As I write this, there are three weeks until Y2K sets in. When this Sitrep hits the filmhouse, film will be produced and Fedexed to the printer. The printer will run a Blueline proof, get the final OK, and run Volume 3 Number 4 of the Small Arms Review. This means it will be in the mail the week before, or during Christmas. Should all go well, you will be reading this by electric lights, supplied from regular, everyday utility sources.

I suspect that on 2 January, 2000, most of us will still be doing the same. However, we are anticipating some loss of power, some snafu in shipping, some roadblocks to Standard Operating Procedures. It is our desire to get your copies of SAR to you in a timely manner.

If all goes well, there won’t be any declaration of martial law, won’t be any rioting in the streets, won’t be any massive food shortages, won’t be any need to arm yourself and set up a perimeter. Just a few glitches, and some minor annoyances. Only time will tell.

In the meantime, I have been taking a moment to pause and reflect on SAR’s mission. The SAR Expeditionary Force has just returned from a trip to the MOD Pattern Room in the UK, with an incredible amount of photographs and knowledge gained. We will be filing After Action reports in upcoming issues of SAR. Our job is to bring you a nice mix of studies of the old and the new, and from all accounts that I have been getting, we have been succeeding. SAR is the end result of a tremendous effort by a lot of dedicated people. I am proud to be part of it.

If you have suggestions, or features that you would like to see in SAR, let us know. We will try and get the word out to the writers, and let them know what the readers are looking for.

All in all, we are pleased with where we are today, and where we are headed. Not wanting to get complacent, we are asking for your support in letting us know what you like about SAR, and about what you want to see more of. Above all, if you have something that you think will be of interest to the readers, send the information in- if you can’t write it or photograph it yourself, maybe we can get you in touch with someone who can cover it for you.

Many years ago, Ken Kesey and friends traveled an interesting journey across the United States in a converted bus. While their journey was psychedelic as well as physical, and hopefully ours is not, there was a feeling of kinship that these adventurers had- you were either on the bus, or off the bus. They meant that you were with the experience, or probably missing something important. I would like to think that SAR is a place where we of the firearms community can come to, to talk about the things that interest us, to share the knowledge of our martial focus. There are a lot of people out there who miss the point of our interests entirely, even some firearms owners. Definitely “off the bus”.

Then again, in a world of RKI’s, Class 3’s, historians, designers, Emma Gees, Subgunners, and a sprinkling of hammer down belt fed shooters, we are in good company.

Stay on the bus with SAR…..

-Dan

Dear Dan,

I have been watching the news, and watching the election preparations. I keep wondering if you or anyone is going to activate the Committee of 1776 this year, and to try and repeat the successes of the elections of 1994. We could get the rallies going again, and maybe do the march on Washington again. Do you think it is possible?

Bill H.

Bill,

As I write this, the New Millennium is a few weeks away. Odds are that you are reading this after the Y2K computer glitch has either fizzled out, caused some problems, or entered us into a new age. Without a crystal ball, I have no way of knowing what is coming, but I suspect that when it is all said and done, it will be business as usual. Babies being born, wars being fought, billions of people with hopes and dreams that they work hard for every day, and others drifting in directionless limbo. Above all else, the fight to stay free will be an ongoing thing.

I sometimes take a private space to put a couple of thoughts down, and I am presently across the puddle and far from home, thinking about the future. The land I am in today has fought bitter battles for survival, and yet, they have meekly laid down their arms to “Fight crime” and “Save the children”. Only crime has not gone down, and the children are still at risk. The only thing the people here have lost is their ability to defend themselves against predators. Their television shows are filled with helpless people who must turn to the authorities for self-defense, and unrealistically, the police can always help.

It is sadly not like that in the real world. The lessons of history show that the predators always show up eventually, and if you can not defend yourself and your loved ones, then you and your way of life die off.

As a student of history and the martial world, I have a somewhat unique perspective among the people in my community. Most of the readers of SAR share that perspective. We know that the America of today’s world exists in a small bubble in time, that the average American feels pretty “Good” about the future prospects of peace, safety, etc. Yet, it has not been that long since our streets ran in blood- about thirty years. The streets of fire have made brief appearances in the past three decades, from the Boston riots to the LA riots, from Waco to Oklahoma City. Overall, it has been a fairly peaceful time compared to what other countries have gone through. We haven’t had a declared war here since the 1860’s, and the memory of what it is like to really have to defend your home in a military style fight is buried almost that long ago, with some few exceptions.

The elections of the year 2000 are almost upon us. The real players have been positioning themselves for several years. It is incumbent upon those of us who are defenders of the Constitution to be prepared. We must stick together, and not be divided. We must fight this good fight, and we must win the battle at the polls. The whole of our future is riding on this coming election. To view it any other way, is to continue on the long slide of the last 30+ years. Giving away yards to save inches must stop.

We must work together. We must be effective. We can not get stopped and trapped in the details that our enemies throw at us, to get us turned on each other. We must demand to know where our elected officials stand on positions that matter to us, and then get the word out.

Above all else, we must be active in getting our side to the polls on voting day. This should be a year of rallies, a year of voting drives. Every time you see your political enemies riding through areas to “Get the vote out” or “Rock the vote”, remember that they are only looking for those so inclined to vote the Liberal line. Those with a vested interest in continuing a welfare state, a limited police state, a nanny state, are those who would foolishly disarm the population in the name of “Safety”. They do not understand what they give up, for they have not had to earn their freedom. It’s much like “Easy money” that comes and goes so quickly- freedom that is taken for granted is freedom that is quickly lost.

To your question on the Committee of 1776; I don’t think that would be a useful vehicle anymore. What started at a kitchen table in Maine, and caught fire at kitchen table discussions across the country, served its stated purpose and is gone. The steam was effectively let out of C1776 in 1995. In 1994, the Committee had between 80,000 and 100,000 people in 26 states out for the Rally for Firearms Rights, and a solid 15,000 at the memorial in Washington DC for our National Rally. Considering that Handgun Control, Inc had a Rally in DC around the same time, with 80 people there after weeks of national exposure in the media, tells the lie about who has the most support.

We need new vehicles to carry the message this year. We should stick together, and support the existing organizations that fight for the Second Amendment, but somewhere, somehow, we have to get out in front again. We have to do so now, as we move into the year 2000. We need to have momentum before the polls, and we need to get our people out to vote.

If you have ideas, SAR will be glad to publish some, to help engage a forum for the discussion. However, time is short, and we need to get active now- make that Pro-active. Above all else, remember that if we don’t get the voters out next November, we and our descendants are the ones who lose. See you at the ballot box!

– Dan Shea

Move over chainsaw, here comes the DuckBill.

The first time I actually saw a photo of the mysterious Duckbill choke I used to hear about once in a while, was in the book Special Warfare, Special Weapons by Kevin Dockery. It was designed by the U.S. Navy in 1968 to change the pattern of the shot from circular to a horizontal oval, and was fixed to an Ithaca model 37. It was adopted by the UDT/SEALs for use in Vietnam. While I was intrigued by the idea of a choke that spread shot from a shotgun to a 4:1 ratio horizontal pattern, it was not available any more, and it did look kind of funny anyway.

A few years went by, and one day while browsing some gun pages on the World Wide Web I saw it mentioned again. This posting was by a fellow named Chuck Madurski from Great Lakes Arsenal, Inc. and it stated that his company was going to go into production on a new and improved shotgun choke based on the original Duckbill design. It took only seconds before my fingers started typing an e-mail to Chuck to obtain whatever information I could. He confirmed that they were going into production, and I was welcomed to test one of their units for Small Arms Review should I desire. I gave him the shipping information and the wait was on. A few days later, a Remington 870 barrel with a DuckBill Choke showed up at my door.

It is designed a lot like the original first model duckbill as far as appearance, but the new unit has been improved in strength. Where the original was manufactured from low carbon steel for ease of manufacture, the Great Lakes Arsenal design uses 01 oil hardening drill rod. The U.S. Navy facility at China Lake that manufactured the originals gave the duckbill choke its characteristic wedge shaped cut by using a side-milling cutter. This led to stress cracks at the bottom radius causing the unit to slowly open up under heavy use. Great Lakes Arsenal has solved this problem by making their cuts with a modern wire-EDM machine.

