use of a Belleville spring bolt buffer, which used cupped steel washers in place of fiber disks. This buffer design served to return more energy to the bolt thus increasing the force of its counter recoil. The breech lock depressors were rigidly mounted to the receiver side plates by riveting preventingthe buffer body from moving and improved the stability of other components. To reduce the battering of internal components, the breech lock had a redesigned cam surface for smoother operation of the breech lock. The extractor cam used on the M3 was much larger than that used on the M2 versions.

One problem that was encountered in developing a high-speed .50 caliber gun was the breaking of the back plate located at the rear of the receiver. To solve the problem on the M3 weapon, the back plate was redesigned to clamp around the receiver. This method prevented the spreading of the receiver side plates, which was causing the back plate to fail.

The top cover of the aircraft M3 gun was designed to increase belt lift by incorporating a feed pawl shaped to fit the cartridge and link along with a strengthened belt feed lever. A split belt holding pawl was incorporated in all .50 caliber aircraft guns to improve ammunition feeding in confined installations.

Only 2,400 of the M3 Brownings were procured before World War II ended in September 1945. The M3 was produced again during the Korean War by several new contractors and used on a number of aircraft during that conflict. However, the service life of the fast-firing M3 would be brief. Despite the progress made in improving the design and metallurgy, the weapon had a malfunction and failure rate that would prove unacceptable.

The Modern .50 Caliber Browning

By the end of the Korean War in 1953, the future of the Browning .50 caliber machine gun as an aircraft weapon appeared very bleak. The rapid firing M3 model had proven to be far too problematic and the older M2 Aircraft Basic version fired far too slowly to successfully engage the increasingly faster jet aircraft of the day. However, as history would eventually prove, the aircraft .50 wasn’t dead yet.

During the Vietnam War the aging aircraft Browning .50 caliber gun was largely overshadowed by the modern 7.62mm miniguns and 20mm Vulcan cannons. Helicopters were generally fitted with the 7.62 miniguns or M60 machine guns. The .50 caliber Browning machine gun was largely relegated to a ground role.

Today, Ma-Deuce primarily serves as an infantry and vehicle-mounted weapon. The .50 caliber Browning’s heyday during World War II as a primary aircraft mounted weapon is largely history, replaced by sophisticated missiles and super-fast firing 20 and 30 millimeter cannons. However, since the U.S. has become actively involved in conflicts in the Middle East and Afghanistan the old reliable aircraft .50 cal. has been resurrected to serve in a few modern aircraft applications; primarily on rotary-wing aircraft (helicopters).

The .50 Caliber Aircraft Machine Gun Rides Again

The M213 .50 caliber machine gun was a Vietnam era modernization and adaptation of the .50 caliber AN-M2 aircraft machine gun, briefly fielded from 1968 through 1974. Their primary use was as a pintle mounted door gun on helicopters. The M213 variation was a modified ANM2 aircraft .50 caliber machine gun with a 36 inch air-cooled barrel with a cyclic rate of 750 to 800 rounds per minute. The M213 weapons could be installed externally, on floors or in windows using the M59 pintle mount on the UH-1D/UH-1M Iroquois helicopters – better known as the “Huey”.

The M296 was a further development of the M2, 12.7mm Browning machine gun for remote firing applications and is currently used in armament systems on the U.S. OH-5 Kiowa Warrior helicopter. The pod mounted M296 differs from previous remote firing variants primarily in the lack of a bolt latch allowing for single shots. The M296 is fed from the rightside of the receiver to facilitate the leftside applications used in the Kiowa helicopter. The M296 has an adjustable cyclic rate of 750 to 850 rounds per minute and is fired electrically through a trigger solenoid.

Gun, Unit, Aircraft, 12.7 Milimeter

The GAU-15/A is a modern day aircraftmounted derivative of the M2 .50 caliber Browning aircraft machine gun, and is generally utilized on the H-46, UH-1N and H- 53 series aircraft. The GAU-15/A has a cyclic rate of 750 rounds per minute. The complete gun system consists of the GAU- 15/A 12.7mm (.50 caliber) machine gun, a pintle mount assembly, brass collection bag, and ammunition can bracket assembly. The pintle mount assembly can be attached at personnel, or cargo doors and windows of the aircraft.

