SAR 19#1

sa 

WWW.SMALLARMSREVIEW.COM 1 SAR Vol. 19, No. 1

EVOLUTION 

Today’s Operator (Below), 

JOSH HOLZER: 

Today’s operator has a massive technical 

arsenal available to him for his close 

quarter battle and unusual needs. Gear from 

Operation: Iraqi Freedom and Enduring 

Freedom. Sunglasses; WileyX. Hat; Voodoo 

Tactical. Machine Gun; POF USA P308-FA 

piston-driven select fire 7.62x51mm rifle 

with 16.5” barrel and Magpul P-Mag 20 

round magazine. This system is augmented 

with a Trijicon TA11 optic with the 7.62 reticle 

and an ATN Mini-Thor Thermal weapon 

site. The Mini-Thor can be quickly installed 

or left off for straight daylight mission use. 

On the right side forward, the Vingtech VarioRay 

with visible laser aperture, non-visible 

IR laser aperture, non-visible IR illuminator 

and a powerful LED flashlight with strobe 

capabilities. The Trijicon RMR sight mounted 

on the VarioRay allows for a very, very 

fast target acquisition by simply rolling the 

rifle into the cheek and clearing the opto-electronics 

out of the way. All of this leads 

up to a whole lot of options for the modern 

operator to use at his choice. 

SITUATION REPORT 

The G-Man 

Photographer: Michael Balasko 

Art Director: Gracie Wingert 

Makeup: None. Our manly cover models 

refused even Chapstick. 

Hair: None, but Josh combed his goatee. 

& 

THE OPERATOR 

Location: The Mob Museum, Las Vegas, 

www.themobmuseum.org (special thanks to 

Brenda Hengel). 

Background: St. Valentine’s Day Massacre 

wall at The Mob Museum in Las Vegas. 

FBI G-Man (Above), ROCCO LOISI: 

Suit; Mastroianni Fashions Las Vegas, www. 

mastroiannifashions.com. Hat; The Doctor in 

Black, Goorin Bros. at The Linq, Las Vegas, www. 

goorin.com (special thanks to Yeisenn DelToro). 

Machine Gun; original Colt 1921AC Thompson 

Submachine Gun in .45ACP, with 50 round New 

York “L-Drum,” from Zangaro Ltd. He’s removed 

the buttstock to keep it compact and sports a 

Colt 1911A1 in .38 Super caliber (hidden on his 

belt) for shooting through bad guys’ cars.

SAR realizes that one of the optics on the Operator’s 

machine gun needs to be raised. We apologize, the 

part we needed did not arrive in time for our photo 

shoot and we were out of duct tape. 

Trijicon TA11 optic with the 7.62 

reticle and an ATN Mini-Thor 

Thermal weapon site 

Trijicon RMR sight 

Vingtech VarioRay with visible laser 

aperture, non-visible IR laser aperture, 

non-visible IR illuminator and a powerful 

LED flashlight with strobe capabilities 

On the 

Original Colt 1921AC Thompson 

Submachine Gun in .45ACP, with 

50 round New York “L-Drum,” 

from Zangaro Ltd.

The Mob Museum 

The Mob Museum is a world-class destination in downtown 

Las Vegas dedicated to the story of organized crime and law 

enforcement. True stories of Mob history are brought to life 

through interactive, high-tech exhibits and over 600 artifacts, 

the largest collection of Mob and law enforcement memorabilia 

under one roof. 

Museum hours are Sundays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. 

to 7 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. For more 

information, call (702) 229-2734 or visit www.themobmuseum. 

org. Connect on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/themobmuseum 

and on Twitter: @TheMobMuseum. 

The Museum has acquired some of the most iconic artifacts 

in Mob history including the barber chair Albert Anastasia was 

sitting in when murdered in New York City, and the brick wall 

from the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago in 1929. The 

Museum opened on Valentine’s Day 2012, the 83rd anniversary 

of the Massacre where seven men affiliated with Bugs Moran’s 

gang were lined up along the wall, shot and killed by Al Capone’s 

South Side Italian gang. 

Artifacts integrated throughout the Museum’s interactive exhibits 

provide an insider’s look into many of organized crime’s 

biggest names, including, Al Capone, Dion O’Bannion, George 

Moran, Charlie “Lucky” Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Ben Siegel, 

Sam Giancana, Joe Bonanno, Frank Rosenthal, Mickey Cohen, 

Tony Cornero, Whitey Bulger and John Gotti to name just a few. 

The Museum is located in what many consider the ultimate artifact, 

the former federal courthouse and United States Post Office. 

Completed in 1933 and listed on the Nevada and National 

Registers of Historic Places, it houses the courtroom where in 

1950 one of 14 national Kefauver hearings was held to expose 

organized crime in America. Meticulously rehabilitated for The 

Mob Museum, the building is significant not only for its neo-classical 

architecture reminiscent of the period in which it was built, 

but also for the historic events that unfolded inside of it. 

In addition, items and artifacts relating to law enforcement’s 

role in helping to eradicate and control the Mob, such as weapons, 

wiretapping tools and tactics and crime scene photos, are 

also shown. 

The Museum has accumulated numerous accolades since 

opening in 2012, including being named one of “10 World Landmarks 

You Haven’t Seen – Yet” by NBC News, “20 Places Every 

American Should See” by Fox News and Budget Travel magazine, 

“Las Vegas’ Best New Attractions for 2012” by Travel 

+ Leisure magazine, “9 Reasons to Visit Las Vegas” by CNNgo, 

a finalist for the “Best Wider World Project Award,” by the 

British Guild of Travel Writers and “Best Museum” by Nevada 

Magazine and the Las Vegas Review-Journal. 

The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Wall 

The Mob Museum has acquired some of the most iconic artifacts 

in Mob history including the brick wall from the St. Valentine’s 

Day Massacre in 1929 in Chicago. Seven men affiliated 

with Bugs Moran’s gang were lined up against the wall and shot 

to death by Al Capone’s gang. 

In 1967, the wall was torn down, and a Vancouver businessman 

bought the bricks which were still full of bullet holes from 

the massacre. Over the next 42 years, the bricks were featured 

in a traveling exhibit, housed in a short-lived crime museum and 

displayed in a nightclub restroom. They finally found a permanent 

home at The Mob Museum. 

From their first sale in 1967 the bricks were lettered and 

numbered, allowing The Mob Museum to assemble and display 

the wall in a manner very close to the original. At some point, 

some of the bullet holes in the bricks were enhanced by red 

paint. (No, it’s not blood!) 

Repeal Day celebration at 

The Mob Museum 

Party Like It’s 1933 

Party like it’s 1933 at the 3rd Annual Repeal 

Day Celebration from 6 p.m. to midnight 

as The Mob Museum marks the anniversary 

of the end of Prohibition (December 5, 1933). 

Highlight of the evening will be the Boss 

of the Bars Competition. Guests also will be 

able to enjoy signature drinks, VIP Party, casino 

table games, Costume Contest, cabaret 

dancers and jazz swing band. 

Toast Repeal Day with former Mayor Oscar 

Goodman 

7 p.m. on the steps of The Mob Museum 

$60 VIP Party 6-midnight 

The Mob Museum’s Speakeasy Party will 

be a soiree for classy dames and stand-up 

fellas. Speakeasy tickets grant you entry to 

the VIP Party beginning at 6 p.m. Activities 

include 1920s Dance Lessons, Special Music 

from the age of crooners, a Commemorative 

Repeal Day Flask and two free drink tickets. 

VIP guests also will enjoy all the events of the 

Repeal Day celebration including the Boss 

of the Bars Competition, signature drinks, cigars, 

casino table games, Costume Contest, 

cabaret dancers and a jazz swing band. 

$40 Repeal Day Celebration 7-midnight 

Admission includes Museum access, 

Boss of the Bars Competition, signature 

drinks, cigars, casino table games, Costume 

Contest, cabaret dancers and a jazz swing 

band. Roaring 20s costumes are encouraged 

and prizes will be awarded. 


SAR Vol. 19, No. 1 JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015 

8 

SAR STAFF 

PUBLISHER 

Chipotle Publishing, LLC 

GENERAL MANAGER 

Deborah Shea 

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS 

Megan Shea 

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 

TECHNICAL EDITOR 

Dan Shea 

SENIOR EDITOR 

Robert G. Segel 

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR 

John M. Robledo 

ART DIRECTOR 

Gracie Wingert 

GRAPHICS ASSISTANT 

Pouya Behdadnia 

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR 

Chantanese Nicole 

DISTRIBUTION 

Ana Gonzalez 

ADVERTISING 

John M. Robledo 

Megan Shea 

702.565.0746 

adv@smallarmsreview.com 

SMALL ARMSREVIEW.COM 

ADMINISTRATOR 

Ross Herman 

NEW PRODUCTS EDITOR 

Chris A. Choat 

INDUSTRY NEWS 

Robert Hausman 

CARTOONIST 

Scott Novzen 

CROSSWORD 

Caroline Schloss 

STAFF ARCHIVIST 

Donald Thomas 

MILITARY AFFAIRS 

Robert Bruce 

Rob Krott 

TECHNICAL ADVISERS 

Dr. Philip Dater 

Dolf Goldsmith 

Dr. J. David Truby 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

”The Usual Suspects” 

David Albert 

Felix A. Alejos Cutuli 

Chris R. Bartocci 

Charles Brown 

John Brown 

Todd Burgreen 

Bob Campbell 

Chris A. Choat 

Will Dabbs, MD 

Leszek Erenfeicht 

Teresa G. Ficaretta, Esq. 

Robert Hausman 

Michael Heidler 

Jean Huon 

Frank Iannamico 

N.R. Jenzen-Jones 

Richard Jones 

George E. Kontis PE 

Jean-Francois Legendre 

Julio Montes 

Ronaldo Olive 

Paolo Ortenzi A.A.I. 

David Pazdera 

Maxim Popenker 

Johanna Reeves, Esq. 

Dean Roxby 

Jim Schatz 

Robert G. Segel 

Dan Shea 

Gabriele Tansella 

Joseph Trevithick 

Anthony Wicks 

Anthony G. Williams 

Jason Wong 

Small Arms Review (ISSN:1094-995x) 

is published 10x per year in print and weekly online by: 

Chipotle Publishing LLC 

631 N. Stephanie St. #282, Henderson, NV 89014. 

Telephone: 702.565.0746. Fax: 702.567.2425. 

E-mail: office@smallarmsreview.com. 

Periodical Postage is paid at Henderson, NV 89014 and 

additional mail offices. Copyright@2015. All material contained in 

Small Arms Review is copyrighted, and no portion may be reproduced 

in any way without the written permission of the publisher. 

US subscriptions are available for $39.95 for 1 year (10 

issues) with weekly online and 1 year Foreign Surface $74.95 

with weekly online. (All US Funds Only). Subscription prices may 

change without notice. 

Small Arms Review is not responsible for the misuse of any 

information contained in this publication. We do not endorse any 

item or practice offered in any ad or article in this publication. The 

opinions expressed are those of the individual writers. Small Arms 

Review will not accept any ad for any firearm, device, or combination 

of parts that would fall under the authority of the Bureau 

of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms unless legal and registered, 

when necessary. It is up to each individual and dealer to comply 

with NFA act rules and all Federal and local laws, and Small Arms 

Review accepts no responsibility. For advertising information, 

writers guidelines, and bulk sales information call Chipotle Publishing, 

LLC at 702.565.0746. Publisher assumes all North American 

Rights upon acceptance and payment of all manuscripts. We 

are not responsible for lost or damaged manuscripts. POSTMAS- 

TER: Send change of address to Chipotle Publishing, LLC 631 N. 

Stephanie St. #282, Henderson, NV 89014. 

CONTENTS 

COLUMNS 

10 NEW REVIEW 

By Chris A. Choat 

16 LEGALLY ARMED 

By Teresa G. Ficaretta, Esq. & Johanna Reeves, Esq. 

19 OUR WORLD 

By Scott Novzen & Robert G. Segel 

126 INDUSTRY NEWS 

By Robert M. Hausman 

130 NFATCA 

By John Brown 

131 CROSSWORD: SAROUND Selection 

By Caroline Schloss 

133 MG MEMORABILIA 

By Robert G. Segel 

FEATURES 

14 Bushnell Rangefinder 

By David Lake 

22 Guns of Las Vegas 

By Tom Murphy 

35 The 2015 Las Vegas Guide 

By SAR Staff 

42 Adams Arms Mid Evo Ultra Lite AR 

Piston Driven Performer 

By Todd Burgreen 

50 Her Majesty’s Tools of Diplomacy 

By Miles Vining 

56 S.W.A.T. Firearms Custom Billet Rifle 

By Chris A. Choat 

62 The Black Hills Ammunition Factory 

By Christopher R. Bartocci 

72 The Type 1 Stamped Receiver AK Rifle 

By Frank Iannamico 

78 Operationally Testing Uselton Arms’ 

Explosively Bonded Model 1911 .45 ACP 

By Paul Evancoe 

86 The Man Who Designed the 

World’s Fastest Gun 

By George E. Kontis PE 

96 Argentina’s “World Standard” 

Maxim Machine Gun 

By Robert G. Segel 

104 It’s an M16 Thing 

By David Lake 

110 Glock 41 

Latest Addition to the Glock Family 


119 Less Really is More 

By Andrew Thomas

NEW PRODUCTS 

by Chris A. Choat 


10 

Faxon Firearms, manufacturer of 

the ARAK-21 Upper Receiver, is proud 

to announce the new ARAK-21 XRS 

Complete Rifle. The ARAK-21 XRS 

was designed to greatly improve the 

operator’s ability to accomplish multiple 

missions and features a monolithic 

upper receiver with an integral 

full-length Picatinny rail, a dual forward 

recoil spring system, a folding 

ambidextrous forward charging handle 

with spring return and a longstroke 

gas piston with variable settings. 

The ARAK-21 XRS also comes 

with interchangeable barrels that can 

be changed in less than 2 minutes 

from 5.56 to .300 blackout; making it 

the perfect rifle for any shooter. This is 

a completely redesigned modular rifle 

system based on the best from both

Kahr introduces their newest fullframe 

value-priced firearm; the 9mm 

CT9. Earlier this year Kahr introduced 

the CT40 and CT45, and with the addition 

of the CT9, it completes their value-priced 

CT Series. For decades, Kahr 

has offered gun enthusiasts the option 

of both compact and full-frame firearms. 

Their popular TP9, TP40 and TP45 have 

become legendary, but as the economy 

continues to take a hit, the demand for 

more affordable firearms has become a 

call to duty. Kahr took the best features 

of their TP-series and with ingenuity and 

their meticulous dedication to detail and 

quality, they developed the CT Series. 

The CT9 features a full-size polymer 

frame with a matte stainless steel slide 

and drift-adjustable white bar-dot sight 

configuration. Features of the CT9093 

include a 3.95-inch conventional rifling 

barrel length, overall length of 6.5 inches, 

height of 5.08 inches and a slide 

width of .90 inches. It weighs just 20.6 

ounces with the magazine, making it 

very slim, lightweight and perfect for concealed 

carry. The pistol comes standard 

with one 8-rounds magazine, but, if you 

purchase now you can also qualify for 

one free magazine. The downloadable 

free magazine coupon can be obtained 

by visiting the Kahr website. 

The MSRP on the CT9093 

is being offered at the introductory 

rate of $369 but only 

for a limited time. For more 

information on the CT Series, 

or any of their other firearms 

visit them at www.kahr.com. 

Steyr Arms has announced the arrival 

of the .40 S&W version of its full-size 

L-A1 service pistol on American shores. 

Following last year’s introduction of 

the L9-A1, the L40-A1 pistol features a 

full-length slide, 4.5-inch cold-hammerforged 

barrel and 12-round magazine 

capacity for .40 S&W. The Steyr L40-A1 

was designed to serve the dual role of 

a duty and sporting handgun. The new 

L40-A1 is nearly identical in form and 

function to the L9-A1 and other handguns 

in the Steyr line, which combine 

unparalleled ergonomics, a low bore 

axis, remarkable safety features, extreme 

reliability and amazing accuracy 

– thanks to a consistently crisp trigger 

break and short, distinct reset. The L40- 

A1’s full-size polymer frame offers a high 

grip that places the barrel axis lower in 

the hand to mitigate muzzle rise, while 

creating a perfect grip angle and a very 

natural point of aim. The drift-adjustable 

sights are in the Steyr’s intuitive trapezoidal 

configuration, and a Picatinny rail 

on the frame’s dust cover provides a 

mounting position for illumination and laser-aiming 

devices. The integrated trigger 

safety within the recently redesigned 

Reset Action System trigger requires 

positive finger pressure to operate 

Steyr’s remarkable double-action-only 

mechanism. This striker-fired pistol also 

incorporates a keyed safety lock. The 

barrel is cold-hammer forged with conventional 

rifling, and the chamber is fully 

supported. The suggested retail price 

of the Steyr L40-A1 pistol is $560. See 

more at www.steyrarms.com. 

the AR-15 and the AK-47 weapon systems. 

With the ability to be configured 

with a variety of barrels, calibers and 

stocks the ARAK-21 XRS can fit most 

any mission profile. The ARAK-21 XRS 

Complete Rifle MSRP is $1,899 (one 

barrel) and $2,159 (with 5.56 and .300 

blackout options). For more information 

on Faxon Firearms visit them online at 

www.faxonfirearms.com. 

NEW REVIEW 

11 

11 

SAR SAR Vol. Vol. 19, 19, No. No. 1 1

Vero Vellini, the acknowledged 

leader in comfortable, handcrafted gun 

slings, introduced its new Two-Point Adjustable 

Sling at the 2014 SHOT Show 

in January. The company now has the 

new Two-Point Adjustable Sling in stock 

and is shipping to dealers. Like all Vero 

Vellini slings, the new Vero Tactical Two- 

Point Sling is extremely functional and is 

constructed of the highest quality textile 

webbing on the market for long-lasting 

durability. The Two-Point Sling features 

proprietary closed-cell padding 

with a backing surface that slides only 

when you need it to. All sling components 

are synthetic and the buckles are 

constructed of reinforced nylon, so there 

is no possibility of corrosion. The Vero 

Tactical Two-Point Sling allows users to 

quickly, quietly and easily transition from 

a comfortable inverted high-chest-carry 

position to any shooting position simply 

by pulling out on the tethered-loop-release 

buckle. This releases the tension 

on the sling and allows the user to move 

the firearm into a shooting position. The 

Two-Point Sling can be attached on either 

end to a 1-inch sling swivel, or it can 

be wrapped around a standard collapsible 

AR-style stock. It allows more than 

24 inches of adjustment for wearing 

the firearm over anything from a T-shirt 

to body armor plus several layers of 

clothing. The Vero Tactical Two-Point 

Sling fits all platforms from ultra-short 

bullpup rifles through the full-length 

AR-10 semiautomatic rifles, as well 

as most bolt-action rifles. A wrapstyle 

sling keeper retains the excess 

webbing on shorter rifles. The Vero 

Tactical Two-Point Sling is available 

at high-end shooting retailers nationwide 

in solid black or black with an 

olive-green padding cover. The suggested 

retail price of either version 

is $64.99. This new Vero Vellini sling 

can also be purchased conveniently 

online at www.gunslingdirect.com. 


12 

Night Optics USA introduces their new Krystal 950 Clip-on Night Vision Sight. The new 

Krystal 950 clip-on brings superior low-light performance to daytime riflescopes with no 

loss of zero. The sleek new housing design provides improved light transference to the 

image intensifier tube, while new multi-coated HD optics boost contrast and clarity by 

more than 25% over the original D-930 clip-on sight. Available with two rear aperture options 

(standard – 24 mm and large – 34 mm), users can expect magnification capability as 

high as 25x when paired with high quality day optics. A built-in manual gain control allows 

for on-the-fly image brightness adjustments. The Krystal 950 can be mounted directly to 

the front objective of the daytime riflescope with a custom Night Optics throw-lever adapter 

or to the Picatinny rail with the included rail mount adapter. The Krystal 950 is available with 

large or standard rear aperture sizes, generation 2+ Black and White and Generation 3 Gated 

with manual gain. The entire package includes the Krystal 950 Clip-on sight, Picatinny rail mount 

or optional throw-lever adapter, padded soft pouch or optional hard case, lens cover, lens cloth 

and operator manual. Suggested retail pricing starts at just $4,449.99. For more information you can 

contract them at www.nightoptics.com.

Crimson Trace, America’s recognized 

leader in laser sighting systems and tactical 

lights for firearms, has begun shipping 

two new products designed exclusively for 

Glock’s popular compact semiautomatic 

pistols. The two new laser sight models 

are in Crimson Trace’s expanding Lasergrips 

series and are the LG-639 with a 

red diode and the LG-639G featuring a 

green diode. These products are reaching 

dealers and gun stores now, and join the 

recently released Crimson Trace Laserguard 

LG-443 that fits onto Glock’s compact 

Model 42 pistol. The new LG-639 and 

LG-639G feature Crimson Trace’s patented 

Instinctive Activation on the rear of the 

grip and includes a master on/off switch to 

give shooters the option to use their pistols 

with-or without-engaging the laser. Each 

unit is also easily adjusted for windage and 

elevation and can be installed without the 

use of special gunsmithing tools. These 

products are specifically designed to fit securely 

onto Glock Third Generation pistol 

models 19, 23, 25, 32 and 38. Those compact 

Glock handgun models are favored 

by many persons for concealed carry. The 

MSRP for the LG 639G with the green diode 

is $329 and $249 for the LG-639 with 

red diode. More information can be found 

online at www.crimsontrace.com. 

13 

SAR Vol. 19, No. 1 

NEW REVIEW

Rangefinders can be hard to shop 

for. There are top brands that promise 

good value; there are value brands that 

promise good performance, and there 

are some premium brands that cross 

well into the 4 figure price column that 

almost promise world domination. Now, 

the decision has been made for you. 

The Bushnell Elite Tactical 1 Mile ARC 

laser rangefinder is as good as a rangefinder 

gets. The unit asks $599 at retail, 

half that of other brands offering similar 

performance. Its capabilities were well 

proven in our field tests. Bushnell claims 

this rangefinder will read up to 1 mile 

on a hard target. That’s 1,760 yards. 

We were able to get a read at 1,759 

yards. So we took one big step forward, 

and got a read of 1,758 yards. Amazing 

enough by any standard. We tried 

this rangefinder on trees, cars, brush, 

rocks and livestock at the maximum 

ranges claimed by Bushnell. It passed our 

tests, upheld the claims, and exceeded 

our expectations. 

The Bushnell 1 Mile ARC rangefinder 

replaces the 1600ARC line and includes 

Bushnell’s latest technology suite, called 

“ESP2” ranging technology. This system 

uses Bushnell’s second generation laser 

and receiver tech to send and analyze 

multiple measurements from every 

“shot” and then employs a logic filter to 

display the best result. This ranging tech 

actually analyzes air conditions to detect 

and compensate for dust, rain, or snow 

that could diffuse the infra-red laser and 

skew readings. This new unit features a 

high contrast “Vivid Display” that shows 

the reticle and information display in 

bright red figures. The display is adjustable 

for brightness. The 1 Mile ARC 

offers 3 ranging modes; a target mode 

for ranging easy fixed objects, a brush 

mode which ignores vegetation, and a 

constant scan mode to follow moving 

targets. The ranged results can be displayed 

in yards or meters to the target 

along the line-of-sight or actual horizontal 

distance to the target, which compensates 

for incline. This unit goes a step 

further by including a bullet drop mode 

so you don’t ever have to know distance 

to the target; it just tells you where to 

hold to make a hit. This “rifle mode” 

includes 10 ballistic groups that cover 

the average downrange performance 

of over 2,000 caliber and load combinations. 

Bushnell suggests that these 

average trajectories are close enough 

to make a hit on a medium game animal. 

The display can show holdover in 

inches, centimeters or MOA values at 

the target’s distance. So it’s not just a 

rangefinder--it’s a firing solution. 

The 1 Mile ARC features rubber armored 

construction, a fast adjust eye 

cup, and an ocular focus to adjust for an 

individual’s eyesight. There are only 2 

buttons, one to “fire” and one to access 

the menu. Bushnell has kept the menu 

options well organized so it’s easy to 

navigate. The battery cover unscrews 

without the need for a coin as they 

have in the past. There’s a flip-open tab 

on the cover that makes battery install 

quick and easy. The only complaint we 

had is that the battery cover is not tethered 

to the unit and thus could get lost. 

A tripod can be attached to the threaded 

boss on the bottom surface. The belt 

pouch has done away with plastic snaps 

and Velcro for a closure. Instead it uses 

magnets within the pouch’s flap. It’s fast, 

secure, and quiet. Bushnell continues to 

impress with an outstanding product at a 

winning price. 

Bushnell Outdoor Products 

20 Constitution Blvd. South 

Shelton, CT 06484 

(866) 255-8406 

ShopBushnell.com 

SAR Vol. 19, No. 1 14 JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015

FLIR ONE is the first personal thermal 

imaging camera for the iPhone 5 and 5s, 

enabling outdoor enthusiasts to see invisible 

heat and to measure minute variances 

in temperature right on the iPhone screen. 

Thermal imaging through FLIR ONE enables 

a host of outdoor solutions such as 

observing wildlife in the dark, ensuring a 

campfire is extinguished, or hiking / exploring 

at night. With the free FLIR ONE app 

available through the App store, users can 

take and send thermal videos and photos 

via text, email or social media. The device 

also includes its own battery that lasts for 

four hours of continuous use in the wild. 

Find out more at www.flir.com/flirone.

y Teresa G. Ficaretta, Esq. 

& Johanna Reeves, Esq. 

Legal News from the Nation’s Capital 


16 

ATF Ruling 2014-1 Impacts Manufacture 

and Import of Machine guns 

On September 4, 2014, the Bureau 

of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 

(ATF) released Ruling 2014-1, 

addressing the transfer and possession 

of machine guns by qualified manufacturers 

and importers. The ruling reviews 

the restrictions of Section 922(o) of the 

Gun Control Act (GCA) (Title 18 United 

States Code, § 922(o)), and sets forth 

rules for qualified manufacturers and 

importers to lawfully transfer machine 

guns for further manufacturing or for repair. 

The complete text of the ruling can 

be found on ATF’s website at http://www. 

atf.gov/sites/default/files/assets/Library/ 

Rulings/Firearms/atf_ruling_2014_-_ 

manufacturing-inventory_of_machine 

guns_for_le_and_military_2.pdf. 

Background 

Section 922(o) of the GCA makes it 

unlawful for any person to transfer or 

possess a machine gun. The only exemption 

to this prohibition is a transfer 

to or by, or possession by or under the 

authority of a Federal, State, or local 

government agency. ATF regulations 

implementing Section 922(o) provide 

that qualified manufacturers may manufacture 

machine guns for sale or distribution 

to a Federal, State, or local 

government agency so long as they are 

registered in the National Firearms Registration 

and Transfer Record, and their 

transfer is restricted to the distribution 

for official use of Federal, State, or local 

government agencies. The regulations 

also authorize the manufacture of machine 

guns for purposes of exportation 

in compliance with regulations of the 

Department of State issued under the 

Arms Export Control Act. 

ATF has consistently interpreted 

Section 922(o) to allow qualified 

manufacturers to stockpile machine 

guns they manufacture for sale to Federal, 

State, and local government agencies 

or for export. These positions are 

outlined in ATF’s National Firearms 

Act Handbook (the “NFA Handbook”), 

E-Publication 5320.8, Section 7.5, also 

available on ATF’s website. 

Prior to issuance of Rul. 2014-1, ATF 

allowed qualified manufacturers and 

importers to transfer machine guns to 

other qualified licensees for purposes of 

further manufacture, repair, alteration, or 

integration into another defense article. 

In fact, Section 7.6.1 of the NFA Handbook 

states that qualified NFA manufacturers 

may contract with other qualified 

manufacturers to produce machine 

guns for sale to Federal, State, or local 

government agencies or for dealer sales 

samples. This section of the NFA Handbook 

goes on to state that a variance 

is required for these types of transfers, 

as the regulations in 27 C.F.R. 479.105 

limit the number of machine guns that 

may be transferred. Accordingly, section 

7.6.1 indicates that both manufacturers 

who participate in the production of the 

machine guns must obtain a variance 

authorizing the transfer from one manufacturer 

to the other pursuant to 27 

C.F.R. 479.26. 

Historically, a number of manufacturers 

have received variances from 

ATF authorizing the transfer of unlimited 

quantities of machine guns between licensed 

manufacturers during the manufacturing 

process pursuant to the provisions 

outlined in the NFA Handbook. 

However, beginning in 2012, ATF officials 

made statements at industry trade 

shows concerning the legality of such 

transfers under Section 922(o). At the 

Sporting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade 

Show (SHOT Show) held in Las Vegas, 

Nevada, in January, 2012, ATF officials 

announced the agency’s position that 

allowing licensed manufacturers to

transfer machine guns to a second 

qualified manufacturer for additional 

manufacturing processes is inconsistent 

with the plain meaning of Section 

922(o). These officials announced that 

the agency would be providing written 

clarification at some point in the 

future. ATF Rul. 2014-1 appears to be 

this clarification. 

Holdings of ATF Rul. 2014-1 

The ruling has three separate holdings, 

outlined below: 

1. Stockpiling of machine guns for future 

sale. The first holding states that 

licensed manufacturers who are properly 

qualified under the National Firearms 

Act (NFA) may manufacture and stockpile 

machine guns for future sale to Federal, 

State, or local government agencies 

without first obtaining a specific 

contract or order from such government 

agency, provided the machine guns are 

properly registered under the NFA and 

are only distributed for the official use of 

such government agencies. 

2. Delivery of machine guns to a second 

manufacturer-maintaining constructive 

possession. The ruling states that qualified 

manufacturers may deliver machine 

guns (including frames or receivers) to 

another qualified manufacturer but may 

not transfer such firearms to the second 

manufacturer without violating Section 

922(o). However, the ruling states 

that the delivery to a second manufacturer 

will not violate Section 922(o) if 

the first manufacturer maintains continuous 

dominion or control over the 

machine guns. 

3. Transfers of machine guns between 

manufacturers when the second manufacturer 

has a government contract 

or “official written request” from a government 

agency. The last holding in 

ATF Rul. 2014-1 states that a manufacturer 

may transfer machine guns it 

has manufactured to another qualified 

manufacturer if the first manufacturer 

has a government contract or official 

written request that meets the 

following requirements: 

• The document is from a Federal, 

State, or local government agency 

and is on official letterhead; 

• The document states that the first 

manufacturer is an agent of the 

government agency authorizing the 

transfer of the machine guns to the 

second manufacturer; 

• The document is signed and dated 

by an authorized government official 

and includes the official’s title 

and position; 

• The document states that the firearms 

to be transferred are machine 

guns as defined by Federal law. 

• The document states that the machine 

guns to be transferred are 

particularly suitable for official use 

by the requesting Federal, State, or 

local government agency; and 

• The document includes a statement 

that the Federal, State, or 

local government agency requests 

and authorizes the manufacturer 

to transfer the machine guns 

to and/or from other licensed 

manufacturers for assembly, repair, 

development, testing, other 

manufacturing processes, or storage, 

as the case may be, for that 

government agency. 

The ruling states that manufacturers 

who wish to transfer machine guns under 

the third holding, as outlined above, 

must attach a copy of the government 

contract or other official written request 

to the transfer application submitted to 

ATF’s NFA Branch. 

CAUTION! ATF Rul. 2014-1 Modifies 

ATF Rul. 2004-2 

The last paragraph of ATF Rul. 2014- 

1 states that ATF Rul. 2004-2 is “clarified” 

with respect to the documentation 

required under the GCA for qualified importers 

to transfer an imported machine 

gun to another qualified licensee for 

inspection, testing, calibration, repair, 

reconditioning, further manufacture, 

or incorporation into another defense 

article. This “clarification” will significantly 

affect the ability of U.S. companies 

to service the repair needs of their 

foreign customers. 

In Rul. 2004-2, ATF used its variance 

authority under the GCA and NFA to establish 

a procedure for qualified importers 

to bring exported machine guns and 

other NFA firearms into the U.S. temporarily 

for purposes of inspection, testing, 

calibration, repair, or incorporation into 

another defense article. The ruling recognized 

the fact that many manufacturers 

have a legitimate need to import machine 

guns they exported to foreign law 

enforcement agencies for purposes of 

repairs under warranty, recalibration, or 

incorporation into another defense article, 

and that such importations are necessary 

for national defense. The ruling 

further indicated ATF was aware most of 

these temporary importations take place 

pursuant to the Department of State’s 

International Traffic in Arms Regulations 

at 22 C.F.R. Part 120-130. However, 

ATF expressed concern in the ruling that 

importers utilizing such regulations were 

not complying with the registration provisions 

of the NFA, which help ensure 

the security and accountability of the 

firearms while within the U.S. Accordingly, 

ATF Rul. 2004-2 required importers 

temporarily importing NFA firearms 

under State Department requirements 

to also register the firearms on 

ATF Form 2. 