When it first arrived, I was knee deep in deadlines and it stood up, leaning against the wall in my office for some time. Everyone who saw it thought it was something different. I entertained all kinds of guesses, from some type of tool, to an entry / breeching round adapter, to a grenade launching adapter. After a short explanation and condensed history lesson, everyone who saw it was intrigued. The real intense interest came at the range.

I stopped at a 50 yard pistol range, pulled the gun out of the case and set it on the trunk of my car. I proceeded downrange to lay out some cardboard. Everyone walking by the shotgun looked at it funny and said something similar to “what to hell is that?” We first tried a couple rounds of #6 lead shot from a distance of 20 yards or so and walked up to the cardboard. Everyone’s jaw kind of dropped a little while we all muttered “holy sh*t. This thing really does exactly what it is supposed to do.” The pattern, with all shot, from #7 bird shot all the way to 000Buck, was compressed to a horizontal pattern of at least a 4:1 ratio. We found that if fired once holding it horizontally, and then once with the same point of aim, but held on it’s side, the shot pattern would be of a perfect “X”.

My Remington 870 still looked like a shotgun, but was behaving more like a chainsaw. As a matter of fact, I was shooting the test patterns on a piece of 3’x4’ cardboard leaned up against a little 2×2 to avoid any shot deflection problems. After firing less than 20 rounds at distances varying from 10 yards to 30 yards, the little 2×2 was almost ripped in half in the center, with barely a visible blemish a foot or two above or below center. Pretty impressive. Everyone who witnessed this choke in action immediately asked “How much?”
For applications other than tactical ones, in the author’s opinion it would make a great hunting aide if you hunt with buckshot. Just imaging leveling on a Whitetail Deer and having the ability to hit it from nose to tail while placing the vast majority of the shot in the body area. Depending upon the distance, you may end up with no shot being thrown over the back or under the belly. That really gives the hunter an enormous advantage when a running lead is necessary on a moving target as well. This really creates a serious wall of shot. As for competition, just imaging how long it will take to clear a table of bowling pins with this device. I give it about 2 weeks before it is disallowed by competition governing bodies.

One odd thing noticed by all was the tendency for the unit to act as a tuning fork when the action is racked. A quick cycling of the action is always accompanied by a high pitched ringing. This is really no big deal, as any member of an entry team would have a round chambered before entry, therefore eliminating any audio detection risk. As for hunters, the same would probably apply. This is an easy fix if it is still a concern though. After looking it over for a minute, a friend asked me for an elastic band. A few wraps around the end and no more ringing. It should be sliced with the first shot and disappear from sight. In mentioning this to Kevin Dockery, he said it could also be solved by placing 1/2 of a camera film canister over the end, if it was really a factor for anyone, and that it would also keep any vegetation from being caught in the DuckBill design.

These units are permanently attached by silver solder to the shotgun barrel and are installed directly by Great Lakes Arsenal. They were designed for #4 buck being the optimum load and are for use with lead shot only. (No slugs). Great Lakes Arsenal will mount one of their DuckBill Chokes on your barrel for $125.00 + $5.00 S&H and this includes your barrel being refinished with a matte blue. The mountings can be done on any non-ribbed shotgun barrel, rather it is a pump, lever, single-shot or even semi-automatic as long as it does not have a reciprocating barrel. The massive shot restriction actually dampens the recoil and would cause a reciprocating barrel semi-automatic to short stroke. They will install one of these units on your AOW or SBS short barrel, but you must provide them with a copy of your BATF Form 1, 2, 3, or 4. They will not cut any barrel below 18.5” but will be pleased to crown your existing short barrel. If you have a borderline barrel, or one cut “a little” short, this choke can make the barrel usable again as it adds approximately 1.5” to the overall length.

Great Lakes Arsenal only needs your barrel, rather than having you send the whole gun. This greatly reduces paperwork and turn around time.

Great Lakes Arsenal
60233 Northern Ave.
Ray, MI 48096-3914
(810)749-9386
e-mail: glainc@tir.com

Special Warfare, Special Weapons
The Arms and Equipment of the UDT and SEALS
By Kevin Dockery
$29.95
ISBN 1-883476-00-3
Published by
The Emperor’s Press
5744 W. Irving Park Rd.
Chicago, IL 60634
(773)777-7307

Tan Son Nhut Air base, Saigon, June 21, 1970

…..As I walked over to the jeep, an Air Force Colonel stopped to talk to me.

“Excuse me mister,” the Colonel said, “But what’s that hanging around your neck?”

“That’s my Sweetheart,” I said. “My twelve gauge.”

“I’ve never seen a weapon like that before.”

“No sir,” I said. “It was custom made for me at Frankfort Arsenal. This is the only one there is.” I had made the pistol grip myself, cutting down a regular wood stock. But the rest of the weapon had been one of the first duckbill Ithaca’s with a special magazine extension to come out of Frankfort Arsenal back in 68.

“Sir,” he said, “do you realize that shotguns are against the Geneva Convention?”

In fact, shotguns themselves were not against the Geneva Convention, only soft lead bullets, such as [old style] buckshot, were. But I just looked at this twerp wondering where the hell he thought he was. “Colonel,” I said, “if they ever send me to Geneva, I’ll leave her at home. But between now and then, she and I just don’t part company.”

Excerpt from “Point Man” by Chief James Watson and Kevin Dockery. C. 1993, Avon Books paperback, page 288.

The duckbill-fitted Ithaca was the most popular of the special shotguns used by the US Navy SEALs during their involvement in the Vietnam War. When I wrote the biography of Senior Chief James Watson of SEAL Team Two and covered his three combat tours in Vietnam, his use of a shotgun came up often. When I asked him which weapon he was carrying on a specific operation, he told me, “my pistol-grip shotgun, my Sweetheart.” Though Chief Watson never did actually name his weapon, Sweetheart was what his customized shotgun was called in the books “Point Man” and “Walking Point.”

When Chuck Madurski joined with me at Great Lakes Arsenal to reproduce the first-model duckbill choke, one of the first chokes available went on an Ithaca Model 37. The weapon available was an earlier commercial model without a disconnector. In addition, the barrel had a solid rib, something we won’t put another DuckBill on.

The SEAL Teams had very few if any of the Ithaca Model 37s without a disconnector, the so-called “slam-fire” models. At any rate, I have yet to talk to a SEAL who used a non-disconnector Ithaca in Vietnam or even examine a specimen in the Navy small arms collection. The slam-fire Ithaca was known to some SEALs, but the technique of holding the trigger back and just working the action to fire the weapon was considered a great way to waste ammunition and not hit anything. Instead, shotgun-armed SEALs would simply train with their weapon until releasing the trigger and pumping the action for every shot became second nature to them.

Modifications to the weapon we had we fairly simple and straightforward. The barrel was cut back to 20.1 inches and crowned. The rib was removed enough to clear the DuckBill choke. With enough clamps and colorful language, the choke was brazed onto the barrel after being bored out to a slip fit.

A magazine extension and barrel clamp were duplicated from an original SEAL specimen. There is a locator hole underneath the barrel lug of an Ithaca that is removed to mount the magazine extension. A small piece of barrel scrap brazed over the locator hole seals it completely and explains the existence of such patches on SEAL-modified Ithacas.

Instead of cutting back the stock, a Pachmayr pistol grip was installed, a much more comfortable grip. Parkerizing will later give the new Sweetheart the proper metal finish.

Watson was right, she is a Sweetheart.

H&K Launches New High-Tech Rifle

German gunmaker Heckler & Koch, a firm particularly hard-hit by the federal import bans of recent years, as well as various federal and local laws designed to restrict access to semi-auto rifles under the guise of controlling so-called “assault weapons,” has nonetheless developed a highly innovative new semi-auto rifle.

Called the SL8-1, it is a high-performance .223 caliber product constructed almost entirely of a tough, carbon fiber-reinforced polymer material. Departing from the roller-locked bolt system design traditionally used in HK long guns, the new SL8-1 utilizes a short stroke, piston actuated gas operating system.

“HK has been absent from the commercial rifle market for several years,” commented Boin Stafford, the company’s president. “The SL8-1 delivers a distinctive product that is exceptionally clean-shooting.”

Designed and engineered to deliver the highest standard of shooting performance, the ergonomic and clean lines of the rifle are functional and modern, imparting the look and feel of a 21st century firearm. Several modular systems are available, including extended and short Picatinny rails with open sights, a 1.5x scope with an integral carry handle and a dual optical system that will combine a 3X scope with an electronic red dot sight. Additional accessories include a HK Universal Tactical Light, cleaning kit and carry sling.