The GAU-16/A gun is a variant of the GAU-15/A featuring an improved and reconfigured trigger mechanism and front sight assembly. The GAU-16/A has a single 36 inch air-cooled barrel, with a cyclic rate of 750 to 850 rounds per minute. It has an ammunition can bracket and ejection collector tube for disposing of spent brass cases beneath the aircraft. Ammunition is fed to the gun via a 100 round ammunition can containing linked belts of 12.7mm ammunition. The weapon is pintle mounted to the aircraft cabin door frames or windows with the Defensive Armament System (DAS) and a shock absorbing “soft mount” for greater stability and improved accuracy. It has been employed by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aboard helicopters, most notably the UH-1 Iroquois (Huey), the CH- 46 Sea Knight, MH-53 Pave Low, and the SH-60 Seahawk as a surface warfare and anti-armor weapon.

The GAU-18/A, formerly designated as the M218 machine gun, is a lightweight variant of the M2 Browning machine gun, and is used on the U.S. Air Forces MH- 53J Pave Low II and HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters. The cyclic rate is approximatly 550 rounds per minute. These weapons utilize a light weight barrel, and are typically set up as left-hand feed, righthand charging weapons. In this configuration the gun is fitted with a chute adapterattached to its left hand feed pawl bracket, allowing the weapon to be fed ammunition through a feed chute system connected to internally-mounted ammunition cans. The system was designed to accommodate 1,700 rounds of ammunition, but due tospace and weight constraints on the aircraft, were modified to hold 850 rounds. Many gunners found the chute system awkward, and installed a special bracket to accommodate the 100 round ammo cans in its place.

Return of the M3 High-Speed Browning Machine Gun

Today, U.S. forces field several updated variations of the old rapid firing M3 Browning machine gun series for military service. The M3 aircraft machine gun was originally developed during World War II, adopted in 1945 and continued to see service during the Korean War. The cyclic rate of the original M3 was approximately 1,200 rounds per minute, impressive, but the M3 was plagued with reliability problems, to include broken sears, cracked bolts and other parts failures. The problematicM3 aircraft machine gun was dropped from the U.S. inventory during the late 1950s.

Today’s modern M3 series has been redesigned using the latest high grade alloy metals, improved heat-treating methods and tolerances. One of the most obvious mechanical changes was the weapon’s operating system that was reconfigured to fire from the open-bolt position. This permitted the gun to be fired in longer bursts without the danger of overheating and causing a cook-off. The M3P model is a fixed remote solenoid fired version, currently used on the AN/TWQ-1 Avenger Air Defense System and some versions of the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters. The Avenger is equipped with the M3P Browning machine gun to cover the missile dead zone and can also engage ground targets. The machine gun is mounted on the right launch beam of the Avenger with its ammunition magazine fixed on the right side of the turret below the gun barrel. A total of 250 to 400 rounds of 12.7mm ammunition are carried. The M3P has an overall length of 66.14 inches with an un-mounted weight of 80.25 pounds. Barrel length is 35.2 inches and has a cyclic rate of 950 to 1,100 rounds per minute. Routine maintenance procedures include the scheduled time replacement of selected high-stress parts to insure system reliability The M3M flexible machine gun was adopted in 2004 by the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy and designated as the GAU-21/A for pintle soft mount applications on helicopters and fixedwing aircraft and the gun can also be mounted in vehicles. The 12.7mm weapon has a maximum cyclic rate of 1,100 rounds per minute firing from an open-bolt position.

The M3M’s overall length is 59.8 inches, weighs 78.9 pounds and has a barrel length of 36 inches. The M3M, 12.7mm machine gun was advertised as a complete weapons system consisting of three parts: the weapon, the medium- pintle head soft mount and the cradle used to intergrate the system into a vehicle or aircraft. The grips and fire control are mounted on the pintle mount, not on the weapon, for better control and to isolate the gunner from the gun’s vibration. The soft mount absorbes and reduces both recoil and counter-recoil forces to one-third of that on the M2 and M218 .50 caliber weapons. Other advantages the M3M has over the M218 weapon are a cyclic rate of1,100 rounds per minute, and a barrel life estimated at 10,000 rounds. A 600 round contiuous burst can be fired from the M3Mwithout damage to the barrel. There are three sight options available: open ring sights, optical sights and laser sights for day or night operation. Suggested routine maintenance includes the time scheduled replacement of selected high-stress parts to insure system reliability.