ATF Rul. 2004-2 also addressed 

transfers of machine guns following 

their temporary importation. The ruling 

stated that conveyance of temporarily 

imported NFA firearms does not amount 

to a “transfer” as that term is used in the 

NFA. Accordingly, the ruling stated that 

no transfer application must be submitted 

to ATF to lawfully accomplish such 

conveyances. The ruling did not specifically 

address the requirements of Section 

922(o). However, the ruling clearly 

authorized the conveyance of imported 

machine guns to a properly qualified 

manufacturer for repair, remanufacture, 

or any of the other purposes outlined in 

the ruling. 

LEGALLY ARMED 

17 

SAR Vol. 19, No. 1

It is important to highlight that the 

“clarification” of ATF Rul. 2004-2 by ATF 

Rul. 2014-1 effectively OVERRULES 

the transfer/conveyance language in 

the 2004 ruling. According to the 2014 

ruling, ATF considers a qualified importer’s 

delivery of an imported machine 

gun to another FFL to be a transfer that 

violates Section 922(o), absent a government 

contract or other document 

specifically authorizing the transfer of 

the imported machine gun to a manufacturer. 

Because the machine guns 

will be the property of foreign governments, 

obtaining a written authorization 

from a Federal, State, or local government 

agency may be difficult. Accordingly, 

it will be challenging for importers 

to utilize the procedure authorized 

in ATF Rul. 2014-1 to lawfully transfer 

temporarily imported machine guns to 

another manufacturer. 

CAUTION! Prior Inconsistent 

Rulings Modified 

ATF Rul. 2014-1 also modifies any 

prior letter rulings or marking variances 

that are inconsistent with the positions 

outlined in the ruling. Consequently, 

businesses that operate under privately 

issued variances that authorize machine 

gun transfers between qualified 

manufacturers may no longer rely upon 

such variances. 

Impact of ATF Rul. 2014-1 on Federal 

Firearms Licensees 

The practical impact of ATF Rul. 

2014-1 on the operations of Federal firearms 

licensees is summarized below. 

1. Manufacture and stockpiling of 

machine guns. Qualified manufacturers 

may continue to manufacture 

and stockpile machine guns for future 

sale to Federal, State, and local 

government agencies. 

2. Transfers of machine guns to a 

second manufacturer. ATF marking variances 

or private letter rulings specifically 

authorizing the transfer of machine 

guns from one qualified manufacturer 

to another qualified manufacturer are 

no longer valid. Licensees who utilize 

the services of another qualified manufacturer 

to manufacture machine guns 

must have an employee accompany 

the registered machine guns to the 

premises of the second manufacturer 

and maintain continuous dominion and 

control over the machine guns while the 

manufacturing operations are conducted. 

Alternatively, the first manufacturer 

may obtain a government contract or 

other document specifically authorizing 

the transfer to the second manufacturer. 

Such a document must meet all requirements 

of ATF Rul. 2014-1 as set forth 

above and must be submitted to the ATF 

National Firearms Act Branch with the 

Form 3 transfer application. 

In the case of machine guns manufactured 

for export, transfers to another 

qualified manufacturer must meet 

all the requirements outlined above. It 

may be difficult to obtain a contract or 

other written authorization from a Federal, 

State, or local government agency 

specifically authorizing the transfer to a 

second manufacturer when the machine 

guns are being made for export to a 

foreign customer. The only alternative 

to this requirement is for the first manufacturer 

to maintain continuous dominion 

and control over the machine guns 

while they are on the premises of the 

second manufacturer. 

3. Transfers of machine guns temporarily 

imported under Department of 

State requirements. Importers who are 

properly qualified under the GCA and 

NFA may continue to temporarily import 

machine guns exported to foreign governments 

for purposes of repair, recalibration, 

and incorporation into another 

defense article. These temporary imports 

must comply with ITAR regulations 

in 22 C.F.R. Parts 120-130 and be registered 

on ATF Form 2 within 15 days of release 

from Customs custody. However, 

these machine guns may not be transferred 

to another qualified manufacturer 

absent a contract with a Federal, State, 

or local government agency specifically 

authorizing the transfer to the qualified 

manufacturer OR a written authorization 

that meets all the requirements set forth 

in ATF Rul. 2014-1. As with transfers of 

machine guns manufactured for export 

to foreign customers, it may be difficult 

to obtain such an authorization from a 

domestic government agency when the 

machine guns are owned by a foreign 

customer. Alternatively, manufacturers 

or importers who have a need for another 

qualified manufacturer to perform 

repair or manufacturing operations on 

temporarily imported machine guns 

must maintain continuous dominion 

and control over the weapons while on 

the premises of the qualified manufacturer 

to avoid both licensees violating 

Section 922(o). 

4. Impact of ATF Rul. 2014-1 on Repair 

of Machine Guns. ATF’s National 

Firearms Act Handbook, section 9.5.1, 

“Repair of Firearms,” states that ATF 

does not consider the temporary conveyance 

of an NFA firearm to an FFL for 

repair to be a “transfer” under the NFA. 

Accordingly, this section states that a 

transfer application is not required to 

convey the firearm for repair or to return 

the repaired firearm to its owner/ 

possessor. The issuance of ATF Rul. 

2014-1 raises questions as to the continued 

application of this position as to 

machine guns subject to control under 

Section 922(o). ATF advises that the 

ruling changes ATF’s position on repairs 

of machine guns in certain situations. 

These situations are outlined below. 

Temporary Imports. As stated above, 

machine guns temporarily imported under 

State Department regulations may 

not be delivered to another FFL for repair 

absent a written authorization from 

a Federal, State, or local government 

agency expressly authorizing the transfer 

to the second FFL. ATF views such 

deliveries as a “transfer” as that term 

is used in Section 922(o) and the NFA, 

and they must be accomplished with a 

Form 3 transfer application with the written 

authorization attached. Given the 

difficulties in obtaining such an authorization, 

the best option for facilitating 

repair of temporarily imported machine 

guns will be for an employee of the importer 

to retain continuous dominion and 

control over the weapons while on the 

premises of the repairing FFL to avoid 

violating the law. 

Manufacturers Discontinuing Business. 

The ruling will affect the repair 

of machine guns acquired by a qualified 

FFL pursuant to the provisions 

of 27 C.F.R. 479.105(f). This section 

of the regulations requires a qualified 

manufacturer, importer, or dealer, prior 

to discontinuing licensed business, to 

transfer, in accordance with the NFA, 

machine guns to a Federal, State, or 

local government agency or to another 

qualified manufacturer or importer. Alternatively, 

the FFL going out of business 

may transfer the registered machine 

guns (in limited quantities) to a qualified 

dealer as sales samples pursuant 

to 27 C.F.R. 479.105(d). Machine guns 

acquired by a qualified FFL pursuant to 

section 479.105(f) will not be transferred 

pursuant to a contract or letter from a 

Federal, State, or local government 

agency authorizing possession by the 

acquiring FFL. Accordingly, the delivery 

of such machine guns to another licensee 

for repair would be a transfer that 

would violate Section 922(o). The only 

option for facilitating repair in this situation 

will be for the registrant to maintain 

continuous custody and control over the 

machine guns during the repair process. 

Machine guns Acquired as Sales 

Samples. Machine guns may be lawfully 

acquired as dealer sales samples 


OUR WORLD 

by Scott Novzen and Robert Segel 

North Africa ’42? No, just another 

Arizona machine gun shoot. 

pursuant to regulations in 27 C.F.R. 

479.105(d). This regulation requires 

FFLs to obtain a letter from a Federal, 

State, or local government agency expressing 

a need for a particular model 

or interest in seeing a demonstration of 

a particular weapon (a “law letter”). ATF 

advises that the law letter authorizes the 

FFL-registrant to deliver the machine 

gun to another qualified FFL for repair 

and that such delivery is a “conveyance” 

rather than a “transfer.” As noted in the 

NFA Handbook, section 9.5.1, a transfer 

application is not required to convey 

a machine gun for repair or to return 

the repaired machine gun to the registrant. 

However, in order to avoid any 

appearance that a transfer has taken 

place, ATF recommends that a Form 5 

application be submitted for approval 

prior to conveying the machine gun for 

repair. It is also recommended that the 

FFL making repairs obtain an approved 

Form 5 to return a repaired machine 

gun. If Form 5’s are not used, the parties 

should maintain documentation showing 

that the conveyance was for the 

purpose of repair. For dealer sales 

samples requiring repair, ATF Rul. 2014- 

1 did not change this procedure. 

Delivery of Machine Guns for Repair 

by One FFL to a Second FFL. Assuming 

the delivery of machine guns to a qualified 

manufacturer for repair is lawful, the 

next question is whether the manufacturer 

may lawfully deliver the machine 

guns to a second manufacturer. It may 

be necessary, for example, for the first 

manufacturer to obtain the services of 

a second manufacturer for purposes of 

refinishing or heat treating the machine 

gun. ATF advises that such deliveries 

amount to “transfers” and are lawful 

only if there is a specific contract or other 

written authorization from a Federal, 

State, or local government agency that 

authorize the delivery to the secondary 

manufacturer. Such transfers must be 

accomplished on ATF Form 3 with the 

written authorization attached. For repair 

of dealer sales samples, ATF advises 

that a delivery/conveyance to the first 

qualified FFL for repair is permissible, 

but the FFL may not convey the machine 

guns to a second qualified FFL without 

violating Section 922(o). ATF further 

advises that machine guns in the hands 

of law enforcement agencies that require 

repair may continue to be conveyed to a 

qualified FFL for repair without a transfer 

occurring, but delivery to a second FFL 

would amount to a “transfer” that also 

requires a transfer application supported 

by a specific written authorization. 

Conclusion 

ATF Rul. 2014-1 significantly changes 

the way importers and manufacturers 

of machine guns should conduct business, 

both as to machine guns distributed 

domestically and those that are 

exported. As violations of the GCA and 

NFA may result in significant civil and 

criminal penalties, licensees should take 

care to avoid unintentional violations of 

the law. 

(The information in this article is for 

informational purposes only and is not 

intended to be construed or used as 

legal advice). 

LEGALLY ARMED 

19 


Guns of 

1855 - 1899 

Las Vegas 

The Early Years 

By Tom Murphy 

Nevada Territory became our 36th state 

on October 31, 1864. Las Vegas is generally 

thought to have begun in 1905 when the Union 

Pacific Railroad began stopping at a site where 

there was water from a spring and an area for 

passengers to rest. 

The sight was named Las Vegas (The Meadows) 

Springs for the three springs that ran into 

two pools of water. It’s said that American adventurers 

John C. Fremont and Kit Carson 

camped at the springs in 1844. By 1924 so 

much water had been used that the water table 

had dropped below the surface and the Las 

Vegas Land and Water Company drilled Well 

#1 in 1923. 

The Mormons out of Salt Lake City established 

the first non-native American settlement 

near the springs in 1855. Due to hardship, high 

temperatures and problems with the local Paiute 

inhabitants, the 30 Mormon missionaries 

petitioned leader Brigham Young in Salt Lake 

City to be allowed to abandon the settlement 

and a fort that was under construction. They 

departed in 1857 and the settlement was 

left unattended. 

During this time, prospectors had found their 

way to a remote canyon south of Las Vegas, 

near the route of current-day Hwy 95, where 

Spaniards had discovered silver back in 1775. 

The early Spanish miners built a small settlement 

at the canyon mouth where it drained into 

the Colorado River. They named it Eldorado (El 

Hombre Dorado - literally “The Man Golden”, or 

The Gold Man). Unfortunately for the Spaniard 

prospectors, they mined the silver, but completely 

missed the gold just under the ground. 

The new miners began by sluicing the 

streams feeding into the Colorado River. Then 

the gold was found in the hills and times became 

interesting in Eldorado Canyon. They 

managed to keep the gold secret more or less, 

due to the remoteness of the discovery. However, 

this all changed in 1858 when paddle wheel 

steamboats made their way up to the remote 

encampment from Yuma, Arizona. Gold fever 

struck and in short order miners began to arrive 

and stake out claims on any available, or sometimes 

un-available, piece of dirt that looked like 

gold might be below. 

By 1862 miners had discovered a vertical 

seam of gold and named it the Techatticup - a 

Paiute word for starving. Next up was the nearby 

Nelson District, where the Gettysburg, Duncan, 

Solar, Rand, and other mines were sunk. 

22 

22 


SAR Vol. 19, No. 1 JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015

ABOVE: Around since the 1820s, John Dixon and Son of Edinburgh, Scotland 

built this .577 sharpshooter rifle. Southern blockade runners brought these 

into South Carolina as the South had little or no gun making facilities and relied 

heavily on gunmakers in Great Britain for their weapons. 

The area was to become the earliest 

and richest mining district in Nevada. 

Many of the area’s inhabitants 

were deserters from the Civil War, 

gamblers, men on the run from serious 

crimes and other ne’er-do-wells. 

Their skill at extracting wealth from the 

ground wasn’t quite as good as their 

ability to extract wealth from people. 

Disputes grew into gunfights rapidly. 

Greed reared its ugly head. Claim 

jumping was commonplace, and vigilante 

justice was the only justice in this 

very remote area. 

Mine ownership came to question. 

The Techatticup Mine was a case in 

point. At one time part of it was owned 

by Senator George Hearst, father of 

William Randolph Hearst of publishing 

fame. So much dispute, labor problems 

and bad management overshadowed 

the mine that it grew a dangerous 

reputation. 

The killings in Eldorado Canyon, 

by that time with a population of nearly 

500 people, became almost a daily 

matter. Regular law enforcement refused 

to patrol the canyon for fear of 

getting murdered. 

The weapons the residents used 

to dispatch each other with great frequency 

ranged from whatever was 

close at hand, be it a pick, or some 

blunt object, to well-worn-but-serviceable 

black powder weapons for the 

most part. Commonly used firearms 

would include Civil War rifles like the 

Sharps New Model 1859 rifle as carried 

by Col. Hiram Berdan’s 1st and 

2nd Regiments of U.S. Sharpshooters. 

Some guns came from the British 

Isles via Confederate deserters like 

the John Dixon and Son of Edinburgh, 

Scotland .577 sharpshooter rifle. 

Southern blockade runners brought 

these into South Carolina. The South 

had little or no gun making facilities 

and relied heavily on gunmakers in 

Great Britain for their weapons. Like 

other British gun makers, Dixon had 

been around since the 1820s and 

turned out shotguns and rifles. 

Handguns would vary from pocket 

pistols like the Remington-Beals 

1st Model Pocket Revolver built 

1857-1858 to a Colt 2nd Model Dragoon 

Revolver manufactured around 

1850-1851. 

Prospectors weren’t the only killers. 

Eldorado Canyon had two of Nevada’s 

nastiest murderers who were Native 

Americans - Ahvote and his stepbrother 

Queho. Ahvote is said to have been 

responsible for five victims. Queho 

was a bit more active and is believed 

to have sent over 20 souls to the happy 

hunting ground; with the last being 

Maude Douglas whom he dispatched 

in 1919. Adding insult to injury, he then 

proceeded to successfully avoid all efforts 

of capture by various posses. His 

bones were located inside a cave near 

the Colorado River in 1940 by prospectors. 

They are now interred at Cathedral 

Canyon, NV, 40 miles Southwest 

of Las Vegas. Ahvote’s outcome? 

Hunted down by Queho and slain for 

the murder of some local residents. 

BELOW: Sharps New Model 1859 Rifle was a .52 caliber, percussion, breech-loader manufactured by Sharps Rifle 

Manufacturing Co, Hartford, Connecticut. It was used during the Civil War and many miners, some who were deserters, 

brought this weapon with them to the goldfields near Las Vegas. Some of them were converted after the war by the U.S. 

Government to fire .52-70 rimfire metallic cartridges, or .50-70 centerfire. 


1875 

Kiel Kyle Ranch Killings 

ABVOVE: The Remington Model 1875 Single Action Improved 

Army was made from 1875-1889. This particular gun is from the 

Kyle Ranch, and is on display at the Clark County Museum. 

Running a ranch in the Las Vegas 

area back in the late 1800s was a 

back-breaking, thankless, arid job. Water 

was scarce, the alkaline soil wasn’t 

suitable for many crops, and feeding 

livestock on scrub brush made for very 

skinny cows and sheep. 

The Kyle Ranch was established by 

Conrad Kiel in 1875 near the corner of 

Losee St. and Carey Ave. in North Las 

Vegas. It had a well-earned reputation 

as a hideaway and shelter for some serious 

badmen like Jack Longstreet – a 

particularly nasty fellow. In his youth, he 

had an ear removed, probably not gently, 

for stealing a neighbor’s cattle. He 

hired on with the Tonopah Stage as a 

gunman - not as a stage guard. Thusly 

employed, he proceeded to kill his 

brother-in-law. Both his temper and his 

guns were deadly quick. He died from an 

accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound 

at 94 years of age. 

Then there was the killing of Archie 

Stewart at the Kyle Ranch in 1884. Archie 

owned the Las Vegas Ranch a few 

miles south of the Kyle Ranch. His wife, 

Helen, was in charge while Archie was 

down in Eldorado Canyon delivering 

produce and meat to hungry miners. 

While he was bouncing over rocks in his 

freight wagon many miles from home, 

one of his ranch hands, Schyler Henry, 

announced in fairly foul terms that 

he was quitting and wanted his wages. 

Helen Stewart said he’d have to wait for 

Archie to return. He replied threateningly 

in what she said was a “black-hearted 

slanderer’s tongue.” 

Archie was tired from many hours in 

a stiffly sprung wagon, but after a short 

meal and a long drink, he saddled a 

horse and loaded his rifle (said to be a 

Winchester 30-30, a very popular gun 

for ranchers) and headed out to find Mr. 

Henry at the Kyle ranch. 

He arrived at the Kyle ranch house 

and proceeded to the back of the house, 

gun in hand. All the windows and doors 

were open. He was spotted and shot first 

– and missed. Shots rang out from the 

ranch house. He fell dead with bullets to 

his chest and head. Schyler Henry had 

two minor flesh wounds. Conrad Kiel 

and Schyler Henry were hauled before a 

grand jury for killing Archie Stewart. The 

jury elected not to indict. Though as an 

example of the gentle nature of the early 

ranchers, before the gunsmoke had 

cleared, Conrad Kiel dispatched a rider 

to Helen Stewart with a note saying, 

“Mrs. Sturd (sic) send a team and take 

Mr. Sturd (sic) away he is dead. C. Kiel.” 

OPPOSITE PAGE TOP LEFT: Jack Longstreet was called a criminal by some and a hero by others. He worked as a hired gunman 

for the Tonopah Stage. While employed, he managed to kill his brother-in-law, and was acquitted of the crime. He was nicknamed 

“One-eared Longstreet after a rancher cut off one of his ears when he was young when he was caught rustling cattle. 

OPPOSITE PAGE TOP RIGHT: After 140 years of various owners, the interior of the Kyle Ranch house is much the worse for wear. 

The building is not open to the general public. 

OPPOSITE PAGE BOTTOM: The Kyle Ranch, built in 1875 by Conrad Kiel, sits on the corner of Losee St and Carey Way. It was 

the scene of a shootout between Archie Stewart of the Las Vegas Ranch and Schyler Henry in 1884. The ranch is the oldest 

standing building in Las Vegas. 

24 


Guns of LV 

WWW.SMALLARMSREVIEW.COM 25 SAR Vol. 19, No. 1 


Jack Longstreet lived in this cabin in the Ash Meadows 

National Wildlife Refuge 30 miles northwest of the town 

of Pahrump, Nevada. It is said that he had a hidden room 

built so he could hide if the law showed up. 

The stamping “41 WCF” (Winchester Center Fire) 

identify Frank Wait’s Colt as a very rare caliber. 

26 


Guns of LV 

This hideout revolver has no markings whatsoever. It’s similar to a Fordham 

& Wadsworth D.A. .32, but in .45 caliber. It’s from the early 20th 

Century and was used in Las Vegas. 

This .41 WCF Colt Single Action belonged to 

Frank Wait who served as undersheriff various 

times during the 1920s and 1930s. He was 

said to be somewhat of a throwback to frontier 

lawman like Sam Gay. 


1900 - 1949 

The First Half Century 

Sam Gay was the second sheriff of Clark County. He 

served from 1911 to 1931 except for a short period 

around 1917. In 1911, while still sheriff, he was appointed 

Police Chief of Las Vegas. 

The Census of 1900 showed Las Vegas to have 30 inhabitants. 

In 1904 the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt 

Lake Railroad Co. ran a line connecting Las Vegas to the 

rest of the world. Along with a depot, the station had a cafe 

and the town’s first casino. Prior to the coming of the railroad, 

travel was limited to wagons on a dirt road. The Las 

Vegas area actually had fewer people than Searchlight, a 

mining town 60 miles to the south. 

Montana Senator William Clark saw the possibilities of 

the Las Vegas Springs area as a stopping and watering 

spot on the Salt Lake City - Los Angeles rail line and he 

bought a large parcel of land near the Springs. He then sold 

600 lots to the tune of $265,000 in 1905 and the city was 

born. Then, if the heat and the dust weren’t enough to keep 

visitors away in hordes, Nevada banned all gambling in 

1909. However, railroad workers kept moving to Las Vegas, 

and Las Vegas was incorporated as a city March 16, 1911. 

Over the next 20 years small ranches began to appear 

28 


Guns of LV 

Sam Gay is said to be the large man in the center 

of the photo in the white hat. He liked to get drunk 

and shoot out street lights on Fremont Street. The 

subsequent arrest caused him to swear off alcohol 

as long as he was a sheriff. 

both in and around the new city. Some 

of them didn’t do so much farming, but 

were only thinly disguised brothels. 

Soon the town became a draw for Californian 

residents, especially from the 

Los Angeles basin. Then Hollywood 

discovered Las Vegas. Both actors and 

people in the rapidly growing entertainment 

business were drawn mainly to the 

gambling, which even though outlawed 

continued to flourish, the climate, and 

Nevada’s liberal divorce laws. Future 

divorcees had to live in Nevada for only 

six weeks before obtaining a decree. 

Life in Las Vegas during the formative 

years was a bit on the wild and wooly 

side and law enforcement became a 

top priority in Clark County beginning 

around 1909. (Clark County, named after 

William Clark, was spun off from Lincoln 

County Feb. 5, 1909.) The county 

needed a sheriff’s department and the 

Clark County Sheriff’s Office was established. 

The first sheriff appointed was 

Charles C. Corkhill, owner and editor of 

The Las Vegas Age newspaper. He had 

no law enforcement background and 

only held the position for 18 months. 

Replacing him was “Big Sam Gay.” 

Six foot tall and 260 pounds, he came 

by his nickname honestly. Born March 

1, 1860 on Prince Edward Island, Canada, 

Sam came to Las Vegas in 1905 and 

became Charles Corkhill’s deputy. 

Now, Sam had a slightly slanted outlook 

on crime and criminals. He firmly 

believed that all the miners and freight 

haulers had every right to raise hell, 

get drunk and generally lose money 

at the gambling halls. He just wanted 

to keep them from doing serious harm 

to each other, or killing their drinking 

companions. Big Sam came by this 

attitude honestly, as he was known to 

enjoy the taste of good whiskey and 

he claimed to having been instructed in 

the manly art of fisticuffs by none other 

than John L. Sullivan, the heavyweight 

boxing champion. 

Gay was noted to prefer to settle a 

drunken brawl by banging the participant’s 

heads together. Should that not 

stifle the festivities, he would drag the 

drunks out to the bar’s hitching post, tie 


Guns of LV 

A lever action rifle similar to this Marlin 

30-30 would have been in the gun room 

of the Clark County Sheriff’s office when 

gambling was legalized in 1931. The Model 

1893 was made from 1893 to 1936. 

them there and apply a liberal application 

of cold water from a hose. He could 

settle most problems without resorting 

to a gun. As a matter of fact, he said 

many times that he preferred not to carry 

a gun… except for one well known situation, 

that is. The incident was reported 

in The Las Vegas Age as “Bloodless 

Scrap; Adam Kramer and Sam Gay Talk 

Politics with Rock and Gun.” 

It seems as though Big Sam and a 

local barber, Adam Kramer, were having 

a somewhat heated discussion 

based around politics. Sam invited 

Kramer to step behind his barber shop 

and continue the discussion. Kramer 

opined that Sam might be amenable to 

changing his mind if persuaded by an 

outside source - like a large rock upside 

Sam’s head. Sam rightfully determined 

that he really didn’t wish to be a recipient 

of such largess and elected 

to settle the argument by a display 

of one of Mr. Colt’s .44 caliber 

revolvers. Kramer wisely decided to 

return said rock to its resting place 

in the dirt. 

Though seldom wielding his firearm 

in the course of his work, it must be 

said that Sam did enjoy taking a large 

dose of his favorite drink, and then proceeding 

to shoot out street lights. One 

seriously drunken night Sam managed 

to lower the population of overhead 

lights on downtown Fremont Street by 

quite a respectable number. This show 

of, shall we say, “unadvised” behavior 

earned him a visit to the District Attorney. 

He did not plead, but informed the 

DA that “so long as I am sheriff of Clark 

County, I will no longer take a drink of 

intoxicating liquor. If I do, I will hand in 

my resignation.” 

He stuck it out as far as is known. 

However, in later years he said that Prohibition, 

made law in 1919, helped him 

out. “I quit drinking it after they started 

making it out of old shoes,” he said. Sam 

Gay lived until 1932 when a massive 

heart attack hit him and he died in Las 

Vegas Hospital. 

1930s 

And then came 1931 and Nevada 

legalized casino gambling. Clark County 

issued a three month gaming license 

to the Northern Club at 15 East Fremont. 

The first Casino to open on the 

three mile, dusty, Las Vegas Strip was 

The Mob 

the El Rancho, built by Thomas Hull in 

April 1941. It sported a casino, a 250 

seat showroom and 63 rooms. Later, 

in 1946, the Flamingo was opened by 

a “gentleman” named Benjamin Siegel, 

aka Bugsy Siegel. The Mob had arrived. 

Well, not exactly. Back in the 1920s Jim 

McKay and Bill Graham, contemporaries 

of Chicago’s notorious Alphonse Capone, 

ran a casino in Reno. Later that 

decade, another of Al Capone’s business 

associates, Frank Detra, opened 

the Pair-O-Dice Club on Highway 91, 

now Las Vegas Blvd. 

Siegel got his start on the West Coast 

in the usual way - killing his opposition 

and muscling into Hollywood movie 

30 


unions in the late 1930s. He figured that 

with gambling legalized in Las Vega, 

he could make some serious money 

in southern Nevada. He and his cohort 

in crime, Moe Sedway, then got involved 

with the race wire service- Trans 

America Wire. 

With that venture in hand, the twosome 

decided that the El Cortez needed 

some new management. After taking 

over that casino for a reputed sum of 

$600,000, Bugsy decided to build and 

run his own gambling hotel. So began 

1950 - 1974 

the Flamingo. He had a partner, but 

the partner had a drinking and gambling 

problem, so goodbye to the partner 

(who later died of a heart attack 

– not lead poisoning). 

Problem was, Bugsy wasn’t too 

good at running a casino, but he and 

girlfriend Virginia Hill were great at 

skimming money. It was reported that 

she took a short trip to Switzerland 

with $2.5 million as part of the skim. 

The next problem was that Bugsy’s 

boss, Meyer Lansky, was aware of 

the skim. He considered Bugsy a 

friend; but finally decided that Bugsy 

had to go. In the evening of June 20, 

1947, an unknown assailant fired nine 

rounds from an M1 Carbine through 

a window at Virginia Hill’s home. 

Bugsy was sitting on a couch, and 

there he died. 

The next day David Berman 

and Moe Sedway walked into the 

Population Growth 

Flamingo and announced that they 

were taking over. 

The Mob then decided to get into 

the casino business in a big way. For 

the next 20 years just about every 

casino in Las Vegas had some sort 

of ties to organized crime. The Mob 

owners also branched out into other 

businesses. For example, Desert Inn 

CEO Moe Dalitz built homes, shopping 

centers and country clubs. 

Many people speak of the Mob rule 

days as a time of safe streets, cheap 

casino food and less crime. Like many 

other tales of the Mob, time has lent 

an aura of fantasy to “The Good Old 

Days.” Unfortunately like all tales, 

the reality was much different. Some 

of the Mob that died violently over the 

years include Gus Greenbaum and 

his wife, Anthony Bracanto, Anthony 

Trombone, Anthony Spoliator, and 

Sam Giancana. 

Smith and Wesson Model 39 semiautomatic was originally developed 

for the U.S. Army in 1954. It went on the civilian/law enforcement 

market in 1955 as the first U.S.-designed semi-auto pistol in 

the United States. Chambered for 9mm Parabellum and carrying 

eight rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber, it quickly 

replaced the six-shot revolver as a peace officer’s duty weapon. 

The onset of affordable air conditioning 

did a lot towards making the 

Las Vegas area more attractive to Clark 

County residents during the hot summer 

months. There were 30,000 home units 

sold in 1946. That number grew to one 

million by 1953. All of a sudden living in 

Las Vegas looked much more feasible. 

Nevada is/was not burdened with a 

state income tax. Back in the time period 

gambling was unregulated, and there 

was no waiting period for marriages. 

Plus, gambling was done with actual 

silver dollars. 

Elvis first appeared at the Venus 

Room at the New Frontier in 1956. The 

Rat Pack came to town. Liberace put sequins 

on his jackets, and divorce was, 

if not as quick as marriage, still quicker 

than any other place in the USA. 

In 1961 a new sheriff came to town - 

Ralph Lamb. He was born and raised in 

Alamo, NV, A small town 95 miles north 

of Las Vegas. Lamb joined the sheriff’s 

office as a deputy in 1947 but took a few 

years off to run his own detective agency. 

He ran for sheriff in 1960 and was 

elected and served from 1961 to 1979. 

He was known as “The Cowboy Sheriff” 

because he spent a lot of time on a 


Smith and Wesson introduced the Model 

36 at the International Association of 

Chiefs of Police in 1950. A vote was held 

to name it and “Chiefs Special” was chosen. 

Initial barrel size was 1.875 inch, followed 

immediately by a three inch barrel. 

horse. This established a persona that 

he went to great lengths to perfect. 

Here’s a part of an interview he gave 

to the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 

1999 that shows his style. 

Ralph Lamb walked into the old airport 

on Las Vegas Blvd. and a man he 

had never seen before tried to kill him. 

“Shot at me three or four times and I 

wasn’t as far as from here to that door,” 

said the retired lawman, gesturing at a 

doorway perhaps 12 feet away. “And 

he didn’t hit me once. I hit the concrete 

and shot at him a couple of times and I 

didn’t hit him once. Then he was running 

away and I would have had to shoot him 

in the back, so I run him down, tackled 

him. He turned out to be just a wanted 

guy. He must have seen me coming 

in maybe saw me fix my coat to cover 

my gun or badge, and assumed I was 

coming for him.” 

Lamb never actually shot anybody in 

a lifetime of law enforcement, he said. 

Gunplay wasn’t his style. Fisticuffs, calf 

roping and politics were. Sheriff Lamb 

had a huge dislike for corruption and 

criminal activities in general, and the 

Mob operation in specific. He brought 

down on them an immense amount of 

pressure, which in turn hampered their 

multi-million dollar day-to-day operations. 

He was responsible for incarcerating 

mobster “Handsome Johnny” 

Rosselli long enough to where he was 

never able to regain his gangster stature 

again. By the way, “Handsome Johnny” 

was found ten years later in a 55-gallon 

oil drum off the coast of Miami. 

Las Vegas Metropolitan 

Police Department 

Prior to July 1, 1973, there were 

five police agencies in Clark County; 

namely the Clark County Sheriff’s 

Department, City of Las Vegas Police 

Department, City of North Las Vegas 

Police Department, City of Henderson 

Police Department, and Boulder City 

Police Department. The cities policed 

their incorporated areas and the Sheriff’s 

Department provided police services 

to the unincorporated areas of the 

County of Clark. 

Senate Bill 340 was passed and 

became effective on July 1, 1973 

wherein the Las Vegas Police Department 

and the Clark County Sheriff’s 

Department were deactivated and the 

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department 

was activated to take their place. 

The new department (Metro) would be 

responsible for all police services within 

the city limits of the City of Las Vegas 

and the unincorporated areas of Clark 

County. 

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department 

has several qualifications on 

what type of handgun may be carried: 

• The firearm MUST be manufactured 

by: Beretta, Colt, Glock, Kimber, 

Para Ordnance, Wilson Combat, 

Unertl Ordnance, Heckler & Koch, 

Ruger, SIG Sauer, Springfield Armory, 

Steyr Mannlicher, or Smith 

and Wesson. 

• The firearm MUST be chambered in 

either: 9mm, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP. 

• The firing mechanism must be: Traditional 

double/single action (Beretta, 

H&K, Ruger, SIG Sauer pistols), 

single action (1911-style pistols), 

striker-fired or “safe-action” (i.e. 

Glock and Steyr “M” pistols), double-action 

only (i.e. Smith & Wesson 

5946 pistol). 