Other features include a cold hammer-forged heavy barrel for precision accuracy, fully-adjustable open sights, removable cheek-piece, ambidextrous safety/selector lever and a detachable 10-round magazine. Rifling is 6X right hand twist with one turn in seven inches. Overall length is just under 39-inches, barrel length is just under 21-inches and sight radius is just shy of 20-inches. Width is 2.36-inches, height is 9.84-inches and weight is 8.6-pounds.

HK is now making available its UMP45 submachine gun in .45 ACP chambering. Designed for law enforcement and military organizations desiring ammunition compatibility between their submachine gun and sidearms as well as carbines, the UMP45 has a 25-round magazine and has an effective accuracy range to 100 yards or more. Its small size (less than 18-inches with the buttstock folded) and 4-1/2 pound unloaded weight, make it a good choice for use in and around vehicles and for use by small statured officers who find use of a full-size rifle or shotgun difficult.

The HK UMP45 is designed to fire all types of .45 ACP ammo-including subsonic and supersonic loads, as well as ball, hollow point and enhanced velocity +P offerings. It can also fire nontoxic and frangible training rounds without modification. Ambidextrous operating controls and sling attachment points are similarly configured to other HK rifles and submachine guns. A bolt hold-open feature comes into play when the last round is fired and there are hard points molded into the polymer receiver to allow attachment of optional mounting rails and accessories, such as sights, tactical lights and a vertical foregrip.

Adjustable iron sights with a dual flip-up rear aperture are provided, as is a tactical carry sling and a detachable vertical handstop. Optional tritium sights are available. The UMP45 can be operated in the semi-auto, two round burst, or full-auto modes. The polymer magazine has a transparent ammunition viewing strip allowing the user to see the ammo remaining inside. The folding buttstock has a rubber cheek piece and buttpad which reduces the length of the arm by nearly 10-inches when folded.

Having just recently awarded an $8.5 million contract for development of a prototype, high-tech combat rifle to Alliant Techsystems, Inc., the U.S. Army and Marines are already seeking a lighter version. Alliant was chosen to continue development of the Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) , one of five major subsystems in the Army’s futuristic Land Warrior program. Efforts will continue the reduce the arm’s weight to less than 14 pounds and to incorporate a device to track moving targets.

The engineering, manufacturing and development phase is expected to begin in the year 2000, and the arm should be fielded in 2006. The Army and Marines have budgeted $43 million for the arm and plan to buy about 20,000 examples.

Alliant’s OICW project manager, Michael Moore, said the company hopes the new rifle will be as successful and lucrative as the M16, which is used in some 52 countries. “If you look at the life cycle of the M16, we think the OICW is going to be around for a long, long time,” Moore commented. “Over the years, we think it will be improved, modified and rebuilt. If the M16 is used as a model, we think it might be successful in foreign sales as well.”

The OICW system contains a rifle, video camera, electronic fire control with laser rangefinder, and a dual ammunition capability allowing the firing of either 5.56mm ammo or 20mm high-explosive, air-burst munitions. In addition to replacing the M16, the OICW is planned to phase out the M203 grenade launcher. The revolutionary system will allow soldiers to virtually shoot around obstacles. Using its laser rangefinder to determine an obstacle’s distance, the OICW can fire an air-burst round, hurtling shrapnel behind the obstacle. With its 1,000-meter range, it is claimed to be more effective at twice the range of the M16.

The OICW project involves collaborative efforts from several firms. The team includes: Contraves Brasher Systems, Inc. of Pittsburgh, PA; Heckler & Koch GmbH of Germany; HK, Inc. of Sterling, VA; and Dynamit Nobel AG of Germany.

Firearms Training Systems, Inc. (FATS) says it has been selected by the Danish police to provide small arms simulators for the training of their forces, awarding a contract valued at $500,000 with options for additional system and component orders. The company also has been selected to provide small arms simulators to support the Kenya Army training program with an initial contract valued at over $600,000 and opportunity to expand the program.

“Both of these contracts represent new market penetrations for FATS,” said Peter Marino, the company’s president and chief executive officer. “These awards also demonstrate the continued success in open competition of our new digital systems for police and military training programs throughout the world.”

Other News

The industry’s regulator, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) advises those licensees who are permitted to maintain required records on a computer to ensure their systems are Y2K compliant. to avoid any potential loss of data. The agency suggests the following actions be taken:
•-Review the computer system to ensure it is Y2K compliant by contacting the manufacturer of the hardware and software used.
•-If it is felt the computer system is compliant, perform tests to ensure this while documenting the steps taken to ensure compliance.
•-Develop a contingency plan should the system fail, such as the creation of a backup system. For those granted variances to use computer recordkeeping systems, the variance may require the licensee to print out in document form those records stored on a computer system on a periodic basis. The agency recommends a hard copy printout of such records be made shortly before and prior to December 31, 1999.

A licensee’s responsibility to maintain proper records continues regardless of any potential Y2K problems.

As one of its first official efforts, the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s (NSSF) newly created National Association of Shooting Ranges (NASR) division has produced a handbook to help shooting ranges develop community relations programs designed to help head off potential problems. The Guide to Community Relations for Shooting Ranges spells out the “nuts and bolts” of making a community relations program work.

“This program can have a powerful positive impact on almost every aspect of a shooting range’s prosperity,” explains Rick Patterson, director of NSSF’s facility development division. “Implementing this program can help a range recruit new customers or members, protect the range from ‘nuisance’ lawsuits, make friends in the media and send a positive image of the shooting sports to thousands of non-shooters. It can make the difference between survival and closure.”

Established earlier this year, NSSF’s National Association of Shooting Ranges was formed to promote the development of state-of-the-art shooting facilities and entertainment centers as well as to assist all target shooting facilities by providing leadership information and promoting communications and partnerships between ranges, industry and community. In addition to firearms, sales of camp stoves are now on the rise as consumers prepare for a possible worst case Y2K scenario. SportsTrend Info, a trade publication, notes people are buying camp stoves over concerns that Y2K problems may arise with utility companies.

“People are looking at outdoor preparedness in a different way this year, and we’re benefitting with increased stove sales,” said Bill Ortiz, shooting sports and accessories buyer for Turner’s Outdoorsman, a major retailer headquartered in Chino, CA.

Products

The new Hoppe’s Gun Cleaning Pads should be welcomed enthusiastically in shooters’ homes as they’ll protect both furniture and firearms from spills and scratches. They are made of soft acrylic material that absorbs up to eight times their weight in fluids. The pads are in hunter green, offering good contrast when working with small parts. They are available in two formats: 12”x12” square for pistols and 12”x36” for long guns.

Michaels of Oregon has added a double Butt Stock Magazine Pouch for popular 9mm and .40 caliber carbines to its extensive SIDEKICK PROFESSIONAL product line. It allows shooters to carry two extra magazines in the specially-designed pouch which is constructed with an elastic sleeve that stretches over the butt stock. A nylon web strap passes under the recoil pad or butt plate to anchor the sleeve in place.

Michaels of Oregon has also added a new gloss finish to its SIDEKICK PROFESSIONAL MIRAGE nylon duty gear. The new finish is designed to provide the formal appearance preferred by many state patrols and police departments, yet deliver long-term durability and high performance in both street and dress situations. A full selection of duty gear, including holsters, belts and accessories is available in the new finish. A compact, but high-capacity range bag constructed of black 600-denier woven material is available as well from Michaels of Oregon. The bag’s bottom has two hard polymer “feet” to raise the bag off wet surfaces, while the floor is cushioned with closed cell foam padding and reinforced with a removable hard plastic bulkhead to prevent punctures. The bag’s internal storage space is comprised of four zippered compartments.

Sierra Bullets has released the new INFINITY Suite computer software exterior ballistic program containing multiple trajectory charts and graphics. The Point Blank Range feature allows users to calculate zero, allow for uphill and downhill shooting scenarios and to determine maximum range. The bullet library section includes major bullet manufacturers as well as ammunition company data. Also included are Sierra’s 4th edition Rifle and Handgun Manuals.

Lowrance Electronics has released one of the most comprehensive hand-held mapping Global Positioning Systems available-the GlobalMap 100. It contains a built-in background map of the world with enhanced detail of lakes, rivers, streams and highways in North America, including Northern Mexico, the Southern Bahamas, Hawaii and Canada. Featuring a memory capacity of up to 1,750 total position points, the unit can store up to 750 waypoints, 1,000 graphic event markers and offers 28 different icon symbols to choose from, to allow on-screen customization.