The .50 caliber M2 Browning machine gun, affectionately known to most service men and women as Ma-Deuce, has been in continuous service with U.S. forces since it was first adopted in 1920s. Since its initial introduction, the Browning .50 has undergone numerous upgrades and improvements, but basically it is still the same weapon that John Browning designedin 1918. When John Browning first fired his prototype .50 caliber machine gun, Model T Fords and biplanes were considered modern. The .50 caliber machine gun has the honor of being the longest serving weapon in the U.S. Arsenal, a tribute to the genius of John Moses Browning.

The NFATCA receives quite a lot of questions from members and prospective members about what the organization is doing for the collector and recreational shooter. Many of the comments we hear center on statements such as, “It seems like the NFATCA is geared more toward dealers and manufacturing than the small collector and shooter.” Much of this perception appears to stem from the fact that we are trying to handle big, national issues that we as an organization feel benefit the whole community. A lot of this is on a national level when dealing with pending legislation and ATF interpretation. While it initially appears that our efforts benefit dealers and manufacturers to a large extent, we all benefit; even the collector and shooter.

It is the very simple trickle down theory. While the military, law enforcement and government contracts attract the most attention, the collector and shooter market is large, strong and thriving with customers having the disposable income to help drive the marketplace by demanding the products and services they want. Sales drive production. Manufacturers know that without the end user (the collector/shooter) there is noindustry. That is why they continue to strive to develop new products to keep our interests and be more efficient and innovative. They need dealers to buy it and dealers need the collector and shooter to purchase it. This is the supply chain for all goods and services. If one of these cogs in the system goes out due to legislative action or agency interpretation, it all crumbles.

As an example, one of the issues the NFATCA is fighting is the barrel and receiver ban. This is a federal issue, and if it looks like our efforts benefit the importer and/or manufacturer, then what is the benefit to the collector and shooter? But it doesn’t stop there: follow the supply chain. Imported parts kits, spare barrels, etc., are cheaper. But if the importer cannot get them neither can you. Some parts kits are already in country but it is a classic case of supply and demand with no more to be had. Demand exceeds supply and prices skyrocket out of control. The next thing you know an MG34 or MG42 parts kit is worth almost ten grand, just for a kit! Not that far fetched in the slightly distant future.

Another option is to have the parts made here in the USA. A good plan, but we have labor and material cost issues and when things break and are replaced with US parts, it is no longer original condition. There goes the value of your rare, all original machine gun. So much for that piece of history you so dearly cherish. Of course a third option is not to shoot them… EVER. If you don’t shoot them, then you won’t break them or wear them out and you won’t need any spare parts or barrels. Some collectors like to keep them as safe queens, others like to have a good time and run thousands of rounds through them every chance they get. After all, they are made to shoot, right?

The issues the NFATCA deals with every day affect every one of us on some level. This has been, and continues to be, an organization that looks at what is best for the NFA community as a whole, not on an individual case by case basis. If we maintain this course of action, we can be a far more effective organization and help to preserve this hobby/industry for future generations. Your children and grandchildren may enjoy this hobby with you now, but what is the future for them? The NFATCA is fighting for you by trying to protect our rights whether they be manufacturer, importer, dealer, customer or end user. Please help us preserve that right because as far as the Class 3 world is concerned, no one else will.

Though the NFATCA is young, it has already accomplished things that no one thought was possible. Two years ago, no one could have conceived that an organization such as the NFATCA and ATF would collaborate to produce and publish the NFA Handbook. And there are many more successes on the horizon. This is not a time to become complacent as we are only just beginning. We already know the next two years are potentially dangerous, and if an anti-gun President is elected, we are in for a heap of trouble. Already there has been a lot of testing of the waters for anti-gun bills and we all know that the NFA community is an easy target for compromise. We must stay vigilant and the NFATCA is the only one to watchdog our NFA rights – including the collector and shooter.

The NFATCA continues to push forward on several issues, like publishing the NFA handbook, working on a similar effort with FTB, and solidifying our association with ATF. This is just a small part of what the NFATCA continues to watch over and do. We need everyone in the NFA community to help us work for you. Please contact us at www.nfatca.org for more information.

Day One

The morning session began at 9 a.m. with an opening discussion on who Hiram Maxim was, the significance of the Maxim gun and its historical perspective. The lineage of the Maxim gun was explained with discussion of the early prototypes, the 1887-1893 black powder models, the first World Standard Model of 1895 and the contract with Ludwig Loewe and DWM in 1898. Further discussion outlined the Interim models of 1900, the 1904 Vickers and Colt Maxims, the 1908 and 08/15 Maxims, the Model of 1909, the Russian Model of 1910 and the Swiss Model of 1911. The morning session was rounded out with discussions on the Light Maxim (Vickers), the Mk I Vickers and tank and aircraft Vickers used by the US and British to 1968.