• The finish must either be blued/black 

or stainless steel. 

• Barrel length must be at least 3.5 

inches and not exceed 6 inches. 

• Grips must be either a high-impact 

plastic or rubber (black in color), or 

wood; and must be designed to be 

used with either hand. 

Photos courtesy of UNLV Special 

Collections, (Silverstateghosttowns. 

com), Historical Image Bank, Las Vegas 

Metropolitan Museum Association, David 

Condon, Clark County Museum and 

the Mob Museum. 

All guns shown courtesy Metropolitan 

Police Museum Association - Lt. 

Dennis Larson retired and Lt. Stan 

Olsen retired. 

32 




VEGAS EATS! 

GUN STORES 

SHOOTING RANGES 

2015 

Las Vegas 

PHOTOS BY GRACIE WINGERT 

GUIDE 

The High Roller Observation Wheel 

at the Linq Las Vegas. 


GUN STORES 

LAS VEGAS 

GUN STORE & 

SHOOTING RANGE 

GUIDE 

1. 2ND AMENDMENT GUN SHOP 

(Veteran Owned) 

4570 N. Rancho Dr. #4 

Las Vegas, NV 89130 

(702) 272-2510 

www.2ndamendmentguns.com 

2. ACCURACY GUN SHOP 

5903 Boulder Hwy. 


(702) 458-3330 

www.accuracygunshop.com 

3. BARGAIN PAWN, INC. 

1901 Las Vegas Boulevard North 

North Las Vegas, NV 89030 

(702) 399-9950 

www.bargainpawn.com 

4. BENTWOOD GUNSMITHING 

180 Cassia Way, #507 

Henderson, NV 89014 

(702) 545-0884 

www.bentwoodgunsmithing.com 

5. BIG GUN ENTERPRISES, LLC 

6250 Mountain Vista St. 


(702) 944-4222 

www. biggunenterprisesllc.com 

Photo: Battlefield Las Vegas 

shooting range. 

6. DAVIDSON’S FIREARMS 

10890 S. Eastern Ave. #103 


(702) 456-6600 

www.davidsonsfirearms.com 

7. DISCOUNT GUN SOURCE (DGS) 

9680 W. Tropicana Ave. 


(702) 722-0390 

www.discountgunsource.com 

8. GUN MOUNTAIN, LLC 

(Formerly The LMO Gunstore 

& LMO, LLC) 410 Mark St., #130 


(702) 564-3272 

www.gunmountain.com 

9. GUN GARAGE 

5155 Dean Martin Drive 


(702) 449-7346 

www.gungarage.com 

10. NEW FRONTIER ARMORY 

150 E. Centennial Pkwy. # 110 

North Las Vegas, NV 89084 

(702) 479-1470 

www.newfrontierarmory.com

FOLDOUT ON 

SEPERATE 

SPREADS 


FOLDOUT ON 

SEPERATE 

SPREADS 


FOLDOUT ON 

SEPERATE 

SPREADS 


FOLDOUT ON 

SEPERATE 

SPREADS 




ADAMS ARMS MID EVO 

ULTRA LITE AR 

PISTON DRIVEN 

PERFORMER 

BY TODD BURGREEN 

Adams Arms has sought to engineer a complete solution 

to the deficits they felt are found in the direct impingement 

AR family of rifles and carbines. Adams Arms was an early 

innovator in the piston AR surge; even offering piston retro 

fit kits for direct impingement ARs. The principle improvement 

offered by the Adams Arms gas piston system comes 

from eliminating the venting of hot, carbon-laden gases into 

the receiver and bolt carrier group. This reduces the cleaning 

requirements associated with direct gas-impingement 

ARs. It also means the bolt carrier group and associated 

springs are not subjected to the searing heat of the tapped 

gasses; this being one of the major causes of small parts 

failure. Other attention to detail components further round 

out the Adams Arms EvoLite rifle evaluated in this article 

such as Mil-Spec forged 7075-T6 upper and lower receivers 

Type III hard coat anodized with beveled magwell, M4 

feed ramps, 1913 Picatinny rail flat top with dry lube internal 

finish and laser engraved T-markings. An Ark Defense 

adjustable buttstock, trigger, Ergo pistol grip, and Samson 

Evolution free float light weight modular rail system with two 

2-inch rail sections flesh out the EvoLite. 

EvoLite with Aimpoint T1 affixed proved 

good combination in moving fluidly to 

engage targets.

The Adams Arms EvoLite focuses 

on providing an accurate well handling 

light weight piston driven AR that is controllable 

during rapid shot strings while 

maintaining reliability. This is accomplished 

through design intent, fit/finish, 

sights, trigger, and barrel. Adams Arms 

starts with their Ultra Lite Voodoo 14.5 

inch 1:7 barrel. This 4150 CMV (Chrome 

Moly Vanadium) is precision honed with 

special attention paid to the gas vent 

hole. A VDI Jet Comp is permanently 

affixed to the 14.5 inch barrel allowing 

it to be considered a rifle versus an NFA 

short barrel rifle (SBR). Adams Arms 

then incorporates their patented mid rifle 

length inverted adjustable gas piston 

system. The longer dwell time offered 

by mid length piston allows for a smaller 

gas port minimizing the amount of energy 

being applied to the piston to cycle a 

round. All these things add up to a soft 

recoil pulse as touted by Adams Arms. 

Adam Arms’ ARs have from the beginning 

addressed reducing carrier tilt, 

cam pin wear and carrier bounce. Proponents 

of piston-driven ARs point to 

greater reliability in adverse conditions 

and less reliance on routine maintenance 

compared to the direct impingement 

operating method. At the heart of 

the short stroke gas operating system 

is an operating rod, three-position gas 

block and forward venting gas plug that 

retains the piston. The piston can be 

accessed through the front of the gas block without 

removing the handguard so optical sights or laser 

devices do not need to be zeroed after routine maintenance. 

Adam Arms’ piston system uses a port on 

the barrel to tap gas to operate their inverted gas 

piston. The tapped gas is directed into a drive rod 

sleeve. The gas is harnessed inside the drive rod 

sleeve and pushes the bolt carrier rearward via an 

operating rod using the gas pressure to cycle the 

action. Total forward and rearward movement of 

the piston is approximately 1/2 inch. Once the 

action is cycled the remaining gases are pushed 

out of the front of the gas block, purging and 

cleaning the system while keeping the gases 

out of the face of the user and the receiver. The 

Adams Arms gas piston components and gas 

block are Melonite treated and the bolt carrier is 

ion bonded for increased parts endurance. All 

of the parts that operate the rifle come with a 

lifetime warranty. The Adams Arms gas block 

has three settings – normal, suppressed, and 

closed/single shot. With this said, the pinned 

flash Jet Comp on the EvoLite limits options 

in terms of adapting over to a suppressor. 

Other Adams Arms rifle models take full advantage 

of the suppressor capability. The 

Adams Arms EvoLite weighs less than 7 

pounds and measures 32 inches stock fully 

collapsed and 35.25 inches extended. 

It was crucial to verify functioning reliability 

with the Adams Arms EvoLite. 

A variety of 5.56mm and .223 Rem rated 

ammunition was tested from Black 

Hills, Federal, Hornady and Winchester. 

No reliability issues were encountered. 

ABOVE: Adams Arms affixes a VDI Jet Comp to their Ultra Lite Voodoo 14.5-inch 1:7 

twist barrel. The Adams Arms gas block has three settings – normal, suppressed, and 

closed/single shot. 

RIGHT: Adam Arms’ piston system uses a port on the barrel to tap gas to operate their 

inverted gas piston. The tapped gas is directed into a drive rod sleeve. The gas is harnessed 

inside the drive rod sleeve and pushes the bolt carrier rearward via an operating 

rod using the gas pressure to cycle action. 


Accuracy test protocol consisted 

of three 5-shot groups with each 

ammunition type. Velocity figures 

ranged from 2,600 fps to 2,800 fps 

over a RCBS chronograph from the 

14.5 inch barrel. For this evaluation, a 

Meopta Meostar R2 1-6x was mounted 

on the EvoLite to assist in determining 

the rifle’s intrinsic accuracy. 

The EvoLite kept all loads tested at 2 

inches or better at 100 yards included 

the Federal XM193 55gr FMJ and Winchester 

55gr FMJ. This accuracy level 

will justify too many leaving a magnified 

optic such as Meopta MeoStar R2 1-6x 

scope. This scope selection is certainly 

not that common or well known to 

many shooters. 

Most have no idea what they are 

missing in terms of rifle scope optics 

offered by Meopta. Many in our community 

hold strongly to preconceived 

notions regarding rifle scope optics. 

There are times when one must get past 

these comfortable set beliefs to truly 

appreciate what another product may 

offer. Granted, we all deal with budget 

pressures either as individuals or as a 

work entity. This does not change performance 

ratings; only what we are 

willing to pay for to best get the job 

done. Meopta optics may be beyond 

reach either for reasons of economics, 

more pressing equipment needs, or 

upon reflection, a lack of understanding 

of what Meopta offers in terms of 

capabilities. Meopta is a leading European 

and American optics manufacturer that 

has been in existence since 1933. Meopta 

produces one of the most diversified 

high performing line-ups of rifle scopes 

on the market. The new 30mm MeoStar 

R2 1-6x24 RD is not only the first in the 

R2 line, but also Meopta’s first riflescope 

with a 6x zoom ratio. The true 1x 

magnification, wide field of view, edgeto-edge 

clarity and illuminated reticle 

options allow for extremely fast and accurate 

target acquisition. The versatile 

Meopta R2 is also excellent for close 

quarter situations on an AR platform 

and much longer shots depending 

on the caliber being used and the s 

hooter’s proficiency. 

ULTRA LITE AR 


Adams Arms EvoLite kept all premium 

ammunition tested at 2 inches or better 

at 100 yards with five round groups. The 

Meopta R2 at 6x facilitated accuracy testing 

far better than any non-magnified red 

dot, while still offering flexibility to dial 

down to 1x if needed. 


Another optic choice for the 

EvoLite, and one that would be 

considered more “standard” in 

comparison to the Meopta R2, 

would be the Aimpoint T1 red 

dot sight. The T1 is superior in 

facilitating engaging targets at 

close distances with the red dot 

easy to pick up rapidly. The Aimpoint 

T1 red dot sight offers the 

capability to engage multiple targets 

in rapid sequence compared 

to open sights, while at same time 

providing adequate accuracy out 

to a couple hundred yards. This 

is due to the red dot superimposing 

an aim point on the target while 

not totally obscuring the target due 

to the dot not being that large. As 

many “maturing” shooters can attest 

to the single focus plane with the red 

dot is easier to shoot accurately than 

coordinating front and rear sights. 

The T1 weighs 4 ounces including 

the quick detach mount used. The 

Aimpoint T1 is one of the most durable 

red dots available and features 

the longest lasting battery on the market 

and it has an adjustable intensity 

4 MOA dot. Aimpoint uses a special 

coating that only reflects the red dot’s 

specific frequency of light allowing almost 

100% of all other radiation straight 

through, which provides superior clarity 

for both daylight use and if night vision 

devices are employed. The Aimpoint 

T1 has 12 intensity settings – 4 night 

and 8 daylight. 

A US Palm (US Primary Armament 

Logistical Manufacturing) Agile Combat 

System (ACS) chest rig/plate carrier 

with High Speed Gear “Taco” pouches 

affixed was used in evaluating the Adams 

Arms EvoLite. US Palm is a company 

helping equip our military, law 

enforcement, and private security contractors 

(PSC) as well as not forgetting/ 

ignoring civilians. The ACS plate carrier 

evolved out of US Palm’s Desert 

Tracker and Ronin plate carriers and 

ingeniously allows for the combining of 

several different US Palm products to 

create the ACS that best suits individual 

needs. The ACS evaluated for this article 

joined the US Palm Hardened Back 

Pack (HBP) with Desert Tracker Plate 

Carrier (DTPC) via the U.S. Palm Enhanced 

Harness System (EHS) “horse 

collar” shoulder straps. The HBP pack 

is a small assault pack with a dedicated 

internal pocket designed to hold 

ballistic armor, while maintaining utility 

as a pack. The HBP also accommodates 

a hydration bladder. A multitude 

of MOLLE panels allows you to adapt 

the HBP to any mission need. The HBP 

is made from 1000d Cordura and measures 

approximately 18 inch x 14 inch x 

6 inch adding up to a listed 1,800 cubic 

inches of storage. The front plate carrier 

panel can be configured any way a user 

wants thanks to its own MOLLE panels 

with magazine pouches or other gear 

selection. This is how the HSG “Taco” 

pouches were incorporated. The HSG 

magazine “Taco” pouch allows for multiple 

types of magazines to be utilized 

without having to switch out – a very 

convenient feature. 

Both the HBP pack and front carrier 

can be fitted with either hard or 

soft armor depending on user preference 

and mission profile. US Palm 

developed the ACS around rapid 

“plug-and-play” mission driven adaptation. 

As stated by US Palm, 

“Things change, and you’re trained 

to adapt – your gear should too.” 

This is what drove the R&D for the 

ACS. The ACS’s modularity allows 

mission specific US Palm components 

to be combined along with 

choosing a level of ballistic protection 

that always has an impact on 

weight. If you are riding or flying 

to contact or patrolling, it has an 

effect on how you load out. The 

increased protection associated 

with Level III and Level IV armor 

comes at the expense of weight 

and greater rigidity in armor 

construct. Even in the best condition 

this increased weight affects 

operator performance and 

efficiency; the degradation in 

ULTRA LITE AR 

Adams Arms EvoLite AR was bench tested to establish a base 

line of expected accuracy. A Meopta MeoStar R2 1-6x scope 

suited the Adams Arms EvoLite’s multi-role capabilities. 


performance is further enhanced if the 

individual does not utilize a properly designed 

armor and plate carrier system. 

Initial impression of the EvoLite was 

favorable based on handling and feel 

from the box. There is a reason why the 

M4 profile AR is preferred by our troops 

who get a voice in the matter. What is 

not to like with a lightweight, compact, 

reliable, well handling rifle? While the 

EvoLite’s standard trigger was serviceable 

with a pull weight over 6 pounds, 

it was decided to take advantage of 

an opportunity presented by installing 

a Tactical Fire Control Tac-Con 3MR 

Trigger. Much of the buzz surrounding 

the Tac-Con 3MR Trigger System is its 

three modes/positions of operation. The 

modes are Safe (selector horizontal at 

9 o’clock), Match-grade Semi-Automatic 

(selector vertical 12 o’clock), and the 

Tac-Con patent pending 3rd Mode of operation 

(selector horizontal at 3 o’clock). 

The 3rd mode provides an alternate 

type of positive reset that reduces split 

times between shots. The positive reset 

characteristic is achieved by transferring 

the force from the bolt carrier through 

the trigger assembly to assist the trigger 

back onto the front sear enabling split 

times that rival automatic rates of fire 

once familiarized with operation. Both 

semi and 3rd mode positions feature a 

non-adjustable 4.5 pound trigger pull 

weight with zero over travel. The drop in 

Tac-Con 3MR trigger is simple to install 

by anyone with rudimentary AR maintenance 

skills taking only a few minutes 

and instantly enhances shooter to rifle 

interface. The only nuance needed is to 

tilt the trigger group up while sliding under 

the Tac-Con provided safety lever. 

Tac-Con designed the 3MR not as a finicky 

fragile match trigger, which can be 

less than hardy under robust conditions, 

but rather as single stage 4.5 pound 

trigger with a short reset suitable for all 

conditions of use. The Tac-Con 3MR 

meets or exceeds military specifications 

for drop safety –something that “match” 

triggers usually can not represent as doing. 

All in all, the 3MR allows for multiple 

rounds to be sent downrange quickly/ 

accurately and for precise longer range 

shot placement better than your standard 

trigger unit; yet retains reliability 

lacking from some of the other trigger 

units on the market. 

It was decided to expand normal 

T&E protocol by running both the Meopta 

R2 and Aimpoint T1 through Echo 

Valley Training Center’s (EVTC) 360 

and “Jungle Walk” ranges. Training scenarios 

involving team tactics along with 

patrolling to contact allowed the Adams 

Arms EvoLite to shine in terms of potent 

firepower and accuracy, especially when 

augmented with the Tac-Con 3MR trigger. 

No surprise with the pros and cons 

of the two different sights. The Aimpoint 

T1’s red dot is not dependent on a specific 

eye relief distance to be effective in 

accurately placing rounds on target in 

a rapid fashion. Firing from unorthodox 

positions while working around range 

vehicles showed why the light weight 

EvoLite combined with the Aimpoint T1 

is such an effective combination. The 

Meopta R2 enabled target identification 

and more precise fire. Close range engagement 

of targets is still a viable proposition 

with the R2; just not as seamless 

as the Aimpoint T1. The Meopta Meo- 

Star R2 1-6x is a combination of a red 

dot optic and magnified scope. It was 

developed for use at short and medium 

distances. With a low magnification 

setting the illuminated dot inside the 

reticle can be used like a red dot sight. 

The Meopta MeoStar’s variable magnification 

settings allows CQB speed 

at lowest power setting and enough 

magnification to make headshots at 


200 yards or more. The illuminating 

unit offers eight illumination stages for 

the use in broad daylight no matter the 

background. Conversely, the T1 can 

place accurate fire at greater distance 

than anticipated for a non-magnified optic; 

obviously not as precise as a 1-6x 

scope like the Meopta R2. However, not 

being a prisoner to a defined eye relief 

distance offers a certain advantage. 

While the Adams Arms EvoLite is 

not going to be issued to our military 

services or law enforcement agencies, 

civilians could easily consider using 

the rifle for multiple roles. There are 

an overabundance of AR style rifles 

vying for consumer attention. The 

EvoLite is worthy of consideration 

based on attention to detail and 

quality of materials used in its manufacture. 

The cliché of buy right 

the first time comes to mind with 

the Adams Arms EvoLite being 

a good example. 

Sites of Interest 

Adams Arms 

www.adamsarms.net 

Meopta U.S.A., Inc. 

www.meopta.com 

Tactical Fire Control, Inc. 

www.tacfirecon.com 

Aimpoint Inc. 

www.aimpoint.com 

Adams Arms EvoLite evaluation involved 

non typical scenarios within Echo Valley 

Training Center’s “jungle walk” lane of fire. 

Echo Valley Training Center 

www.echovalleytrainingcenter.com 


Her 

Majesty’s 

TOOLS OF DIPLOMACY 

by Miles Vining 

ABOVE: Leaning in to the weapon while conducting a Combat 

Marksmanship Drill with the L85A2. As is evidenced by the forward 

stance, it was very easy to obtain a tight grip with the weapon because 

of its compact size, something very necessary while shooting 

offhand and while on the move. Because unlike a kneeling or prone 

position where a shooter will use bone support to build a foundation 

for the rifle to shoot from, in the offhand standing, the foundation 

has to be a tight hold on the rifle to help steady it for a shot. Notice 

the gear worn in all of the photographs is the load out taken out by a 

typical Marine infantryman in Helmand Province. 

“The second you stop learning, is the 

second you start dying” is a phrase that the 

author used when talking to Afghan National 

Army soldiers while teaching a counter IED 

(Improvised Explosive Devices) class in 

Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The point 

to be made was that in an IED environment, 

a soldier’s most important asset is his mind 

and how he solves or predicts certain situations. 

This maxim can be applied to anything 

involving life or death with military, law 

enforcement or civilian applications. 

Soon after, the author took advantage 

of an opportunity to fire some of the 

small arms belonging to our allies across 

the pond while being forward deployed to 

Camp Leatherneck (British Bastion, Afghan 

Shrobak are joint bases). 

The author took this opportunity as a 

means to examine the differences between 

the British Army’s and U.S Marine’s small 

arms approaches. How the two countries 

view safety, range operations, shooting 

qualifications, and immediate action procedures. 

Although Marines are known for 

their ability to “improvise, adapt, and overcome,” 

much of the service is very regulation 

bound, and outside the box thinking is 

often met with severe criticism and disdain 

by higher echelon leadership. This would 

seem surprising considering Marines are 

at the forefront of Combined Arms warfare, 

amphibious operations, and low intensity 

conflict. The ever-changing theory and 

innovative strategy is present, but within 

individual units, officers and senior enlisted 

possess an attitude of, “This is the Marine 

Corps way, and nothing else works as 

well.” Some of that is certainly “esprit de 

corps” but a lot of it is narrow mindedness 


and unwillingness to accept that there 

is always room to improve. This is quite 

troubling because if any organization 

is to succeed, it has to be fluid with the 

changes occurring in its environment 

and maintain an open mind about what 

works and what doesn’t. As an example, 

infantry Marines know their internal 

weapon systems to the point of muscle 

memory. But knowledge of their allies or 

enemy’s weapon systems is immensely 

limited. There are Foreign Weapons Instructor 

courses offered in Quantico but 

these are small in number and are mostly 

attended by Marines in an instructing 

position, and not the typical sergeants 

and corporals leading squads into combat. 

The underlying message in this essay 

is to keep an open mind and not let 

rigid standards prevent becoming more 

knowledgeable about what is out there, 

both bad and good. 

Adopted as the national service rifle 

in 1987, and replacing the L1A1 FN FAL, 

the SA80 (Small Arms of the 1980s) got 

off to a rocky start in terms of reliability. 

British troops in the first Gulf War were 

ABOVE: Here one can observe the BlackHawk! SERPA thigh 

holster that Marines are currently being issued, and can compare 

that to the British Radar thigh holster setup for a Glock 17. 

taping their handguards up to prevent 

jams from the ever present sand. Some 

of these issues were due to the fact that 

the SA80 had been intended for use in a 

land war in Europe, and not in the Middle 

East. The problems continued until the 

late 1990s, when the SA80 and Heckler 

& Koch metaphorically saved each other. 

Heckler & Koch was going through a 

financial crisis and the SA80 seemed to 

have no reliable version in sight. Heckler 

& Koch took up a modification contract, 



LEFT: The author getting hands on with the L85A2. The simple 

green webbed sling is mostly used for garrison use while 

combat troops use a simple clip that attaches on one end to the 

rear sling swivel and the other end to their Osprey’s. This makes 

a very handy One Point sling attachment while on patrol. The 

British small arms range on Bastion at which this is taking place 

was very well and thoroughly constructed from concrete, with 

proper shooting position markers, range markers and complete 

with a steel bullet trap handling up to 7.62x51mm. 

which culminated in the L85A2 and 

L85A3 versions of today (same rifle but 

re-designated L85). These are currently 

in use with all of the British Forces and 

have several variant offshoots in shorter 

carbines, single fire cadet rifles, and the 

LSW (Light Support Weapon). 

One fact that is often omitted about 

the rifle is that it gave the United Kingdom 

(an army to be reckoned with), 

a service rifle with magnified optical 

sights. Of course Austria had the Steyer 

AUG with its optical sight in 1978 

but the Austrian army doesn’t deploy internationally 

as much as the UK does. 

To put this in perspective, the U.S. 

Marine Corps didn’t begin fielding optical 

sights until Operation Iraqi Freedom 

in 2003 and even that was as a single 

designated marksman in every rifle 

squad. The rest of the infantry had to 

wait as late as 2005 (seventeen years 

after the SA80) to have the 4x Trijicon 

ACOG (Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight), 

RCO (Rifle Combat Optic). The 

U.S Army was on a similar schedule. 

Today, almost every modern army has 

optical sights on their service rifles, even 

some third world armies as well. 

The course of fire and the range 

were very simple; some basic combat 

marksmanship drills, shooting from the 

prone, kneeling, and standing, on the 

move and from different yard lines within 

the 36 yard range. The author fired two 

full magazines through the L85A2 and 

a magazine through the Glock – nothing 

too strenuous or torture testing due 

to the range and time constraints. The 

conduct of the range was professionally 

administered and very well disciplined. 

This was done in a subtle manner unlike 

many Marine ranges where conduct 

is strictly controlled. Even though commands 

were simple, safety was very 

much paramount and at no time was an 

unsafe act allowed to continue. 

The L85A2 fired was by all means 

a modern rifle compared to the original 

SA80, apart from the original SUSAT 

(Sight Unit Small Arms, Trilux) sight. 

Most of the British infantry that go outside 

the wire are equipped with the 

Trijicon ACOG or an Elcan sight but 

the rear echelon soldiers have the old 

SUSAT. Apart from that, the rifle has a 

full spectrum Picatinny rail system as 

the handguard, grip pod, and Magpul 

Emags are issued out en masse. The 

sling is a thin webbed green type that 

is used mostly in a garrison environment. 

On patrol, plastic clips are issued 

and the rifle can be clipped to an Osprey 

(British flak jacket) – in other words 

making it a One Point sling. The rifles 

on Bastion have a black finish but this 

is painted over with a light tan that stays 

on though rifles in theater for a good period 

of time are seen with this starting 

to wear off. 


LEFT & BELOW: A side by side comparison of an issued M4/M203 and British 

L85A2. This L85A2 was issued to an element of the RAF that actively patrols 

around the perimeter of Camp Bastion. Unlike the L85 that the author shot, it is 

equipped with an Elcan Spector and has the Grip pod mounted immediately in 

front of the trigger guard as per personal preference. The Trijicon ACOG on the 

M4 is USMC issued, but take particular note of the burred portion just underneath 

the “O” in ACOG. This is a bible scripture that is written on most Trijicon products 

but had to be burred off for the Marines. Trijicon scopes bought by British Forces 

have the scripture intact. 

Being a bullpup, the rifle itself is very 

compact with a full length barrel, and 

its width is noticeably thin, compared 

to an M16/M4. This translated into being 

able to get a very tight stance. It is 

very appreciable for offhand shooting 

and urban operations. The tighter a 

shooter can be with his rifle, the more 

control he can exert over its effects at a 

close range. This was especially evident 

at the 36 yard line where impacts could 

be seen instantly. Using the SUSAT (reticle 

is a single triangular post), point of 

aim was point of impact with the scope 

set on the 300 meter Battle Sight Zero 

setting. To adjust for further distances, 

the shooter must manipulate the dial to 

the correct yard line. Adjustments go up 

to 800 meters and there are peep hole 

iron sights on top of the scope while the 

Trijicon and Elcan optics, a Ruggerized 

Miniature Reflex (RMR) sight is present. 

To gain proper eye relief the shooter 

must place his eye more or less on the 

scope. And what of scope bite? On the 

SUSAT there is a rubber fitting that prevents 

any. With about an inch of relief 

of the soldier shooting the author’s M4/ 

M203, there was a slight learning curve 

because this rubber ring isn’t on an 

RCO (Rifle Combat Optic). 

The Grip Pod was useful but the author’s 

personal opinion on the Grip Pod 

is quite negative, nothing to do with the 

L85A2 but his own experiences with it 

as a Marine. It’s too large/bulky as a 

grip and too fragile as a bipod. It’s great 

for resting the weapon, but using it as 

a legitimate field bipod in the rough, unforgiving 

environment of a firefight or truly 

rough range use, the author found it too 

fragile. The legs had a tendency to snap 

under pressure. 

Operating the SA80 is rather straightforward 

but a little awkward if someone is 

very M16/M4 controls minded. To chamber 

a round, the shooter must first insert 

the magazine. Being a bullpup, this is a 

different affair than an M16/M4. British 

doctrine dictates that the right hand must 

always be on the pistol grip, a very sound 

principle realizing that Marines have the 

same one but in using an M16/M4 sometimes 

one must use his right hand for manipulation. 

Tilting the rifle to the right, the shooter inserts 

a magazine, then tilting it the opposite 

direction to the left, the shooter then 

charges the rifle with the left hand on the 

cocking knob. There is no left handed configuration; 

all recruits are trained to be right 

handed with the rifle. A good tap is then 

required when the knob has gone fully forward, 

similar to tapping the forward assist 

on an M16/M4. Here is an issue from a tacti- 



Mcal perspective; most of this requires the 

shooter to break his hold to the target, 

even if he is physically looking at the target, 

the rifle must be tilted this way and 

that and is not pointed where he is looking. 

Unlike M16/M4s where a shooter 

can complete most operations without 

even breaking a cheek wield. Of course 

after much training and familiarization 

a shooter could get to a point where he 

could manipulate the rifle fast enough to 

get it back up in the case of a stoppage 

or empty magazine. 

For immediate action procedures, 

the British SOP (Standard Operating 

Procedure) is advantageous over 

the Marine one. Since basic training 

many Marines have it drummed into 

their heads the phrase “Tap, Rack, 

Bang” when dealing with a misfire. In 

technical terms, this means to tap the 

bottom of the magazine with the free 

hand, rack the charging handle to the 

rear, and then attempt to fire. This is 

an excellent remedy apart from one 

often-omitted necessary step. An instructor 

will always be sure to teach that 

immediate action requires; observe for 

feeding and ejecting, then move to “Tap, 

Rack, Bang.” The British procedure cuts 

to the source of the malfunction; if encountering 

a stoppage, tilt the rifle to the 

left, retract the charging knob and view 

the chamber. This immediately forces 

the shooter to confront the malfunction. 

It may just be an empty magazine or 

it may be a double feed, but the point 

is the shooter is looking directly at the 

problem instead of possibly making it 

worse by executing “Tap, Rack, Bang.” 

Firing the L85A2 is just like any 

bullpup, the largest obstacle is the trigger. 

The trigger itself does not have a 

heavy pull; it is a two stage military trigger 

with slack taken up about 2/3 of the 

way back. The issue is the reset time. 

A shooter has to almost release his 

finger the entire length of travel for the 

trigger to reset to the hammer in order 

to get off the next shot. If the reset has 

not completed, that next shot cannot be 

made until the trigger is released the 

full length. Once again, with constant 

training this issue will go away, but from 

ABOVE: Author conducting a textbook reload with the 

L85A2, tilting the rifle to the right so insertion of the magazine 

can be observed as bullpups require some more attention 

than their conventional assault rifle counterparts. 

Notice the British issued Emag. Marines are very envious 

of these because the USMC recently made it against regulations 

to use any polymer magazine while in theater so 

troops have to contend with issued aluminum magazines. 

This decision was made because the M27 IAR would not 

accept Pmags and thus won’t be interchangeable with 

other Marines with them. 

LEFT: Shooting the British Glock 17 was just like shooting 

any other Glock. In other words, flawless reliability. 

It was interesting that the British pistol qualification requires 

kneeling shots as well as standing, different from 

the USMC that just focuses on standing. The author’s grip 

on the pistol is more indicative of an IPSC competition but 

that is because of the author’s personal preference and 

not a Marine taught technique. The left shoulder pocket 

is bulky because of the required CAT (Combat Application 

Tourniquet) tourniquet inside; this is done with many 

Marine units in theater. 


a shooters perspective, studying the rifle 

in general, the author found the trigger 

to be lacking. 

When the bolt is locked to the rear 

after the last round, the charging knob is 

visibly locked to the rear in the corner of 

the shooter’s right eye. This was a comfort 

compared to an M16/M4 where if a 

shooter is not carefully paying attention 

to the vibrations of the rifle, he can miss 

sensing the bolt lock back after the last 

round. The bolt locking levers are on 

both sides of the weapon, truly convenient 

compared to the M16/M4 where 

the release catch is only on the left side. 

Similar to a Tavor, the release catch can 

be depressed by the same hand that 

inserts a fresh magazine. 

Also fired was the 9x19mm Glock 17, 

now in service as the primary sidearm 

(secondary being the SIG Saur P226) 

to replace the FN Hi Power (there are 

still a few Hi Powers in use on Bastion, 

mostly with rear echelon troops). The 

handgun itself was a standard Glock 

17. Thus, the Glock will not be reviewed 

as its reputation is world renowned. But 

what is different are the operating procedures 

and holster. As a side note, the 

course of fire with a pistol involved a 

kneeling position, which is different from 

the Marine Corps’ pistol course, which 

is all standing. 

Within the U.S. Armed Forces, the 

Beretta M9’s safety conditions are set 

upon the pistol, with magazine inserted, 

safety on, and round in the chamber 

all various safety measures. But with 

no external safety on the Glock, the 

British have to improvise. With a magazine 

inserted, no round in the chamber, 

the pistol inserted in the holster is 

itself considered a safety feature. Once 

drawn, the pistol has now been raised 

to an elevated safety level, racking the 

slide brings it to the final condition before 

firing. Inserting the pistol back in the 

holster brings the condition back down. 

The holster in use is certainly a wise 

choice. When the MoD (Ministry of Defence) 

adopted the Glock 17, it also adopted 

the Radar 1957 (listed as 6661 

Safe & Fast Index holster) Level 3 holster 

set as well. This is a small company 

that has its product made in Italy. In 

comparison to the U.S. equivalent, the 

BlackHawk! SERPA, the Radar offers 

some distinct advantages. The UK also 

issues SERPA holsters but only for soldiers 

armed with the SIG Sauer P226. 

The reason behind comparing the Radar 

1957 to BlackHawk! specifically and 

not Safariland or other holster brands in 

use is because service wide, the SERPA 

is the most thoroughly issued out and 

used personally by those with Berettas 

signed out to in the U.S. Armed Forces. 