Para-Ordnance is now offering their custom-featured Limited Series pistols in bright stainless steel finish, in addition to matte black. The models involved are the P10, P12, P13, P14 and the P16. All Limited Series pistols, except for the 10 plus 1 round capacity P10, come with an original, pre-ban high-capacity magazine as standard equipment.

Hunting has resumed on New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range after the facility was closed to hunting about a year ago following an accident involving an airman who was killed by unexploded ordnance. The range was reopened after an Army safety inspection.

OWN YOUR OWN SOVIET SIDECAR MOTORCYCLE

A company called the Sovietski Collection now is offering a most unique item direct from the former Soviet Union. A classic Russian sidecar motorcycle. These motorcycles are virtually identical to the ’40s era BMW “R” series made famous by WWII General Erwin Rommell, the legendary “Desert Fox”. Since 1939, Russia’s IMZ Motorcycle Factory, in the Urals, has sold 3.2 million bikes worldwide. The original WWII-era Soviet motorcycle, featuring the “Boxer” twin engine-the platform for this Sovietski motorcycle engine-served Mother Russia well in countless battles with Nazi troops. In the ’40s, Indian Motorcycle Company and Harley Davidson & Co. even produced a knock-off of the IMZ bike for the U.S. Army! Decades later, these sidecar motorcycles are still in use by Russian police and militia. They’re built like a tank and even have a Plexiglas windshield that is bullet resistant. The bike features a 650cc “Boxer”-style twin cylinder, air/oil cooled engine and a four speed transmission with reverse. The sidecar has an engagable drive wheel for off-road conditions. The bikes are fully street legal and come with a 36 month, unlimited mileage, full parts and labor warranty. For more information on this rare piece of history contact Sovietski Collection, Dept. SAR, 3473 Kurtz Street, San Diego, CA 92110. Phone: 1-800-442-0002. Fax: 1-619-294-2500. Visit them on the web at www.sovietski.com.

PROFESSIONAL ORDNANCE WEBSITE

Professional Ordnance, Inc. recently launched their latest website. the new site certainly complements the state-of-the-art image that they have established with their Carbon Fibre Composite firearms. On the site, you will find many helpful, informative and surprising features. Some features include a Video Showcase, a far-reaching Dealer Search and a special Dealer Page, which assists any dealer with their C-15 needs. A shopping cart is implemented throughout the site, enabling effortless purchases from the “Accessories” page and the “Cool Stuff” page. A special Law Enforcement section will appear on the site in the near future. SAR encourages all of its readers to experience the Professional Ordnance site for yourself at www.Carbon-15.com. You can also contact them at Professional Ordnance, Inc., Dept. SAR, 1070 Metric Drive, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403. Phone: 1-520-505-2420. Fax: 1-520-505-2141.

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY M1A™ RIFLES NOW CALIFORNIA LEGAL

Springfield Armory now offers a new proprietary design muzzle attachment (muzzle brake/stabilizer) that will full legalize your M1A(tm) rifle under the new California law. their new muzzle brake/stabilizer has been formally approved by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms as a non-”flash suppressor”. Therefore, any currently owned M1A(tm) rifle that automatically becomes categorized as illegal and non-tranferable under the new California State law as of January 1, 2000 (because it has an original military flash suppressor) can easily become “California Legal” simply by purchasing and installing their new California Legal Muzzle Stabilizer and Installation Kit. The Muzzle Stabilizer actually reduces recoil and fully maintains the rifles accuracy. The Installation Kit comes complete with all of the tools and instructions necessary to assemble the Muzzle Brake/Stabilizer in less than five minutes! For more information to place an order contact Springfield Armory, Dept. SAR, 420 West Main Street, Geneseo, IL 61254. Phone: 1-309-944-5631. You can also visit them on the web at www.springfield-armory.com.

DEUTSCHE OPTIK INTRODUCES HIGH END GERMAN BINOCULARS

Well-known cataloguer Deutsche Optik has teamed up with one of Germany’s premier optical houses to introduce the Deutsche Optik line of quality binoculars. the line will debut in the company’s Summer 1999 catalogue with the introduction of an all new 15X50 BGA long range binocular and two compact binocular models. It was felt that a very strong US dollar coupled with Deutsche Optik’s considerable experience and expertise made 1999 the ideal time to introduce such a line. Emphasis will be placed on German quality optical and mechanical tolerances, features geared more towards the American sporting and birding markets, and pricing that is substantially beneath that of the leading German brands. The new 15X60 BGA model (pictured) is expected to sell for less that $900.00 (including a tripod and case), and two compact models will both sell around $200.00. Deutsche Optik’s usual lifetime warranty and money-back trial period will apply on all models. For more information contact Deutsche Optik, Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 7518, San Diego, CA 92167. Phone: 1-619-287-9860. Fax: 1-619-287-9869. On the web at www.deutscheoptik.com.

Part One: Developmental History and Combat Use from WWII to Vietnam

Affectionately known to generations of American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines as “Ma Deuce,” John Moses Browning’s .50 caliber machine gun entered U.S. service in 1921 and is still going strong. Although too heavy for most bootbourne infantry operations, the big, bad M2’s devastating firepower, extreme range and legendary reliability under the worst conditions make it a favorite for ground defensive positions, vehicle, aircraft, and antiaircraft mountings. Now, at the ripe old age of 78, “Grandma Deuce” is still kicking butt worldwide and is likely to remain in first line American military service well into the 21st century. Go Granny, Go!

Introduction

In this, the first of two installments, we will examine the circumstances leading to John Browning’s development of his extraordinary .50 caliber heavy machine gun during World War One. Then, we will follow its refinement and evolution into a versatile and highly capable system including the watercooled and aircooled versions that played a key role in winning World War Two. Part one concludes with a brief look at “Ma Deuce” in Korea and Vietnam.

The Great War

Browning’s big fifty was developed in urgent response to some remarkable technological advances during World War One. “The Great War,” as it was known at the time, began in 1914 and soon mired down into parallel trench lines stretching hundreds of miles across Western Europe. In the four unimaginably horrible years following, increasingly sophisticated bomber and fighter aircraft of both sides flew high above the miserable and filthy infantry. Well beyond the range of rifle caliber machineguns and poorly aimed AA cannon fire, these airborne raiders rained havoc on the trenches and on support and supply activities in rear areas. Early on, the clever and industrious Germans adapted their Zeppelin dirigible airships into floating fortresses and began nightly bombing attacks on the allied capital cities of Paris and London. These torpedo shaped armored dreadnoughts of the sky were so heavily equipped with machine guns that allied pursuit fighters had virtually no chance of shooting them down. Many valiant French and British fighter pilots whose own rifle caliber guns with ordinary bullets proved no match for concentrated firepower from the “beastly Hun”, spiraled down thousands of feet in flaming coffins.

Observation balloons, actually an innovation of the American Civil War of the 1860’s, were also used by both sides. Tethered a couple of miles behind the front lines, they lifted artillery forward observers to vantage points high above the battlefield, giving them the ability to direct murderous barrages with pinpoint accuracy. Out of range of most ground based guns and always well protected by large numbers of antiaircraft machineguns and cannon, these stationary gasbags taunted their victims while remaining largely immune to retaliation.

But the German’s had an achilles heel in both their Zeppelins and observation balloons. Highly flammable hydrogen gas was the lifting agent and once ignited by even the smallest spark, they would be almost instantly engulfed in flames. But, how to deliver that fatal spark at a great and comparatively safe distance?

The French were the first with a partial remedy, hastily fielded in early 1917. Made with practical expediency by beefing up the 8mm Mle 1914 Hotchkiss guns to handle an 11mm incendiary cartridge of somewhat increased range, it soon became known as the “Balloon Gun.” The British immediately followed suit by adapting their highly efficient Vickers gun — mounted in pairs on fighter planes and synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller —to fire this acceptably effective incendiary cartridge. The tables were turned and now German Zeppelin crews and balloon observers were the ones plunging to a fiery death.

Despite its immediate success, the 11mm “balloon gun” round was still not sufficiently powerful for really effective long range antiaircraft work. But, while allied experimentation continued, it was the Germans who were now most anxious to have a bigger bullet and a way to fire lots of them as fast as possible. This anxiety quickly turned to near panic when the allies gave them yet another nasty surprise.