After lunch, an overview of the function principles of the Maxim and Vickers operating systems were explained followed by the instructors disassembling a Maxim lock. Locks were thengiven to each student to disassemble and reassemble with careful individual tutorial on the process. Not only did this acquaint the student with the proper disassembly and reassembly procedures, it also helped solidify the functional operation of the lock within the gun. It should be noted that not all Maxim locks are the same. There are subtle differences of locks and their parts depending on the model of Maxim involved. For instance, the lock of a German MG08 is quite a bit different than the lock of a Russian Model of 1910. Following the work on the Maxim locks, the instructors repeated the process using Vickers locks whereupon the students then disassembled and reassembled those locks.

Day Two

Discussions continued in the morning session on the detailed function of the Maxim lock, how it cycled, what was actually happening within the lock during firing and malfunctions that can occur. This was followed by a similar discussion of cycling and malfunctions of the Vickers lock. The morning meeting ended with a talk on modifications needed for aircraft usage.

Following lunch, various tripods were discussed that included types, styles, pintle pin fit, etc. An assortment of tripods was on hand for examination. The early types of tripods were covered as were the 1895 Ackland type, the 1904 US type, the 1908 German sled mount, Browning M1917A1 mount and early Vickers Mk IV tripods and their differences with the US version. Aircraft Maxim mounting and synchronization was also discussed.

Different types and styles of belt loading machines were shown and demonstrated as well as variations of ammunition that were to used the next day at the range. The many types of styles and variations of stripped and strippless cloth belts were examined as were metallic links.

The tripods on hand were then broken down for removal and packing to go to the range the next day. The eight guns that were to be taken to the range were also gone over and checked to be ready for range use.

Dan Shea then invited us all out to the Belagio hotel on the Las Vegas strip where he treated us to a sumptuous dinner at the Belagio buffet featuring a huge selection of food from King Crab legs to Kobe Beef and everything in between.

Day Three

This was the day everyone was anxious for. We met at LMO at 8 a.m. to pull the guns out of the vault and pack them into the Humvee and van. All the ammunition was also loaded into the vehicles as well as the tripods and support equipment we would need for our day at the range. We then traveled about 30 minutesto the shooting range at the Desert Lake Country Club where we set up the guns to be used for the day. The eight guns were the Model 1895 brass Argentine Maxim, the US Model of 1904 Maxim, the German MG08 and MG08/15 Maxims, a Type 24 Chinese Maxim, a “shorty” Vickers with its water jacket just half the length of a regular Vickers, a Turkish Vickers and a British Vickers. Various belts were used including cloth Maxim belts, Parabellumbelts, Vickers belts, Browning belts and even some made-up Hollywood cloth Maxim belts, as well as a non-disintegrating metallic PKM belt. Calibers used included 8mm, .303, 7.65×53 Argentine and 7.62x54R.

The students were required to set the guns up and get them ready for use under the watchful eyes of the instructors. Targets were berms out in the desert at 100 and 200 yards. Safety procedures were explained as were loading, firing and unloading procedures. Lock function was emphasized as was the procedure for clearing the gun (if you think it is unloaded, it probably isn’t), hanging the lock, a runaway gun – its causes and remedy. Then it was time to do what machine guns do best – convert money into noise.

As planned for in the course and anticipated due to the variations used and caliber changes being tested, a number of problems were encountered. These included a few broken parts and some bad ammunition. However, the majority of problems were caused by the use of old, worn, stretched belts. This provided ample opportunity for the students to assess and identify different failures and take the appropriate corrective action.

The vast majority of stoppages encountered were the result of a cross feed within the feed block. This is caused by a number of reasons including, loose ammunition in stretched belts, torn belts and belts intended for use in other guns. Yes, you can use a Browning belt in a Maxim but its reliability is spotty, at best.

Other failures encountered included a broken feed pawl, a broken trigger bar lever, bad ammo (the Argentine 7.65mm Mauser), weak firing pin hitting hard primers, failures to extract and failures to eject. One problem arose really hadthe students stumped for quite a while. The muzzle booster securing chain got trapped between the cone and cup so the gun could not return to battery. This caused a lot of head scratching as they thought the problem was within the receiver box and the lock until someone finally thought to check the muzzle end.