Both holster systems are designed 

to have rotating angles of draw and 

both are made in sets with different cradles 

intended for thigh, hip, and chest/ 

flak mounted carry. This is to facilitate 

wearing the pistol in a garrison setting 

without body armor on. But if the user 

dons his flak, he can easily transition his 

holster from a thigh/hip mount to a flak 

mounted one, as some prefer to have 

the handgun high up on their chest while 

burdened down with gear. This makes 

for drawing a handgun in confined spaces 

such as in the turret of an American 

MRAP or British Foxhound more accessible. 

The difference between these two 

locking systems is quite noticeable; the 

Radar 1957 is much more robust than 

the SERPA. The Radar 1957s locking 

cradle is permanently attached to the 

mount, and the holster locks in via a 

built up circular device. The SERPA on 

the other hand, is held in place by two 

rotating pieces of plastic in its cradle. 

The cradle is secured to the mount via 

three Phillips head screws. 

In retention though, SERPA is faster 

in drawing; it already has a good reputation 

and that is primarily what it is based 

on and founded upon. This retention 

system is dependent on a single swivel 

that locks the trigger guard into place; 

otherwise no other lock is present. The 

swivel is also about the size of a quarter. 

The holster is also very exposed with 

the muzzle portion completely open. 

The Radar’s retention system is a two 

stage. The first is activated by the firing 

hand thumb to release the slide lock 

and the second is operated by the trigger 

or middle finger to release the pistol 

itself. Although slower initially, with 

training the speed can be brought up 

to that of the SERPA. The Radar 1957 

also exposes the pistol less and is a two 

stage retention system but most of the 

pressure is more on the shooters middle 

finger. Instead of the SERPA, all the 

pressure is on the trigger finger during 

the draw. From a safety perspective, this 

is perfect, one can draw the Radar all 

day without worrying about a negligent 

discharge; but although the SERPA is 

quick, the retention isn’t as impressive. 

At the conclusion of the shoot, the 

author was extremely satisfied having 

gained valuable experience shooting 

and learning about his counterpart’s 

weapon systems. But more importantly 

he was learning about how another 

military operates different from his own, 

because the second you stop learning is 

the second you start dying.

The new Custom Billet Rifle from S.W.A.T. Firearms 

is a match grade precision rifle that retails 

for the price of an off-the-shelf rifle. 


BY CHRIS A. CHOAT 


S.W.A.T. Firearms Industries is a 

small firearms manufacturing shop 

based in the town of Campbell, Texas. 

The shop only has a handful of employees 

but is turning out some new custom 

rifles that are very impressive. The new 

rifles feature the company’s own billet 

upper and lower receivers as well as 

new products that the company is adding 

to their line. The newest rifles bear 

the designation of the MSR-15 (Modern 

Sporting Rifle). 

This author was first introduced to 

the company’s quality products when 

they were contacted about using one of 

their billet lowers to be used with a, then 

new, complete billet upper. The new upper 

featured quick change barrels and 

the S.W.A.T. lower complimented the 

design perfectly. (See the article on Faxon 

Firearms ARAK in Small Arms Review 

Vol. 18, No. 1.) During the testing 

for that article, the quality and fit of their 

lower receiver and all the associated 

internal parts was quite impressive. 

The company is now producing complete 

rifles and is offering their guns as 

custom built creations with the customer 

picking out the options that he or she 

wants on their rifle. S.W.A.T. Firearms 

builds the guns one at a time specifically 

tailored to their use or mission; whether 

it is a gun built for 3-gun competition or a 


gun built for tactical operations. The gun 

built for this article was done as a 3-gun 

competition rifle. S.W.A.T. Firearms can 

source most any parts for a custom rifle 

or the customer can supply their 

own accessories. 

I chose to let S.W.A.T. Firearms 

build the rifle with some of their newest 

parts and options that they supply but I 

chose to put on a railed forearm of my 

choosing. The one I picked was the new 

Samson Manufacturing 15-inch Evolution 

Keymod rail forearm. This forearm 

is the latest addition to their railed forearm 

line. The Evolution Keymod features 

standard Keymod slots at the 3, 6 

and 9 o’clock positions. In addition, the 

Evolution Keymod maintains the ability 

to accept standard Evo accessories at 

multiple angles around the rail through 

the original’s cut slots. This allows the 

user the advantage of a much larger 

variety of accessories while still having 

cross platform capability where it is 

needed most. The new Keymod forearm 

has the same hand feel as its older 

brother, but is even lighter. The inside 

diameter, 1.5 inches, is also the same 

as the first Evo allowing a sound suppressor 

to fit inside the forearm for short 

barrels. The 15-inch model was chosen 

to cover the new gun’s rifle length gas 

system. The Evolution rail forearms are 

totally free-floating, attaching only at the 

rear around the barrel nut by means of 

a thermal bushing. The units all come 

with a Mil-Spec Type III black hard-coat 

anodized finish. 

The main features of the new rifle 

are, of course, the billet upper and 

lower receivers. They are both 100% 

machined, in house, at the S.W.A.T. 

OPPOSITE PAGE TOP: The new rifles 

carry the model designation of MSR 

(Modern Sporting Rifle) -15 and they are 

marked multi-caliber. S.W.A.T Firearms can 

produce the rifles in just about any caliber the 

shooter wants. Although this rifle was marked with 

select-fire markings it was semi-auto only. Also note 

the enlarged machined-in trigger guard. 

ABOVE: The S.W.A.T. Firearms custom rifle tested for 

this article was made specifically for 3-Gun matches. 

It features all of the latest upgrades that S.W.A.T. Firearms 

uses on its rifles. The rifle was equipped with the 

excellent Samson Manufacturing Evolution Keymod 

Rail Forearm. The 15 inch model was chosen to cover 

up the gun’s rifle-length gas system. It was first fitted 

with a magnified optic and fired from a bench to check 

the rifle’s accuracy. 


Firearms shop. They are both milled solid 

blocks of 6061 T-6 aluminum and are 

done in a Mil-Spec Type III black hardcoat 

anodized finish. The receivers can 

also be ordered with a Cerakote finish in 

just about any color the customer wants. 

S.W.A.T. Firearms offers their off-theshelf 

guns in colors such as Tastanium 

Devil, Desert Storm, Dragon Slayer Red 

and Prison Pink so the shooter has the 

option of mild or wild. 

The upper features a full-length Picatinny 

rail across its top and can be ordered 

either with or without the forward 

assist. The test gun had no forward assist 

as most 3-guns don’t want that option. 

Installed in the upper was one of 

S.W.A.T. Firearms extended charging 

handles. This handle has an extended, 

oversize release lever for quick manipulation. 

The billet lowers all have an 

integrated cold weather trigger guard 

that is enlarged at the front to accommodate 

a gloved finger. The lowers are 

finished the same as the uppers. Another 

great feature of the lower is the 60 

degree flared magwell at the bottom to 

help guide the magazine into place. If 

the shooter is slightly off when inserting 

the magazine this flare guides the 

magazine into position. This is an important 

feature for competitors or anyone 

in a stressful situation. The test 

guns’ upper and lower were a matched 

set and fit together perfectly. This is also 

helped by an upper receiver tensioning 

screw that is located in the lower receiver. 

This small polymer tipped screw can 

be adjusted from under the pistol grip 

to provide tension against the upper receiver 

so that even the tiniest amount of 

play can be eliminated. Pivoting the upper 

and lower receivers closed reminds 

one of shutting a safe door. The lower 

also came with KNS Precision anti rotation 

trigger and hammer pins. For those 

not familiar with these, they are pins 

that have milled notches on their ends 

and are locked in position with a mating 

crossbar. This keeps the hammer 

and trigger pins from rotating in their 

respective holes and wearing the holes 

out. This may not seem like a necessary 

accessory but is very important for guns 

that have thousands and thousands of 

rounds put through them like 3-gun firearms 

or select-fire guns. 

Other features installed on the test 

gun’s lower included S.W.A.T. Firearms 

own extended take down pins and their 

National Match 2-stage trigger. The pins 

are extended and knurled on the ends 

to get a good grip on them for easy removal. 

The trigger on the test gun had 

a very crisp 2-stage break with a trigger 

pull of only 3.6 pounds. These are very 

nice triggers and once you have tried 

them you’ll want them on all of your 

guns. The lower was equipped with an 

Ergo Grip pistol grip. These grips are 

made of a rubber material that is extremely 

non-slip and also has very slight 

palm swells and fit the hand perfectly. At 

the back end the receiver had a black 

MagPul CTR collapsible buttstock. The 

CTR is a favorite as it is simple yet 

locked up positively with absolutely no 

wobble or rattle. 

S.W.A.T. Firearms uses E.R. Shaw 

barrels and the test rifle was equipped 

with an 18 inch model that is a nice compromise 

between the 20 inch rifle barrel 

and the 16 inch carbine barrel. This 

barrel is their SPR (Special Purpose 


Rifle) model that has a 1 in 9 twist rate. 

It’s hard chromed as is the AR-15 style 

bolt that comes in the gun. The barrel is 

threaded 1/2 x 28 and was capped with 

one of S.W.A.T. Firearms own muzzle 

brakes called the MB-3. This brake produced 

a very mild muzzle blast and absolutely 

killed all the muzzle flash. The 

test gun had a rifle length gas system 

that produced very mild recoil along with 

positive functioning. 

The gun was finished in Tungsten 

Gray Cerakote. This included the upper 

and lower receivers as well as the Samson 

Keymod forearm. The barrel, buffer 

tube, stock, pistol grip, charging handle, 

fire control parts, take down pins and 

magazine were left black that made for 

a very attractive gun drawing numerous 

comments at the range. 

Testing was done with a number of 

types of ammunition that included several 

bullet styles and weights. With the 

1 in 9 twist, naturally the gun liked the 

heavier bullets in the 68 to 75 grain 

range. In fact one group shot with the 

rifle put 3 shots into one ragged hole at 

100 yards. The trigger probably had a 

lot to do with this. The group was shot 

with Hornady .223 75 Grain Boat Tail 

Hollow Point Match. The gun functioned 

perfectly with no failures of any kind. It 

fed and ejected without a hitch, which is 

expected in a rifle such as this. The gun 

was fired from the bench and used in 

3-gun competition scenarios as well. It is 

fast handling, very accurate and reliable 

to a fault. If you are looking for a 3-gun 

rifle to compete with or a rifle that can be 

used as a tactical gun, take a look at the 

new custom MSR-15. It’s a perfect fit no 

matter what the purpose. 

OPPOSITE PAGE TOP: One of the billet 

lower’s most notable features is the 60 degree 

beveled magazine well. This feature 

“funnels” the magazine into the correct position 

quickly and positively: A must for a competition 

rifle. 

OPPOSITE PAGE BOTTOM: The test rifle 

was equipped with a chrome bolt. A nickel 

boron coated bolt can also be ordered if the 

shooter so chooses. 

S.W.A.T. Firearms, Inc. 

6585 East Interstate 30 

Campbell, TX 75422 

Phone: (903) 862-2408 

www.swatfirearms.com 

RIGHT: The rifle that was tested 

came equipped with the MagPul 

CTR stock and an Ergo Grip pistol 

grip. As can be seen, the rifles 

are equipped with the KNS anti-rotation 

trigger and hammer pins. 

These pins are a must for rifles that 

are used in competition or any rifle 

that has lots of ammo through it. 

The pins holes in the receiver can 

wear if the pins rotate enough. 


The Black Hills Ammunition manufacturing 

facility in Rapid City, South Dakota. 

Black Hills Ammunition (BHA) is one 

of the most recognized names in the 

industry for premium quality ammunition 

for hunting, self defense, law enforcement 

and military customers. The 

true niche for Black Hills’ products is 

custom, precision and high quality ammunition. 

The biggest customer for BHA 

is the U.S. military. They manufacture 

perhaps the most regarded and well 

known 5.56mm cartridge, the Mk262 

Mod1, in use by SOCOM. Black Hills 

Ammunition manufactures several other 

custom combat loads for various other 

U.S. military units. The quality of BHA 

is second to none; they do not compete 

in most orders requiring the lowest bid. 

They have extreme pride in their quality 

of ammunition and are not willing to take 

away the man hours of inspections of 

components and final ammunition to 

compete in low bids. They have no 

desire to be known as the low bid/low 

quality manufacturer. However, this 

keeps them out of the law enforcement 

market due to the fact that almost all law 

enforcement contracts go out for bid. 

Generally due to budget restraints, the 

main concern is cost and over-all reliability. 

The military on the other hand 

has the opposite view on ammunition. 

They have exceedingly high standards 

and are willing to pay for the best ammunition 

in the world. They also have 

many different missions requiring specific 

needs. This is where BHA comes in. 

There are no engineers at BHA as they 

are an assembly plant not a design firm. 

When Jeff Hoffman is presented with a 

requirement, he seeks out the proper 

components. If those components don’t 

exist, he works with his suppliers (who 

he has more than 20-year relationships 

with) to custom design and manufacture 

that projectile or powder blend needed 

for that particular requirement. These 

close relationships with ammunition 

component manufacturers to develop 

new and improved products have made 

Black Hills Ammunition one of the highest 

quality manufacturers of ammunition 

in the world. 

Small Arms Review was granted a 

rare inside look at the Black Hills Ammunition 

manufacturing plant in Rapid City, 

South Dakota. We were taken from the 

R&D labs right into the production and 

quality control areas. The facility was 

converted from a dairy plant and was 

well suited for the needs of BHA. There 

62 


The Black Hills 

Ammunition Factory 

A RARE INSIDE LOOK AT THE MAKINGS OF MATCH AMMUNITION 

By Christopher R. Bartocci 

is a main manufacturing plant along 

with an additional storage facility and 

primer and powder storage containers 

that all conform to U.S. Department of 

Defense (DOD) regulations for storage 

of powder and primers. Like any U.S. 

DoD contracting location, security is 

very strict with many levels of restricted 

access areas. Not to be unheeded, 

the front door is guarded by a large 

overlooking gargoyle. 

The first stop on the tour was the 

warehouse. The warehouse was loaded 

with projectiles of all sorts, primers and 

large caches of cartridge cases. The 

military production components are kept 

separate from the commercial. BHA purchases 

as much components as possible 

when they become available and will 

store them. In the last couple of years 

ammunition components have become 

quite scarce. BHA is an ammunition 

manufacturing facility and without components 

their loading machines sit idle. 

Every effort is made to keep enough 

stock so the chances of production being 

halted due to running out of components 

is left at a minimum. 

The second place Jeff Hoffman 

showed was one of the two ballistic laboratories 

used in the development and 

testing of ammunition. Proof barrels are 

installed in the main unit. Pressures, 

velocity and various environmental conditions 

can be tested. The test barrel is 

fired through three tires, then through 

three sky screens that capture velocity 

and the projectile is captured in a snail 

trap. These systems may be used for 

development of new products or to test 

various lots of ammunition to ensure it 

conforms to the specifications. There 

are two ballistic labs; one for commercial 

and one for military ammunition. 

Next we were shown the Gel Room. 

This is a dedicated room for mixing 

and preparing ordnance gel in testing 

all types of ammunition. There are two 

large refrigerator units that are always 

filled with gel. There are various length 

molds as well. This is a critical testing 

procedure, particularly when manufacturing 

military ammunition. The gel 

also will give immediate feedback if the 

projectiles will maintain their weight or 

fragment as well as a very good visual 

regarding the permanent cavity damage 

the projectile will make. 

Due to Black Hills Ammunition 

manufacturing ammunition for 


Black Hills Factory 

military use, every effort is made to ensure 

the ammunition is combat reliable 

and as absolutely uniform lot to lot as 

is humanly possible. They have a humidity 

environmental chamber that is 

used to condition reference ammunition 

to assure the most accurate results 

possible in referencing Black Hills 

Pressure test barrels. 

Quality control starts with each and 

every component. When your reputation 

depends on the performance of the ammunition, 

BHA does not take the word 

of their vendors that everything is within 

specification. BHA offers two different 

types of ammunition, new and factory 

reloads. In the case of the reloads, brass 

is accepted from sources which BHA is 

sure they are only once fired. Each fired 

cartridge case is visually inspected for 

serious scratches, damaged rims, bent 

mouths or any other anomaly that may 

make the cartridge case speculative of 

performance in a reloaded cartridge. 

New cartridge cases are inspected at 

the loading machine. Depending on the 

type of cartridge case, they may require 

priming or in the case of military ammunition, 

the cartridge cases may already 

be primed and have the primer pocket 

crimped. In the case of the primed 

cartridge cases, the loading machine 

operator will hand inspect each round 

prior to it going into the hopper of the 

loading machine. The slightest blemish 

on military contract ammunition will 

be rejected. One of the more common 

manufacturing defects noted will be the 

lack of uniformity or a missing flash hole. 

The new unprimed cartridge cases go 

through the same process but the additional 

step of priming is added to the 

assembly process. 

Primers go through inspection as 

well and there is a separate room where 

the primers are examined. Each primer 

is inspected to assure all three components 

are present (cup, anvil, firing 

mixture). Mostly Winchester primers 

are used exclusively by BHA. On very 

rare occasion a primer will have one 

or all of the components missing or 

the primer is assembled incorrectly. 

Although a very tedious process, this 

quality control measure guarantees to 

the extent possible, that the round will 

fire when struck by the firing pin. Once 

the primers are accepted, they are fed 

into a machine that loads the primer 

tubes (100 each) that are fed into 

the loading machines. 

Bullets are also inspected. Due to 

the degree of accuracy required, projectiles 

are inspected and weighed 

to make sure they conform to the 


specification. Depending on the projectile type, 

they are checked to make sure that cores are complete 

and uniform. BHA uses numerous manufacturers 

of projectiles including Hornady, Sierra and 

Barnes to name a few as well as cast lead projectiles. 

Depending on the order, the projectile is procured. 

Much research and development is done 

on behalf of customers to find projectiles to meet 

a specific requirement. BHA will find that projectile 

and if it is not available they will work with the 

manufacturer to design and manufacture it for 

that customer. 

Propellants are another very critical component in 

the cartridge performance. Depending on the particular 

caliber, projectile weight and cartridge case, there 

are numerous propellants that may be used. The military 

has different requirements than a hunter. They 

LEFT: Black Hills Ammunition President Jeff 

Hoffman shows one of the two ballistic laboratories 

in the factory. Ammunition is checked for 

pressures, velocities and much more. This facility 

is key in the development of new products. 

ABOVE: Black Hills Ammunition keeps large 

stocks of components on hand. Due to recent 

shortages of components, Black Hills Ammunition 

purchases components whenever available 

to ensure as much as possible no production 

stoppages. 


RIGHT: Downrange of the barrel fixture 

in the ballistic laboratory. Note 

the tires, sky screens for measuring 

velocity and the snail bullet trap. 

will need flash retardants for nighttime 

firing. Some propellants burn faster and 

some slower. Modern propellants now 

can increase the performance of older 

calibers by the improved propellants 

that give similar or better performance 

with less volume of propellant. Military 

weapons offer their own set of challenges 

where propellants are concerned due 

to the need of both a certain chamber 

pressure but also a certain port pressure. 

Depending on the location of the 

gas port and the distance from the gas 

port to the muzzle, various propellants 

may be needed to control the pressure 

curve so as not to over or under pressure 

the operating system. As new requirements 

come up, BHA research 

and development people work with the 

powder manufacturers to design proper 

blends to accomplish the task at hand. 

The propellant used in the Mk262 Mod1 

is a custom blended propellant just used 

in that cartridge. 

The loading rooms are split into two 

different ones – one for military production 

and the other for commercial production. 

This is done for several reasons, 

with one of the most important 

being storage of proper components 

where they are to be used. 

By industry standards, the BHA loading 

machines are quite slow, though that 

is just fine with Jeff Hoffman. The type of 

detail the machine operators must have 

could not be done as well with high volume 

machines. The operators are normally 

assigned to one loading machine. 

This is for several reasons; the most 

important is that the operator knows the 

machine completely. The operator can 

tell by the sound or feel if something is 

just not right. The operator is responsible 

for keeping the hoppers full of projectile, 

powder and cartridge cases and in other 

cases primers as well. However, at the 

same time they are inspecting every 

cartridge case that goes into the hopper 

and when the loaded cartridge comes 

out the loading machine. The cartridge 

is tested with calipers for overall length 

as well as chamber gauge. Throughout 

the day, one of the four managers 

goes to each machine, pull cartridges, 

inspects the powder charge, quality and 

lengths of the cartridges to ensure everything 

is right. There are also cartridge 

gauges that are inserted into the loading 

machine to check all the settings. There 

is a rigorous inspection of the loading 

machines to ensure the best product is 

being produced. 

The loading machines are totally 

automatic with the operator just feeding 

in the components. In the case of 

military ammunition, the decapping 


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and priming steps are skipped due to the cartridge 

case already having the primer seated 

and crimped. Some of the stations of the military 

production include length die, slight flaring of the 

mouth die, charging, dropping of the projectile 

into the mouth of the cartridge case, seating and 

crimping of the projectile. 

After the cartridges are assembled and inspected, 

they go to the tumbling room. There are 

several tumblers with corn cob media to clean any 

contaminants or fingerprints off of the cartridges 

ensuring against corrosion of the cartridge. From 

this point on, the cartridges are handled with cotton 

gloves. Depending on the customer, most 

cartridges are left in for only a brief time so the 

annealing marks are not removed as per military 

specifications. In the case of commercial ammunition, 

these are often polished out. Once the ammunition 

is cleaned it is ready to be inspected one 

more time. 

Also depending on the customer needs, some 

military ammunition is subjected to an additional 

primer and mouth sealant. This $300,000 machine 

is quite interesting. The cartridges are laid 

on a track. The first position, a needle located right 

on the cannelure drops some red sealant onto the 

RIGHT: After final assembly, ammunition 

is briefly tumbled to remove 

lubricants, oils or fingerprints to help 

prevent later corrosion due to these 

contaminants. 


ABOVE: The mouth/primer sealing machine. This is the application of sealant to the 

mouth of the cartridge case. 

RIGHT: Every round is again hand inspected. Any deformities including tool marks 

on the case, dents, corrosion and any other damage are removed. If the issues are 

just cosmetic, the ammunition may be sold as factory seconds. 

cannelure at the mouth of the cartridge 

case. As the cartridge rolls on the track 

the sealant is evenly and lightly distributed 

around the full circumference of 

the projectile. The next stage is another 

needle that places sealant between 

the edge of the primer and the primer 

pocket. Again as the cartridge rolls on 

the track the sealant is evenly distributed 

around the circumference of the 

primer. The next stop is the cartridges 

are run under a UV light that instantly 

cures/dries the sealant. This process is 

unlike the standard Lake City Army Ammunition 

Plant sealing process. When 

you examine closely, the Lake City 

brass has purple sealant on the primer 

that often makes its way onto the face 

of the primer. The BHA process does 

not. It sits perfectly in the edges. On the 

Lake City ammunition, you see a black 

tar like mouth sealant and on the BHA 

it is a perfect round ring that will not affect 

accuracy or reliability. This process 

does add cost to each cartridge and is 

reserved for military customers whose 

ammunition will be exposed to the harsh 

environment that could kill a cartridge if 

left unsealed. 

The next step is final inspection and 

packaging. This time an inspector with 

a fluorescently lit magnifying lens inspects 

each cartridge for any cosmetic 

blemish, e.g., a tool mark/scratch, dent 

or staining. If something is found the 

cartridge is removed and placed in a 

“seconds” bin. The seconds are sold as 

fully functional ammunition but with minor 

cosmetic flaws. Often this ammunition 

can go to manufacturers as function 

test ammunition or may be sold on the 

commercial market. In the case of pistol 

ammunition, the ammunition is placed 

in a tray that holds 50 rounds. There is 

a block placed over the rounds and the 

tray is flipped allowing the inspector to 

view each cartridge tip, then flipped over 

the base of the cartridge allowing for 

inspection of the primer. Everything is 

good, a packaging ammo box is placed 

on top, the tray is flipped and now the 

ammunition is ready to be slid into a 

box. One final quality check to go. The 

box of ammunition is placed on a scale 

which knows the exact weight that box is 

suppose to be. Even the slightest difference 

flags the inspector. This could indicate 

the lack of powder, or a defective 

projectile to name a few things. The box 

will then be removed and each round 

inspected until the problem is found. 

Now the ammunition is placed into 

the box and then packaged into a case. 

The case is stapled, banded and ready 

to be shipped to the customer. Military 

ammunition goes on a different path 

after inspection. Depending on the contract, 

the ammunition may be placed 

in a 20-round box or the ammunition 

must be placed on stripper clips and 

three stripper clips placed in a box. The 

contract stipulates packaging, which 

usually consists of the ammunition being 

placed in an ammo can, two cans 

make a wooden crate and the crate 

sealed with metal wire. Ammunition for 

the U.S. military is picked up by the 

military in their own trucks unlike other 

ammunition finding its way out UPS or 

Fed Ex. If requested, ammunition can 

be manufactured in lots using the same 

lot components (cartridge case, primer, 

propellant and projectile). For instance, 

with match ammunition being used in 

competition or by snipers, they do not 

want to have to change the dope on 

their scopes to compensate for a dif- 



ferent lot of ammunition. They are able 

to procure large lots of the exact same 

production ammunition. 

There is essentially no inventory of 

ammunition at BHA as ammunition is 

made to order. As fast as it comes off the 

production line it is out the door to many 

different types of customers. One niche 

BHA enjoys is they are the largest supplier 

in the industry of proof ammunition 

for gun manufacturers. This ammunition 

is purposely loaded to 20% over normal 

pressure. Gun manufacturers use this 

ammunition at the factory to test new 

firearms to ensure the proof round does 

not damage the gun. The theory is that 

if the high pressure round is fired, any 

metal failure will present itself. All goes 

well and the weapon is not damaged the 

guns are shipped. In the case of military 

weapon manufacturers, often following 

a proof round being fired the barrel and 

bolt are inspected by means of magnetic 

particle inspection to see it there are any 

stress fractures. These proof rounds are 

manufactured for both rifles and pistols. 

Often they are identified by their silver 

colored cartridge case or in some cases 

the projectile is painted. Many different 

types of projectiles can be loaded in a 

proof round, it just has to conform to the 

proper projectile weight and it must not 

come apart when fired. 

Black Hills Ammunition provides 

function test ammunition to numerous 

foreign and domestic firearms manufacturers. 

Any quality gun manufacturer 

will test fire their firearm for function and 

accuracy prior to shipping. This is often 

where the factory seconds will go but 

new manufactured ammunition is procured 

as well. This is another example 

of the trust the industry puts in Jeff and 

Kristie Hoffman’s hands. 

The military ammunition is the largest 

part of the business as previously 

stated. BHA has been on the forefront 

with the development of several 

cartridges in use by American Warfighters. 

This includes the SOCOM Mk262 

Mod1, the MK255 Mod1 as well as many 

custom loads for various military/government 

units. Jeff Hoffman’s expertise 

has led to advancements in the quality 

and performance of the 7.62x51mm 

M118LR PIP ammunition as well as 

advancements in .300 Winchester Magnum 

and .338 Lapua Magnum loads. 

BHA is also the manufacturer and 

co-designer of the ammunition used in 

the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, Air 

Force Marksmanship Unit as well as the 

Marine Corps Marksmanship Unit. BHA 

has some international military customers 

as well. These customers are more 

than often units who worked closely with 

U.S. Special Operations forces and saw 

the ammunition they had and decided 

they wanted the same ammunition. 

They would contact BHA and as long as 

all the export paperwork was in order 

they will ship to the foreign customers. 



This is and will remain the core of BHA 

business and center of focus. 

Remanufactured ammunition is a 

good part of the Black Hills Ammunition 

lineup. They offer numerous .223 

Rem loads as well as the .40 caliber 

pistol loads. The once fired brass is procured 

from agencies BHA works with 

and knows the ammunition was once 

fired. According to Jeff Hoffman, with 

the degree of quality control in the manufacturing 

process there is literally no 

performance sacrifice due to the once 

fired brass with the only real differences 

being a few scratches and an extractor 

and ejector mark that are just cosmetic. 

The remanufactured ammunition is 

packaged in blue boxes. 

The newly manufactured ammunition 

is also offered in multiple calibers, 

for both rifle and handgun. Identified 

by the red boxes, this ammunition is 

manufactured with new cartridge 

cases: mostly Winchester and Lake City 

cartridge cases. Calibers offered are 

the basic military calibers including .223 

Remington, 5.56x45mm, .300 Whisper/Blackout, 

.308 Winchester, .300 

Winchester Magnum, .338 Lapua and 

.338 Norma Magnum. There are numerous 

types of bullets including Varmint 

Grenade, Hornady V-Max, Match Hollow 

Point, Full Metal Jacket, Soft Point, 

Barnes MPG, Heavy Match Hollow 

Point, Hornady and Sierra MatchKing 

OTM/JHPBT, solid Barnes and Hornady 

solid copper G-Max/TAC-TX projectiles 

to just name a few. Much of this is match 

grade ammunition used for long range 

and competitive shooting. One of the 

most popular products is the 5.56mm 

77grain OTM ammunition, which is a 

commercial version of the highly sought 

after Mk262 Mod1 ammunition. Once 

word got out regarding the performance 

of the military ammunition there was a 

large request from customers for the 

same ammunition. Normally, it is the exact 

same ammunition. Recently due to 

a little explosion in the propellant plant 

that makes the specific propellant for the 

military load, newer lots of commercial 

ammunition use a slightly different powder 

than the military load. The ammunition 

has identical performance. Once 

production resumes to full capacity of 

the propellant manufacturer, the propellant 

will be universal. Like any government 

contractor, U.S. military contracts 

come first. 

The Black Hills Gold line of ammunition 

are comprised of various commonly 

used hunting cartridges including .22- 

250, .243 Win, .25-06, .260 Rem, .270 

Win, .30-06, .308, .300 Win Magnum 

and 7mm Rem Mag. The loads consist 

of hunting projectiles Varmint Grenade, 

A-Max, V-Max, Hornady SST, Hornady 

GMX, Barnes TSX, Hornady Match Hollow 

Point, and Nosler AccuBond. These 

are projectiles intended to hunt any 

game in the continental United States. 

Some of these projectiles are also used 

in competition shooting as well. This 

ammunition is packed in the yellow and 

black boxes. 

To round out the family of products 

is the Authentic Cowboy Action ammunition. 

Cowboy action has been an ever 

growing shooting sport. Gun manufacturers 

have brought back the older single 

action revolvers and lever action rifles. 

There are also those who compete 

with original production firearms as well. 


RIGHT: Various stages of the loading 

machine for loading Mk262 

Mod1 ammunition. 

LEFT: Ammunition being ejected 

from the loading machine. 

With this demand Black Hills Ammunition 

introduced 13 calibers of traditional 

cowboy ammunition to their lineup. All 

loaded with lead projectiles/flat tip, the 

cartridges are designed so they can 

be used in many original production 

firearms. However, if you have an older 

firearm it is best to have it examined 

by a competent gunsmith to ensure it is 

safe to fire. These cartridges include .32 

H&R, .32-20, .38 Long Colt, .38 Special, 

.38-40, .38-55, .44 Colt, .44 Russian, 

.44 Special, .44-40, .45 Colt, .45 Schofield 

and .45-70. 

Black Hills Ammunition manufactures 

precision high performance ammunition. 

The degree of quality and precision 

does come with a price. With the 

very prestigious list of customers who 

use BHA products, including the most 

elite soldiers in the U.S. military, the reputation 

of Black Hills Ammunition is well 

established. If you are looking for inexpensive 

plinking ammunition, perhaps 

this is not your brand. But if you need to 

hit a 1,000 yard target, stop a Taliban in 

his tracks, shoot competition, need self 

defense ammunition or custom ammunition, 

Black Hills Ammunition is your 

place to call. 

SHOT SHOW BOOTH #6213 


Shortly after World War II began, the 

belligerents involved soon discovered 

that they needed to increase production 

of weapons to arm their expanding 

armies and replace those arms damaged 

or lost in the field. The problem 

they all faced were the lack of machine 

tools and men to operate them. There 

was also a shortage of the raw materials 

needed to fabricate weapons, with the 

aircraft and ship building factories having 

priority. The solution to the problem 

was first solved by the Germans who pioneered 

an entirely new method of manufacturing 

small arms using inexpensive 

carbon steel stampings, assembled with 

rivets and welding. 

The most successful German weapons 

fabricated from sheet metal were the 

MP40 submachine gun and the MG42 

machine gun. The ordnance establishments 

of the world took notice and 

soon introduced their own sheet-metal 

weapons. The British had their Sten, 

the United States M3 and M3A1 “grease 

guns” and the Soviets fielded their PPSh 

and PPS43 submachine guns. Despite 

having a rather crude appearance, the 

sheet metal weapons were proven to be 

every bit as rugged and reliable as their 

labor-intensive counterparts. 