“Tank und Flieger”

The first large scale battle use of allied tanks in World War One came in April 1917 when ten groups of French tanks spearheaded General Nivelle’s Asine Offensive, reportedly catching the Germans completely unprepared. Although slow and awkward, these lightly armored tractors flattened thickets of barbed wire and lumbered right over shell holes and trenches. Their on board machine guns and small caliber cannon wrecked havoc on well dug in German infantry whose 8mm Maxim gun fire bounced harmlessly off the enemy’s tanks.

Adding to German impotence, supporting artillery was unable to provide effective responsive fire against the creeping pillboxes. Already decimated by years of trench warfare and demoralized by the arrival of fresh American troops, the Kaiser’s army was in danger of total collapse unless a way could be found to deal decisively with this grave new threat.

German ingenuity quickly asserted itself in a formidable 13mm (actually 12.7mm or .50 caliber) cartridge made by the Polte firm. With an amazing muzzle velocity of some 2,700 feet per second, its 800 grain armor piercing bullet could slam right through a full inch of steel plate at 50 yards. An early combat test unmistakably proved its capabilities when a single shot pierced both sides of an unlucky English tank!

The Germans had two plans for launching this big and hot new round with the first being a crash program to design and build the “TuF.” Short for “Tank und Flieger” (tank and aircraft), the TuF was essentially a standard MG08 Maxim gun bulked up double in size. It was intended to deal not only with swarms of allied tanks, but also serve as an aircraft and antiaircraft gun capable of reaching out to great distances to deliver deadly doses of lead poisoning. Since it must have been obvious to all concerned that this complicated gun could not be built soon enough, the tried and true 8mm bolt action Mauser 98 rifle was given similar treatment with steel steroids as a quick fix.

By the spring of 1918 the already miserable lives of Allied tank crews inside their hot, stinking and clumsy machines got immeasurably worse when quantities of the 38 pound 13mm Model 1918 “Tankgewehr” (tank rifle) began to be employed. Despite the new rifle’s deadly close range efficiency, it was not enough to turn the tide of war and Germany surrendered on 11 November 1918, months before the first TuF Maxims could be fielded.

.50 Caliber Cartridge

German development of this powerful rifle and cartridge combo had not gone unnoticed by the allies who soon captured quantities of both. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that the small arms race had been ratcheted up considerably and that French wonder cartridge — the 11mm Hotchkiss “balloon gun” incendiary round — was way behind the power curve.

As luck would have it, none other than John M. Browning himself had already been at work on a “TuF” of his own since July of 1917. Starting with his .30 caliber M1917 machine gun that had just been adopted by the US Army and Marines, Browning settled back in at the Colt factory and began adapting his short recoil, water cooled bullet hose to handle Winchester’s secret new .50 caliber cartridges.

The Ordnance Department had given Winchester what they probably thought was a straightforward contract that summer to scale up the standard .30-06 caliber rifle and machinegun cartridge to .50 caliber. Specifications called for a projectile weight of 800 grains, muzzle velocity of 2,700 fps, and ability to penetrate a minimum of 1.25 inches of armor plate at 25 yards. Colt had their hands full with a contract to build a gun that would weigh no more than 50 pounds yet reliably and accurately shoot this energetic cartridge at 500 to 600 rpm.

Unfortunately for allied forces in Europe both on the ground and in the air, Browning’s work on the bigger gun was hobbled by problems caused when Winchester engineers took unauthorized liberties with their cartridge contract. Not only did they gave it a prominent rim like that of the French “balloon gun” round, its bullet weight and muzzle velocity were inferior to specifications. Worse yet, they were far inferior to test data on the newly captured German Tankgewehr round. General “Black Jack” Pershing, Commander of the American Expeditionary Force in Europe, was not amused; he had seen first hand what the big bolt action Mauser Model 1918 rifle could do to his thin skinned tanks and was not about to accept being outgunned.

A Star is Born

For about a year while all of this was going on Browning’s work went steadily forward. The first firing of a freshly assembled preproduction prototype gun took place on 15 October 1918. John Moses himself personally fired nearly 900 of the rimmed and comparatively puny Winchester .50 caliber cartridges including bursts of up to 150 rounds. This date marks, for all practical purposes, the birthday of “Ma Deuce.”

Although demonstrating mechanical success, these water cooled prototype guns were reportedly quite difficult to control despite weighing a hefty 160 pounds including a particularly robust tripod. These problems were compounded when Winchester finally got back on the right ammo track by not only dropping the old fashioned rimmed case, but by putting into production an almost direct copy of the powerful 13mm Tankgewehr/Tuf round.

In turn, Browning’s immediate efforts went into redesigning the boltface and ammo feed system — back to that of his original M1917 gun which quite handily ingested and fired rimmed .30-06 ammo. The second and certainly most vexing challenge was in reducing the overall weight of his gun while efficiently handling the hot 12.7mm German/ American cartridge with its much greater chamber pressure and recoil impulse.

Although the urgency of fielding this big new machinegun evaporated when Germany surrendered, Browning continued work on his “Fifty.” One obvious external change was tossing out the little M1917 style pistol grip in favor of a two fisted pair of spade grip handles. While this helped with aiming during full auto fire, most of the controllability problems were conquered by his design of a clever oil filled buffer. This served essentially as a hydraulic shock absorber, smoothing out the sharply recoiling bolt.

The oil buffer allowed Browning to significantly reduce the overall weight of both the tripod mount and the receiver — though not anywhere near the Ordnance Department’s physics-defying specification of a fifty pound gun. It also provided the useful option of allowing the gunner to regulate firing speed of the gun to deal with a wide range of tactical situations. This last characteristic would soon prove to be an essential attribute as the basic gun was adapted to many applications on ground, vehicles, boats and planes.

Model 1921

Apparently satisfied with his efforts, Browning returned to his home in Ogden, Utah while Colt’s engineers continued development. Two versions were type classified by the Army as the M1921 Caliber .50; the first a water cooled ground mount gun, and the second with an air cooled barrel for aircraft mounting. Small quantity delivery began in 1925 and, due to postwar “downsizing” of the military and its budget, less than 1000 guns of both types were purchased over the next ten years.

Apparently fascinated by the performance of its powerful new Browning heavy machine guns, the Army undertook a protracted series of experiments and demonstrations with both types of guns in an endless variety of ground and air roles. According to contemporary accounts, this had the practical effect of not only proving the .50 cal’s deadly effectiveness, it also convinced key officers in all branches that many more of these hard-hitting bullet hoses would be needed in the next inevitable war.

Weapon System

The time between wars was also put to good use in continuing refinement of the “Fifty.” While we now take for granted the economy and efficiency of a systems approach to weaponry, many parts for the big gun’s air and ground versions were not readily interchangeable. Under the able direction of former Army Colonel and then Ordnance Dept. engineer S.G. Green, the guns were reworked for common dimensions and adaptability to a standard catalog of various barrels and other components.

One particularly clever innovation was Green’s system for quick conversion to left or right hand feed, facilitating installation in aircraft and multiple gun mounts. Another was beefing up critical parts and reinforcing stress points on the receiver to ensure reliable and continued functioning even under the most abusive sustained combat conditions. Improved ground guns were designated M1921A1 and the aircraft version as M1921E2.

“Ma Deuce”

While water cooling gave the ground gun an amazing capability for sustained fire, its excessive weight and need for expert attention were serious handicaps in infantry and cavalry operations. This was remedied by abandoning the water jacket and fitting a much heavier air cooled barrel that would still allow a volume of fire to meet most combat requirements. After experiments with various diameters and even cooling fins, Colt’s new air cooled ground gun was standardized in 1933 as the Browning Machine Gun, cal. 50 Heavy Barrel, M2, characterized by a gracefully tapered smooth surface 36 inch barrel.

Because the Army’s budget had been devastated by the Great Depression, there was little money to support procurement of the new and improved M2 HB and other .50 cal ground and air models utilizing the same basic M2 receiver. Fortunately the Navy had some money and they stepped in to keep alive further development of the system including refinement of engineering drawings and standardization of manufacturing procedures. By 1940 when it was obvious that America would be compelled to enter what was to become WWII, the whole family of Browning .50 cal guns was ready for mass production by a variety of contractors.

Another World War

The Navy’s paltry $150,000 initial investment paid off big between 1940 and ’45. According to Terry Gander in his indispensable new book BROWNING M2, the mind boggling figure of nearly two million .50 cal Brownings poured out of government arsenals, traditional gunmaking firms, and even hastily converted former automobile parts factories! With very few exceptions, we are told, all of their parts proved fully interchangeable among all M2 series guns regardless of where they were made. This, by itself, is an astonishing accomplishment.