While, of course, the fun part is blasting away, the true learning process was full understanding of what was happening operationally with the guns and identifying and remedying failures. With a better understanding of what is happening and why, greater satisfaction can be had by owning and shooting a reliable heavy machine gun.

At the end of the day, we policed the area of all the brass, packed up the guns and tripods and returned to LMO to unpack and return the guns to the vault.

Day Four

The final day of the school is one of the most important and often treated lightly by many shooters: cleaning and inspecting the weapons. Each gun was disassembled for cleaning, inspection of parts, oiled, and made ready for their next usage. Some of these guns are almost 100 years old and the rapid fire use of rifle caliber cartridges puts a lot of stress on all the working parts of the gun. Not only is cleaning after use good gun “hygiene” and proper, it allows a close inspection of all the parts to assess current or potential damage so the next time you go to the range you know that the gun is all set to go.

As the guns were being cleaned, we discussed the events of the previous day at the range. The effects of using different calibers in the guns, trouble shooting problems, condition of belts, etc. Cleaning techniques were also discussed that included proper procedures for cleaning barrels that use corrosive ammunition, initial bore swabs, the use of Hoppe’s #9 to kill corrosive primers and the proper use and amount of oil on operating parts.

When all the guns were finished, they were returned to the vault and the students left for home.

The Maxim/Vickers class is a must for anyone who owns and shoots one of these classic historic machine guns. As these guns start in the $30,000 price range and go up from there, it is prudent to know all you can about these great weapons so as to preserve and maintain them in operating condition for yourself, and for future generations. There are no more of these classic guns. One of our students was from a state that does not allow private ownership of machine guns. Even if you aren’t fortunate enough to own one but have the interest and passion for these early machine guns, this hands-on class will give you insight, practical knowledge and tips and tricks that you just cannot get from a book from instructors that have a combined experience with these weapons of over one hundred years.

Next Class Schedule to Include Lewis Guns

As the Maxim and Vickers are classic World War I guns, the instructors thought it would be fitting to add the Lewis Gun to the classroom and range agenda. Long Mountain Outfitters LLC host’s these classes and the next scheduled Maxim, Vickers and Lewis class will be held Thursday, September 27 through Sunday, September 30, 2007. Class size is limited to ten. Contact Kathy Miller at Kathy@longmountain.com for information and availability. It is well worth it.

A Brief History of the “C” Drum

The round drum-type magazine is often viewed as an essential part of the Thompson submachine gun image and legend. The fifty round capacity drum was first introduced commercially along with the Colt manufactured Thompsons, back in 1921. The drum was offered as an extracost option. The fifty round model was designated as the “L” drum by the Auto- Ordnance Corporation with the retail price of $18 each. In addition to the fifty round drum magazine, for those customers requiring more firepower, Auto-Ordnance offered an even larger capacity drum magazine referred to in their sales literature as the “C” drum. This drum had an enormous one-hundred round capacity and could be had for a mere $20 retail.

Oscar Payne, who had designed the Thompson submachine gun, was also credited for designing both the “L” and “C” type drums while employed by Auto-Ordnance around 1920. However, like the Thompson guns, the actual manufacture of the drums was subcontracted out to a vendor: John’s Machine and Stamp Works of Cleveland, Ohio. The operating springs for the drums were obtained from the Wallace Barnes Company of Connecticut. Both the “L” and “C” drum shared a few common parts including: the winding keys, retainer clip and faceplates. The cost per “C” drum to Auto-Ordnance was approximately $6.39 each. It is not clear exactly how many of the original “C” drums were made, estimates from known drum serial numbers suggest that at least 5,000 were manufactured; a number of them going to overseas customers.

During World War II, the British and U.S. forces procured a large number of the fifty round “L” drums and a very limited number of the big “C” drums. The onehundred round drums were only obtained for testing and evaluation purposes. The one-hundred round “C” drum was found to be too heavy for military applications. There were also problems encountered with the smaller fifty round drums in combat. The somewhat bulky drums were heavy, easily damaged, and the cartridges in them rattled. The drums were also difficult to load under field conditions, especially at night. Often troops would discard the drums away after firing the cartridges in them.