Every gun designer studies previous 

designs to learn what works and 

what doesn’t. Mikhail Kalashnikov was 

particularly impressed with the simple, 

all-metal stamped steel construction of 

the 7.62x25mm Pistolet Pulemet Sudayeva, 

PPS43. Kalashnikov realized the 

pressed steel construction was the way 

future small arms would be made. Three 

basic principles would be followed in 

all of Kalashnikov’s designs: simple, 

reliable, and easily manufactured. Accuracy 

requirements in the Warsaw 

Pact, though important, were not as 

critical as the requirements of the NATO 

member countries. 

The very first production AK rifles 

were manufactured with stamped 

sheet metal receivers before the more 

commonly known milled receiver model 

appeared. There was no designation 

change regardless of the receiver 

type; they were simply called Avtomat 


The first production model of the 

AK-rifle. The receiver was made of 

pressed sheet metal. 

Stamped Receiver AK Rifle 

By Frank Iannamico 

AK Photographs Courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps National Museum 

Kalashnikova rifles. The designations 

Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3 have been widely 

accepted by historians and enthusiasts 

as a means in which to identify particular 

AK models. However, these are not official 

nomenclatures. Despite numerous 

detail differences, there was no designation 

change to any AK rifles until the 

AKM model was introduced in 1959. 

The First Generation Russian AK 

Although there were a substantial 

number of prototypes and 

experimental versions of the AK rifle, the 

very first production models emerged 

during 1948 from the Izhevsk Motor 

Plant, factory 524. Other armament 

plants supplied some of the parts and 

components for assembly of the weapon. 

During 1949, production was transferred 

to the Izhmash factory 74. (Dan’s 

note: General Kalashnikov was in Serbia 

at the Zastava factory at Kragujevac, 

and he was out to dinner with three of us 

Americans- weapons designer Charlie 

Rostocil, Dr. Philip H. Dater of Gemtech, 

and myself. Charlie kept on the subject 

of “The first AK,” because the General 

had always held that his first model 

worked, and was the “First AK.” Finally, 

the General admitted there were 5 or 6 

prototypes, but “The first AK was the one 

that worked perfectly, the others were 

just attempts.” 

The first production AK rifles, 

chambered for the intermediate-range 

7.62x39mm cartridge, were produced 

with receivers fabricated from a 1.3mm 

thick U shaped sheet metal stamping. 

Located at the front of the receiver was 

a machined block of steel that served 

as the barrel trunnion. The trunnion was 

secured in place by eight rivets; four on 

each side of the receiver. The inside of 

the trunnion block was threaded for attaching 

the barrel to the receiver assembly. 

This also included locking shoulders 

for the breech bolt, short sections of the 

bolt guide rails and the ejector. A second 

steel block was positioned just forward 

of the barrel’s breech. This component 

housed the rear sight assembly, 

had a flange for the gas tube, and the 

components for locking the gas tube 

in place. The lower part of the block 

encircled the barrel and had a lateral 

solid steel cross pin installed to prevent 

the rear sight base and barrel 

from loosening. 

At the back end of the receiver 

was another steel trunnion that had 

two tangs extending from it to secure 

the buttstock, and a groove at the top 

to contain the guide rod of the recoil 

spring assembly. This piece was secured 

with three long rivets, which extended 

completely through both sides of 

the receiver. 

A similar assembly, without the extended 

buttstock tangs, was used for the 

underfolding stock model. All of these 

components served as “bulkheads” 

providing the sheet metal receiver with 

strength and rigidity. The upper edges 

of the sheet metal receiver were bent 

inward at a 90-degree angle, providing 

rails for the bolt carrier to ride on. Two 

additional bolt guide rails were riveted 

to the inside of the receiver, just forward 

of the trigger guard. A horizontal 


RIGHT: Field-stripped Type 1 AK. Note 

the fluted rod of the gas piston. The recoil 

spring had a telescoping guide rod 

and the top cover was made of thicker 

metal than subsequent models. 

ABOVE: The rear trunnion of the fixed-stock model was riveted 

into the receiver and had two tangs to attach the buttstock. Note 

the stamped tang extending from the bottom of the receiver to 

attach the pistol grip panels. The grip panels were made of plastic 

or wood. 

rib pressed into each side of the receiver 

at the top that served as a ledge to 

support the receiver top cover and add 

strength to the receiver. The top cover 

was smooth and made of heavy gauge 

stamped steel that was 1.6mm thick 

(.063-inches). 

On the underside of the receiver was 

a stamped steel trigger guard assembly. 

At the front of the trigger guard was a 

channel to house the magazine catch 

and spring; at the rear of the trigger 

guard was a long sheet metal tab that 

extended down from the receiver for 

attaching the pistol grip. The pistol grip 

of the first production model was unique 

in that it had two wooden or plastic side 

panels secured by a lateral screw and 

threaded insert. The trigger guard frame 

assembly was attached to the receiver 

floor by five rivets. 

The fire control components were 

held in place and rotated on steel axis 

pins placed laterally through the sides of 

the receiver. The pins were secured in 

place by the long trip sear spring, which 

rested in grooves located on the left end 

of the axis pin-heads. The double-hook 

trigger, hammer, and disconnector were 

a design that was similar to those used 

on the later milled receiver AK rifles. 

The rod of the gas piston had flutes 

machined into its shaft to reduce its 

weight and the gas piston assembly was 

chromium-plated to resist the effects of 

corrosive ammunition. The bolt carrier 

and bolt were left in the white. The 

sheet metal steel gas tube ribs had four 

round gas relief holes placed horizontally 

along the length of the tube on each 

side at the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions. 

The recoil spring assembly had 

two telescoping hollow metal tubes. The 

spring was installed over the tubes and 

was secured by a steel circular retainer 

cap that was slotted. With the spring 

compressed, the cap was slid onto a 

groove cut into the front guide rod holding 

the assembly together. The mode of 

fire-safety lever had only one tang located 

at the lower edge. The tang was 

bent at a 90-degree angle and served 

as grip surface for the operator’s fingers 

to move the lever. On the inside surface 

of the lever was a small dimple designed 

to position the lever in one of two small, 

shallow circular depressions drilled into 

the receiver. The depressions were used 

to retain the lever in the semiautomatic 

or full-automatic position. On some early 

guns, the semiautomatic and automatic 

fire positions were not marked. Provisions 

for a cleaning rod were located under 

the barrel. The hardwood stock was 

secured to the receiver with two wood 

screws - one placed through each of the 

steel tangs of the rear receiver trunnion. 

A flat steel buttplate was positioned at 

the rear of the stock and secured by two 

wood screws. A trap door was provided 

to access a hole drilled into the rear of 

the stock for storage of a cleaning kit. A 

sling swivel was located on the bottom 

of the stock a few inches forward of the 

buttplate. The loaded weight of the Type 

1 rifle with early “slabside” magazine 

was 10.13-pounds (4.60kg). The overall 

length was 34.375-inches. 

AKS Rifle 

To fulfill the requirement of a compact 

weapon for issue to paratroopers 

and vehicle crews, a variant was conceived 

with a folding stock to reduce the 

overall length for storage or transport. 

The weapon was designated as the AKS 


LEFT: Early stamped receiver AKS underfolding 

stock model. The stock is in 

its extended position. 

RIGHT: Early AKS with its metal buttstock 

in its folded position. The weapon could be 

fired with the stock in this position. 


ifle. The letter S for Sklodnoy (a Cyrillic 

letter C) was added to the designation to 

indicate that the rifle had a folding stock. 

The AKS models were fitted with a steel 

folding stock, which required a special 

rear trunnion to accommodate its locking 

mechanism. The trunnion was riveted 

into place at the rear of the receiver. 

There were two large 16mm holes 

provided on each side of the receiver 

walls to accommodate the pivot pin for 

the stock to rotate on. The design of the 

steel underfolding stock was similar to 

that used on the World War II German 

MP38 and MP40 submachine guns. 

The stock’s two strut arms were made 

from round steel bar stock with lightening 

cuts milled out of the inside surfaces 

of each of the arms. The stamped metal 

skeleton buttplate was attached to the 

end of the strut arms with two rivets that 

allowed it to swivel for extending the 

stock or folding it for storage under the 

receiver. Early prototype buttplates were 

an enclosed oval shape, but on production 

rifles, the buttplate was redesigned 

with an open top so the stock could be 

folded with a magazine in the rifle. To release 

the lock mechanism to fold or extend 

the stock, there was a checkered 

push-button on the left side of the pivot 

pin. With its folding stock extended, 

the length of the AKS rifle was slightly 

longer at 34.5-inches than a fixed stock 

model when measured to the center 

point of the curved buttplate. The loaded 

weight was also slightly more than 

the fixed stock version at 10.26-pounds 

(4.65kg). Other features were the same 

as the full stock model. 

While the stamped sheet metal AK 

receiver had proven to be suitably durable 

during the extensive trials and testing 

of the weapon prior to adoption, the 

technology necessary for mass-producing 

such a receiver proved to be lacking. 

There have been many conflicting 

accounts of exactly why the Russians 

went from the original stamped Type 1 

receiver to the milled Type 2. Typically, 

the Soviets did not divulge a lot of information, 

especially regarding a design 

failure. Two of the reported problems 

experienced early on with Kalashnikov’s 

Type 1 AK rifle were receiver strength 

and accuracy. One could surmise that 

the problem was that the trunnion was 

not adequately supported in the receiver. 

Years later, the stamped receiver 

AKM suffered from similar accuracy 

problems, which were eventually solved 

through the addition of the hammer delay 

system. Other accounts report that 

it was difficult to hold manufacturing tolerances 

due to warping of the receiver 

after riveting and heat-treating. 

ABOVE TOP: Inside view of the early stamped receiver. This particular weapon 

has been refitted with a full-auto trip lever from an AKM. Note the side rail has 

been slotted to accommodate the curved AKM lever. The stamped receiver AK 

originally used the same straight trip lever used in later milled receiver AK rifles. 

ABOVE BOTTOM: The early AKS folding stock’s two strut arms were made 

from round steel bar stock with lightening cuts milled out of the inside surfaces 

of each of the arms. To release the lock mechanism to fold or extend the stock, 

there is a checkered push-button on the left side of the pivot pin. 


There have been a number of Type 1 

AK and AKS rifles studied by the author, 

all were fully serviceable, with no signs 

of any structural failures observed. 

During the 1950s, the only viable 

solution to the Type 1 receiver problem 

was to switch to a receiver manufactured 

by the previous, and well-known, method 

of machining the component from a 

steel forging. Using this old but proven 

procedure resulted in slower, more 

expensive production. While the new 

milled receiver was being designed, and 

subsequently manufactured, production 

of the AK rifles with the stamped steel 

receivers continued at Izhmash until being 

phased out around 1951, at which 

time rifle production was switched completely 

over to the Type 2 forged/milled 

receiver. The Soviets have sometimes 

noted that the Type 2 milled receiver 

weapon was the “new lightweight model,” 

but in reality its weight was 6.34 

ounces (.18kg) heavier than a Type 1. 

(Article excerpted in part from the 

book AK-47 The Grim Reaper Available 

from Chipotle Publishing LLC. Telephone: 

702-565-0746. www.smallarmsreview.com) 

ABOVE: A rare photograph of Soviet troops in Red Square Moscow, Russia with 1st generation 

(Type 1) stamped receiver AK rifles. (Photograph courtesy of Long Mountain Outfitters LLC) 


Operationally Testing Uselton Arms’ 

The explosive bonding process has 

been understood for most of the last 

century being first observed as a result 

of warfare. Metal fragments from 

exploded artillery shells and bombs 

were observed to bond with other metal 

objects in the close proximity of the 

explosion. While the root cause of this 

phenomena was understood, it’s metallurgical 

and commercial value was not 

explored until high explosives were perfected 

and mass produced during World 

War II making the explosive bonding 

process reliable and cost effective. Even 

then, it was only patented and further 

developed during the 1960s. 

The process involves using high explosives 

to accelerate two metal plates 

together at a velocity sufficiently high 

enough (millions of pounds of pressure) 

to achieve metallurgical bonding at the 

atomic level. As sophisticated as this 


Model 1911 .45 ACP 

By Paul Evancoe 

might seem it really isn’t rocket science. 

Two metal plates to be combined must 

have clean flat surfaces where they are 

to be joined. The plates are laid flat in 

direct contact with one another on an 

anvil and high explosives are placed 

on top, evenly covering the plates. Any 

high explosive will work, e.g., C-4, TNT, 

Detasheet, even ammonium nitrate if 

boosted. The explosives are detonated 

creating the bonded metal plate. 

The resulting transition joint (weld) is 

ultra-high vacuum tight giving it high 

mechanical strength. 

This means metals as dissimilar as 

6061 aluminum and 304 stainless steel 

can be metallurgically joined creating 

bi-metal billets from which the stainless 

steel is utilized for wear surfaces and 

the lighter more malleable aluminum for 

other non-wear surfaces. This makes it 

ideal for firearms construction because 

it can withstand drastic thermal and 

pressure excursions without separation. 

The advantage of using explosively 

bonded metal in firearms construction is 

because it achieves significant weight 

savings without sacrificing the resilience 

and performance characteristics of 

steel. Neither is there the need for exotic 

and expensive machining processes 

used for metals like titanium. Therefore, 

explosively bonded metal can be machined 

without the expensive process of 

special handling or retooling. 

The U.S. Army acts as the soldier 

weapons executive agent for all branches 

of the U.S. Armed Forces and heads 

the Program Executive Office - Soldier 

(PEO Soldier). The number one goal 

for all future soldier-carried equipment 

is to reduce the soldier’s load. In other 

words, make everything lighter and easier 

to carry. Weight reduction in pistols, 

assault rifles and machine guns is a 

worthy goal. However, light construction 

most always results in reduced reliability 

and weapon life span. Lightweight 

weapons made from lightweight materials 

simply wear out faster than heavier 

weapons made from heavier materials, 

especially when continuously exposed 

to rigorous combat extremes. In short, 

mass matters. Guns made from explosively 

bonded metal appear to provide a 

solution. We decided to find out by operationally 

testing two explosively bonded 

prototype model 1911 .45 ACP pistols 

manufactured by UA Arms. 

The size of the explosively bonded 

billets necessary to build a 1911 frame 

is 7x5x1inches. Approximately 3/8 of 

an inch of 304 stainless is bonded to a 

Explosively bonded with three dissimilar metals at the molecular level (6061 Aluminum 

(top); Titanium (middle); 304 Stainless Steel (bottom) 


LEFT: Forged explosively bonded 

slide billet ready for machining 

6061 aluminum slab. When machined, 

the stainless is used for the wear surfaces. 

A rough order of magnitude cost 

comparison of explosively bonded billets 

compared to conventional steel and 

exotic titanium are as follows: The average 

cost to build a conventional 1911 

cast steel frame is about $150 dollars. 

The average cost to build a frame from 

a forged steel billet is around $200 dollars. 

The average cost to build a frame 

from an explosively bonded billet is 

$350 dollars. The cost to build a titanium 

frame is around $475 dollars. Compared 

to a steel frame, the weight saving 

in the explosively bonded frame is quite 

LEFT: Explosively bonded frame 

for M1911 (304 Stainless steel & 

6061 aluminum) 

remarkable depending on materials 

used and model. Conventional all steel 

1911’s average 44-46 ounces. UA 

guns with explosively bonded frames 

and slides average between 25 and 28 

ounces, depending on the model. 

The Operational Test Plan (OTP) 

was designed to test the viability of using 

explosively bonded dissimilar metals 

in firearm construction. In this case, 

6061 aluminum was explosively bonded 

to 304 stainless steel. The advantage 

of using this process is firearm weight 

reduction without sacrificing reliability, 

maintainability and availability. Reliability 

refers to the proper functioning of the 

gun. Maintainability refers to how easily 

the gun is maintained and how often 

maintenance is necessary both routine 

and repair. Availability is a factor of reliability 

(failure rate) and maintainability 

(parts availability, interchangeability, 

how quickly can it be repaired and back 

in service) between malfunctions and 

breakage. Simply, availability means 

that the gun is in an available status 

when you need to use it and not broken, 

malfunctioning or down for repair. 

The 1911 .45 ACP was selected because 

its performance is so well (understood) 

known and documented over the 

last 100 years. UA Arms machined ten 

1911 frames with integral rails from explosively 

bonded billets produced by Pacific 

Aerospace & Electronics (PA&E). 

UA Arms has exclusive distribution 

rights from PA&E to use its explosively 

bonded billets in firearms construction. 

Two of these ten pistols, serial #004 

and #008, were randomly selected for 

operational testing. UA Arms custom 

built these pistols for close quarter battle 

(CQB). Both guns were ceramic coated 

inside and out to reduce bi-metal electrolysis 

and corrosion when immersed 

in a saltwater environment and to provide 

a self-lubricious coating to meet the 

Navy SEAL and Marine Corps special 

operations requirement to reliably fire 

a minimum of 200 rounds immediately 

upon exiting from prolonged water 

submersion without lubrication. 

While testing was not focused upon 

match-grade accuracy, Uselton installed 

front blade Novak combat front 


night sights and Novak rear adjustable 

combat sights on both guns at the Operational 

Test Director’s (OTD) request. 

Novak sights were chosen because they 

are literally bomb proof tried, tested and 

proven and there was no need to test 

the sights, just the guns. Five 8-round 

blackened stainless magazines by Act- 

Mags were provided with each gun from 

UA Arms. Ten additional Novak 8-round 

blackened stainless magazines nearly 

identical to the Act-Mags were provided 

by the OTD. 

The Operational Test Plan was designed 

to operationally test the two 

weapons using scenarios that realistically 

represent combat conditions and 

environments. Only 230 grain ball ammunition 

was used in the testing, which 

was derived from a variety of manufacturers 

that included Winchester, Wolf, 

PMC and Remington. Ammunition 

brand was not considered in the testing 

and was utilized without preference. 

Gun magazines were mixed among 

the two guns and not dedicated to a 

specific pistol. 

Prior to turning the guns over to the 

Operational Test Director (OTD), UA 

Arms conducted a technical test with 

Serials #1004 and #1008 under fall-season 

outdoor dry range conditions. Each 

gun was fired 300 rounds by UA Arms 

on their factory range with no reported 

malfunctions prior to sending them to 

the OTD. The guns were cleaned, lubricated 

and shipped to the OTD in like 

new condition. Please note that rounds 

fired outside the control of the OTD and 

this OPEVAL (Operational Evaluation) 

are not factored into the evaluation 

data. They are only mentioned for the 

purpose of gun legacy. 

Operational Test Plan 

An Operational Test Plan was developed 

by the Operational Test Director. 

It was never shared or discussed 

with UA Arms or anyone else. The OTP 

consisted of 6 phases of testing. It was 

designed so that the phases would not 

need to be conducted in a particular linear 

sequence. Each pistol was equally 

tested to the same limits and fired the 

same number of rounds. 

Of note during the testing, all gun 

maintenance and cleaning was done 

under field conditions. Lubricants used 

were WD-40 and CRC Industrial 3-36. 

All reference to tactical shooting means 

the guns were always fired outdoors 

at steel and/or paper pie plates at various 

ranges for center of mass hits. 

The guns were never fired on a controlled 

distance range, either indoors 

or outdoors, aiming at bull’s-eye scored 

targets. The following describes each 

phase of testing. 

Phase 1: 

Tropical Environment 100 Rounds 

The Operational Test Director began 

the test regimen with experienced 

SWAT team officers shooting on an 

outdoor tactical range. The guns were 

fired holding them in the vertical up, 

down, side and level positions. Because 

of the 1911’s design, shooting it vertically 

(up and down) in itself can many 

times cause feed malfunctions and the 

OTD suspected that there could be an 

issue since the pistols were approximately 

34% lighter than a traditional 

all steel 1911. 

Within the first 96 rounds fired 

through Serial #1008 there were five 

feed malfunctions. The round was getting 

jammed between the frame’s feed 

ramp and the barrel feed ramp. There 

appeared to be an excessive gap between 

the two. When releasing the 

locked-back slide (using the release 

lever to close the slide after reloading) 

there were also three slide malfunctions 

where the slide would not carry the next 

round fully forward and return in battery. 

Additionally, the slide did not cycle 

Forged explosively bonded frame billet ready for machining 

(304 stainless steel on top and 6061 aluminum on bottom) 


LEFT: Government M1911 explosively 

bonded slide. (Slide: 

30% 6061 aluminum on top 

and 70% 304 stainless steel 

on sides) LEFT SIDE 

ABOVE: Government M1911 

explosively bonded slide. (Slide: 

30% 6061 aluminum on top and 

70% 304 stainless steel on sides) 

RIGHT SIDE 

RIGHT: Explosively Bonded M1911 frame and slide. (Slide: 

30% 6061 aluminum on top and 70% 304 stainless steel on 

sides) LEFT SIDE 

BELOW: Explosively Bonded M1911 

frame and slide. (Slide: 30% 6061 aluminum 

on top and 70% 304 stainless 

steel on sides) RIGHT SIDE 

properly during shooting all of which 

was attributed to a weak recoil spring. 

Most attention getting, the all-aluminum 

grip safety failed to work at all. This was 

attributed to excessive wear from UA 

Arms’ previous technical testing. 

Within the first 80 rounds fired 

through Serial #1004 there were eight 

failure to properly feed malfunctions. 

Like serial #1008, the feed ramp was 

suspect as was the recoil spring. This 

gun also had a slide release lever that 

was too tight to allow easy slide release 

using one thumb. And, like serial 

#1008, the grip safety didn’t work for the 

same reason. 

At this point the OTD made the 

decision to return both guns to UA Arms 

for the fixes. UA Arms replaced the recoil 

springs with heavier springs that 

provided positive slide return/closure. 

They also polished the lower and upper 

feed ramps on both guns. To cut weight, 

Uselton had originally equipped both 

guns with aluminum grip safety levers 

that were too soft to withstand the wear 

from technical testing. Both grip safety 

levers were replaced with conventional 

steel levers and the problem was eliminated. 

UA Arms again test fired each 


gun an additional 300 rounds on his 

own range. The guns were returned to 

the OTD in 6 days in a like new condition 

and the OPEVAL was resumed. 

As these fixes were minor not requiring 

factory (depot level) maintenance, it is 

important to note that the OTD could 

have affected these fixes on his own if 

he had chosen to do so. Rather, outside 

of the OTP, he chose to test UA 

Arms’ factory repair turn around which 

proved excellent. 

Phase 2: 

Winter Environment 400 Rounds 

Both guns were lightly lubricated 

at 28F ambient then fired 100 rounds 

each on the OTD’s West Virginia tactical 

range without experiencing malfunction. 

The guns were again lubricated 

(not cleaned) and each loaded (rounds 

chambered and placed on full cock with 

thumb safeties engaged). They were 

laid on a wooden platform and fully exposed 

to a freezing winter environment 

that included periodic snow and freezing 

rain for a period of two weeks. Without 

cleaning, additional lubrication or warming, 

each was fired an additional 50 

rounds without malfunction. 

At this point the guns were cleaned in 

the field and closely inspected for rust, 

corrosion and any sign of failure of the 

aluminum and stainless bond. Neither 

gun showed any deterioration. 

The next part of this phase involved 

fresh water and mud submersion. Both 

guns were loaded, hammer back, thumb 

safety engaged and submerged about a 

foot deep in a flowing freshwater West 

Virginia mountain brook, resting flat on 

a mud/sand bottom. After four hours 

the guns were retrieved and immediately 

each fired 200 rounds on a tactical 

range. Serial #1004 experienced 

a stovepipe feed malfunction on its 

8th round. The jam was immediately 

cleared, the gun was reloaded and it 

shot the remaining 192 rounds without 

failure. Serial #1008 shot flawlessly. 

The guns were cleaned in the field 

and lubricated, then loaded (hammer 

back and thumb safety engaged) and 

again submerged about one foot deep 

in the flowing stream only this time they 

were pushed down into the mud and 

covered. After 4 hours the guns were 

retrieved and quickly rinsed off in the 

stream by running them back and forth 

through the flowing water to wash the 

surface mud off the slide and frame. 

Both guns were then each fired 50 

rounds without malfunction. 

Phase 3: 

Temperate Environment 500 Rounds 

The guns were each exposed to a 

demanding 500-round regimen of tactical 

range shooting from all positions and 

attitudes (vertical up and down, horizontal 

conventional, side and upside down. 

Both guns along with all their magazines 

were cleaned in the field and lubricated 

every 100 rounds. No malfunctions were 

experienced. 

Phase 4: 

Maritime Environment 200 Rounds 

In this phase of testing both guns 

were each exposed to seawater for 4 

hours. The guns were lubricated and 

placed in a mesh nylon laundry sack 

that was suspended beneath a pier at 

a depth of 10 feet. Because of the location 

available for this test the guns could 

not be loaded with chambered rounds 

but loaded magazines were installed. 

Following the 4 hour exposure the guns 

were retrieved and fired 200 rounds 

each without lubrication using the tactical 

regimen referenced previously. Both 

guns performed flawlessly. 

Following this the guns were both 

rinsed off with fresh water, cleaned 


in the field, lubricated and closely inspected 

for rust, corrosion and any 

sign of failure of the aluminum and 

stainless bond. Neither gun showed 

any deterioration. 

Phase 5: 

Desert Environment 240 Rounds 

The Operational Test Director was 

limited in this test phase because of the 

physical location and the lack of availability 

to an actual desert environment. 

Simulating a desert environment was 

attempted by open carrying the guns in 

a nylon mesh sack during lengthy sand 

dune walks in the Virginia capes. Granted, 

the sand in some deserts, depending 

upon their location, more resembles 

fine powder rather than granular sand. 

This limitation to testing could not be 

simulated without actual exposure to 

that particular desert location. The next 

best simulation was to expose the guns 

to blown sand. 

Following exposure to windblown 

sand for 30 minutes, both guns were 

loaded (round chambered with thumb 

safety engaged), placed in an oven and 

heated to 130F for 4 hours. The guns 

were removed and immediately each 

fired 80 rounds. This sand-heat-shoot 

cycle was repeated three times with the 

guns being cleaned in the field, lubricated 

and closely inspected for any sign of 

the aluminum and stainless bond after 

each 80 round cycle. Serial #1008 experienced 

a failure to feed malfunction on 

its 4th shot. The slide didn’t quite return 

to full battery. After being rapped with the 

palm of the hand it closed fully and fired 

flawlessly during the remainder of this 

test phase. Serial #1004 failed to feed 

on its 82nd shot and like its sister gun, it 

didn’t fully return to battery. The unspent 

round was manually ejected with a snap 

of the slide and the gun continued to 

fire flawlessly. 

Phase 6: 

Drop Testing 60 Rounds 

Drop testing is usually done at the 

start of testing. Because these pistols 

were unique, the OTD made the decision 

to conduct potential destructive 

testing last. Both guns were cleaned, 

lubricated, and loaded (round chambered, 

thumb safety engaged), then 

dropped from a height of 6 feet onto 

a hard concrete pad. For safety, the 

guns were suspended above by their 

trigger guards and remotely released. 

Once on the concrete pad, they were 

retrieved and each fired 20 rounds. 

The drop test was then repeated twice 

again as was the firing cycle. Both guns 

fired flawlessly. 

The guns were cleaned in the field, 

inspected for drop damage, and any 

sign of failure of the aluminum and 

stainless bond. Outside of some minor 

superficial gun finish bruising, neither 

gun showed any component damage or 

bond deterioration. 

Conclusions 

• Test data reflects that the UA Arms 

1911 .45 ACP CQB is a reliable 

combat pistol. 

• Explosively bonded aluminum and 

stainless construction in this pistol 

makes it approximately 34% 

lighter than its steel counterpart 

while exhibiting superior ruggedness, 

wear resistance, reliability, 

maintainability and availability. 

• Because of the gun’s lighter weight, it 

cycles much faster. 

• The UA Arms explosively bonded 

1911 CQB does not require attentive 

maintenance and possesses superior 

aversion to corrosion, rust, and 

internal part seizure. 

• CQB variant’s weight and the feel of 

its action (form, fit, function) provides 

quicker sight acquisition when engaging 

multiple targets. 

• Because of its aluminum-stainless 

construction, it possesses a very low 

magnetic signature when compared 

to a conventional 1911. 

• Internal parts are completely interchangeable 

with conventional 

1911s and they can be mixed 

as required. 

• Training and use is identical to conventional 

1911s. 

• By nature of the 1911’s design and 

operation it generally is not fitted with 

a sound suppressor as the additional 

weight on the barrel results in failure 

to eject and feed depending upon the 

gun’s vertical up/down attitude when 

firing. While not part of this test, the 

Operational Test Director believes 

the UA Arms explosively bonded 

1911 CQB may possess the ability to 

function reliably with a barrel-mounted 

sound suppressor perhaps also 

manufactured from bonded material. 

• Based upon the results of this 

testing, the OTD unconditionally 

endorses the use of explosively 

bonded materials in the manufacture 

of all firearms from pistols to 

machine guns. 

(About the Operational Test Director 

(OTD): Mr. Evancoe is a retired Navy 

SEAL. During that time he served as 

an OTD for the SEAL Weapons System 

during assignment to the Commander, 

Operational Test and Evaluation Force. 

Following retirement from the Navy he 

served as the Director for Special Operations 

at the Office of the Coordinator 

for Counterterrorism at the U.S. Department 

of State, Director of the Office of 

Emergency Response at the National 

Nuclear Security Agency, Vice President 

for Military Operations at FNH 

USA, president of Aegis Industries, and 

Liaison Team Lead for inter-agency explosives 

technology subject matter experts 

at DHS Science and Technology 

Directorate’s Explosives Division. He is 

also the author of three military action 

novels; Own the Night, Violent Peace 

and Poison Promise). 



The Man Who Designed 

the World’s 

Fastest Gun 

By George E. Kontis PE 

The visit by Springfield Arsenal representatives 

to the General Electric firing 

range was official business. Their purpose 

was to monitor the progress the engineers 

were making on a development the Army 

had funded. Leading the visitors was 

Otto Von Lossnitzer, the former head of 

Mauser in Nazi Germany who had been 

courted at the end of the war to work for 

the U.S. Government. Otto had been a 

party to many gun developments including 

a 20mm revolver cannon he designed 

for use on the F5 Aircraft. The gun GE 

was developing was a 7.62mm Gatling 

gun, called the Minigun. At this stage of 

the development, it was having its share 

of problems. As the customers watched, 

the gun experienced one stoppage after 

another. Otto and his team were forced to 

wait while each jam was cleared, damage 

assessed, and cause determined. 

At the other end of the building a range 

technician sounded a countdown: “Ready 

to fire, One- Two- Three:” Wonnnnnnnnnk. 

There was a short pause. “Ready to 

fire, One- Two- Three” came again, followed 

by Wonnnnnnnnnk. The unmistakable 

sounds of bursts coming from a small 

caliber Gatling gun reverberated through 

the range building. “What was that?” 

asked Otto. “Oh, just some R&D project,” 

came the reply. “Can we see it?” he 

asked. “No, sorry, it’s a Company proprietary 

project,” was the answer. What the 

Springfield team had heard was the sound 

of Minigun B. 

GE upper management was well 

aware of the development problems with 

the gun and between them were now 

calling the Army-funded gun “Minigun A.” 

The development of Minigun A was not 

going well and management recognized 

the importance of this Army contract. The 

decision was made to spend Company 

money on a back-up plan. They selected 

one of the company’s most talented engineers, 

Robert (Bob) Chiabrandy (pronounced 

Sha-Brandy) to complete an 

alternate 7.62 Gatling that would come 

to be known as, Minigun B. This would 

mark the second time Bob was asked to 

design this gun. 

In the early 1960s, the General Electric 

Armament Systems Department in Burlington, 

Vermont was actively engaged in 

the production of 20mm cannons for gun 

pods and internal applications for fighter 

jets like the F104 and F105. Insurgency 

actions in Vietnam, including the movement 

of weapons by personnel along the 

Ho Chi Minh trail, suggested a fast-firing 

small caliber Gatling might be an effective 

anti-personnel weapon when fired from 

fixed wing aircraft or helicopter. Glimmers 

of interest from both the Air Force and the 

Army got GE’s marketing department excited 

about the prospects of such a gun. 

When Advance Design Engineer, Bob 

Chiabrandy went to his boss with the idea 

to design one, there was plenty of companywide 

support. Chiabrandy offered them 

a deal that was hard to pass up. Give him 

a designer to help him work out his concepts 

on a drafting board and he would 

perform the engineering analysis. In three 

months he promised a complete design. 

Before the design began, Chiabrandy 

set the design goals. The most important 

one was that all barrels would be clear of 

live rounds at the end of every burst. Safety 

was key. There would be a safe way to 

arm the gun and a safe way to disarm it 

as well. There would be as few moving 

parts as possible, particularly in the gun 

bolt. Springs were allowed, but only when 

there were no other reasonable options 

available. When used, pins and other fasteners 

were trapped or otherwise secured 

so there was no chance they would loosen 

during the tremendous vibration expected 

during firing. All load-bearing components 

would receive a thorough stress 

analysis to assure long life and all rounds 

and cases would be under complete control 

throughout the cycle. 