Air cooled M2 “Fifties” in single and multiple mounts served the Navy on its PT boats and in carrier based aircraft, while water cooled M2 guns in dual and quad mounts protected warships from attacking enemy planes. The Army Air Corps used astronomical quantities of the air cooled M2 guns to arm its massive fleets of bombers and fighters. With special lubricants and knowledgeable maintenance, these guns earned an enviable reputation for reliability and effectiveness even in the subzero temperatures of high level bombing runs and the equally hostile salt spray environment of surface ships.
For the land forces of the Army and Marine Corps, John Browning’s heavy machine gun proved its worth beyond a shadow of doubt under the worst imaginable conditions. From the frozen arctic to burning sandswept deserts, from the steaming jungles of the Pacific to the bottomless mud of the Italian campaign, M2 water cooled and M2 heavy barrel guns beat just about anything the enemy had — up to and arguably including 20mm. In ground, antiaircraft and vehicle mountings, Browning’s big Fifties poured a devastating stream of heavy caliber bullets to ranges far in excess of 3000 yards, decisively outperforming German and Japanese rifle caliber machine guns and other readily available weaponry.

Really Heavy Machinegun

Range and muzzle velocity performance of the .50 cal. M2HB that became the standard WWII production model was considerably improved by fitting it with a 45 inch barrel, standardized in 1938. Many of these early guns were also fitted with an T3/M3 3.25 power prismatic telescopic sight to aid with long range shooting. With its previously mentioned receiver reinforcements and this longer barrel this new M2HB tipped the scales at about 84 pounds, and its sturdy M3 tripod added about 44 lbs more. This gives an impressive total of some 128 lbs and that doesn’t count its tools and spares or even one of the heavy 105 round cans of ammunition!

Such a formidably weighty and awkward firepower package requires special tactical consideration and the Army’s standard “leg” infantry battalions grouped Fifties in a heavy weapons company. There, the gun was served by a crew of five; gun commander, gunner, assistant, and two rifleman/ammo carriers.

Even when broken down into major assemblies and distributed among the crew, the whole system presented a considerable burden to these men who were already carrying packs heavy with rations and personal gear. Not surprisingly, it is said that most of the ground mount guns’ combat action was in defensive positions, placed for a commanding view of the terrain and well dug in.

Wheels and Tracks

For many a GI and Marine in WWII the real glory of the M2 Heavy Barrel came as a flexible mount vehicle gun. When carried on everything from tiny jeeps to Sherman tanks, the considerable weight of old “Ma Deuce” was of virtually no consequence compared to her hitting power and extreme range. In ring mounts on cargo trucks, on pedestals in weapons carriers, and in groups of four on halftracks, she shot down strafing enemy fighters and killed legions of enemy infantry long before they could get close enough to bring their own small arms to bear. “Ma” could be a mean old gal to those enemies who were luckless enough to cross her long and wide path.

Korea and Vietnam

Containing the evil intentions of our Communist adversaries has been and continues to be a bloody challenge for America. Scarcely five years after WWII ended, we found ourselves at war again in Korea, this time fighting our former Chinese allies backed by our former Soviet allies. The struggle resumed in Indochina as we tried in vain to keep South Vietnam from being overrun by Communist guerrillas and North Vietnamese regulars — again backed by the Chinese and Soviets. Ma Deuce was always there, but even she couldn’t overcome the lack of political will of our gutless politicians who all but guaranteed that those Americans who fought, were wounded, captured or killed, never really had a chance of winning.

In Part 2 of this in-depth examination of John Browning’s masterpiece we will visit a fine unit of today’s US Marines as they introduce some of the Corps’ newest officers to its oldest infantry weapon. Be there next month on Quantico’s Range 7 to examine how Ma Deuce works, how she is pampered and prepared for action, and how she performs her role as the world’s best heavy machine gun. Don’t miss it!

Homework Assignment

Terry Gander, editor of Jane’s All the World’s Infantry Weapons, has recently produced a fine hardcover book on the .50 cal. The Browning M2 Heavy Machine Gun (PRC Publishing, London, 1999, now available from the Military Book Club) does an excellent job of telling Ma Deuce’s ongoing story in authoritative text and great photos. This is a welcome expansion of two classic works with extensive information on both ground and aircraft Brownings; Konrad Schreier Jr.’s Guide to US Machine Guns (Normount Technical Pubs., Wickenburg, AZ, 1971) and the grandaddy of them all, George Chinn’s The Machine Gun, Vol. 1 (Dept. of the Navy, 1951)

General Data for M2 Heavy Barrel Machine Gun on M3 Tripod

Caliber: .50 inch / 12.7 millimeter
System of Operation: Short recoil. Fully Automatic & single shot
Cooling: Air
Overall Length: 65 inches
Barrel Length: 45 inches
Feed Device: Disintegrating metallic link belt, 100 rounds
Weight: Gun 84 lbs. + Tripod 44 lbs. = 128 pounds
Muzzle Velocity: 3,050 feet per second (2,080 mph)
Maximum Effective Range: 1,800 yards
Maximum Range: 6,800 yards (3.8 miles)
Cyclic Rate of Fire: 500 rounds per minute (8.3 rps)
Sustained Rate of Fire: Up to 40 rounds per minute
Ammunition: Ball, Armor Piercing, Incendiary, Tracer, Specialized

Characteristics of M2 Ball Cartridge:

Overall length 5.45 in.,
Overall Weight 1,813 grains;
Bullet length 2.5 in., wgt. 709.5 gr.;
Powder charge 235 gr. IMR 5010
Penetration (AP M2 at 200 yards): 1 in. armor, 14 in. sand, 28 in. dry clay
Crew: Gunner, Assistant, Ammunition Carrier

About the Author

Robert Bruce is a former infantryman, tank crewman and military intelligence analyst. An internationally published magazine and book author, photo journalist, archivist and lecturer, he has been shooting, evaluating, and writing about the world’s infantry weapons for more than thirty years. Robert is perhaps best known for his book THE M1 DOES MY TALKING! an archive photo history of the famous Garand Rifle, as well as GERMAN AUTOMATIC WEAPONS OF WWII and MACHINE GUNS OF WWI. He also regularly supplied the “Archive Photo of the Month” featurette for the old Machine Gun News and now, as space permits, for Small Arms Review.

The Thompson submachine gun is arguably the most often reproduced miniature machine gun since its graceful lines and well known looks enable it to be instantly recognized and provides a challenge for the machinist to make. Examples encountered run from the truly horrific with poor craftsmanship, sloppy fit and finish, milling marks and poor proportion, to the truly “Cadillac” version that is perfect in almost every detail. Made in a variety of scales, some examples observed are no bigger than your thumb and are sometimes fitted in an obligatory miniature violin case.

Among the finest miniature Thompsons ever produced were built by Edmund H. de la Garrigue in the mid 1970s. From his little shop in Texas, de la Garrigue offered exacting firing and non-firing one half scale replicas of the Colt Model 1921, Colt ’21/8 ‘Navy’, the Auto Ordnance 1928 commercial or U.S. Model 1928-A1 Military and the later M1 and M1-A1 models. They are exact scale and every part is hand finished to the exact dimensions. From the precise barrel finning on the ’21 and ’28 models, proper slot spacing on the Cutts Compensator and tiny sling swivels on the M1 and M1-A1 models to the proper markings and logos stamped on the gun, these really are accurate miniatures. Considering that there are over 70 separate parts to a Thompson, one can appreciate the amount of time and effort it took to produce these guns. The flat surfaces look flat, the symmetry of the lines are right and it looks like a full sized gun that was just reduced to one half size! To call it a “Teeny-Bopper Chopper”, as one reviewing journalist christened it a number of years ago, just seems a bit condescending and sacrilegious. Each de la Garrigue gun came furnished with a non-functional 20 round “XX” stick magazine. A functional “XX” magazine was available at extra cost. The ATF registered live guns were chambered for a shortened .25-ACP cartridge which is obtained by shortening the .25 auto case by 0.100 of an inch, reducing the powder charge slightly and re-seating the bullet. The firing models will fire in full automatic only because by reducing the height and width of the rocker (selector) by one half, it becomes only one fourth its original surface and it is unable to contain the slam of the .25 caliber in the semi-auto mode. The guns were made to order and customized as to functionality, serial number, configuration, etc. according to the customer’s wishes. Accessories and options included the #2 or #3 Cutts Compensators, 50-round “L” Drum (non-functional), polished walnut display stand and finned barrel where the basic gun is smooth. Records are not available but these guns were marketed for only a very brief period of time and it is generally acknowledged that only about 20 to 30 models were produced in all possible models combined in both firing and non-firing versions. Thus, they are quite rare but are a stunning addition to any collection of full autos. A relative newcomer on the miniature scene are guns made in Russia for the Imperial Miniature Armory. Producing incredibly accurate and detailed Thompsons in the even smaller 1/4 scale that measure just 81/4 inches in length, they are proportioned perfectly right down to the size of the grain in the wood stocks. Some of the parts are so small that they are hard to see without the aid of a magnifying glass and some springs are made from wire that is thinner than a strand of hair. Yet, it can feed, chamber and eject from the drum magazine the tiny dummy cartridges that are provided. They have also produced in extremely limited numbers a fully functional 1/3 scale Russian PPsH 41 complete with working drum magazine and scaled dummy cartridges and a 1/2 scale German MP 38 submachine gun. The quality and workmanship of these Russian built miniatures, particularly in the smaller scales, is truly phenomenal.