Due to the obvious disadvantages of the one-hundred round drums, primarily weight and bulk, sales were slow and manufacture was soon discontinued. As a result, today, original 1920s manufactured Thompson “C” drums are somewhat rare and highly sought after by collectors. Along with being rare, the original “C” drums, when located, can be very expensive, costing thousands of dollars, thus limiting their procurement to only a few serious collectors.

During the mid 1970s, production of semiautomatic-only and select-fire Thompsons was resumed by the Numrich Arms Corporation of West Hurley, New York under the Auto-Ordnance name. Before long, customers made it known that they also wanted drum magazines for their guns. Numrich complied and began to sell their newly made fifty round “L” drums. In 1990, once again because of consumer demand, Auto-Ordnance of West Hurley, New York announced that they were going to be manufacturing a replica of the coveted one-hundred round Thompson “C” drums. Collectors and shooters lined up to buy them. The West Hurley “C” drums were originally priced at $345 each retail. Unfortunately, as it turned out, the West Hurley drums generally did not always function as advertised. While most of them occasionally worked in the semiautomatic mode of fire, attempting full auto fire usually resulted in stoppages after firing only a few rounds. One of the problems was that the rotor drive spring could not keep pace with a full-auto Thompson’s fast cyclic rate. There were other concerns with fit and overall quality of the drums as well. After becoming aware of the feeding problems, the factory reportedly redesigned the rotor drive spring in their “C” drum in 1991. Despite the reliability issues, the prices of West Hurley “C” drums, increased dramatically after production had ceased. In 1994 a federally imposed ban on high-capacity magazines ended all new manufacture and prices skyrocketed.

In February of 1999, Numrich decided to get out of the Thompson business and sold the manufacturing rights and tooling to Kahr Arms of Blauvelt, New York. Kahr began to offer several models of the Thompson carbine in a semiautomatic-only configuration.

In 2004, the 1994 Federal ban on the manufacture of over-10-round magazines expired, allowing companies to resume manufacture of high-capacity magazines. Realizing the high consumer demand for dependable Thompson drum magazines, Kahr Arms went to work on designing fifty and one-hundred round drums that would function in both semiautomatic carbines and submachine guns. As a result of significant field-testing, consultation and a considerable amount of fine-tuning, their goal was realized. To the delight of Thompson collectors and shooters, Kahr is now offering their new, improved fifty and one-hundred round drums at affordable prices.

Old and New

For this article an original one-hundred round 1920 era Thompson drum magazine was compared to a modern one-hundred round drum currently being manufacturedby Kahr Arms.

The thickness of the sheet metal used to construct the drums was measured with a dial micrometer. The thickness of the metal used on both drums was the same at .032-inch.

Each of the (empty) drums was weighed to see if there was any difference. The Kahr drum was a few ounces lighter at 3-pounds 12 ounces, the original drum weighed 4-pounds.

The markings on an original Auto-Ordnance “C” drum differ somewhat from those on the modern Kahr drum. Original drums do not use zeros to precede their serial numbers. For example, our modern test drum was serial numbered 000656. An original drum would have been marked only with the digits 656. Another difference is that the Kahr drums have the Thompson bullet logo and winding instructions struck onto the lower center portion of the top cover. The winding instructions are also on the cover’s faceplate. Original drums do not have the Thompson “bullet” logo on them and the winding instructions are only stamped into the faceplate located at the top of the cover.

The rivets used to secure the faceplates onto the drum body and cover differed slightly. The original rivets had round heads, while the rivets on the Kahr drum are flat.

The front and rear faceplates on the Kahr drum have two vertical ribs pressed into each of them. The originals are flat and slightly smaller in size.

Taking into consideration 80+ years of wear, the finish on the original drum was very close to the finish on the Kahr drum.

The rotor on the Kahr drum is finished with a semi-gloss blue while the rotors on original drums are nickel plated.

The rotor shafts on both drums are hollow.

The winding keys are nearly identical, although the key on the Kahr drum was harder to remove and install. This could probably be contributed to the age and wear on the original 80+ year old drum.

The covers and winding keys were interchangeable between the old and new drums.

The Firing Test

For the firing portion of the Kahr drum test, an original World War II M1928A1 Thompson was used. The most striking feature of a one-hundred round drum is its size; with a diameter of 8.75 inches, it is big. When picked up with one hand to insert the drum into a Thompson, the second feature becomes apparent: its weight. At 8.25 pounds loaded, the drum is not only big, it’s heavy. Inserting the big drum into a 10.75 pound Thompson results in a weapon weighing approximately 19 pounds.