Talented designer, Dick Eaker, was 

ABOVE: Bob Chiabrandy 

and Dick Eaker examine 

a 5.56mm Gatling. 

(Courtesy Robert 

Chiabrandy) 


assigned to work under Chiabrandy’s 

direction on the program. While Dick 

began laying out the design on the 

drawing board, Chiabrandy conducted 

complex dynamic and stress analyses 

using a slide rule and design charts. 

Stresses in the gun bolts were analyzed 

to assure a sufficient margin of safety. 

Other hardworking components were 

analyzed for strength, fatigue, and wear. 

There was no guesswork and no cut 

and try. If there wasn’t a way to find the 

forces and other data needed to conduct 

a proper analysis, Bob would base 

his calculations on sound predictions 

or tests he designed and conducted. 

Nothing was left to chance because that 

was the way Chiabrandy worked. He was 

highly regarded in the company, particularly 

by his colleagues in the Advance 

Engineering Department. 

The starting point in the design of 

any Gatling is the elliptical cam in the 

main housing. Depending on the length 

of the round, the number of barrels, and 

the desired firing rate, this cam determines 

the diameter of the gun. The elliptical 

cam Chiabrandy developed was 

no ordinary textbook design. He custom 

tailored the cam corners to give smooth 

acceleration and deceleration of the 

bolts to assure smooth operation and 

long life. The stroke of the cam was ideal 

for the 7.62mm round. 

A six-barreled Gatling gun is made 

up of six individual gun mechanisms 


secured to a common rotor. A bolt for 

each gun completes a stroke feeding 

rounds in and fired cases out while 

pausing at the front and rear only long 

enough to fire at the front and extract at 

the rear. Since the rotor is rotating at all 

times, the length of the forward dwell is 

of utmost importance. It must be long 

enough to allow for complete chambering 

and locking and of sufficient length 

to allow the firing pin time to fall. After 

primer ignition, even more dwell time is 

needed for pressure in the chamber to 

rise and then fall to a level that is low 

enough for extraction. After that, even 

more time is needed to unlock the bolt 

before the elliptical cam engages the 

bolt roller to bring it to the rear. If the forward 

dwell is made too short, the gun 

unlocks under pressure from the round, 

working the extractor hard and possibly 

even creating a case separation or other 

unsafe condition. If the dwell is too long, 

the diameter of the cam is unnecessarily 

increased and the all-important gun 

weight increases rapidly. For a six-barrel 

Gatling, the forward dwell was sized to 

reach 6,400 shots per minute (spm) at 

start up in order to average 6,000 spm 

at steady state. 

After three months the design was 

complete. Unlike the multi-piece bolt of 

the 20mm M61 cannon with its tilting 

lock block, Bob’s bolt was easily machined 

from a single block of steel. From 

the top it looked like an arrowhead with 

a fixed extractor at the point. After chambering 

a live round, a fixed cam on the 

gun housing forced the front of the bolt 

down into a pocket in the rotor where 

it remained locked as the round fired. 

When the chamber pressure was low 

enough, another cam on the housing 

engaged a hook on the front of the bolt 

and lifted it out of the locked position. 

There were no moving parts, no wing 

locks or bolt rotation. The bolt body was 

a single block of hardened steel. The 

bolt design included a unique safety feature 

that had never been tried on Gatling 

guns and might have even been unique 

to firearm design. The firing pin and the 

primer were not in line with each other 

at any point in the cycle except for that 

one time when the bolt was fully locked. 

There was no chance that a round might 

fire inadvertently from a broken firing pin 

or a sudden stop in the gun rotation. It 

was genius. 

During the design review mandated 

by GE company policy, the manufacturing 

team reviewed the design package 

and pronounced this gun would 

be inexpensive to machine and easy 

to produce. The Manufacturing department 

had often struggled with building 

complex design shapes, being limited to 

some extent by their conventional lathes 

and mills. They welcomed this new design 

because every one of Bob’s parts 

was easy to produce. What many of 

them didn’t know about Bob was that he 

was also a talented machinist. Before he 

would affix his signature to the drawing 

title block, he would review the placement 

and tolerance of every dimension. 

He imagined how he would set it up to 

machine it and had his draftsmen dimension 

the part accordingly. 

As Chiabrandy took the gun through 

the early development stages he was 

fully on board with its eventual transfer 

to Product Engineering. GE split its developmental 

engineering into two parts. 

The Advance Engineering Department 

dedicated most of their time to Research 

and Development projects, while the rival 

Product Engineering Department 

followed production and developed new 

systems primarily by modifying or scaling 

existing designs. There was plenty 

of bickering between departments, and 

not all of it good natured. Advance Engineering 

was viewed as a bunch of 

overpaid eggheads who rarely came 

up with a saleable idea. Product Engineers 

were accused of performing little 

to no technical analysis, designing “by 

eye,” or “trial and mistake” as they jokingly 

called it. In truth, there were huge 

talents in both departments and a lion’s 

share of the world’s most innovative and 

reliable gun and ammunition handling 

systems developed in the last century 

came from one or another of these 

two departments. 

Soon after the design was complete, 

Bob’s big opportunity came when 

he was invited to present his design to 

the engineers at Springfield Arsenal. 

Traveling with Bob were the marketing 

representative, Dick Burke and Ray Patenaude, 

a hard-charging engineer from 

the Production Engineering Department 

who was poised to take over after the 

gun was released for production. When 

it came to engineering, Bob and Ray 

were complete opposites, and as far as 

company politics went, the mild-mannered 

Bob, was no match for the intimidating 

Ray. Their briefing would be to 

none other than Otto Von Lossnitzer 

who headed R&D at Springfield. 

Bob explained all of the proposed 

weapon functions that included a 

de-linking feeder, safing and arming 

means, and a method of clearing to 

assure there was no round left in the 

chamber lest it would cook-off at the end 

of a burst. Von Lossnitzer and his team 

listened attentively as Bob did most of 

the talking. Suddenly Otto blurted out: 

“Now I understand,” he said, looking directly 

at Bob. “You represent the technical 

approach.” Glancing at Ray he said 

“….and you are a politician.” Then turning 

to the salesman who had contributed 

little to the discussion he said: “What is 

it that you do?” 

After the paper design was complete, 

GE sent the final report to Springfield 

who responded three months later. It 


Fastest Gun 

design. In spite of that, Springfield’s interest 

waned. At that point in time, nobody in the Army 

wanted to fund a 7.62 Gatling gun development. 

It must be noted that in those years, all of 

the services, were supporting the development 

of various gun designs that included caseless 

ammunition, case telescoped ammunition, and 

liquid propellant guns. Each service wanted industry 

to investigate new gun and ammunition 

concepts and often provided funding, but their 

interests were never in sync. To a developer 

and producer like GE, it meant that if they had 

a design that one service no longer wanted, 

interest from another would not involve a long 

wait. True to form, it wasn’t long before Eglin Air 

Force Base, led by Dale Davis, said they wanted 

a 5.56 Gatling gun pod. Since Bob Chiabrandy 

was working on an important project at the 

time, and because so much development work 

had already been done, a scale down to the 5.56 

Gatling design was given over directly to Ray 

Patenaude. To assure continuity in Bob’s absence, 

the hapless Dick Eaker was made part 

of their team. While the design was in process, 

Eglin’s interest faded and suddenly Springfield 

responded with renewed interest, reiterating their 

requirement for a 7.62mm gun, not the 5.56mm. 

The Safing method for Minigun B became one of 

Chiabrandy’s many patents. (U.S. Patent Office) 

seems Otto was not too complimentary on the 

design. He felt there were unnecessarily complicated 

functions, like the end stripping feeder, 

and the clearing action that diverted 6 to 8 live 

rounds out of the gun after each burst. Bringing 

live ammunition into the battlefield and dumping 

some of it overboard after every burst? This 

had to have affected his German sensibility. 

Considering his former experience with revolver 

cannons, Otto was not a big fan of the Gatling. 

Bob was devastated by the negative report. Jack 

Harding, manager of the Product Engineering 

Department wrote a strong rebuttal. As politely 

as he could, Jack pointed out to Otto that all the 

design features he was shown had been thoroughly 

worked out and were essential to the 


Linkless ammunition feed drum is 

visible with 5.56mm gun pod’s forward 

shroud removed. (Courtesy 

Robert Chiabrandy) 

Due to an embarrassing, but what now 

may be recognized as a fortuitous engineering 

error, Product Engineering had 

made the length of the elliptical cam on 

the 5.56mm Gatling far too long. It was 

so long that it could accommodate the 

larger 7.62mm round. Patenaude, his 

engineers, designers and draftsmen 

were able to make adjustments for the 

larger cartridge. 

Chiabrandy quietly monitored 

the progress of Patenaude’s design. 

Chiabrandy, who would drop by Dick 

Eaker’s drafting board from time to 

time, was surprised to see a huge departure 

from their original concept. “That 

doesn’t’ look anything like our design.” 

Sizing up the design features, Chiabrandy 

could tell these new innovations 

were not going to work. Dick responded 

that he was only doing what he was 

told by the guy in charge of the project. 

Chiabrandy was worried, not only for the 

Company, but for his reputation as well. 

He knew it wasn’t his business to interfere, 

but he was the one who pitched the 

initial design to Springfield and he was 

concerned that the Army would associate 

his name with the final result. 

Sure enough, as soon as the new 

gun was put into test there were major 

problems. Chiabrandy had predicted 

that the breech would fail and it did. It 

required a major redesign. There were 

no provisions for safing the gun, none 

for clearing the chambers at the end of 

a burst and there were other essential 

features missing as well. Problems with 

the new design reverberated through 

the company. The heads of Product 

and Advanced Engineering met with 

their boss and the decision was made 

that this project was too important to 

fail. GE’s upper management decided 

to let Chiabrandy build Minigun B as a 

back-up to Patenaude’s Minigun A. 

Chiabrandy’s gun required certain 

long-lead items, so he went ahead and 

ordered them. Castings for the feeder 

and the main gun housing were ordered, 

as were the drive motors. He had 

been allocated a budget with sufficient 

funding to build three sets of everything. 

Oddly, no barrels were ordered, ostensibly 

because he could use the ones 

from Minigun A – if Patenaude would 

allow it. He did not. That didn’t bother 

Bob in the least. Even without barrels he 

could prove out a lot of the design by 

cycling dummy rounds through the system. 

He would check for round control 

and any signs of excessive wear while 

putting the gun through all of the design 

cycles and carefully working up to 

full cyclic rate. 

In early March, Minigun A gun was 

experiencing problems. Top management 

decided to give Bob money for 

barrels in order to get his design turned 

back on. However, they decided to keep 

the existence of Minigun B from the 

customer. By the summer of 1961 Minigun 

B, had fired 20,000 rounds. Weekly 

meetings were held between the heads 

of Advance and Product Engineering 

along with Chiabrandy and Patenaude. 

Much of the source of the problem 

with Minigun A was its complex 


Fastest Gun 

ABOVE: Pair of Minigun B models 

during Engineering development testing. 

(Courtesy Robert Chiabrandy) 

RIGHT: GE 5.56mm gun pod with unidentified 

lady. (Courtesy Robert Chiabrandy) 

two-piece bolt. The back half of the bolt 

was a casting where the main roller was 

mounted. A cam slot in the aft bolt portion 

accepted a finger from the front bolt portion. 

After a round was chambered, the 

front part of the bolt would stop forward 

motion while the aft portion continued to 

be driven forward by the roller engaging 

the elliptical cam. Forward motion of the 

aft bolt caused a rotation of the front part 

in order for its locking lugs to be rotated 

to an engagement point for locking into 

the rotor. In order to accommodate the 

extra forward motion required for locking, 

the elliptical drive cam in Minigun A 

had to be made extra-long. Many questioned 

the wisdom in selecting this bolt 

design. Not only was it complex, it was 

extremely difficult to machine. The finger 

extending from the front bolt was long 


ABOVE: Minigun A with two-piece bolt. (George Kontis) 

BELOW LEFT: Rotor and gun housings for Minigun B 

were castings with long lead times. (Courtesy Robert 

Chiabrandy) 

BELOW CENTER: One piece bolt is inserted in Minigun 

B. (Courtesy Robert Chiabrandy) 

BELOW RIGHT: All three models together – a rare shot 

indeed. (Courtesy Robert Chiabrandy) 


Fastest Gun 

and flexible – difficult to hold steady to 

allow proper machining. The Production 

Department was quick to dub it “the fickle 

finger.” Many in the Company asked 

why he’d made it so complicated. Patenaude 

would explain that it needed to 

be difficult to manufacture, otherwise 

even the most unsophisticated of our 

enemies would be stealing the design 

and shooting guns like these back at 

us. Surprisingly, some management 

warmed to this idea. 

In time, Patenaude and his engineers 

fixed their problems and Minigun 

A was running well. The decision of 

which gun to continue with was left up to 

Patenaude’s boss, Jack Harding. Jack 

announced that he’d decided to go into 

production with Minigun A. Patenaude 

had won. Chiabrandy made it known 

how displeased he was with the decision. 

It was more than just sour grapes. 

Chiabrandy had started the project and 

interfaced with the customer. Now he no 

longer wanted to be associated in any 

way with Patenaude’s Minigun A. 

Jack Harding’s decision was not 

well received by the Manufacturing Department. 

They had already expressed 

displeasure when charged with building 

the Minigun A prototype parts. Many of 

its complex parts were seen as a production 

nightmare. When production 

did start, Manufacturing found that the 

dimensions on the drawings did not 

necessarily make acceptable parts. 

They were forced to set up dedicated 

machines that would make bolt parts 

to a point where they could be tested. 

If they passed, the manufacturing would 

continue. It wasn’t just the bolt that was 

complex. One of the secrets in getting 

the main gun housing through production 

was the deburring operation on the 

elliptical main cam. Deburring is normally 

a point in the production cycle to 

remove sharp edges and eliminate cut 

hazards. The elliptical cam of Minigun 

A was “deburred” until a bolt could be 

smoothly cycled through, otherwise it 

wouldn’t work. 

In spite of the difficulties experienced 

in building the components of Minigun 

A, when the gun was sent to the field, 

it worked great. Minigun A was an enormous 

success on the battlefields of Vietnam, 

making the ever increasing heap 

of scrap bolts and other parts worth the 

effort. Years later, when Production Engineering 

head, Jack Harding, left GE 

for another company, he confided to 

upper management that if he’d had it to 

do over again, he would have selected 

Minigun B. 

Bob was very concerned about the 

morale of the dedicated Minigun B team. 

He consoled them by reminding them 

that at the end of the day they could at 

least say they’d had a lot of fun. Probably 

unbeknownst to Bob, the team had 

few regrets. They had gotten to work 

with one of the best mentors in the 

business, Bob Chiabrandy. Everyone 

who ever worked with him recognized 

how much better they were at their job 

afterwards. Each member of his team 

had acquired a new appreciation for the 

importance of dynamic and stress analysis, 

the need to think about how a part 

will be made before describing it on a 

drawing, and best engineering practice. 

Not long after the Minigun A and B saga 

ended, I joined GE and had the opportunity 

to work under Bob’s direction. 

As one might have predicted, the Air 

Force revisited their interest in a small 

caliber Gatling. It was a pintle version 

of the 5.56mm Minigun they sought. 

This time there was no question in the 

minds of top management that design 

responsibility would remain in the hands 

of Bob Chiabrandy as long as possible. 

Only after the design review and successful 

testing would the newly designated 

“Minigun C” be turned over to 

Production Engineering. 

Minigun C did look slightly different 

than big brother B, but the bolt design 

remained the same. Considering a potential 

aircraft application where short 

time on target necessitated a high firing 

rate, Bob designed the forward dwell to 

reach 11,400 spm for a steady state firing 

rate of 11,000 spm. When the gun 

worked flawlessly, it was passed over to 

Product Engineering, again under the 

direction of Ray Patenaude. One of Patenaude’s 

technicians, Dave Hathaway, 

was a huge fan of the design, believing 

that Minigun C gun could exceed its design 

rate, possibly even reaching 12,000 

spm. One day during development testing, 

under no authority but his own, Hathaway 

charged up the 24 volt batteries 


ABOVE LEFT: Bob Chiabrandy and Minigun 

C. (Courtesy Robert Chiabrandy) 

ABEOVE RIGHT: Still an avid shooter, 

Bob Chiabrandy shows off one of his rifles 

with a custom trigger. (George Kontis) 

to their peak and added an extra one for 

good measure. Minigun C fired several 

bursts at 12,000 spm. Bob Chiabrandy 

had designed the fastest firing gun 

in the world. 

The Air Force ordered a small quantity 

of these that were delivered and 

deployed in an undisclosed application. 

The Company named the 6,000 

spm pintle system the “Six-Pack.” No 

one can be found that knows exactly 

where they went and what they were 

used for, only that they were deployed 

somewhere on a classified project. 



TEXT AND PHOTOS BY 

ROBERT G. SEGEL 

ABOVE & OPPOSITE PAGE TOP: Argentine contract World 

Standard brass jacketed Maxim machine gun mounted on a 

wheeled field carriage. Note the shoulder rest and the optical sight. 

The entire tripod is attached by a brass bracket to the wheel’s axel. 

Thus, the trailing leg with the seat of the tripod becomes the trailing leg 

of the wheeled field carriage. Additionally, the wheeled field carriage has its 

own vertically arranged ammunition box held in brackets that are affixed to the 

wheel’s axel. 


Argentina was an early user of the 

Maxim water-cooled machine gun, 

ultimately purchasing English and 

German made Maxims under three 

separate contracts. The first order 

was placed by Argentina’s Navy Purchasing 

Commission in 1895 for 50 

World Standard Maxims manufactured 

by the Maxim Nordenfelt Guns 

and Ammunition Company Limited 

(MNG&ACL) in England. These first 

50 guns were given Argentine serial 

numbers 1-50 and chambered in 

the 7.65x53 Belgium Mauser caliber. 

The nomenclature information on 

the fusee spring cover included the 

MNG&ACL information and the 1895 

year of manufacture. In 1898 a second 

contract for the World Standard 

Maxim was placed, this time with 

Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken 

(DWM), a licensed Maxim manufacturer 

in Germany, from the Argentine 

Army Purchasing Commission for 

130 guns still chambered for the Belgium 

Mauser 7.65x53 caliber. These 

guns were serially numbered 51-180. 

The DWM nomenclature information 

on the fusee spring cover included 

the 1898 year of manufacture. The 

third and final contract signed in 1900 

brought in another 20 World Standard 

Maxims from DWM and were serial 

numbered 181-200. All of these World 

Standard Maxims had brass water 

jackets and brass fusee spring covers 

except for the last twenty DWM guns, 

which were fitted with steel water jackets 

and fusee spring covers. Interestingly, 

most South American countries 

adopted the French Hotchkiss machine 

gun, yet Argentina had 200 of 

these early Maxims in their inventory. 

ABOVE: Left side of the Argentine contract World Standard 

machine gun dismounted from the wheeled field carriage 

and sitting on the Acland tripod. 


ABOVE: Left side of the Maxim World Standard as used by Argentina. 

Note the 2x12 optical sight made by Carl Zeiss of Jena, 

Germany and the wood and steel shoulder brace. 

ABOVE: Right side of the World Standard Maxim. Note the early 

style of straight crank handle, wood roller for feed assist on the 

feed block and the simple traverse and elevation mechanism of 

the Acland mount. 

BELOW: Location and placement of the 2x12 

optical sight made by Carl Zeiss of Jena, Germany. 

The two studs below the fusee spring 

cover along the bottom of the side plate are for 

affixing the shoulder brace. 


Beautifully made with its 

water jacket, feed block, fusee 

spring cover, receiver 

floor plate and rear grip plate 

made of brass, the World 

Standard Maxim Models, 

often just called “Brass Maxims,” 

were a stunning, and 

lethal, piece of the firearm 

maker’s craft that was also 

esthetically pleasing to the 

eye. These guns had the 

early straight style of crank 

handle, an 1889 style lock 

and wooden roller belt assist 

located within the brass feed 

block. The gun is mounted 

on an Acland tripod that can 

be mounted on a wheeled 

field carriage. 

All 200 of Argentina’s 

Maxims were originally chambered 

in the 7.65x53mm 

1891 Belgium Mauser caliber 

and the long sight bar 

affixed to the upper receiver 

was calibrated for this heavy, 

round-nosed, high trajectory 

bullet. Each gun was fitted 

with a brass data plate on the 

top cover over the feed block 

reading, “Cartucho Mauser 

Argentino 1891” indicating 

the use of the 1891 Mauser 

cartridge. In 1909, Argentina 

adopted the new 7.65x53mm 

Spitzer round with the pointed 

bullet and flatter trajectory. 

All of Argentina’s Maxims 

were then sent back to DWM 

to be rebarreled for the new 

cartridge, have the long rear 

sight bar shortened to match 

the high-speed, flatter trajectory 

of the new cartridge, 

an optical sight bracket was 

RIGHT: The brass muzzle cap 

is kept in place by a steel clip 

that attaches to the front sight. 

attached to the left side of the 

receiver for attaching a commercially 

made 2x12 optical 

sight made by Carl Zeiss of 

Jena, Germany (that also fit 

the Swiss Maxim MG11), and 

provision was made also on 

the left side of the receiver for 

a removable shoulder brace 

made of steel and wood. The 

original brass cartridge data 

plate riveted to the top cover 

over the feed block had the 

“1891” milled out and “1909” 

engraved in its place to reflect 

the updates and change 

in cartridge use. 

Though well equipped, 

Argentina did not participate 

in any major conflicts during 

the period that the Maxims 

were in their military inventory 

up to 1929. After that, 

they were given over to the 

police where they remained 

until 1959 when they were 

declared obsolete and sold. 

It wasn’t until the turn of 

LEFT: The top cover of the Argentine contract World Standard 

Maxim showing the brass plate riveted over the feed block that 

originally read “Cartucho Mauser Argentino 1891” for the round 

nose, heavy, high trajectory Belgium Mauser 7.62x53 round. In 

1909, the Spitzer round was adopted, and its much flatter trajectory 

necessitated the much shorter rear sight as shown here. 

The old ‘1891’ was milled out on all the converted guns and ‘1909’ 

stamped in its place. Also notice the original rear sight holding 

slot (in front of the word ‘Argentino’) that was used to help hold 

in place the lowered much longer sight bar when using the old 

Belgian Mauser round. The difference in length between the two 

sights shows how dramatic the improvement of trajectory was 

with the newer pointed-nose Spitzer round. The small brass plate 

affixed to the brass fusee spring cover denotes the fusee spring 

tension for blanks and the new ammunition. 


ABOVE: Accessories for the Argentine contract World Standard Maxim include 

the 2x12 optical sight made by Carl Zeiss of Jena, Germany with fitted leather 

carrying case with shoulder straps, a brass funnel for filling the water jacket, brass 

and steel muzzle cap, wood and steel shoulder brace, 250-round canvas ammunition 

belt with brass spacers and standard wood top hinged ammunition box. 

BELOW RIGHT: When the safety switch is flipped to the up position, the word 

FUEGO (FIRE) is seen and the trigger is free to be depressed. 

BELOW LEFT: The safety switch is centered between the grip handles just above 

the trigger. In the lowered positon as seen here, the word SECURIDAD (SAFE) is 

visible on top of the safety as it blocks the movement of the trigger bar. 

the century that Maxim water jackets 

were made of steel rather than brass. 

While there were many brass-jacketed 

Maxims made and sold around 

the world in the 1880s and 1890s, 

very few made it into the U.S. at the 

time and of course can’t be imported 

in now. Thus, these early brass Maxims 

of any vintage or type are rare in 

the U.S. and highly desired by collectors. 

To our good fortune, Sam Cummings 

of Interarmco in Alexandria, 

Virginia was able to import 91 of 

the guns into the United States 

in 1960. Those that remained in 

Argentina were used to decorate 

various officers’ clubs, donated to 

museums or sold to Argentine collectors. 

Of the 91 guns imported 

into the U.S., 8 were exported, 28 

ended up in government custody 

for museums, storage or destruction, 

and the remaining 55 are now 

mostly owned by collectors. 


MAXIM OPERATING 

SYSTEM 

ABOVE: Action of recoiling parts in a Maxim gun. 1) Gun in loaded and locked position. 2) 

Pressing the trigger draws the trigger bar to the rear, pivoting the lock trigger and disengaging 

the tumbler allowing the firing pin to snap forward. At the moment of ignition, the connecting 

rod and the sidelevers shank of the lock are locked together in a straight line. Recoil starts as 

soon as the bullet starts to move. 3) The barrel extension plates of the “short recoil” Maxim 

abut against the recoil slot closure plates at the rear of the receiver after about three-quarters 

of an inch movement. The lock continues rearward rotating the crank shaft, which winds up 

the fusee chain that stores the energy needed for the return movement of the operating parts. 

At the same time, the extractor has drawn the next cartridge out of its belt pocket and as the 

lock moves rearward the extractor begins to fall. At the rear of the stroke, the extractor drops 

sharply down aligning the fresh cartridge with the bore, and the spent case with the ejection 

tube. 4) The fusee is now fully wound up against the fully stretched recoil spring and now 

starts the counter-recoil movement. The lock is thrust forward with the extractor at its lowest 

position. The fresh cartridge held by the extractor is chambered and the spent case is 

thrust into the ejection tube. 5) As the “knee” straightens to close the lock, the extractor is 

cammed sharply upwards. This “wipes” the extractor clear of the spent case in the ejection 

tube, and positions the upper portion of its T-slot around the rim of the new cartridge 

in the feed slot. 6) The gun is now in battery as in number 5 above, but with the trigger 

bar at rest and the lock trigger engaged in the tumbler notch. The gun is now loaded, 

locked and cocked, ready to fire. (Illustrations courtesy Verlag Stocker-Schmid) 

The Maxim operating system used in the 

World Standard is the basic operating principle 

employed in all Maxim guns. The gunner 

inserts the tab of a loaded cartridge belt into 

the feed block from the right, pulling it to the 

left, until it is secured by the belt holding feed 

pawls. The gunner then manually pushes the 

crank handle forward and holds it there while 

pulling on the protruding end of the belt, then 

releases the crank handle to return to the rear 

under spring tension. This allows the extractor 

on the T-slot to grip the first round in the belt. 

The gun is now in the “half load” position. Rotating 

the crank handle forward again, pull the 

cartridge belt tab once more to the left and let 

the crank handle fly back under its spring tension. 

The gun in now loaded with a cartridge in 

the chamber and is ready to fire. 

Upon pressing the trigger, that actuates the 

trigger bar releasing the sear; the firing pin is 

released and goes forward igniting the cartridge 

driving the bullet down the barrel. The 

barrel and the bolt are securely locked at this 

point. After recoiling three-quarters of an inch, 

the bolt is unlocked and the crank engages 

the unlocking cam, breaking the toggle joint 

and freeing the bolt. The recoiling forces are 

now able to accelerate the bolt assembly to 

the rear and rotate the crank. This winds the 

actuating chain, loading the extension-type 

driving spring while the recoiling mechanism 

completes its rearward stroke. 

After unlocking of the bolt from the barrel, 

the sliding boltface (T-slot) begins simultaneous 

extraction of the empty case from the 

chamber and withdrawal of a loaded round 

from the belt. Continued rearward movement 

engages cams in the receiver to force the sliding 

boltface downward, bringing the loaded 

round in line with the chamber and the empty 

case in position for the ejection tube. 

Also during recoil, a cam lever action moves 

the entire feed block slide to the right. The top 

feed pawls move over to engage the incoming 

round in the belt, at the same time compressing 

the barrel return spring. After completing its 

full recoil stroke, the forward action of the barrel 

and barrel extension returns the feed block 

slide to the left, bringing the next live round 

in the belt into position against the cartridge 

stops for engagement by the sliding T-slot. 

The complete force of recoil having expended 

itself, the extended driving spring starts the 

movement of counter recoil. As the bolt moves 

forward, the cartridge to be fired is positioned 

for chambering. When this happens, the T-slot 

rises, “wipes” itself clear of the spent case 

and slips over the rim of the incoming round 

in the belt. 

When the bolt has reached its extreme travel 

forward, the toggle joint is forced slightly below 

the horizontal by the connecting rod. At this 

securely locked position the sear is depressed 

and disengaged from the firing pin, removing 

the safety feature, so that continued pressure 

on the trigger permits full automatic fire.

WHAT’S IN A 

NAME? 

QUESTION: Which of the following 

is the proper name for 

the Argentine brass Maxim? 

• Model of 1895; 

• Model of 1898, 

• Model of 1909. 

LEFT: The brass plate affixed to the top 

cover directly over the feed block signifying 

the upgraded cartridge. Note how the 

original date of 1891 has been ground out 

and the date of 1909 stamped in its place. 

Though denoting the latest improvements 

to the weapon, it does not represent a 

model number. 

ANSWER: 

None of the above. 

It is common and convenient 

among collectors and 

other interested parties to refer 

to Maxims as relating to a 

“model” number based upon 

the year of manufacture that 

is typically stamped on the 

fusee spring cover as part of 

the manufacturer’s nomenclature. 

While this is actually 

quite helpful, this is in fact, 

technically, incorrect. While 

the military may designate a 

model number (German MG 

08, Swiss MG 11, U.S. Model 

of 1904, etc., usually based 

upon the year of adoption for 

service), Maxim in England, 

and all the other licensed 

Maxim manufacturers, did not 

use model numbers for their 

commercial sales. 

Maxim’s first guns dating 

from 1884 to 1887 were 

really hand-made prototype 

affairs. As sales increased 

during this time period, so did 

the learning curve experience 

in manufacturing techniques 

and methods, operational efficiencies, 

weight and material 

used to make his product better. 

Outgrowing his little shop 

in London due to increasing 

sales, Maxim merged with 

the Nordenfelt Gun Company, 

which greatly expanded his 

production capabilities and 

Maxim was able to then incorporate 

his improvements on a 

production line scale. Every bit 

the salesman he was, Maxim 

named his guns the World 

Standard in 1888 as a marketing 

tool to imply the epitome 

of firearm development in 

his sales presentations and 

literature. (The name World 

Standard was never marked 

on the guns themselves.) 

Thus, a Maxim produced after 

1888 is properly called a 

World Standard with the year 

of manufacture being noted 

as an aside. As years progressed 

and further improvements 

were made in the lock, 

feed block, crank handle, etc., 

these advancements can fortunately 

be tracked as the 

production or contract years 

are duly noted on the guns. So 

while a gun produced in 1898 

may have certain features not 

present on guns produced in 

1895, they are both correctly 

just called World Standard. 

The same holds true for the 

1909 date as that appears on 

the top cover brass plate on 

the Argentine contract guns. 

The year designation helps 

determine what improvements 

can be expected to be found 

on the gun. The shorthand for 

this in the collector’s world is 

to call it as a model number. 

All these dates properly place 

the weapon in a linear time 

line, and are convenient in noting 

the introduction of certain 

product improvements. 

ARGENTINE WORLD STANDARD MAXIM 

Caliber: 7.65x53mm 

Operation: Short recoil 

Weight of gun: 58 pounds 

Length of gun: 43.6 inches 

Cooling method: Water 

Water jacket capacity: 7 pints 

Length of barrel: 28.4 inches 

Number of grooves: 4 

Limit of sighting: 2,000 meters 

Rate of fire: 500 rpm 

Belt capacity: 250 rounds 

Weight of tripod: 50 pounds 

ABOVE: The brass fusee spring cover contains the 

nomenclature of the “Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition 

Company Limited” along with “Maxim’s Patent” 

and the date of “1895”. This is a manufacturing or 

contract date, not a model number. 



16 

it’s an 

m16 thing 

BY DAVID LAKE 

The M16 is an American icon. It 

was the first gun many of my generation 

could identify by make and model. 

When we were kids we saw it on TV in 

the hands of rough men like Lee Marvin 

and Charles Bronson. So now we’re 

adults, and we all still want one; lucky 

few of us may have one. Some of us 

have carried it into battle. For some, the 

M16 is a hobby; for others it’s a job. This 

rifle has spawned something akin to a 

religion; religion being defined as a collection 

of beliefs, culture, and views that 

relate humanity to an order of existence. 

A religion has narratives, symbols, and 

history. That all definitely applies to what 

the M16 and its progeny have become. 

The M16 has been diffused into what 

is now the commercial empire of the AR- 

15. The legal restrictions and colossal 

expense of owning a legally registered 

and transferable fully-automatic M16 

turns most individuals away from the 

idea or possibility. However, there are 

a large number of people in our nation 

that do own and use the M16 for legal 

recreational purposes. These rifles can 

cost between 10 and 30 thousand dollars; 

depending on the brand and what’s 

attached to it. A stripped, off-brand 


lower receiver comes relatively cheaply. 

A vintage unfired Colt demands top 

dollar. The AR-15 family enjoys access 

to a sea of accessories and upgrades. 

The M16 gets less attention to its specific 

needs, as the market is comparatively 

small, but many interchange. The 

’15 and ’16 rifles are similar, but all internal 

parts are not interchangeable. 