Building miniatures is no easy task and some guns would appear to be “easier” to build than others such as the British Sten series of submachine guns. We are all familiar with the history of the Sten gun and the need of the British government to produce a weapon that was not only cheap to produce but the manufacturing process was minimal as well since many parts were farmed out to cottage industries. The manufacturing techniques that applied to the originals work for the miniatures as well. But, appearances can be deceiving because in this milieu, stampings and tack welding can actually be more of a challenge to the miniature maker than machining parts from steel stock. As can be seen by the examples exhibited here made by Gorden Heasman and Jerry Missimer, even these rude and crude firearms have their quintessential character captured in these miniatures. Miniature arms makers are a breed of their own. Their passion for firearms transcends many areas of expertise encompassing history, design, engineering, metallurgy and functionality. The dedication of such notables like Louis Elkas, who worked at Savage Arms Company for 42 years and was their chief gun designer or Michael Barrett, another well known miniature arms maker, manifest itself by going home at night and producing miniature arms of all types. It could very easily take over a year to produce a working miniature that was just right but the time and effort was rewarded with a truly outstanding piece of work.

Next time – Part III: “Manually Operated Guns”

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

GREEK ARMY RE-EQUIPMENT: according to Jane’s IDR, Hellenic Defence Industries (EBO) is to start licensed production of the 5.56mm FN Minimi LMG; Greece reportedly has ten sample guns already (presumably from FN), but Greek special forces are said to want about 740 in all. Separately, the magazine said that EBO was to deliver the first 1,050 of 7,500 Colt M16s required by the Greek MOD (also for special forces, we believe), but we assume these are coming from the USA rather than being made locally. In addition, local part-production of the Barrett M82A1 rifle is still in the mill.

We are not sure that local production is justified by the size of the domestic orders for any of these weapons, though one assumes EBO also has third party sales in mind. If so, they will of course have just as tough a time finding new customers as existing suppliers. Some years ago, EBO took a licence for the 5.56mm HK33 – apparently, in part at least, to meet the same requirement now being filled by M16s, but it doesn’t seem to have done much with it; the only guns we saw on past Greek visits were from Germany. EBO has already made H&K G3s, MP5s, MG3s and P7 pistols fully or partly in Greece.

BARRETT US ARMY ORDER: National Defense also said that Barrett Firearms had secured a US army order for up to 1,600 of its bullpup M95 bolt-action .50 rifles, to be known as the XM107; they reportedly incorporate some extra bells & whistles such as adjustable triggers not offered on the commercial version.

Barrett’s official release on this deal says:

‘The United States Army has recently selected a new long range .50 caliber sniper rifle designated XM107. After a competitive evaluation, a variant of the Barrett Model 95 bolt action rifle was chosen as the candidate offering the “best value” to the government. The criterion for the evaluation was based on reliability, accuracy, user friendliness and supportability.

The new XM107 rifle will feature an adjustable trigger, Mil-Std-1913 optical rail, detachable 5-shot magazine, and has the capability of cycling a minimum of 6 rounds in less than one minute. The Army requirement for the weapon system includes a hard carrying case, soft case, and powered optic.

Producer of the winning candidate, Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc. of Murfreesboro, TN, is already well-known in military circles around the world as a producer of .50 caliber rifles as more than 35 countries have adopted either the semi-automatic Model 82A1 or the bolt-action Model 95. In the U.S. the Model 82A1 is presently in use as a combat weapon by the U.S. Marine Corps and as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) tool by U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army units.

A multi-year contract will follow pending the evaluation of the first production weapons slated for delivery later this year.’

Currently pre-production XM107s are being tested in extreme conditions, while the US army continues to work with Barrett on additional refinements to ergonomics and other aspects, including harsh environment performance. The scope mounting rail has also been extended, to 11”. We understand users are enthusiastic about the rifle, particularly its accuracy, described as ‘excellent’, and its take-down capability – it easily breaks down into two main assemblies just 34” long, dimensions which happen to meet long-standing parachuting requirements. At this time we are unsure exactly who the users are to be, but we assume – from the purpose to which earlier Barrett purchases have already been put – that the army will utilise the XM107 as a general anti-materiel/anti-personnel weapon. But due to its small size and big capabilities, it would clearly also be ideal for special forces.

CANADIANS OUTDO SS109 WITH STEEL-CORED AMMO: SNC Technologies in Canada is probably the most active small-calibre military ammunition developer in the West just now. In the past few years it has already come up with a considerable number of new natures and also acquired Simunition’s paint-marking, rubber bullet and frangible training ammunition. SNC is a leading player in the US army’s requirements both for ‘Green’ (non-toxic), reduced-range and limited-penetration ammunition. SNC’s new family of improved 5.56mm ammunition, to whit the IP (Improved Penetration) and matched TP (Training Practice) cartridge, is a contender for the US Green ammo programme, though – as yet – there is no official Canadian forces requirement.

Both of these designs employ one-piece, copper-jacketed, steel bullet cores and (apart from the fact that the IP core is hardened) the two cartridges are identical. The 5.56mm ‘soft-core’ TP costs less than the IP round, and should do less damage to targetry on firing ranges. Since neither of the new bullets contains any lead, the environmentalists and the health & safety boys should all be happy too.

Initially the Canadian Defence Research Establishment Valcartier tested a tungsten-based metal matrix composite (MMC) bullet core, made using powder injection moulding techniques, but this approach was found to be unsuitable. It was determined that a compacted, sintered core would have done the job, but it was more cost effective to go for steel; tungsten is pricey, and the cost fluctuates conspicuously. When steel was adopted, it was found that, when compared to the Canadian NATO-pattern C77 bullet (with steel penetrator tip & rear lead filler), the new IP bullet with one-piece steel core achieved the same (43%) increase in aluminium penetration as an MMC-cored projectile, but penetrated nearly three times as far (291%) in mild steel.

The 5.56mm IP is also virtually a perfect ballistic match to the C77; however, in order to compensate for the absence of lead filler, the steel-cored bullet is the same length as the current NATO tracer projectile.

In 20% gelatine testing, at simulated ranges of 25 and 100 metres (achieved by downloading) almost half the 5.56mm IP bullets passed right through the gelatine target block, which was 46cm (18”) deep, whereas at both simulated ranges all the Belgian SS109 bullets used for comparison broke up into many pieces in the target. None of the IP projectiles fragmented. Further IP bullet integrity tests were performed at simulated ranges of 0.1, 2.5 and 25 metres. All bullets destabilised and began tumbling 10-15cm into the gelatine target blocks, and all rotated 180 degrees during travel through the target material.

There was no fragmentation, except that – at 0.1 metres, small amounts of material sheared off some of the bullet tips, due to the yaw angle at the muzzle. But photos show one of the recovered bullets fired at 0.1m with no obvious evidence of deformation at all. This is a great improvement over the excessively frangible NATO bullet, and will probably attract the interest of other countries who are privately less than happy with the gratuitously vicious wound ballistics of the existing design (which ape those of the 5.56mm M193, we might add).