The test Thompson, being the military version, is fitted with a horizontal style foregrip. After manhandling the drum into the receiver slots on the Thompson’s receiver it becomes apparent that you need long arms to reach around the drum to grip the forearm. After getting settled, the trigger was pulled firing semiautomatic and then a short burst with no problems. The remaining rounds were then dumped in one long continuous burst without a hitch.

The foregrip on the Thompson was switched to the vertical type that proved to be much easier to grasp with the large drum in place. Several more one-hundred round continuous dumps were successfully made with the Kahr drum.

Several different brands of ammunition were used for the test, all .45 ACP, 230- grain FMJ. One brand, Fiocchi, seemed to substantially increase the Thompson’s rate of fire. A check with a PACT chronograph/ timer confirmed the suspicions. The Fiocchi ammunition had increased the cyclic rate as high as 929 rounds per minute, about 250 RPM faster than normal. It was with this ammunition that we did encounter some stoppages, which were quickly associated to the speed at which the gun was operating. It was theorized that the drum simply could not keep up with the cyclic rate of the gun. There were no problems with the other brands.

Summary

The newly manufactured Kahr one-hundred round “C” drums sell for a fraction of the cost of an original. The differences in the drums are relatively minor and will keep the new drums from “inadvertently” being passed off as originals in the future. The Kahr drums can be used with far less concern about the drum incurring any damage during firing or worse dropped. Accidentally dropping an original, fully loaded one-hundred round drum would quickly turn it into an expensive paperweight, and a few sleepless nights for the owner. The drums work; they are well made and are relatively inexpensive. What more could you ask for?

(The original “C” drum used in this evaluation was provided through the courtesy of Michael J. Free.)

For many years, the U.S. Caliber .30 M1 carbine has been a very popular firearm among U.S. martial arms collectors. The M1 carbine and its unique cartridge were adopted during October 1941 just prior to the United States’ entry into World War II. The original concept of the carbine was to provide a lightweight weapon to replace the .45 caliber M1911 pistol and the submachine gun. The resulting M1 carbine was handy and lightin weight, especially when compared to the .30 caliber M1 Garand rifle and the .45 caliber Thompson submachine gun. For all of its virtues, the M1 carbine lacked only one thing, and that was a powerful cartridge. The often criticized .30 carbine cartridge had a 110-grain projectile in a tapered case that was 33 millimetersin length with a muzzle velocity of 1,970 feet per second. Those who carried the carbine into harm’s way either swore by it or swore at it.

With ten prime contractors and numerous subcontractors supplying parts formanufacturing the carbine during World War II, there are enough variations to interest everyone; from novice to advanced collectors, and of course shooters. Most of the civilian prime contractors that manufactured the carbine had never before been involved in the production of firearms. Their diverse previous experience ranged from the making of music jukeboxes to automobile parts. The only carbine contractor with any considerable gun making experience before the war was the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, who had also designed the carbine. International Business Machines, more commonly known as IBM, was the last prime contractor selected to manufacture the carbine during 1943. Previously, IBM had made Browning Automatic Rifles and had been contracted to produce a few M1 carbine components for other contractors. However, instead of just parts, the companywas chosen to be a contractor to build the carbine.

In addition to the large number of contractors are the numerous upgrades and modifications that the carbine underwent during its substantial U.S. military service life, which extended into the early Vietnam era. The most desirable variations of the carbine sought by collectors are those that are in their original World War II configuration with all the correct contractor marked parts for each individual carbine contractor. After a long period of service, numerous government rebuild programs during and after World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam service, such carbines are very rare. Some of the most recognizable features of a “correct” early World War II era carbine are those with the L-type two-position flip sight, flat bolt, “high” wood stock, 2-rivet hand guard, push button- type safety, and early barrel band without the bayonet lug feature. Be advised that although the aforementioned features are the most desirable to collectors, by the war’s end in 1945, many of the latest updated parts, such as the adjustable rear sight, round bolt, “low” wood stocks and lever-style safeties were being implemented into production, resulting in a carbine having such late features still technically being considered as a “correct” World War II production carbine.

International Business Machines M1 Carbines

IBM was incorporated in New York on June 15, 1911 as the Computing- Tabulating- Recording Company (C-T-R). The company’s origins can be traced back to developments at the close of the 19th century, making it one of the oldest companies in America still doing business. On February 14, 1924 C-T-R’s name was formally changed to International Business Machines Corporation. By then, the company’s business had expanded both geographically and functionally, including the completion of three manufacturing facilities in Europe.