There are a few parts unique to the M16 

that include the fire control, bolt carrier, 

selector, and purpose-built buffers and 

rate reducers. 

The importance of modern upgrades 

to the M16 cannot be overstated. Granted, 

full auto accuracy largely depends 

on the skill of the shooter. Even then, the 

term “accuracy” loosely applies; it is better 

described as “area of effect” or “beaten 

zone.” Machine guns are expected to 

deliver poor accuracy; this is what we’re 

taught anyway. But consider this; every 

full auto burst begins with a trigger pull, 

and the effect of that burst on target begins 

with a single bullet. During full-auto 

fire, the gun may become hard to control, 

but that first bullet can and should 

be depended on to hit its target. All that 

is required is a crisp, fast trigger instead 

of the heavy and creepy OEM military 

unit. The advantage to a premium trigger 

in the M16 is easy to demonstrate. 

One must shoot some short bursts at a 

target with military trigger and then with 

a premium trigger pack. The group size 

will be the same, but more often than 

not, you’ll notice better group placement 

with the premium trigger. The gun is 

not being jerked or otherwise affected 

as much with the improved trigger pull. 

The effect of the aftermarket upgraded 

trigger becomes even more defined as 

the cyclic rate of the M16 is reduced. A 

premium trigger will have reduced pull 

weight, take-up and travel. This means 

the trigger can be actuated faster. This 

also means that there is a greater possibility 

of pulling and releasing the trigger 

more quickly. In turn, it is easier 

for the shooter to fire shorter and more 

controlled bursts; less time in full-auto; 

which translates into smaller groups 

and better hits on target. When we fitted 

these triggers to a 9mm submachine 

gun, due to the added weight of the 

blowback system and reduced fire rate, 

we were able to send single rounds to 

target, reliably and repeatedly; while the 

selector was set to “auto.” It is advantageous 

to be able to fire single shots or 

bursts or continuous fire without having 

to actuate the selector lever. This takes 

time and a bit of attention from the operator. 

In the case of security, military, 

or law enforcement personnel, time and 

thought spent moving the selector can 

mean life or death. There exists a trigger 

design, known as a “progressive trigger” 

that allows for selective fire mode based 

LEFT & BELOW: The M16 can be customized and modernized until it’s hardly recognizable. 

But real improvement happens inside the gun, to enhance accuracy, control, 

and reliability. 


on how far the trigger is pulled. It’s an old development; 

attributed to the Germans in the 1940s. 

If the operator pulls the trigger to a first stage, the 

gun fires in semi-auto. As the operator pulls the 

trigger through to a second stage, the gun will 

commence full-auto fire. Some examples today 

are the FN P90 and Steyr AUG. High stress situations 

demand simplicity. Fewer moving parts 

and less to think about are good things. Though 

the M16 cannot be redesigned to use a true progressive 

trigger mechanism, a quality aftermarket 

fire control can achieve nearly the same result. 

We compared the M16 triggers made by Geissele 

and POF and both performed perfectly. The POF 

operates like a digital on/off switch; the Geissele 

offers better feel and feedback. The POF is a single 

contained “trigger pack” while the Geissele is 

of a conventional 2-piece design. There is a foreseeable 

advantage to the unitized construction of 

the POF unit. As the trigger pins pass through the 

receiver to retain the trigger housing, both the trigger 

housing and receiver are mutually reinforced; 

reducing the possibility that the trigger pin holes in 

the receiver wear or stretch under hard use. Remember 

that the M16 receiver is quite valuable. 

They are not easily repaired or replaced. There 

are some M16 receivers suffering from worn trigger 

pin holes; this ailment can conceivably cause 

poor sear or disconnector engagement, and result 

in failure, stoppage, or even a “runaway” 

machine gun. 

Once an M16 is firing in full-auto fashion, the 

recoil forces of each shot fired are cumulative. An 

inexperienced or misinformed shooter may not 

be able to maintain control of the weapon. Even 

with proper education on how to handle a machine 

gun, the M16 leaves room for improvement. The 

idea of a “rate reducer” is sound technology. Fewer 

shots fired per time interval equals less energy 

TOP LEFT: Rate reducers can be used as the name implies, 

to slow down an M16’s fire rate. They don’t stop 

there as they can improve reliability by eliminating stoppages 

caused by bolt bounce and they can buy time for 

the magazine to properly present the next cartridge. In 

full-auto fire they can reduce the recoil impulse of individual 

shots, and contribute to better accuracy. The top 

two are pneumatic; bottom is an XH carbine from Heavy 

Buffers.com. On the left is the CWS from David Tubb. 


LEFT & BELOW: POF and Geissele triggers. 

Note that the Geissele is based roughly on the 

old design. They pay special attention to the 

surface finish of their triggers. All the parts 

are as hard as glass and the working surfaces 

are precisely ground to create zero friction. 

The POF features simplified and unitized construction. 

Both are equally effective. 

LEFT TOP & CENTER: Though it’s clearly not an M16, the Thureon carbine 

utilizes the M16 trigger mechanism. This gun is a post sample mashup 

that has been adapted to use the barrels from a SW-76. This particular 

carbine fires at 450 rounds per minute from a closed bolt. The Thureon 

was used to prove our sample triggers, as the effect of those triggers is 

greatly enhanced by the extremely low cyclic rate. This group was fired 

in full auto at a distance of 40 feet. With the control afforded by the POF 

trigger, we were able to send each round as a single, accurate, aimed 

shot. This is prime example of what’s possible with a good trigger. 

transfer per same time interval. These rate reducers usually 

take the form of and replace the existing buffer. They may 

operate by two principles; some are designed to collapse 

on themselves, some merely add more weight to the reciprocating 

mass. The collapsing variety utilizes hydraulics, 

pneumatics, or a simple metal spring to slow, retard or delay 

the sudden stop and reversal of motion of the reciprocating 

mass. The rate reducers that work by adding mass are 

better suited to blowback guns like M16s in pistol calibers. 

A heavier buffer has greater inertia, and effectively requires 

more energy to overcome that inertia. As the fired cartridge 

builds energy, it takes more time to build the energy required 


Battle Arms Development Ambi Safety/Selector (item BAD- 

CASS-FA). This kit features interchangeable levers in 6 sizes 

and shapes. Ambidextrous control means quick control. 

to overcome the increased inertia of the reciprocating mass. 

As the buffer comes to a stop and reverses direction at the 

end of the recoil stroke it is, for a moment, motionless. Once 

again, more time is required as the recoil spring applies 

force to set the mass in motion forward back into battery. 

Some of these rate reducing devices use a combination of 

these methods of function. Both methods effectively reduce 

the recoil impulse of the gun. The collapsing buffers spread 

the recoil impulse over time, or prolong the slowing and 

reversal of the recoiling mass. The heavy buffers essentially 

spend or convert recoil energy. As energy must either be conserved 

or transferred more energy is required to move a heavier 

buffer, so less energy remains to be perceived as recoil. 

Specifics aside, you’ll save ammunition with one of these fit 

to your M16. That’s enough reason to use one. (Editor’s note: 

It is also important to note that once you change something 

in a balanced system, it is no longer “balanced” and there 

may be side effects to weight increases on components. 

Symptoms of this may appear with short bolt stroke feed 

failures or failure to return to battery if the weapon is fired 

upward or downward). 

The selector on a machine gun must not be neglected 

either. This control surface should be easy and instinctive 

to operate. The choice to change mode-of-fire should be 

the operators: the gun must only switch from semi to full 

or vice-versa at the operator’s command. And it should operate 

positively without hitch or hesitation. The only aftermarket 

upgraded selector for the M16 we found that was 

worth a mention was from Battle Arms Development (BAD). 

Their selector levers are available as a kit, offering 6 different 

modular lever controls to be affixed to the receiver. The 

operator can tailor his fire control to fit his hand and shooting 

style. The BAD selector offers low and high profile, long 

and short paddles, and are available in a variety of colors 

– some of the bright ones allow for visual confirmation of the 

weapon’s condition. Additionally, the BAD selectors can be 

configured as ambidextrous or single side operation. Quality 

of workmanship and flawless operation are hallmarks of 

every product from Battle Arms. Also worthy of mention is 

BAD’s upcoming SAFE/AUTO selector. It’s only a 2-position 

selector as it offers no semi-auto setting. It was designed 

specifically for defense and law-enforcement application to 

minimize an operator’s “time-to-fire” from a safe condition. 

It is also very relevant to residents of Connecticut, where 

a “select fire” gun is illegal; 

but laws do not overtly prohibit 

fully-automatic weapons 

(machine guns). 

If you choose to apply 

these three technologies 

to your M16, it will cost you 

approximately $500. That’s 

a drop in the bucket compared 

to what your M16 cost 

you to purchase and even 

less in comparison to your 

ammunition bill. The fact is 

that these simple upgrades 

should be considered required 

equipment. Reduced 

fire rate, better trigger and 

shot control, and reliable and 

fast fire control are all desirable 

traits. If your M16 is still 

configured as it was at its 

birth, it’s time for some evolution 

to take place. The M16 

deserves some twenty-first 

century treatments. 



Glock 41 

LATEST ADDITION TO THE 

GLOCK FAMILY 


Glock made noteworthy additions to their product 

lineup at the latest SHOT Show with the Glock 41 

(G41) .45 ACP and Glock 42 (G42) .380 ACP. These 

two new Glock handguns are on opposite sides of the 

use spectrum. The G41 is a dual purpose “Tactical/ 

Practical” full size weapon equally at home in duty/ 

service roles or in competition formats. The G42 is 

an ideal concealed carry candidate. The focus of this 

article is on the Glock 41. After erupting on the scene 

in the early 1980s with the Glock 17 (G17), Glock 

pistols quickly evolved into a benchmark for personal 

defense, law enforcement, and military polymer handguns. 

Glock handguns are ultra reliable, accurate, 

tough, and simple to operate; all at a competitive market 

price. A review of the personal defense handgun 

market makes it clear that Glock is a design standard 

for these materials, that many others are still chasing. 

Many detractors would have you believe that Glock 

has grown complacent by not introducing any new designs 

that depart significantly from the template laid 

by G17’s arrival in 1982. In fact, Glock handguns are 

into their Fourth Generation (4th Gen) of refinement 

being introduced at the 2010 SHOT Show. The 9mm 

G17 and .40 S&W G22 were the first models introduced 

in the Fourth Generation with the other models 

steadily added. 

A quick rundown of what sets each Glock Generation 

apart is in order to better appreciate Glock 

evolution. The 1st Generation, typified by the G17 

introduced in the early 1980s, was created to satisfy 

the Austrian Ministry of Defense request for a new 

service pistol replacing the P38. The grip was smooth 

with little texturing and no accommodation made for 

lights or other accessories to attach to the frame. 2nd 

Generation Glocks had serrations added to the front 

and back strap of the frame. A steel plate stamped 

with serial number was embedded into 2nd Generation 

frames at the dust cover to satisfy U.S. BATF 

regulations. Research indicates that 1st and 2nd 

Generation Glocks were built with two pin frames with 

all subsequent models using a three pin frame. Third 

Generation Glocks were introduced in the late 1990s. 

Highlights of the Third Generation consisted of an accessory 

rail (Universal Glock rail) being standard for 

the use of lights, lasers and other accessories. Thumb 

rests were added on both sides of the frame and finger 

grooves were added to the front strap. “Late” 

Third Generation Glocks had the extractor modified 

to serve as a loaded chamber indicator. As mentioned 

The Glock 41 .45 ACP was a heralded introduction at the 2014 

SHOT Show. It is a Fourth Generation Glock allowing for user to 

configure the grip size. 



above, Third Generation Glocks had an 

additional cross pin added. The pin is labeled 

as the locking block pin and is located 

above the trigger pin. The locking 

block is enlarged in the Third Generation 

Glocks. The larger locking block and 

additional pin was added for increased 

durability and distributes force across a 

larger area. 

The 4th Generation Glock reflects a 

combination of both ergonomic and internal 

changes. Many will point to Glock 

finally acceding to market demand by 

offering interchangeable backstraps of 

different sizes with the 4th Generation 

introduction. It is suspected the increasing 

amount of competitors offering the 

ability to change grip sizes was making 

too many inroads into both the law enforcement 

and civilian markets. Grip sizes 

are small, medium, and large frame. 

Grips are changed via removing a single 

pin. The G41 Gen 4 Glock comes 

with a smaller integral grip compared to 

the Gen 3 Glocks with the medium and 

large grips fitting over the frame as a 

user sees fit. Basic grip size is smaller 

with the 4th Generation introductions 

due to Glock lessening the backstrap 

“hump.” This aids shooters with smaller 

hands by reducing the circumference of 

the grip frame. Adding the medium grip 

size of the 4th Generation Glock can be 

likened to the grip found standard on 3rd 

Generation Glocks. The magazine catch 

on the 4th Gen Glock is enlarged and 

reversible requiring no additional parts 

to do so. 4th Generation Glocks come 

with three magazines configured with 

the cutout catches on either side of the 

magazine body. All previous Glock magazines 

will work with the 4th Generation 

Glock as long as the magazine catch is 

configured on the frame’s left side. 

Internal changes associated with 

the Gen 4 Glock centers around the 

dual recoil spring similar to what is currently 

found in the “mini” Glock 26/27. 

Glock literature points to the dual recoil 

spring assembly reducing recoil 

impulse and increases the life cycle of 

the pistol by limiting wear due to the firing 

cycle. Non-Glock sources point to 

the dual spring as a necessary change 

to address reports of reliability issues 

with G22s when shooting certain types 

of ammunition with a light mounted to 

the weapon. The dual spring changes 

slide rate and thus reliability. The spring 

is a dual compression type with the 

captured springs operating at different 

rates. Though no formally tested recoil 

dampening rate reports have been 

published, subjective estimates from 

10%-30% have been bantered about, 

especially with the “snappier” .40 S&W 


Glock 41 

LEFT: The shared Glock lineage is evident 

with the two newest Glocks - G41 

and G42 – field stripped. Glocks break 

down into four major pieces: frame, slide, 

barrel, and dual recoil spring. 

ABOVE: The G41 Gen 4 Glock comes 

with a smaller integral grip compared to 

the Gen 3 Glocks with the medium and 

large grips fitting over the frame as a user 

sees fit. Along these same lines, 4th Generation 

Glocks receive a rough texture 

for better grip purchase. A G42 Glock is 

shown next to the G41 for a sense of scale 

between the two Glock introductions. The 

G42 is substantially thinner than its G41 

big brother. 

RIGHT: The Glock 41 handled different 

brands of ammunition and bullet configurations 

with no issues. 


and .357 SIG chambered Glocks. The 

G41 tested herein in a 4th Generation 

type. The dual recoil spring is expected 

to have a longer service life compared 

single spring design found in earlier 

generation Glocks. 

Glock eliminated the possibility of 

switching springs and slides between 

4th Generation models and its predecessors 

by giving the dual recoil springs 

a thicker guide rod and end plug so it 

will not fit in any non-4th Generation 

slide. The Gen 4 slide has been altered 

to not accept previous guide springs 

and furthermore prevents slide interchangeability 

between Gen 4 and earlier 

Generation models. Gen 4 slides are 

stamped accordingly to aid in preventing 

confusion. Another internal change 

is in the trigger bar layout and is supposed 

to increase life expectancy. The 

trigger housing is slightly different due 

to the grip frame and mirrors Gen 3 

SF models. 

Manufacturer and price range serve 

as no guarantee that a handgun is able 

to perform immediately after purchase. 

Yes, many deficiencies are quickly remedied 

by “breaking in” a pistol by use 

or making slight adjustments to various 

parts. This does not have to be acceptable. 

A Glock is one of the few handguns 

you can count on being ready to 

go straight out of the box. Glock’s solid 

performance over the years is sometimes 

neglected or taken for granted, 

particularly by firearms publications. 

This stems from the constant focus on 

the newest product introductions. The 

G41 allows for renewed focus on what 

Glock offers in terms of performance. 

The G41 joins other specialized Tactical/Practical 

“long slide” Glocks such 

as the G34 (9mm) and G35 (.40 S&W). 

The Glock Tactical/Practical family tree 

extends back to the hard to find G17L 

(9mm) and G24 (.40 S&W). The Glock 

34 and 35 were born from the need to 

shorten the slide of the G17L/24. The 

G34/35 slide was shortened to fit size 

constraint rules imposed by certain 

competitive shooting sanctioning bod- 

ABOVE: The Glock 41 pleasantly 

surprised with being able to fit into 

holsters designed for G17 style 

Glocks. This gives users more options 

and easier time if considering 

switching between the G41 and 

other full size Glocks. 

LEFT: The Glock 41 proved an accurate 

performer allowing its user 

to place .45 ACP rounds where 

intended. This group was fired offhand 

from 15 yards. 


Glock 41 

ies. In general, the dimensions follow 

the classic 1911 pistol’s outline. With the 

G34/G35 introduction, G17L and G24 

production was throttled back. Glock’s 

reasoning, as efficient as their handguns 

were, was that there was no need 

to continue importing the Glock 17Ls 

and G24s in the same quantity with the 

Glock 34/35’s introduction. 

Let’s review what sets the Glock 41 

apart from other Glock handguns outside 

of the Tactical/Practical category. This is 

an instance where size does matter. The 

G41’s 5.3 inch barrel is the most obvious 

departure giving the G41 an overall 

length of 8.9 inches and a sight radius 

of nearly 7.6 inches. For comparison’s 

sake, a full size 1911 has a sight radius 

of 6.8 inches. The G41’s longer sight radius 

is more conducive to accurate shot 

placement at distance. With the G41 a 

proficient shooter will find it possible to 

accurately engage targets at 50 yards 

and cover had better be sought by any 

intended targets out to 100 yards. Proven 

Glock ergonomics combined with 

the slide’s long track during recoil and 

manageable .45 ACP muzzle signature 

allows for a very stable sight picture no 

matter how many or how rapid rounds 

are fired. 

It is not hard to fathom why select 

elite special operation units choose the 

Tactical/Practical “long slide” G34/35 

Glocks with the G41 sure to follow the 

same path. The G41 equipped with a 

Glock GTL 21 tactical laser/light on its 

rail is a lethal CQB weapon in trained 

hands. Another worthy addition would 

be a Kriss Extended G21 magazine offering 

25-round capacity for the G41. 

This same configuration, GTL 21 and 

Kriss Extended G21 magazine, would 

find beneficial use in the civilian world 

as a “nightstand” defensive handgun. 

A loaded G41 magazine with one in 

the chamber adds up to fourteen rounds 

of potent .45 ACP firepower in a pack- 



Glock 41 

Glock G41 with two cases in the air and slide shut in preparation 

for another one to be fired. This is outstanding performance for a 

.45 ACP caliber handgun. The Glock 41 design enabled controllable 

fire keeping the muzzle near the original sight line. 

age similar in size to the classic 1911. 

The G41 represents the quintessential 

balance of size, weight, capacity, and 

cartridge potency. As mentioned earlier, 

the G41’s frame is a Gen 4 type, meaning 

it is not as large as the previous Gen 

3 G20 (10mm) / G21 (.45 ACP) frame 

that proved such a handful – no pun intended 

– for anyone without extra-large 

hands. The prior 4th Gen reference 

is important due to the G41 benefiting 

greatly from the associated design 

tweaks. The G41 comes with four (4) 

interchangeable backstraps allowing a 

user to adjust to the feel they want. Two 

grips featuring extended beavertails are 

also included with the G41. Another nuance 

discovered with the Gen 4 G41 

was that its slimmer slide resembles a 

G17 compared to a G20/21 allowing for 

its use in a wider range of holsters. This 

is significant with G17 holsters more 

easily available than G20/21 holsters. 

The G41’s slimmer slide contributes to 

it weighing less than a G21. The G41 

weighs 27 ounces empty; this is a couple 

ounces less than the G21 despite its 

shorter slide. 

The G41 .45 ACP was test fired using 

Federal, Winchester, Black Hills, 

Hornady and Wolf ammunition. Loads 

fired ranged from 185 grain to 230 grain 

JHP and FMJ bullets. Brass and steel 

cases were also tested in the G41. Approximately 

450 rounds were fired while 

compiling this article. No malfunctions 

were experienced. After the G41 sights 

were verified at 25 yards, T&E testing 

consisted of monotonous hammering 

of steel plate racks and popper targets 

at 7, 15, and 25 yards. Man sized steel 

targets were sporadically engaged at 

50 and 100 yards as well. All of the premium 

loads tested from Federal, Winchester, 

Black Hills Ammunition, and 

Hornady generated 3-inch groups at 25 

yards. From a more practical perspective 

in terms of handgun performance, 

the G41 produced a 100% rating over 

a 60-round law enforcement proficiency 

test frequently used to gauge different 

handguns. The test is timed fire from the 

holster at various ranges stretching from 

5 yards back to 30 yards. Unscientific 

assessment would be that the “snap” 

of the slide in its rearward travel is indeed 

reduced with the G41 compared to 

a 3rd Gen G21 .45 ACP that was handled 

alongside it even though the G41 

is lighter than the 3rd Gen G21 by a few 

ounces. This has to be attributed to the 

dual recoil spring found in the G41. 

T&E was conducted at Echo Valley 

Training Center, a private range 

located near Winchester, VA, where 

many local and federal law enforcement 


tactical team members train. It is difficult 

to convey how many shooters at the 

range perked up when they noticed the 

Glock 41. Every time one of them got to 

handle and shoot the Glock 41, a convert 

was obtained. Their duty weapons 

span the gamut, including custom tuned 

1911 pistols, but all appreciate what the 

G41 offers in terms of accuracy, reliability, 

handling, capacity, and lethality. 

Considering that the G41’s design 

intent as a Tactical/Practical offering 

it was decided to dedicate some time 

evaluating the G41 using several drills 

experienced during training at Suarez 

International, TMACS, Tactical Response, 

Storm Mountain, and other 

schools. Drills included working around 

breaching facades, door entries, and 

other CQB activities typified by experiences 

encountered in shoot house environments. 

A premium is placed on a 

quick handling accurate handgun such 

as the G41 with multiple rounds fired 

in quick succession the norm to put a 

target down. The natural point-ability 

of the G41 comes into its own in this 

realm. The full size grip frame and overall 

balance of the G41 made felt recoil 

negligible. A BlackHawk Serpa holster 

on a High Speed Gear patrol belt 

served as primary means of carry for 

evaluation purposes. 

The Glock “secret” to success is 

minimal operating controls, relentless 

reliability, and consistent manageable 

trigger pull. While the grip size is different 

between the newly introduced Glock 

41 and Glock 42, the position of the slide 

and magazine releases will instantly be 

familiar. Simplicity should not be confused 

as lack of refinement. As experience 

and knowledge has expanded, 

Glock reliability and solid performance 

has become more entrenched as a standard 

that many other polymer handgun 

manufacturers are competing against. 

Sites of Interest 

Glock 

6000 Highlands Pkwy 

Smyrna, GA 30082 

(770) 432-1202 

www.glock.com 

Black Hills Ammunition 

PO Box 3090 

Rapid City, SD 57709 

(605) 348-5150 

www.black-hills.com 

Echo Valley Training Center 

www.echovalleytrainingcenter.com 

Hornady Mfg., Inc. 

3625 Old Potash Hwy 

Grand Island, NE 68802 

(800) 338-3220 

www.hornady.com 

Stonewall Arms 

2438 Valley Ave 

Winchester, VA 22601 

(540) 535-2190 

www.stonewallarms.com 

Winchester Ammunition 

427 N. Shamrock St 

East Alton, IL 62024 

www.winchester.com 

KRISS USA 

PO Box 8928 

Virginia Beach, VA 23450 

(855) 574 7787 

www.kriss-usa.com 


LESS 

REALLY IS 

MORE 

By Andrew Thomas 

Our fighting soldiers - the recon units and scouts and 

expeditionary fighting forces that carry all of their equipment 

on their backs in and out of operations have learned 

this lesson well: ounces equal pounds. Soldiers have 

made an art of dropping unnecessary weight while in theater. 

They unpack their MREs just to ditch the large outer 

plastic bag. They forego conveniences and luxuries like 

an extra pair of briefs. They discard expensive equipment 

in the field; radios, gas masks and med kits; equipment 

they may need. Some cut their toothbrush in half - if they 

carry one at all. Sometimes they choose to carry less than 

they should of essentials like food, water, and ammunition. 

These combined efforts can result in dozens of pounds 

less to hump in a pack. Government contracted arms 

manufacturers have spent millions in research and development 

in attempts to lighten the load of our soldiers. The 

LSAT weapon project is a good example by cutting the 

weight the M249 SAW gunner had to carry nearly in half. 

It is based loosely on the M249 envelope, and uses caseless 

ammunition. Long before that, in the mid-1960s, Colt 

made the Model 608 Survival Rifle, based on the M16. 

They managed to whittle off unnecessary weight to bring 

it from 6 down to 4.8 pounds. It was intended to be carried 

in aircraft, in case of a crash, so flight crews could fight 

their way back to friendly lines. Before that, the M1 .30 

carbine was the answer to the Garand’s size and weight; it 

was 25% shorter and 40% lighter than the Garand. It was 

ideal for personnel that were engaged in tasks other than 

direct combat. Mortar, tank, artillery, transport and support 

personnel found its size and weight preferable, and its capability 

sufficient. “Lightweight” is not a matter of convenience; 

it’s becoming quite necessary. This is the kind of 

thinking that spawned what is currently the world’s lightest 

AR-15 rifle, which weighs under four pounds. 

It’s called the OIP (ounces is pounds) and it is indeed 

the lightest AR-15 carbine manufactured today. It is a full 

size carbine – not an SBR (short barrel rifle) and not a 

pistol. It’s built up to a standard; not stripped down to a 

compromise. The grip is the only plastic on the gun. The 

receivers and buttstock and buffer assembly are made of 

7075 T6 tempered aluminum that is type III hard anodized 

on all surfaces. The upper features a dri-lube film inside. 

The muzzle brake and gas block and pins and screws and 

bolt carrier are bare heat treated titanium. The forearm is 

filament-wound carbon fiber. The barrel is nitrocarburized 

ordnance steel. There is no next generation rare earth 


element found on this gun. It’s not the 

product of quantum chemistry or other 

witchery. It’s the result of a “basic” AR- 

15 being stripped of the inferior and upgraded 

with the superior. It’s what happened 

when some mad gunsmiths got 

together and decided to affect a shift in 

the way we think about firearms. 

The “blue sky” thinkers we refer to 

are the men of Bentwood Gunsmithing, 

in Henderson, Nevada. Bentwood is 

for the most part a general repair shop. 

They indeed offer service and repair on 

guns to walk-in customers. They can 

also authoritatively build, create, modify, 

and improve weapons of all platforms; 

ABOVE: Detail of the muzzle. The dimpled 

barrel is a patented process by which 

a barrel may shed weight without losing 

rigidity. The brake and gas block are titanium. 

The brake is designed to interface 

with the Gemtech HALO suppressor. 

BELOW: The “beam and web” structure 

of the receivers maintains strength and 

protection of the internal components. 

The surface of the 7075 aluminum parts 

is treated with a unique “natural clear” 

type 3 hard anodizing. The Aimpoint H1 

is the recommended optic for this rifle. It’s 

as tough as can be demanded and only 

weighs a few ounces. 

for all purposes. They sponsor a few of 

the world’s top action shooters; the guns 

wielded by those champions are made 

at Bentwood. They build and maintain 

duty and service weapons for many 

departments and agencies; foreign and 

domestic. It’s not enough to say that 

Bentwood’s staff is factory trained: it 

is actual fact that security, police, and 

military agencies and firearm manufacturers 

send their technicians to receive 

armory training from the man in charge 

at Bentwood Gunsmithing, Matthew J. 

Babb. Through experience, interaction, 

and feedback from such a broad industry 

sample, Bentwood’s Gunsmiths 

have learned what is required of a 

gun; and where the gun falls short of 

fulfilling its role. 

The first prototypes of the OIP project 

began in 2009 at the request of an 

Army Ranger that returned home from 

Afghanistan. This Ranger had carried 

a MK48 machine gun for several years 

in theater. It was heavy and unwieldy. 

The Ranger offered up the idea to Dave 

Lake, one of Bentwood’s Gunsmiths, to 

build a rifle that was “just a rifle.” Those 

were his words. He wanted a rifle that 

consisted only of what’s necessary to 

fire bullets safely, reliably, and accurately. 

The Ranger wanted a rifle that he 

could carry while biking or jogging in the 

woods. This idea of ultimate simplicity 

in a rifle became Dave’s mission. The 

early versions were built on vintage Colt 

AR-15 receivers – the old uppers without 

forward assist and shell deflector, 

and lowers without pivot pin plungers 

and fences. These receivers were fitted 

to pencil thin, shortened barrels. Thin 

wall tubing was welded on the muzzle 

to make legal length. Later versions of 

the lightweight project involved skeletonizing 

the receivers. Instead of using 

commercially available buffer and stock 

assemblies, the buffer from a carbine 

was used, as it weighs less than that 

of a rifle; while the tube from a rifle was 

used, as it weighs less than that of a carbine. 

A hollow plastic spacer below the 

buffer assembly is all that was needed 

to make this combination work. The barrel 

was aggressively fluted – more flute 

than barrel and a lightweight carrier installed. 

The takedown pins and selector 

barrel were hollowed out. The gas block 

was condensed to one fourth the bulk of 

the lightest commercial option. Even the 

hammer and trigger were ground down 

to a third their original thickness while 

preserving proper function. Sometimes 

each new effort would show a loss of an 

ounce or two; though sometimes progress 

came only in fractions of an ounce. 

In the summer of 2013, Bentwood 

Gunsmithing partnered with Battle Arms 


Development to create an ultra-lightweight 

receiver set dedicated to this 

project. The result bore the compelling 

strut-and-web design seen here. Careful 

engineering created a receiver set 

slightly stronger than a basic forged 

receiver set, and 30% lighter. The barrel 

was optimized by incorporating a 

unique machine dimpled surface. This 

patented feature is used under license 

granted by Knight’s Armament Corporation. 

The dimpling process retains 

most of the barrel’s rigidity while cutting 

the barrel’s weight from the typical 28 

ounces to a scant 18 ounces. During 

its development, as the rifle dropped 

below the 5 pound mark, there were 

resultant negative side effects. Recoil 

was uncomfortable and handling during 

fire became strained. The OIP’s control 

and firing characteristics would need to 

be improved, while maintaining a net 

weight loss. 

The OIP, in its final revision, weighs 

just under 4 pounds dry. More effort is 

required to pull the trigger on a Glock 

pistol than lift this rifle. This lack of inertial 

mass makes a brusque recoil 

impulse and there were corrective 

measures applied to the gun to keep it 

under control. First, and most obvious, 

is the muzzle brake. It’s machined from 

titanium bar stock. Its weight is half that 

of a steel brake. The porting and internal 

geometry are not random. The design 

is the product of thorough testing, 

study, and experimentation. There is 

no equation that can be applied to calculate 

the dynamics of a muzzle brake; 

and no broad definition to quantify the 

effect. Caliber, chamber, bullet weight, 

barrel length, gun weight, gun geometry, 

shooter weight and stance and method 

of holding the gun all skew the result. 

ABOVE: Battle Arms Development 

was willing and able to execute the 

task of manufacturing the receivers. 

Bentwood partnered with Battle Arms 

to bring the OIP to life. 


The magazine well is aggressively flared to assist fast reloads. The included transparent 

Lancer magazines and windowed magazine well allow the user to keep an 

eye on the ammunition supply. 


Empirical data was gathered from many 

prototype brakes as over 1,000 rounds 

of M855 ball were fired in front of a slow 

motion camera from a “recoil machine,” 

a fixture built by Bentwood specifically 

for this project. During their work, Bentwood 

discovered that a muzzle brake 

works by two principles. They are described 

as the flow and foul of a gas 

(exiting the muzzle). More of the “flow” 

effect built into a brake’s baffles and 

chambers results in a slower; albeit still 

present, recoil impulse. This style returns 

less overall effective recoil attenuation 

for small calibers. It works well with 

heavier weapons, and larger cartridges. 

The property of flow can be exploited as 

directional control, to counteract muzzle 

rise for instance. The “foul” effect can 

create highly effective recoil control; 

sometimes too much. In the case of 

this 4-pound rifle, one overly effective 

brake originally used for testing actually 

yanked the rifle forward - away from the 

shooter - making follow up shots next to 

impossible. A “fouling” brake also makes 

for an overwhelming blast impulse back 

to the shooter. The result of these efforts 

is a brake that is balanced in its effect to 

work optimally with this rifle. 