In barrel wear tests of the SNC IP round, excessive bullet yaw initially developed after 4,400 shots, but following some minor redesign this was increased to 5,000 rounds, with an overall velocity drop of just 2% (19.6m/s), with only six shots showing slight yaw. This is considered satisfactory.

Overall, by comparison with the Canadian C77 (SS109) round, the 5.56m IP cartridge has the same external shape & weight, the same interior & external ballistics, the same penetrator hardness, uses the same propellant and meets all the standard NATO proof criteria. However, the Mean Point of Impact (MPI) for the IP at 550 metres is 10cm lower. The maximum 50% penetration range (where half of all bullets penetrate) for 6.4mm Rolled Homogenous Armour (RHA) is 190 metres for IP but just 16 metres for the C77. The penetration ratio (compared to 7.62mm M80 ball) in 6061-T6 Aluminium of semi-infinite depth is 1.92 for IP and 1.24 for C77. IP velocity at 24 metres is 908m/s, muzzle energy 1,653 Joules, chamber pressure 312 MPa, port pressure 97 MPa and dispersion 14.9cm x 15.2cm at 550 metres.

As at end-Aug 99, SNC was making 100,000 rounds of 5.56mm IP plus 200,000 rounds of the softer-cored TP ammunition for testing by interested customers, including the Canadian forces, the USA and Scandinavian states. At present the new cartridges are still being loaded with standard SNC primers, but from next year they will also be available with the SNC TOXFREE non-toxic primer.

German Machineguns Revised Edition

By Daniel D. Musgrave
Published by
Ironside International Publishers Inc.
800 Slater Lane,
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Price $47.50 plus 4.50 s&h
Reviewed by Stephen Stuart

Daniel Musgrave’s book, German Machineguns, is an in-depth work detailing the automatic weapons (rifle caliber, magazine and belt feed0 of Germany from the late 1800’s though today. This study includes small arm caliber weapons up to the Krupp 10.5 cm machine cannon.

To fully understand how machine guns work, one must first understand how ammunition feeds into the action. Musgrave covers the different belts and magazines for these diverse weapons; the Gurt 34 (for the MG 34 / 42), Gurt 131, Gurt 151, and the Mk 103. Magazines featured are the MG 13 box magazine and the side saddle drum, for example. Loading machines (which are used to load belts) are also featured.

The entire gambit of German weapons are covered: the classic MG 08 with sled,
along with the lighter versions, the MG 08 / 15 and 05/ 15 model for aircraft use. The MG 13 is shown in both ground and anti-aircraft roles. German World War II
machine gun fans will not be disappointed with the coverage of the MG 34 and MG 42 machine guns. Even the updated version of the MG 42 is given coverage, the MG3. People seeking information on modern HK belt fed machine guns do not have to look any further. The HK 11, 12, 13, 21, and 23 are conveniently at the readers finger tips in chapter 13. If one is looking for information on automatic FLAK cannons, this is the text in which to start. The 2 cm FLAK and MG 151 are listed in this book.

In all, there are 587 pages in the text, with the cover boasting there are almost 650 illustrations (line drawings and black and white photos). Many people in the field consider this work not only a classic, but must reading for any student of small arms. I have to agree with them. Some of the information in this book would take years to find, if you were going to start researching this topic today. If you were going to buy one , and only one book alone on German machine guns, this would be that one book. I highly recommend it.

THE GERMAN SNIPER 1914-1945

By Peter R. Senich
Paladin Press
P.O. Box 1307
Boulder, Colorado 80306
1-800-392-2400
ISBN 0-87364-223-6
$60.00 plus S&H
468 pages
Reviewed By David Fortier

Here is another one of those books that the German, Soviet, Mauser lover, sniping, W.W. I, W.W. II, buff will want for his library. At 468 pages it’s a big hefty book whose size makes you feel better when you pull it from its shipping box after spending $60.00 on it (that’s a lot of ammo!). Opening it up and leafing through it one is impressed by the huge amount of photographs and the wealth of information suddenly at their fingertips. The book contains over 600 black and photographs, many of them original German Military photographs. They are for the most part very clear and of good quality, the only exceptions being some old original photos that were not quite as clear, but still quite good. This book packs quite a punch. It covers German production marks, the beginning of German Sniping, the weapons used from the Gewehr 98 to the Kar 98, G41, G43, FG 42, StG 44, and literally anything else the Germans mounted a scope on and used for sniping. All the scopes, their different mounts, silencers, accessories, etc. are covered in detail. Information on camouflage, German techniques and tactics are given. An interview with three German snipers with a tally of 666 kills is very informative. A chapter is devoted to the German Sharpshooter Award given to snipers who had made at least 20 confirmed kills. Plus there is an entire chapter on the Soviet approach to sniping and their weapons. Many people do not realize that the Germans played catch up with the Soviets throughout World War II when it came to sniping. The book, like all Mr. Senich’s works, is very well written and extremely informative. I personally don’t care much for Mausers, yet this book is a truly welcome addition to my library due to its absolute plethora of information on all aspects of sniping. It is well worth the price and a must have for any serious German or sniping buff.

TESTING THE WAR WEAPONS
Rifles and Light Machine Guns From Around The World

By Timothy J. Mullin
Paladin Press
P.O. Box 1307
Boulder, Colorado 80306
1-800-392-2400
ISBN 0-87364-943-5
$45.00 plus S&H
432 pages
Reviewed By David Fortier

What is the best bolt action combat rifle? The handiest cavalry carbine? The most efficient sniper rifle? The worst light machinegun? Mr. Mullin, an infantry officer with the U.S. Army, takes the reader on a whirlwind ride through the small arms inventories of 32 countries. Over 150 different infantry weapons are personally test fired by him ranging on the time line from the 1873 Trapdoor Springfield used in the Spanish-American War up to our present issue M-4 Carbine. The amount and variety of weapons Mr. Mullins tested is staggering and will turn any military buff green with envy. The author gives a brief history of the weapon being tested and then his comments on it. How the weapon balances, how useful are the sights, how does it carry, how quickly does it heat up, or overheat (or catch the handguard on fire), the usefulness of the safety, it’s reliability and combat accuracy. The down side to the book is that it is simply one man’s opinion on how one example worked with the ammunition he fed through it. So if a particular model stands out, or falls on its face, it’s hard to tell if it’s just that rifle is a sterling or poor example of the breed. And like the rest of us, Mr. Mullin is opinionated. There is not one chart in the book, nor graph or any comparison of material. I was hoping for more when I ordered the book. It does give you an idea of what each weapon is like. However it is all to easy to simply dismiss Mr. Mullin’s comments on a weapon as simply his ‘opinion’ if we disagree with him. The book has many black and white photographs, but they tend to be on the dark side. All in all it is a very interesting read, and covers many weapons that we don’t normally get a very good look at. I just wish it delivered more information to offset its $45.00 price tag.

The SPIW, The Deadliest Weapon That Never Was.

By R Blake Stevens and Edward Ezell
Published by
Collector Grade Publications Inc.
PO Box 250, Station ‘E’,
Toronto M6H4E2
Price 29.95 plus 4.50 s&h
Reviewed by Stephen Stuart

Collector Grade Publications needs no introduction to the serious firearms enthusiast or military collector. Collector Grade books are known for their encyclopedic research quality, excellent photos, and in depth detail that every historian and collector is looking for. The SPIW is the second volume in a series covering U.S. military small arms. The first in the series is the US Rifle M14—From John Garand to the M21 and the third volume is, The Black Rifle—M16 Retrospective. This trilogy covers the time period of US small arms from the 1920’s with the Garand rifle to today’s M16.

The SPIW is an acronym that stands for Special Purpose Individual Weapon. It was part of Project Salvo in the 1950’s and early 1960’s. SPIW was conceived to produce a light weight infantry weapon platform that incorporated the point shoot capability of a rifle and the area capability of a grenade launcher, all in one package. Unfortunately, the army ended up with a complex and expensive weapon system that was never produced in significant numbers. Besides the formation of a new weapon system for the infantry, they also produced new ammunition for these rifles, chiefly flechettes. Flechette’s are small darts that are designed to be fired from the SPIW weapon system. The only problem was that the wounding ballistics when fired though a rifle firearm was considered insignificant.

This book is a must in understanding rifle and firearm development today in this county. Since most of our new Advanced Combat Rifle program can trace it’s roots back to the 1950’s and 60’s Salvo program. For the enthusiast, there is no other book that I am aware of that covers this field of research so completely at this time. If you are looking for a forgotten era of US small arms development this is the book for you.