International Business Machines, reorganized today as IBM, is very well known worldwide for their computers and the IBM operating system. Few however realize the company’s contributions to the war effort during World War II. When the war began, all IBM facilities were placed at the disposal of the U.S. government. IBM’s product line expanded to include bombsights, automatic rifles, carbines and engine parts: in all, more than three dozen major ordnance items. IBM’s president, Thomas Watson, Sr., set a nominal one percent profit on those products and used the money to establish a fund for the survivors of former IBM employees who became casualties of the war.

Of the estimated six-million M1 carbines produced from 1941 to 1945, the 346,500 carbines made by IBM was a small percentage. The M1 carbines produced by IBM were manufactured at Plant Number 4 located in Poughkeepsie, New York and some parts were produced at the company’s facility located in Endicott, New York. Serial numbers of IBM carbines range from 3,651,520 to 4,009,999. While the cost per unit price varied from contract to contract, the average price paid by the U.S. Government was $42.39 each. IBM only manufactured the “standard” configuration M1 carbine. They did not produce the M1A1 folding stock paratrooper or the select-fire M2 models. Like virtually all of the carbine manufacturers of the period, IBM engaged a large number of subcontractors to make their carbine parts. The company only made four parts in-house: receivers, barrels, bolts and trigger housings. Parts subcontracted by IBM would all include their manufacturing code, the letter “B”, in addition to the subcontractor’s letter codes. Approximately fifty-percent of the receivers used in the assembly of IBM carbines were made by the Auto-Ordnance Corporation of Thompson submachine gun fame.

During World War II production runs of all weapons, shortages of parts often occurred resulting in parts being obtained from surpluses at other contractor’s plants to keep theproduction lines moving. Therefore, it would be possible to have mixed contractor parts in a gun and still technically be correct. However, it was during Ordnance Department rebuild programs where the mixture of different contractor parts generally occurred. After contracts were terminated, huge surpluses of spare parts were collected and used for refurbishing or repairing unserviceable weapons. Most U.S. World War II era weapons were rebuilt at leastonce and often a number of times. During rebuild programs the weapons were upgraded with the latest parts, like the adjustable rearsight and barrel band with the bayonet lug. IBM carbine receivers used the integral spring guide design. Receivers made by IBM had the narrow type of tang while those produced by subcontractor Auto- Ordnance had a wider tang.

One of the major parts manufactured in-house by IBM was the barrel, marked with the letters IBM. Barrels made by the company before 1944 were dated while later barrels were not marked with a date. Barrel bands used on IBM carbines were the early Type 1 narrow or Type 2 wide bands. There were no Type 3 bands with the bayonet lug used.

The flat type bolts were used on most of IBM carbines although late in the war the round type bolts were introduced and replaced the flat type bolt. Original bolts had a dull blue finish.

While many carbine contractors used a milled one-piece trigger housing, those used by IBM were those fabricated from stamped parts and brazed together. This type of construction is easily recognizable by the brass colored seams where the parts are joined together.

The Auto-Ordnance M1 Carbine Connection

Thompson submachine gun enthusiasts are quite a dedicated group who like to collect virtually everything even remotely connected to the Thompson. One carbine that is of particular interest to this group of collectors is the IBM produced M1 carbine with receivers that were manufactured by the Auto-Ordnance Corporation. Such carbines are clearly identified with the letters AO stamped on the heel of the receiver. Auto-Ordnance also supplied IBM’s carbine program with bolts and operating slides, which can be identified by the contractor code markings: AOB, AOB-FF, FF-AOB or F-AOB. AO would of course designate Auto-Ordnance, the letter B was IBM’s contractor code, while the significance of the letter F is unknown.

For today’s collector the most desirable carbine would have all IBM contracted and subcontracted parts that were marked with the letter “B”. The early configurations would of course be the most desirable with the L-type sight and other early features followed by those with late war features. Thompson collectors would be most interested in the IBM/AO marked receivers, which also happens to be the most sought after variation of the IBMcarbine. While an all-original example can be difficult to locate they can be found with some patience and effort. An unmatchingcarbine would be easier to find and can be restored by locating and installing the correctly marked parts. Manyenthusiasts find a lot of pleasure in the challenge of searching for the correct parts and restoring their carbines to an original “as issued” configuration.