More recoil mitigating features are 

found on the other end of the gun. The 

proportion of the stock assembly is the 

result of some trial and error and some 

consultation with some experienced 

professional shooters. It is an accepted 

fact that there is a proper way to “saddle” 

a rifle. By doing so, the shooter 

effectively gains more control over that 

rifle. This method asks that the shooter 

mount the rifle low in the shoulder, 

while keeping the body square to the 

direction of fire. The head should remain 

upright and rest forward and atop 

the stock. The length and drop of the 

OIP’s stock were devised to encourage 

correct shooting form; and as part of its 

design, is meant to cause discomfort if 

the rifle is held incorrectly. The pistol grip 

also plays its part. As it is nearly vertical, 

it encourages the arm to swing farther 

forward, resulting in a better “pocket” in 

the shoulder for the stock to lock into. It 

also lets the hand and wrist relax more 

than a rearward swept grip; facilitating 

better trigger control. Other secrets lie 

inside the OIP’s buffer tube. The buffer’s 

design has been enhanced from 

the standard configuration. The details 

of these structures will not be illustrated 

here; suffice to say that cyclic function 

and recoil impulse are optimized while 

achieving an overall weight savings. 

The recoil spring system, called the 

“Flatline” is available as an accessory 

to be used in any AR-15. It is perhaps 

the smartest part on this rifle. It replaces 

a conventional buffer spring with 3 new 


components; 2 springs and a little plastic 

ring. It’s so simple but so effective. 

The motion of the recoiling mass of the 

bolt group and buffer is attenuated by 

multiple springs that slow and reverse 

motion at multiple rates. The result is a 

rifle that operates near the constant recoil 

principle, with enhanced reliability, 

and with almost no recoil energy passed 

on to the shooter. 

The OIP is offered for sale only as 

kit, though some of the developments 

will be for sale as accessory items later 

this year. The kit includes an optic, 

optic mount, sling, magazines and a 

discreet carrying case. The optic is the 

Aimpoint H1. It is not the lightest red-dot 

on the market; it was chosen for being 

the best red-dot that is light. Weight 

savings was a goal in the OIP project, 

but it never came at a compromise to 

the rifle’s function. The magazines included 

are made by Lancer Systems. 

They are indeed lighter than any metal 

magazines and come at a weight savings 

while maintaining reliability. Lancer 

Systems magazines are transparent 

polymer, and feature a metal top 

section that includes the feed lips and 

notch for the latch. Here again, weight 

was dropped without sacrificing function. 

The case was chosen for its utility 

as a multipurpose pack. It does not look 

like a gun case. It can be carried in the 

hand or slung over shoulder or across 

the back. It’s meant to blend in among 

gym bags and backpacks we might see 

attached to joggers, bikers, and commuters 

these days. It features padded 

exterior walls, many compartments and 

a place for a hydration bladder. The rifle 

is stowed in a broken-down state in the 

main compartment. The sling is an elastic 

single point style without padding; it’s 

simply not required. This rifle could be 

carried comfortably on a single strand 

of para-cord. 

The small bits on the OIP are all very 

special as well. The titanium gas block 

is almost not there – it weighs less than 

the gas tube. The forearm is glued to 

the barrel nut as screws would be too 

heavy. The takedown and pivot pins are 

titanium and available from Battle Arms 

Development as the TiEPS. The screws 

that hold the grip and buttplate are also 

titanium. The selector lever is another 

Battle Arms part; their short throw modular 

unit; though the OIP variant is made 

of skeletonized aluminum. JP Rifles 

supplies the OIP with its trigger mechanism. 

It offers a 4 pound pull with adjustable 

sear engagement, pre travel and 

over-travel. It’s also the thinnest trigger 

on the market, thus it is the lightest 

trigger on the market. The bolt carrier is 

machined from solid titanium. The bolt 

and gas key are nickel boron coated, 

magnetic particle inspected, Carpenter 

158 steel. The entire assembly is of 

premium quality and workmanship. This 

bolt carrier group weighs 4 ounces less 

than a regular steel bolt group. 

The OIP is somewhat limited in its 

mission adaptability. It cannot accept 

forward Picatinny rail sections. It is not 

compatible with M-lok or Keymod accessories. 

The only upgrade is an optional 

flashlight mount that connects 

to the Fortis Scope base. By locating 

the light just ahead of the receiver and 

atop the forearm, the rifle’s balance remains 

manageable, and gives the user’s 

thumb direct access to the light controls. 

Through its evolution, the OIP has become 

a narrowly focused weapon. It’s 

built for long term carry, rapid deployment, 

and the aggressive use against 

armed threats. It really belongs to those 

who need to carry a weapon all the time 

– security guards, standing a post or 

traveling with a VIP, police officers on 

bicycles, and even the Secret Service. 

Any of the alphabet agencies could use 

it to good effect. Law enforcement and 

anti-terrorism groups are encountering 

an ever- growing domestic threat. The 

convenience and concealability of the 

handgun is becoming overshadowed by 

its limited range and power. Those that 

serve in our defense need real firepower 

at their side. There is a demand for, and 

a growing supply of small, potent weapons 

that punch above their weight and 

bridge the gap between pistols and assault 

rifles; known generally as PDWs. 

The poster child of this type of weapon 

is the Heckler and Koch MP7. It ignores 

the line between the sidearm and the 

assault rifle, is lethal up to 200 meters 

and boasts armor-piercing capabilities. 

It carries a 30-round magazine of hi-velocity 

.18 caliber projectiles, and can 

fire them in full auto at 950 rpm with no 

appreciable recoil. The operator does 

require extensive training and familiarization 

to put the MP-7 to good use. It 

is roughly twice the size and weight of 

the average service pistol; it weighs 4.2 

pounds empty. Well then, we see now 

that there is a balance to be reached 

between size and weight and firepower 

and practicality. The OIP weighs 4.2 

pounds with the aimpoint attached. The 

5.56mm ammunition is well proven; 

and the AR-15 platform is well known. 

The AR-15 platform requires no new 

level of training, no new armory certification, 

and can use common parts and 

common ammunition. The 5.56 cartridge 

doubles the range and effect of 

the 4.6mm round used in the MP-7. In 

a world where insurgents often present 

with submachine guns and assault rifles, 

our counterinsurgent forces should, 

if at all possible, out-gun the bad guys. 

“Too much gun” is just a negative way 

of saying, “decisive application of force.” 

Comparatively then, the only drawback 

to the OIP is its size; a flaw easy to overlook 

when weighed against the advantages 

the OIP affords its user. 

Our evaluation at the range did not 

disappoint. We were quickly mobbed 

by other shooters and range staff; all 

very curious about the rifle. They were 

all caught completely off-guard when 

we passed the rifle around for close-inspection. 

The “gallery” we had attracted 

became abuzz in comment about the 

OIP’s feather-lite feel and perfect balance. 

For some, the looks of the gun 

caught them; it was love at first sight. 

There were members of this crowd that 

were skeptical, so we gave them all a 

chance to fire it. One way or another, by 

holding, firing, or merely looking at the 

OIP, everybody at the range that day became 

a believer. After we shot the gun, 

any dubious feelings we had about the 

OIP were put to rest as well. Bentwood’s 

claims of superior balance, ergonomics, 

firing and handling characteristics are all 

very true. If we didn’t know any better, 

we would swear that every bit of R&D 

went into making this thing perform. 

The exquisite form the rifle has taken 

could just be a fortunate side effect. And 

what’s satisfying is that it’s not made 

of techno-fluff and rainbows like some 

boutique AR-15s can be these days. 

The OIP is a real player. It meets or 


The unique geometry of the stock and grip is a key component 

to the gun’s handling. The length of the tube and height of the 

plate and grip angle are specifically designed to improve shooting 

stance and enhance control during fire. 

exceeds accuracy standards set forth 

for the M4 carbine. Our test rifle came 

fitted with an Aimpoint H1 red-dot. There 

is no place for a magnifier on the receiver, 

so our long range accuracy results 

would be achieved without magnification. 

Standing unsupported at ranges 

up to 300 yards, we could easily deliver 

all hits “in the black” on an NRA B27 silhouette 

target. At 100 yards from a rest, 

using M855 ball ammunition, our best 

groups averaged 3-inches on target. 

For close-in rapid fire results we used a 

shot timer set to a par time of 1 second 

per target placed downrange. Even on 

targets out to 50 yards, we were able 

to make our hits and transitions within 

our timed goals. This speaks to the rifle’s 

superb handling traits. Moving the 

OIP from target to target is really as 

easy as looking at the next target. The 

rifle instinctively follows and there’s 

so little effort required to move it with 

zero recovery time between shots. This 

kind of speed and handling is just what 

3-gunners are seeking. The properties 

of all metal parts and surface coatings 

exceed our military’s operational standards 

for wear, abuse, and normal operation. 

After over 1,200 rounds at the 

range over two days, including all the 

shooting by the folks at the gun range, 

there were no jams, failures, or malfunctions 

of any kind. Our evaluation 

took two days because of the severe 

weather of the Nevada desert in fall. 

The first day saw high winds and dust, 

followed by torrential rain that combined 

with the dust to form mud. Perfect 

opportunity to tempt fate; the gun was 

not cleaned before day 2 yet we finished 

our range testing without a hitch. This 

does not suggest that the OIP is superior 

in this capacity as the limits of the 

AR-15’s ability to survive abuse have 

been long established on the battlefield. 

We don’t suggest that Las Vegas is as 

bad as Afghanistan or Panama, but it 

is one of the harshest places in North 

America, and that’s a good enough test 

for most of us. So the OIP is as good as 

any other good AR-15 at roughing it in 

the elements. If we must complain about 

something, we will complain about the 

very hot forearm. During fire, the black 

carbon fiber tube absorbed radiant heat 

from the barrel and the desert sun like 

a charcoal briquette. We urge the use 

of a glove for sustained fire, or use the 

“magwell” grip with the front hand. At 

our inquiry, we were told by Bentwood 

Gunsmithing to expect other versions 

and caliber options in the future. They 

declined to let slip any dates or details. 

We’ll cross our fingers for a 300 Blackout 

or even a pistol variant. It would be 

selfish to hope for an AR-10 to receive 

the OIP treatment. 

The OIP is produced in very limited 

numbers, and each rifle is assembled 

by one man and inspected by the other 

at Bentwood Gunsmithing. The OIP is 

unique, exclusive, beautiful, and powerful. 

It’s a rare thing that is as intriguing to 

see and hold as it is to shoot. It’s like a 

greyhound; skin and bone and muscle 

that was built to run. This rifle begs to 

be taken to task. But like most of your 

guns, you don’t buy them out of necessity. 

You’ll buy the OIP to make your 

shooting buddies jealous. You want to 

be the object of envy at the shooting 

range. You don’t have to carry a badge 

and wear a suit and sunglasses and an 

ear bud and speak into your cuff to justify 

buying it; but if you are lucky enough 

to get an OIP, you’re welcome to don the 

sunglasses and ear bud. 



126 

Synopsis of Annual 

Imports Conference 

By Robert M. Hausman 

The following is a synopsis 

of the 13th annual Importer 

Licensee Conference held by 

the F.A.I.R. Trade Group (an 

importer’s industry organization) 

and the National Shooting 

Sports Foundation in Washington, 

D.C. in August. This 

was the 13th year of the conference, 

which was attended 

by about 150 persons. 

ATF Panel 

The opening panel was 

from the Bureau of Alcohol, 

Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 

(ATF), the agency 

responsible for administering 

the import provisions of the 

Federal firearms laws. Alphonso 

Hughes, Chief of the 

Firearms and Explosives Services 

Division, announced a 

number of staffing changes, 

including recent hires to assist 

in processing import applications 

and National Firearms 

Act documents. Chief Hughes 

announced a goal of reducing 

the current processing time 

for tax-paid NFA forms (Forms 

1 and 4) from 9 months to 

6 months. 

Desiree Dickinson, Imports 

Industry Liaison, discussed 

the mismatch between terms 

of validity for ATF’s import permit 

(2 years) and the International 

Import Certificate (IIC), 

which is 6 months. Dickinson 

advised that the Department 

of Commerce, which has ownership 

of the IIC, will soon 

extend the term of validity to 

1 year. She suggested that 

industry members discuss extension 

of the IIC to 2 years 

with Commerce. 

Dickinson reviewed the 

changes made to the U.S. Munitions 

Imports List (USMIL) 

by an ATF final rule published 

in March, 2014 (rule can be 

accessed at www.gpo.gov/ 

fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-03-27/ 

pdf/2014-06778.pdf). The rule 

removed a number of categories 

from the USMIL as part 

of the Administration’s export 

control reform initiative. 

William Majors, Chief of the 

Imports Branch, emphasized 

the staffing challenges presented 

by the increasing volume 

of import licenses. Majors 

made it clear ATF will entertain 

requests to expedite import 

applications only with documentation 

the articles sought 

for importation are required for 

a law enforcement agency or 

other government agency. 

Lee Alston-Williams, a senior 

specialist from the Firearms 

and Explosives Services 

Division, gave an update on 

ATF’s e-Forms. Due to problems 

with the current software, 

ATF has removed a number of 

NFA forms from the e-Forms 

system. Alston-Williams stated 

the system currently supports 

the Form 6 import application, 

Form 6A, Release and 

Receipt of Imported Firearms, 

and the ATF Form 1, Application 

to Make and Register a 

Firearm. ATF is working with 

a new e-Forms contractor and 

hopes to provide the firearms 

industry with new and improved 

e-Forms in the future. 

The final speaker on the 

ATF panel was Helen Koppe, 

Chief of the Firearms Industry 

Programs Division. This Division 

is responsible for marking 

variances for firearms, which 

are generally processed within 

90 days. Koppe announced 

that the responsibility for responding 

to marking variance 

requests will be transferred 

to the Firearms Technology 

Branch in the Fall 2014. 

During the question and 

answer session, a question 

was raised about publication 

of the final rule relating to the 

notice of proposed rulemaking 

on NFA trusts (ATF 41P, published 

in the Federal Register 

September 9, 2013, (www. 

gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013- 

09-09/pdf/2013-21661.pdf). 

Andrew Lange, Chief of ATF’s 

Regulations Division, stated 

that the large quantity of public 

comments may delay publication 

of the final rule until 2015. 

Alphonso Hughes answered 

a question about possible 

suspension of permits 

authorizing import of firearms 

and ammunition from Russia. 

Chief Hughes announced that 

all permits would remain valid 

until the Department of State 

directs otherwise. He stated 

that ATF would process all 

new applications for permits 

unless the application lists a 

party blocked by the Office of 

Foreign Assets Control (i.e., 

Kalashnikov Concern). 

Automated Export System 

Joe Cortez of the Census 

Bureau’s Trade Division gave 

an update on the Automated 

Export System (AES). Cortez 

outlined recent changes 

made to the Foreign Trade 

Regulations and the data elements 

added to the system by 

those changes. 

United Nations Arms 

Trade Treaty 

Bill Kullman, Deputy Chief 

of ATF’s International Affairs 

office, and Rick Patterson, Executive 

Director of the Sporting 

Arms Ammunition Manufacturers 

Institute (SAAMI), 

gave a presentation on the 

United Nations Arms Trade 

Treaty. 

Kullman emphasized the 

role of the United States as 

raising the small arms import 

and export requirements of the 

world to the “gold standard” of 

the United States and to avoid 

committing the U.S. to additional 

unnecessary requirements. 

Patterson stated that 

the firearms industry should 

be concerned about the treaty’s 

lack of definitions for 

terms including “small arms,” 

“ammunition,” and “stockpiles.” 

He said these omissions 

are deliberate and provide 

a placeholder for future 

amendments that could be 

detrimental to legitimate commerce 

in firearms. Patterson 

also mentioned end-use certificates 

and more burdensome 

transshipment requirements 

as potential problem areas in 

the treaty. 

Round-Table Sessions 

a Big Hit 

Sponsors of the conference 

made a major change 

in format by devoting most 

of the afternoon of the first 

day to round-table discussions. 

Ten different tables 

were set up with government 

experts ready to discuss imports, 

National Firearms Act

transactions, Firearms Industry 

Programs issues, ATF 

e-Forms, ATF field compliance 

inspections, Immigration and 

Customs Enforcement, firearms 

and ammunition excise 

tax (Treasury’s Tax and Trade 

Bureau), Automated Export 

System (Census Bureau), 

State Department Licensing 

and Policy, and sanctions imposed 

by Treasury’s Office of 

Foreign Assets Control. The 

smaller groups and informal 

discussions resulted in many 

lively interchanges between 

government experts and industry 

members. Experts and 

attendees said the format resulted 

in great communication 

and should be continued. 

ICE Emphasizes Criminal 

Smuggling Violations 

The final session for Day 

1 was from David Whalen of 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

(ICE), Homeland 

Security Investigations (HSI). 

Mr. Whalen’s experience investigating 

cross-border firearms 

smuggling was evident 

as he gave attendees examples 

of “red flags” that should 

raise suspicion in international 

import and export transactions. 

He assured attendees 

that HSI is interested in investigating 

egregious criminal violations, 

rather than technical 

regulatory violations. 

Add-On Session for Basic 

Import/Exports Training 

Based on feedback from 

previous conferences, F.A.I.R. 

and NSSF offered attendees 

an optional 2-hour basic 

course on importation and 

exportation. Approximately 60 

attendees signed up for the 

course, many new to import/ 

export. Teresa Ficaretta, a 

Federal retiree with 28 years 

of ATF experience, gave the 

imports section of the training, 

which included an overview 

of the import provisions of the 

Gun Control Act, the National 

Firearms Act, and the Arms 

Export Control Act. Jim Bartlett, 

Partner and Director of 

U.S. Operations for Full Circle 

Compliance, gave the export 

portion of the training, covering 

State Department regulations, 

Commerce Department’s 

Export Administration 

Regulations, and sanctions 

imposed by the Office of Foreign 

Assets Control. F.A.I.R. 

and NSSF report positive 

feedback for this type of basic 

training and may expand it at 

future conferences. 

Day 2: ITAR Registration, 

Brokering, Voluntary Disclosures, 

and Compliance 

Programs 

Day two of the conference 

was devoted to the controls 

over exports of defense articles 

governed by the Department 

of State, Directorate 

of Defense Trade Controls 

(DDTC). Danielle Pressler 

from DDTC Compliance gave 

an overview of registration requirements 

of the International 

Traffic in Arms Regulations 

(ITAR), recent amendments to 

the brokering requirements of 

ITAR, and the elements of an 

effective compliance program. 

She also discussed voluntary 

disclosures of violations 

to DDTC and encouraged 

self-audits to identify such violations. 

Pressler emphasized 

the fact that 99% of all voluntary 

disclosures are closed 

without further action. 

Pressler’s remarks meshed 

well with a presentation from 

a panel titled “Designing and 

Maintaining an Effective Compliance 

Program.” James 

Bartlett from the Law Office 

of James E. Bartlett III, LLP, 

Johanna Reeves, Managing 

Partner of Reeves and Dola, 

and Thomas Trotto, from Immigration 

and Customs Enforcement 

HSI, made up the panel. 

Many of the compliance program 

elements emphasized 

by Bartlett and Reeves were 

similar to those in Pressler’s 

presentation. Attendees 

had questions for the panel 

about potential violations and 

when they warrant disclosure 

to State. 

The final presentation at 

the conference was by Julio 

Santiago, a licensing officer 

with DDTC licensing. Santiago 

made remarks on licensing, 

end-user monitoring, per- 

manent exports, temporary 

imports, temporary exports, 

congressional notification, and 

licensing exemptions. 

The above synopsis was 

prepared by the F.A.I.R. 

Trade Group. 

Additional Points Noted at 

the Importer’s Conference 

ATF announced that three 

of its publications are undergoing 

revision in contemplation 

of the release of updated 

editions. The National Firearms 

Act Handbook and the 

Imports Guidebook are being 

revised and industry may bring 

needed revisions to the attention 

of ATF at the following 

e-mail addresses: nfahandbook@atf.gov 

and importsguidebook@atf.gov, 

respectively. 

ATF projects that new 

revisions of these publications 

will be available in time for the 

January 2015 SHOT Show. 

ATF provided an update on 

their e-Forms. ATF has not yet 

even awarded the contract to 

INDUSTRY NEWS 

127 


the firm that will re-design that 

part of the system. Once a 

contract is awarded, the contractor’s 

personnel will need 

to go through background 

checks before they can begin 

work on the project. So, it 

could be mid-October before 

the contractor even learns 

the details of the issues to be 

addressed. The e-forms revisions 

are not expected to take 

place until sometime in 2015. 

NFA Branch 

William Boyle, III is now 

the NFA Branch Chief. Kimberly 

Ramsburg is now NFA 

Section Chief. 

By October 2014, ATF expects 

to have 24 examiners in 

the NFA Branch to help clear 

up the backlog. By December 

2014, they hope to have total 

of 29 examiners. 

Alphonso Hughes, Division 

Chief, Firearms and 

Explosives Services Division 

(FESD) said that he is taking 

aggressive steps and “hopes” 

to have Form 1 and Form 4 

processing time down to 6 

months and Form 3 processing 

time down to 30 days by 

the end of the year. He recognized 

that this is optimistic but 

it is his goal to achieve. 

Average monthly NFA 

Branch revenue is $1.5 million. 

The highest revenue 

month was December 2013 

with $2.5 million received in 

revenue (thanks to the ATF- 

41P issue). 

The NFA Branch is receiving 

on average 8,838 calls per 

month. In FY 2013, there were 

44 Congressional Inquiries. 

Presently, it is the first 

time since 2009 that the NFA 

Branch is processing more 

applications per month, than 

are received. The backlog 

is approximately 56,000 

Forms, which is down from 

81,000 in February. 

Import Branch 

It was announced that 

under Category 1 of the 

U.S. Munitions List, scopes 

no longer require a Form 

6 to import. 

Category 7 of the U.S. Munitions 

List has been modified 

somewhat substantially. 

Under Category 14 of the 

U.S. Munitions List, gas masks 

no longer require a Form 6 to 

import. 

Shotgun barrels must be 

brought in on a Form 6, even 

though they are not on the 

U.S. Munitions List, because 

the GCA says they must have 

a sporting purpose. It is to be 

treated as an implement of 

war and the model must be 

listed on the Form 6. Barrels 

are NOT being considered a 

firearm part. 

eForms Updates 

eForm 1s are back online. 

eForm 2s should be back online 

soon, by the end of the 

year or early next year. 

eForm 3 and 4s will be 

next to go live, on the new site 

that ATF is developing, which 

may not be until sometime 

in 2015. 

ATF still cannot update the 

website to reflect the one additional 

(not listed) requirement 

for the eForms password. 

eForms passwords must have 

5 alpha characters. 

Marking Variances and 

Electronic Recordkeeping 

There is presently a 90 day 

turn around on Marking Variance 

Requests. 

ATF says it is updating 

the Federal Firearms Regulations 

Reference Guide with 

new rulings and Q&A. The 

book hasn’t been updated 

since 2005. 

In response to a question, 

ATF confirmed that it is a VIO- 

LATION to use cloud storage 

for electronic A&D Records. 

ATF-41P 

ATF Counsel Andrew Lang 

stated that ATF is currently on 

track to make a decision by 

January 2015; however, he 

acknowledged that many of 

the comments filed by attorneys 

raised some issues that 

ATF hadn’t considered. 

He stated that the rulemaking 

may get significantly sidetracked 

internally, depending 

on internal responses to their 

review of the comments and 

proposals on how to address 

the concerns. 

In response to a question 

on why ATF didn’t provide the 

underlying materials used for 

drafting the proposed rule, 

Attorney Lang, in addition to 

saying the petition was posted 

by the NFATCA at some point 

in time on its website, said ATF 

hasn’t had requests for such 

material in the past (indicating 

in the words of one attorney 

present, that ATF may be in 

violation of the Administrative 

Procedures Act). 

ATF Suspends Imports 

from 9 Russian Entities 

On August 13, 2014, ATF 

announced immediate action 

to suspend import permits 

authorizing the importation 

of firearms, ammunition, and 

other defense articles involving 

Kalashnikov Concern and 

eight additional defense-related 

entities. 

ATF initiated this action 

pursuant to guidance from the 

Department of State under the 

Arms Export Control Act, 22 

U.S.C. 2778 (AECA), which 

directed ATF to implement the 

sanctions previously imposed 

by the Treasury Department’s 

Office of Foreign Assets Control 

(OFAC). 

Background 

On July 16, 2014, the 

Treasury Department’s Office 

of Foreign Assets Control 

(OFAC) designated Kalashnikov 

Concern as a Specially 

Designated National (SDN) as 

part of the Obama Administration’s 

sanctions on persons 

and entities in Russia determined 

to be contributing to the 

situation in Ukraine. They also 

identified seven other entities 

involved in the arms or defense 

industries in Russia. 

It is important to note, 

however, that ATF’s actions 

prohibiting imports of defense 

articles from the targeted entities 

is under its authority of 

the AECA and is therefore 


oader than the OFAC economic 

sanctions. As mentioned 

earlier, the State Department 

has directed ATF to 

implement the economic sanctions 

pursuant to its authority 

under the AECA. The AECA 

authorizes the President, in 

supposed furtherance of world 

peace and the security and 

foreign policy of the United 

States, to control the import of 

defense articles. Consequently, 

the Administration’s authority 

under the AECA extends beyond 

economic sanctions and 

gives ATF the authority to prohibit 

the importation of defense 

articles involving any of the 

sanctioned entities, regardless 

of whether the targeted entities 

retain a financial interest 

in the defense articles. If the 

defense articles are manufactured 

by or otherwise involve 

one of these entities, they are 

prohibited from importation 

into the United States. 

Russian Arms Industry 

Replacing Ukrainian 

Suppliers 

The Russian arms industry 

has developed a plan to 

replace its Ukrainian suppliers, 

lost during the crisis 

in Ukraine, with companies 

in Belarus and Kazakhstan, 

an influential Russian 

daily reports. 

Before the crisis, about 

400 Russian defense contractors 

used materials and components 

produced in Ukraine, 

and 70% of all companies supplying 

the Ukrainian defense 

industry are located in Russia. 

As the new Kiev regime 

started severing economic 

contact with Moscow, President 

Vladimir Putin urged 

Russian officials to ensure defense 

orders are fulfilled, and 

to start replacing Ukrainian 

suppliers with domestic production 

or imports. 

FDIC Says It Will No Longer 

Target Firearms Retailers 

Gun retailers are no longer 

on a hit list deemed “high risk” 

by the Federal Deposit Insurance 

Corp. after the banking 

regulator formally withdrew 

the list it put together that outlined 

what merchants may be 

considered risky for banks to 

do business with as part of 

the Obama administration’s 

“Operation Choke Point.” 

The agency said its explanatory 

warning list “led to misunderstandings” 

about how 

it’s supervising banks’ ties to 

third-party payment providers, 

according to Bloomberg 

News. The regulator said it 

never meant to prevent banks 

from doing financial transactions 

with the types of businesses 

on the list. 

Those that are operating 

with the appropriate systems 

and controls will not be 

criticized for providing payment-processing 

services to 

businesses operating in compliance 

with applicable law,” 

the FDIC said in its updated 

industry guidelines. 

Richard Osterman, the 

agency’s acting general counsel, 

admitted to the American 

Banker newspaper that the list 

had been “misinterpreted” by 

financial institutions. 

Republican lawmakers 

have criticized the FDIC for 

unfairly targeting legitimate 

businesses that operated in 

its so-called ‘high-risk’ category, 

including gun retailers 

and payday lenders. The 

Washington Times reported 

in May that many banks 

were dropping businesses 

in these high-risk industries 

as the bankers wanted to 

avoid higher scrutiny from the 

federal regulator. 

The FDIC has been helping 

the Department of Justice 

run “Operation Choke Point,” 

which is intended to combat 

online fraud by cutting off 

fraudsters’ access to payment 

systems. House Committee 

on Oversight and Government 

Reform Chairman Darrell Issa, 

California Republican, has 

said the effect of the program 

has been to squeeze out legitimate 

businesses. 

“If you empower the government 

to pick winners and 

losers within lawful enterprises, 

then there’s no place 

to stop,” Mr. Issa said in an 

appearance at the libertarian 

Cato Institute. 

Industry advocates pushing 

to repeal Operation Choke 

Point said the FDIC did not go 

far enough. “Altering a web- 

site is window dressing and 

doesn’t end the unjust practices 

associated with Operation 

Choke Point,” said Brian Wise, 

a senior adviser for the U.S. 

Consumer Coalition, which is 

seeking an end to Operation 

Choke Point. 

“While we support the 

FDIC’s decision to remove 

the list of ‘high-risk merchants’ 

from the FDIC website, damage 

has already been done 

to countless businesses 

across the country who have 

already lost their bank accounts,” 

he added. “Whether 

the list is published on the 

FDIC’s website or not, we expect 

banks will still be fearful 

of doing business with these 

lawful industries.” 

The author publishes 

two of the small arms industry’s 

most widely read trade 

newsletters. The International 

Firearms Trade covers the 

world firearms scene, and 

The New Firearms Business 

covers the domestic market. 

He may be reached at: 

FirearmsB@aol.com. 

INDUSTRY NEWS 

129 


By John Brown 

REPORT 

NFATCA 

CHANGES IN LEADERSHIP 

During the last several months we shadows and waited for things to 

have noticed many changes occurring change. Patience has its virtues and 

within the leadership of ATF. The first things are starting to pay off. 

announcement was the news that Arthur Early in the summer Marvin Richardson, 

soon to be Deputy Director, held a 

Herbert, Deputy Director, would be retiring 

at the end of 2014. That news had manufacturers meeting in Washington 

been heard before and we had our trepidations 

about that being true. However, time that all of the ATF staff and major 

D.C. It was the first time in a very long 

it is official that Mr. Herbert is retiring industry members came together and 

and will be leaving after a long career in genuinely smiled at one another. Credit 

the Bureau. Candidly, our work with Mr. goes to Mr. Richardson for pulling everyone 

together and discussing a mul- 

Herbert had not been met with the kind 

of cooperation that we had hoped. However, 

with patience, things eventually all and all participants walked away from 

titude of regulatory issues that affect us 

change. We just hope that the change is that meeting hoping for better times 

not worse than what we had. 

in cooperation. 

As mentioned in an earlier article, Though we knew what was coming, 

many of us in the industry have noted we enjoyed much cooperation from ATF 

some positive small changes in cooperation 

while working silently behind It was of course in the second term 

during this administration’s first term. 

closed doors with those ATF personnel that the storm started to brew and rain 

still friendly to the industry and who have down a ton of anti-firearms legislation, 

been steadfast in their work with us. targeted at manufacturers as well as 

Now, in recent meetings both official and the consumer. We have seen plenty of 

unofficial, it is a far cry from the days in this during the first year and a half of 

this administration when ATF personnel the second term. Under White House 

were blatantly told not to even accept a direction it is no secret that the Justice 

bottle of water from industry members. Department has taken apart every idea 

Many of the cooperating personnel from the industry and turned it against 

within ATF simply shrank back in the the consumer and the manufacturer. A 

simple idea of streamlining the Form 4 

processes, by eliminating the Chief Law 

Enforcement signature, has turned into 

an absolute nightmare. The fear is that 

the more time that falls behind this type 

of legislation the less likely its impact. 

Although the Justice Department 

has seen fit to forge its way into virtually 

every type of gun legislation, mid-term 

elections and dissatisfaction with the 

current administration are once again 

allowing a strong spirit of cooperation 

between ATF and the industry and consumers. 

A single example of this resides 

in the doubling of the staff tasked with 

processing forms for all types of NFA articles. 

Now at 9-10 months, with a target 

of six months, the Bureau in responding 

cooperatively with all of the trade associations 

and the consumers by adding appropriate 

staff to handle the load that is 

unprecedented in the history of the NFA. 

With a backlog of nearly 45,000 forms 

monthly at the NFA Branch, increasing 

staff is a natural and cooperative move 

to assist the consumer and the industry. 

Changes in leadership at ATF will 

help at the Federal level and will once 

again give us the spirit of cooperation 

that we had enjoyed for so many years. 

With Marvin Richardson moving up, the 

dominoes start to fall and openings for 

more leadership positions will occur. 

Keeping a good relationship with ATF 

has always been a dictum of the NFAT- 

CA, and these changes will fuel our 

hopes of continued cooperation. That 

posture alone has been the reason why 

the NFATCA has enjoyed more cooperation 

from ATF than any other trade 

association in the firearms industry. We 

have stood steadfast for nearly twelve 

years and have withstood pain and agony 

of many types of proposed legislations. 

We have worked hard to support 

the industry and the consumer and have 

published the NFA Handbook and are 

nearly complete with the publication of 

the Firearms Technology Handbook. We 

will continue to keep our membership 

apprised of the latest news on all fronts. 

The changes that we are seeing 

within ATF leadership are very positive. 

We have a lot of ground to recover 

and many things to yet accomplish. 

With a strong leadership within ATF and 

strong leadership within the NFATCA, 

we can and will accomplish our goals 

for the future. 

Come join the NFATCA today and 

become a member of a powerful team 

that works for you, the industry, the consumer, 

and the sportsman, in defending 

not only our Second Amendment rights 

but for your NFA rights nationwide. 


S ARound Answer 

Key on page 133

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EMMAGEEMAN’S CORNER 

MACHINE GUN MEMORABILIA 

BY ROBERT G. SEGEL 

Russian late 1920s or early 

‘30s marksmanship competition 

trophy banner between 

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CROSSWORD 

ANSWER KEY

SAR 19#1

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